Monster Mergers :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Monster Mergers About three decades ago, school boards in the state of Pennsylvania decided that bigger was better. These short-sighted members looked at school districts merging throughout the country and deduced they should join the parade. How could they be so naive not to see the damage and havoc that would be left in the wake of these giant jointures. Wyoming Valley West, Nanticoke Area, Hanover Area, Coughlin, and even the parochial Bishop Hoban, are responsible for killing a magnificent community spirit as well as extinguishing all chances of fervent rivalries. The consolidation of small town schools has deprived once proud individuals of a sense of community, tradition and memories. School boards have to be more sensitive to the needs of their constituents. A change in the board members or the school board system itself is necessary. Careful planning, unlike the school boards' decisions, is essential in changing an archaic system. A Task Force of School Governance commissioned by the Twentieth Century Firms, concluded, "The hallmark of American education for over 150 years has been the local school board, and nothing would be gained by shifting to a totally new system," (25). A revamping of decision making is needed to prevent the disasters of the 60's and 70's. Kirst states, "Rethinking and revamping the role of the school board are necessary in this altered policy context," (38). The school board points an accusing finger at the state government. Dwight W. Allen supports the stand by contending that the state makes the major decisions such as how many days of school in a year and who could attend regardless of how the towns feel about the issue (44). Our loca l school boards should care how we feel. They should be our champions. Instead, they buckle to state and federal educational fads. School boards actions affect not just the students, but each and every member of the community. "Since 80 percent of the taxpayers in some suburban areas and more than 50 percent of the taxpayers in most communities do not have children in school, it is essential to keep the community informed and involved in the schools" (Becthol 327). This type of communication should have been in place before school boards smashed small schools into an academic collage. School activities such as theatrical dramas, uplifting musicals, and nail bitting sporting events, once a staple for the community, are now absent.