LETTER: Expressing Views On A Middle School

Letter to the Editor:


I have spent a lot of time reading and thinking about the opinions concerning a middle school. I would like at this time to add some food for thought. I realize that some, maybe several, will not agree with me, but we are all entitled to our own opinion. I certainly do not have all the answers, but so far I have read nothing to indicate that anyone else does either.

I have lived in this county all my life. Sure, it was a big change going from eighth grade to high school. I was excited but nervous about attending a big school but that is life, and one must learn to adjust to changes.

As far as problems with discipline in the high school, as I remember it, the majority of the problems began when parents stopped punishing their children. Then the teachers were not, and are not, allowed to discipline students either. Children are not born knowing how to act. Someone must teach them and when there is no punishment … there is no reason not to do as they wish as opposed to how they should be acting.

Again, as stated in some of the other comments, it is the parents’ responsibility to teach their children how to act respectfully and encourage them to learn not just let them grow. My parents always told me if I ever got a spanking at school, I could expect one when I got home. Guess what, I never was spanked at school. A middle school, nor any other school, will “fix” this problem.

Oh, for the most important point, when prayer and God were removed from our schools, we were just asking for problems.

Addressing the financial issue, it makes absolutely no sense to me with the current economic situation both locally and nationally to go further in debt millions of dollars when we already owe millions. I would like to have a bigger home but am ever so thankful for the 39-year-old home I have. When something needs repair, it is much cheaper to repair it than than to ditch it and buy another one that in a few years would also need repairs.

As a taxpayer for 39 years, I feel that taxpayers should have a vote on how our monies are spent. If the people for this middle school want it so badly, perhaps, they can fund it rather than expect everyone else to pay for it with taxes, taxes, taxes. We have several elderly property owners who are on fixed income. We, also, have people struggling to keep their homes and pay the property taxes, etc. It really is easy to spend someone else’s money, and common sense should come into play at this point.

Lastly, I audit students’ records for degree requirements at MTSU. I have found that the students from Cannon County are as well adjusted as students from other cities, counties, states and countries and earn much better grades than some of the other students from other areas. We have many students from our county who are honor students and for that we can be very proud.

I appreciate the opportunity to express my views and apologize for the length.

Deborah Phillips

Woodbury, TN