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Attitudes must change throughout NL schools

Bryan Sayles Waterford

Publication: The Day

Published 05/17/2012 12:00 AM
Updated 05/16/2012 05:51 PM

Several months ago, The Day covered New London town officials conducting a tour of the dilapidated New London High School. I remember one picture of the boy's locker room in deplorable condition. The locker doors appeared smashed, painted with graffiti, or twisted on hinges.

What did the students using that locker room do to prevent vandalism from happening or reoccurring? If not the kids, what did parents do to prevent repeated vandalism in that locker room? It didn't happen overnight. While the locker room is only a locker room, its condition serves as a metaphor for the educational environment in New London.

Local and state government must now support the truth and excellence the state audit promotes (May 8, "Audit calls NL school board leadership incoherent"). I support it for calling attention to the need to change at every level. Responsible students must contribute. Why not police against others defacing school property, the very tools of those students education? Local and state government must provide the resources, political will, and courage to effectively curb problems like truancy, tolerated by some irresponsible parent(s). Maybe then, heads will be held a little higher and test scores can begin to rise with them.

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