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White Cliff - what now?
by Lynne Miller

 

June 09, 2004
Wednesday


What was truly garnered from a public forum on the issue of the closure of White Cliff school when the only appreciated sentiment was "do something but don't affect me" or better yet "just affect those White cliff kids". 100 people agree - but did they truly represent the best interests, first and foremost, of holding before them a honorable solution to housing this total body of 270 school children next school year? Children across this island are taught daily to SHARE, TO OFFER THEMSELVES TO OTHERS IN FRIENDSHIP AND FELLOWSHIP. Child friends and strangers are even encouraged to CONCEDE AND ACCOMMODATE. We adults are judged in the end by how we get along - not how we hunker down and/or turn our heads away from being role models of proper all-inclusive behavior and attitude to all our island's children - not just our own.

Parse White Cliff children out because they have the misfortune to have "leaders" in this very school district who state the public is in "denial" about a appropriate solution to this issue and yet, once again from these very leaders I fear that tonight the "solution" will again be clothed in denial from them, in statements of concessionary actions made simply because - we better "not affect other children". Down the line, past this immediate school crisis, in my opinion, this school district is in dire need of a total redistricting of our schools to FORCE proper management and utilization of our school buildings, not so that next year or the school year after that Houghtaling or North Point Higgins won't be next to be so shoddily dealt with when a crisis happens upon their schools.

Lynne Miller
Ketchikan, AK - USA

 

 

 

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