Speakout

Friday, August 22, 2014

Dealing with depression

My sympathy goes out to Robin Williams' family and others who have lost family members due to suicide related to especially depression. Depression is an illness that is very hard to overcome, especially when you don't know which way to go anymore. I have had relatives with depression and they have very rough days in conquering this illness. In year's past, people didn't have the chance like they do now to go to the doctor or psychiatrist and also get medicine to overcome this. If you are ever depressed, go to the doctor and get help. Who knows - you will probably be a brand new person again. My sympathy goes out with anyone who has ever had depression or is facing it at this time.

Minority rulers

Calling in response to the school board article, Aug. 13 paper. School board member Gleason made comments that need to be addressed. He calls folks who do not want Common Core in our Sikeston School system (which is the majority of the taxpayers and the parents) he calls these people a divisive mean-spirited minority. I would remind everyone that they lost the bond issue in the beginning of the year and the folks that were against Common Core were blamed that bond issue failed. The bond issue failed by two-thirds majority vote. I would suggest that Mr. Gleason and the board members that keep riding roughshod over the majority of the taxpayers are the minority. They are ruling the class so they think they can insult, defame and abuse us as taxpayers and parents because they have the power. They only listen to the State Department of Education, the superintendent who gets his orders from the State Department of Education, which gets its orders from the Federal Department of Education. So they are trying to please government bureaucrats. To heck with the people that paid the dues, the bills, the taxes. I would suggest the morale of the school system is not because of the folks that are against Common Core. It is at the fault of a school board or school administration that destroys the careers of 20-year career teachers for speaking out against Common Core and ostracized down and belittle them and remove them from positions they have had for speaking out. They don't want any input from the taxpayers. They hold their meetings before people get off work. The only ones that are encouraged to attend are the school staff to come and fill up the room, who they know support them. Anyone who does not agree with them is discouraged from attending or having any voice. That's the majority of us. That's the taxpayers and the parents. Mr. Gleason misled the whole community. The school board is misleading the whole community, except for one, who voted no on the mandatory testing.