Looking for Truth in Onaway

  The uproar in this country and in our community about teachers “grooming” students is downright silly. Here’s what we would groom them to do if we had any power over them. Bring their materials to class. Understand the difference between you’re and your. Hit the wastebasket every time. Stop starting sentences with “So--” Use their inside voices.

  The hot question at recent board meetings is if individual board members should be allowed to drop in on classrooms as part of their role as overseers of the school. The National School Board Association says it’s important for board members to see how the school runs, talk to staff, and view students in their daily environments. That means the answer is a partial yes: as long as board members understand their purpose, which is NOT to cause chaos in the classrooms. The Michigan State SBA says this: The Superintendent is responsible for the day-to-day management, supervision, and leadership (of the school). The board makes policy. The super sees that it's implemented. While board members should be familiar with the way the school operates, it is NOT their job to manage day-to-day events, critique teachers, or oversee student behavior. Imagine being a teacher and having not only the principal and the superintendent telling you what to do, but seven different board members g

  Onaway's current school board is a mess, and it came about in a series of odd events. First we had agitators, obnoxious types spreading discontent with loud rhetoric, lies, half-truths, and misunderstanding/misuse of Christian beliefs. If you apply reason to what they say, their claims don't hold up to scrutiny. Sadly, some don’t care. These "believers" come in two types: those too weak-minded to examine what they hear and think it through, and those who see an opportunity to get something they want out of the uproar.  Ask yourself why a radio show host would jump into a situation he knows nothing about, interview only one side of the issue, and use his platform to support people he chooses to believe without the slightest attempt to present facts or alternate views. (Hint: He does it all the time. He's twice been convicted of felony fraud.) Ask yourself why a parent would take issue with a teacher's methods but never speak to the teacher about it.