Dear Editor and Ada Community:
Much about our community is going well, and I appreciate the hard work and dedication of our public officials and volunteers, organizations, and businesses to make Ada a great place to work and live. One question I must ask, however, is "What is wrong with our school administration?"
Over the past seven years of residing in Ada, as a parent of two students in the schools, I have watched as our public school administration has gone from bad to worse, especially regarding the rights of students and the importance of a well-rounded education. From the earliest days of our involvement with the schools, we have found it difficult to get information in a clear and concise manner, either about what is happening in our schools, or about the reasoning behind decisions made by the Ada administration and school board.
For instance, we were told when we first moved to the village that the only way we could get the information we needed about school calendar, events, etc. was to subscribe to a particular newspaper. Thank goodness for the Icon, which came along shortly thereafter so we can get the information we need in a timely manner without having to take the newspaper. It's unfortunate, however, that some of the information that is often given to local news outlets is inaccurate, such as when our daughter was left off of the list of graduates in the class of 2019.
Speaking of our daughter's graduation, we fought hard for more than a year for her to be able to graduate early because she wanted to study abroad, and the administrators of the school told us that she would not be able to transfer credits from her study abroad high school back to Ada. We were also told by one administrator that she would be able to finish classes early, but would still be able to walk at graduation in 2020, with her class. We later found out, from this same administrator, that this was not possible. Instead of staying around an extra year, our daughter doubled up on classes and took an online course in order to graduate early so she could take the opportunity to study abroad, which was given to her by our local Rotary club.
That same school year, we noticed that our son had not been signed up for marching band, which he was allowed to participate in as an 8th grader. We were told that this information was well-known the previous year and that we should have been informed. Rather than working through the issue with parents and students, the school decided that 8th graders could participate in band after school, but not during the band class period, which left them at a distinct disadvantage.
In 2018, when the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school happened in Parkland, Florida, many students across the U.S. decided to walk out of classes in memory of the students who lost their lives to senseless gun violence, and to call for a safer environment for all students. Rather than work with students to create a productive event, such as another local district did, our students and parents were sent a letter by the superintendent telling us that anyone who walked out of class would receive a detention as punishment. Upper level school administrators were unwilling to work with us to help our students have a constructive conversation about gun violence, and so the two students who walked out of class (our child was one of them), were given detentions. They served those detentions, but as a result they were also offered scholarships by an Ada alum.
The recent cancellation of the Ada Winter Guard season for seemingly no reason, the statement that this decision was in the best interest of the students, the students being told that they needed to learn a lesson, and the blame and shame of the person who was willing to help put together this year's winter guard program, are all further signs that something is deeply wrong with our schools. When we care more about saving face and setting world records than we do about our children and youth, we are on the wrong path. As citizens of Ada, and more importantly as voters, we need to remember these things when we next go to the polls to vote for school board members.
Yours Sincerely,
Rev. Dr. David E. MacDonald
