Dr. Bill Cason Speaks Out On School Consolidation

Open Letter to the VCS Teachers and Staff

 

Open Letter to the VCS Teachers and Staff:

We are a proud school system facing many challenges over the next few months. We have to deal with the disruptive issue of consolidation until November when the voters decide whether we remain as we are or become a part of the Lowndes County School District. If consolidation happens we will deal with it as the true professionals that we are.  In addition to the consolidation issue we have to begin to implement all the changes required by the move to Common Core Curriculum. Then there is the issue of funding that is always an uncertainty. These are just a few of the challenges we will face through the remainder of this school year.

It is difficult to remain focused on the task of educating our students with all the distractions. I urge you to put them aside and continue to do the great job you are currently doing. I wish there were a way to let our parents and the general public know just how much effort you and the district expend every day and every hour to ensure academic success for our students.

I encourage you to be strong, focus on your jobs, and not be affected by all the outside issues swirling around you. We have over 7500 young minds that are depending on us every day to ensure that they get the best education that Valdosta City Schools has to offer. 

Remember that in the game of life it is hard to beat a person who never gives up. 

 

 

 

Consolidation Between VCS and LCS? Wrong Place & Wrong Time

The issue of consolidation/unification of the Valdosta City Schools and the Lowndes County Schools is an issue of extreme importance. The vote on this issue will be taken in November and will forever more affect the lives of the students in both districts. This is an issue that the voters cannot take lightly.

As it currently stands we are fortunate to have two outstanding school districts that do a great job of educating our students. Furthermore, we are constantly looking for ways to improve. With this in mind, I question the real motive for the huge push by the Community Unification for Educational Excellence (CUEE) to consolidate the two school districts. Perhaps I would be more understanding of this effort if CUEE could present a plan that would clearly show how combining the districts would enhance and improve the education of our students. The truth is they have no such plan. It is my contention that there are motives other than the education of our students behind this push to unify the school districts.

There are so many important questions demanding answers that to date have not been addressed. One important question is how will bigger make things better for our students? There are many examples of school consolidation across the nation that indicate bigger is not always better. One of my greatest fears is that our students who come from poverty will not continue to receive the same level of intense and rigorous instruction they currently receive and as a result will fall through the cracks. I also fear that many of the strong academic programs we currently use will be weakened or will disappear. This is not to say that the Lowndes County School District would want this to happen; however, based on experience some good things disappear or are weakened through the disruptive process of consolidation. 

I feel strongly that this is the wrong time and place for consolidation to occur. Why try to fix something that is not broken but, in reality is working extremely well? Statistics from both school districts related to academic achievement of our students shows significant gains in almost all areas of instruction. At least two to three years of turmoil and change following a consolidation and reorganization of the districts will do significant harm and delay to our continued improvement.

I strongly encourage all parents and concerned citizens to learn all they can about this issue before voting to relinquish the charter that allows Valdosta City Schools to continue to exist.

In future posts, I will address the impact of consolidation on our teachers and other staff members.   Feel free to leave me your comments, thoughts and suggestions below. I would love to get your thoughts.

I’m listening and thanks for stopping by.

-Dr. Bill Cason