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School Board should put focus on educationBy PAMELA PATE © St. Petersburg Times, published March 14, 2001 I am a teacher, parent and taxpayer in Citrus County. That being the case, I am more worried about the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test that students will be taking and academic performance than extracurricular activities such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, sports, band, Key Club, and fundraising rallies that take place during instructional time. It is my belief that children are sent to school to be educated so they can lead productive lives in society. Morality, citizenship and religious values are subjects that should be taught at home. Over the years, however, society has added to schools the responsibilities of feeding breakfast and lunch, before- and after-school care, mental health counseling and finding financial assistance for the medical needs of children. All non-academic events should be extracurricular, which translates to "not during the regular instructional day." Instructional time should be for academics. Parents need to become responsible for their children and take an active role in raising them. That means, instead of watching Oprah and drinking through another happy hour, they could interact with their children by becoming involved in extracurricular endeavors other than football. Perhaps such a novel approach would cut down on juvenile crime, teen pregnancy, gangs and many of the other "immoral" acts cited at the Citrus County School Board's revival meeting on Feb. 27. I hope we have indeed seen the last revival manipulated by Chairwoman Patience Nave and conducted by the School Board. The Feb. 27 fiasco was a flagrant abuse of taxpayers' money and an abomination. After sitting through the entire dramatization, I realized the following: There was a gross misinterpretation of board member Carol Snyder's intent and of the general purpose of the meeting. It appeared to be a religious jihad against Mrs. Snyder. Despite one attempt by board member Sandra "Sam" Himmel to "set the matter straight" (there was never intent to disband or take the FCA away from the children), selective hearing prevailed. Speakers continued to promote the wrong message for hours. The children in the audience were the unfortunate victims and puppets of the incorrect and distorted message. However, their input was mature and their manners impeccable. Many adults in the audience were rude, inconsiderate and disrespectful. They were an embarrassment to me as an adult. Perhaps they need a refresher course on the golden rule. Adult speakers were not called in the order their cards were handed in. The speaking order was manipulated, as well as the allocated time, by the board chairwoman. I empathize with the students who believe they have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. However, in reality, all they have experienced is the same peer cruelty many children experience because they are not part of the "in crowd." Every day, children are mean to one another because of appearance, ethnicity, or personal quirks. Unless they have experienced depravation, torture or death of loved ones due to societal hatred, their own experiences, unjust and hurtful, are unfortunately part of growing up. The intent of my commentary is not to get in a spitting match with a camel, for that would only cause more unrest and perhaps unnecessary board meeting revivals. It is, rather, to ask the board to focus on the educational needs of the students. It is time for the School Board to represent all taxpayers and not the interests of a chosen few. It is time to let the teachers teach, and preachers preach in their designated areas and times. For, to everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heaven. -- Pamela Pate is president of the Citrus County Education Association and a teacher at Crystal River Middle School. She lives in Lecanto. Guest columnists write their own views on subjects they choose, which do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.
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