By Barry Mills, Stevensville
Will a $20 million welcome mat improve school culture?
Did deferred maintenance, read neglect, just happen? No, it occurred over an extended time with a shrinking base of people that have felt that the school is responsive to their needs. A new façade will not change the underlying culture of a system that is isolated, removed, unresponsive and inaccessible. The center piece of the new school is an upgraded security system aimed at improving student safety. It is not coincidental that it reinforces a culture of exclusion and isolation. A culture of exclusion and isolation are just the futile ground for school violence that the new program is trying to resolve. On a parallel issue, if the city council would fulfill its mandate to provide for public safety, maybe the school could focus its time and resources on education rather that law enforcement.
There is no amount of make-up and plaster that will improve an ailing culture that is not accessible and responsive to community needs. And an ever-shrinking cadre of supporters only illuminate the widening gap between reality and the fiction of a functioning school.
Fix the culture and the support will be there.