I have been exposing some very disturbing and startling truths about our school district. I have done extensive research and I have published the factual results of that research. All of what I have published can easily be confirmed and I have provided the sources for everything for just such a purpose.
The facts are not pretty. In fact, many of them are downright negative.
But there are some individuals who are upset that I am “promoting negativity” about our school district. These individuals seem to think that what I am exposing is somehow personal and emotion-based. They apparently believe that no one should say bad things about our schools. They apparently believe that by not saying bad things (even when they are absolutely factual), then everything will be good. Even if the truth is bankrupting our towns, destroying our property values, robbing our children of the education they deserve – these individuals apparently believe that denying the truth will make it all better. Oh, and we should always throw more and more money at the problem.
How naive, short-sighted and ignorant! Do they not want our children to have the best educational product possible? Am I the one doing harm by exposing the facts, acknowledging the problems and promoting solutions? Or, is it logical to believe that staying the course on a sinking ship is the best way to proceed (while we all join hands and sing Kumbaya)?
Am I to look the other way and ignore the facts? Should we all bury our heads in the sand while whole generations of children lose every competitive edge in our global economy from receiving substandard educations which do not hold up to the standards of the rest of the world? The facts that I have exposed are true – across the board, without exception. Ignoring the truth will not change it. And changing the facts about this school district from negative to positive is just what I want to see happen.
You cannot change what you don’t acknowledge, folks.
Our entire nation is facing the brutal fact that throwing more money at education is not the answer. Our entire nation is grappling with the difficult decisions it will take to fix what is broken. Our entire nation has spent too much time and sacrificed too many children’s educations looking the other way while their school leaders bankrupt their towns and cities with unsustainable budgets and provide inferior educational products to our children. Our nation has fallen to the very bottom of global standards of education for the 30 wealthiest countries. That is criminal.
Edgar Allen Poe said, “Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.”
I am dealing with reality here. This is not about emotions and it is not personal. I am doing my level best to promote reality, not negativity. If the two are not mutually exclusive, then let’s do what is right, what is moral, what is ethical. Let’s change the reality.
DY Voice of Reason 
AMEN !!!!
I, for one, thank you, Susan, for telling the truth!
It is laughable that there are actually people who think that – contrary to what every piece of evidence proves to the contrary – everything in this district is just fantastic and that if only we would all just believe that and join hands and sing Kumbaya, well, then, everything really would be wonderful. Tell that to the 441 students whose parents have taken them out of the district. Tell that to every real estate agent who can’t sell a family a home in Dennis or Yarmouth to save their lives because of the poor schools. Tell that to every family who already lives in Dennis and Yarmouth and watches their taxes go up each year while other important services have to be cut in order to fund the school district – and while they get a substandard educational product for their money! It’s ludicrous and infuriating that people can be so naive.
There is a significant group of people, (mostly parents) that do not want to recognize the faults of our school system because they have no other options. Either private school is too much money or school choice is too much of a hardship.
There is another group of people who don’t want to recognize the problems of the school district because they are responsible for it, whether its teachers, the Superintendent, the school committee or a selectman. Every one of them owns a share of the districts troubles.
Very well said. You are right and the problem with the latter group is that we are at a crossroads and it is time to draw a line in the sand. They either are adult enough to put their egos in check and admit that the current course of action is destined for failure and that it is time to do something different, or they sacrifice the district for their egos.
Given last night’s circus, I am selling …if I can !
The fix was really in, and our kids lost.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/yarmouth/features/x1601444969/-Grace-under-fire-Dennis-Yarmouth-superintendent-gets-six-thumbs-up?photo=0#axzz1IDziwcoz