Dear Editor,

I am writing in response to the two articles in last weeks People-Sentinel regarding the Barnwell School District 45 problems.

I attended the Feb. 25 board meeting after I heard of the controversial e-mail and flyer from Mr. Fields.

At the meeting, the board recognized several groups of Barnwell children, of different ethnicities, for their outstanding accomplishments.

As one of the board members was apologizing to the children for the distraction and embarrassing behavior of our community, another board member was rolling her eyes. This was rude and childish behavior, and shows that the board can not even agree on an apology to children.

Mr. Fields is not the first administrator to be placed on administrative leave for misuse of school district e-mail. Many of you may not know this because it was not made a racial issue.

How is it not racist to say "Black children are in a crisis" and "A white majority board will not be interested in the advancement of black children"?

These were comments made at the meeting (which two of our board members attended) Feb. 23 by Mr. Kenneth Myers.

All children are in a crisis and all children should be considered for advancement.

It seems to me Mr. Myers and a small group of citizens are making this a racial issue.

Racism, as defined in Webster's dictionary, is "hatred or intolerance of another race."

The so called "lackluster" teachers Mr. Myers spoke about should be outraged as I am sure they are. The same "lackluster" teachers who teach the lowest achieving students also teach the TAG classes.

Teachers are teachers of all children, not preferential to color of skin, gender, or religious beliefs. It takes a special person to be a teacher. If these teachers only wanted to teach the "cream of the crop," or the brightest of children or only white children, why would they even consider teaching in Barnwell? We have a truly diverse community and school. We recognized children of different races and gender at the board meeting Feb. 25.

The standardized tests our children take are mandated by the state and federal government, not Barnwell District 45. Black, white, Asian, Hispanic, boys and girls all take these tests and are all scored on their ability, not just the black children.

My two older children graduated from Barnwell High School in 2006 and 2007. The guidance department held a meeting their sophomore year to discuss the SAT and the ACT. All children who planned on attending a college or tech school were advised to take these tests.

We were told that some students score better on one or the other. They advised which one you should take based on your test taking skills, not the color of your skin!

If this is really about the children, then why are the children the ones being hurt the most? Some of them have lost instructional time, some have been after 6 p.m. getting home from school, some have been left at school crying, not knowing how or when they were getting home! Is this about a power struggle over control of the buses and drivers?

I challenge this community to come together for our children. This should not be a black/white issue! Our children need teachers who love children, bus drivers who love children, parents who love them unconditionally, and a board and administrators who put the children first!

Sincerely,

Jeri Lyn H. Ridgeway
Barnwell