Everybody is for progress, but nobody wants to change.
Schools across Coahoma County are quick to call your Clarksdale Press Register when they have a new program, activity or offering for their students – and we never want that to stop.
This community wants to see the new and improved school tools that our school districts are using to educate our children for college and career.
But that desire for innovation and adapting to a changing world seems to stop when it comes to adults leading these districts.
Your Clarksdale Press Register has watched for several years as Coahoma County School District and Clarksdale Municipal School District have grappled with state test scores. We’ve watched Clarksdale Municipal School District vote for salary increases for teachers and staff while students fail in the classroom. We’ve seen census numbers that show a shrinking tax base as trustees continue to raise school taxes yet keep tired, lazy, failing teachers and principals in the classroom and front office.
When will this stop!
Education is too important for this community to get mired down in providing something close to a government jobs program for people who can’t seem to get the job done.
Maybe it is time we talk consolidation. Maybe it is time we combine our schools and resources and give our children a better education.
Our children deserve better. Our city and county deserve better and consolidation of our two public school systems is the obvious answer.
Our schools have earned poor grades, our students are getting poor grades and Clarksdale and Coahoma County are the poorer for it.
And let’s not blame it on our students. It is teachers, administrators and school board trustees who have failed.
We urge the people who really care about educating children to consider consolidation. We urge the movers and shakers in the community to seriously consider what consolidation might bring to our community.
We urge our school leaders to embrace this dramatic change or give us a good reason not to consolidate.
Poor schools are the elephant in the room in this community. We must find new ways – wise and frugal ways – to address our failing school systems.
It’s not about adults and jobs. It’s about children – our children – and the future of Clarksdale and Coahoma County.