(The following was presented in the public comment section of the Tuesday, Sept. 16 Randolph County Board of Education meeting.)

I will begin by thanking you, Dr. Dilly! Thank you for making some proposals regarding our school system that anger most everyone in the county — it may be the end of block scheduling or closure of certain schools. In one sense, the county is more unified than it has ever been–unified in its sense of anger about all the things being proposed as virtually everyone is negatively impacted though perhaps for different reasons.

Though it took some time, I recognize that you, Dr. Dilly, and the members of this Board of Education are essentially pawns in a much larger game. I will go so far as to say that even our state board of education members are also pawns, exercising no vision and very little power. I say this with no disrespect but with a challenge to each of you and to each of them.

If you truly want to make a difference, if you want to see our schools adequately funded, greater community and parental involvement, and importantly, our academic scores increased than you are going to have to do something you have not done before.

There has to be a unified voice, loud enough to reach the ears of our governor, the chairs of the Senate and House education committees and to our legislators in general.

The message is, “we are not going to take it anymore”. We are tired of being last in the country in nearly every education measurement. We are tired of seeing our communities ripped apart by blind and outdated consolidation approaches and finally, we are tired of inaction on the part of our governor and legislators to fix this problem.

My challenge to you, Dr. Dilly and to each of you as board members. are you brave enough and strong enough, and do you care enough to carry this message to Charleston, loud enough that it can’t be ignored. Can you imagine the counties that will join you, the number of impacted parents and children across this state that will join you? There can be such an outpouring of support and yes, anger that brings about action at the state level.

We are led to believe that we should cower with the prospect of a state takeover of our county school system. I suggest that the Governor and our legislature should cower as the voice and energy of the citizens of this state demand a vision and action from our elected servants–they work for us.

In January during his inaugural speech, Governor Morrisey had this to say: “Our education initiatives, they’ll empower parents, support teachers, and ensure that every child has access to the tools they need to succeed”. So far the Governor and our legislature have been long on words and short on action.

Governor Morrisey, Senate President Randy Smith, Senate Education and House Education Committees, President Hardesty of the State Board of Education, Michelle Blatt, State Superintendent of Schools are you listening? We are not going to take it anymore–do your job! Fund our schools, prioritize academic achievement and seek greater community and parental involvement.

Superintendent Dilly, members of this Board of Education are you also angry–angry enough that you will take up the mantle, and lead, yes lead, the parents and educators across this great state and fight with everything within you for our schools and our children’s education?

Dan Bucher

Harman