Thursday, August 16, 2012
Augusta, GA
I feel compelled to write this in an effort to assist my friend, Dr. Wayne Frazier. Regardless of whether people personally like him or not, simply put.... he gets the job done! He is the lowest paid of all principals in the Richmond County School System, yet when a school needs to be turned around in the right direction, Frazier is the one called upon. He LOVES working with troubled kids to help them see the benefits and importance of an education just as previous generations impressed and instilled those same values decades ago.
I am a former teacher within Richmond County School System, having taught under the former principal Mr. Chambers, as well as Dr. Frazier. The transition was unbelievable... kids appeared to be hanging out like in the mall socializing when the Chambers administrat
ion was in charge. But, when the Frazier team came on board, the students had to get re-focused and academically centered. It was a night and day difference.
Many students who did not want to conform or do the work chose to leave; however, there were others who had to be dealt with differently as there were discipline issues. (Therefore, the protocol for discipline problems had to be enforced to remove them.) More importantly, those who longed for their diploma and what an education would provide them, stayed. Thus, the entire environment changed and seemed to be energized by Frazier's direct, up-close and personal, in your face methods of interacting with faculty, staff, and students.
As an instructor, you were either there for the students and the goal of helping them achieve their educational goal, or you were miserable and dying to get the heck out of dodge as soon as the next contract was available. Sure, there were many in the last category. But, those who were dedicated remained forward focused. (Which is evident from the high school graduation results of the 2011-2012 school year that garnered Glenn Hills with the highest rate of passing students in the entire state of Georgia.)
As an instructor, you were either there for the students and the goal of helping them achieve their educational goal, or you were miserable and dying to get the heck out of dodge as soon as the next contract was available. Sure, there were many in the last category. But, those who were dedicated remained forward focused. (Which is evident from the high school graduation results of the 2011-2012 school year that garnered Glenn Hills with the highest rate of passing students in the entire state of Georgia.)
I no longer teach, and that was a personal choice. I loved teaching and working with my students; however, my own children are my priority and they need my attention and support as they endeavor to advance in school. Those things aside, right is right, and wrong is wrong. Dr. Wayne Frazier needs community support in order to be restored as principal at Glenn Hills High School. The students and community need him to remain there to continue the great works he started there. If the school board can send him in to do their dirty work, why can he not remain once the work has begun? ***
Roslyn Stephens
*Stephens is a former educator with Richmond County School System and taught at Glenn Hills
No comments:
Post a Comment