Trust, communication essential in schools

Editor:

I am writing in response to Barry Paschals Jan. 9 column, Trust schools, or leave them.

I am an educator in a Columbia County elementary school. While the school system may have its flaws, I know without a doubt that no one in our system would intentionally put a child in harms way.

Yes, there was a situation that needed to be addressed. Once the system was notified of the situation, it was handled in the best way for the victim, offender, and all other students. This situation does bring to light the importance of communication; communication between the court system and the schools and communication between parents and the schools.

Our goal is to provide a quality, safe education for the students of Columbia County. This cannot be accomplished without open lines of communication, and trust. I hope parents would feel comfortable enough to bring concerns directly to the teachers involved, and not automatically hit the panic button when a question arises.

Thank you to Paschal for using his column to speak to parents. With their trust and support, we can work together to continue to keep Columbia County the excellent, safe school system it is.

M. Smeak

Martinez