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By J. Edward Howell Jr.
Your Turn

To the best of my ability, I have followed the transpiring problems in the City of Franklin School Board and the Southampton County School Board. Titus Mohler, one of the staff writers for The Tidewater News, has done an outstanding job of interviewing certain important people involved in the controversy. All of us, out in the public, are aware that the school system has been failing our young people for a long time. They are graduating some high school students who can neither read nor write. All of us are desperately aware of the major problem of failing students; the question is, who is going to remedy the problem? Titus revealed to the public that the Franklin School System has a bloated staff, yet they continue increasing their budget. The same is true in the County. I cannot help but notice an abundance of “Doctors” mentioned in all of the important positions. Even my friend, Bob Holt, chairman of the FCPS, has a doctorate, and that is okay. 

A person who goes to the extra effort and expense of obtaining a doctorate degree has always been looked upon as someone with extremely high intellectual capabilities, or simply speaking, as being extra smart. In his recent article in The Tidewater News, Holt focused on having people run for positions on the school board rather than the “end products,” the students and their progress. It is a good thing, too, to have interested citizens sitting on the school board. The most important thing, however, is to have good leadership, i.e., “The Doctors.” 

The latest interviews prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that those now holding those positions have not exercised judgments that qualify as “intelligent.” They appear to have a certain sense of contentment, placing their school systems in the lower twenty-five percentile within our state’s total school systems. 

From my memories of high school, particularly, I know that a principal is one of the greatest advocates and counselors for their students. They encourage and inspire their students to accomplish the seemingly “impossible” rungs on the ladder to success. 

Travis Felts was one such man. No one has said why he was transferred to a new position away from his beloved students. It was not at his request, as I understand it. I remember teachers who were devoted to teaching their students. They would not hesitate to berate or scold a student who did not seem to be applying himself or herself to their studies. Do we have such teachers today? Why not. Are teachers being compelled to teach transgenderism, D.E.I., or LGBTQIA+ rather than English grammar, math, chemistry, civics, etc?  

Some of you who read this will simply see me, the author, as just spouting off. I am venting because our children’s education is the basis of our country’s future. I also believe that all of our present teachers have been indoctrinated by the universities rather than educated. They know how to promote ideologies rather than how to teach the basic three R’s. All of those interviewed by Titus Mohler seem to be waiting for the Wizard of Oz to solve their problems. Who is the Wizard they expect to see? I would venture to say, “They are the “Wizard”. Start acting like it, or resign!

J. EDWARD HOWELL JR. is a native of Southampton County. He can be reached via email at jimmy9298@charter.net.