-----Original Message-----
From: Erica Derr [mailto:]
Sent: Thursday, April 29, 2004 3:52 PM
To: Grier, Terry; Mendenhall, Susan; dygarr@aol.com; alan.duncan@smithmoorelaw.com; Sharpe, Anita; mcsykes6@aol.com; kcooke73@triad.rr.com; Hayes, Deena; johnnyh@aol.com; nrouth@bellsouth.net; dotkendall@aol.com.; Price, William R (Aycock)
Subject: Support for Standard Mode of Dress at Aycock

Dear Dr. Grier and Guilford County School Board Members:

My daughter, Samantha, is a sixth grader at Aycock Middle School, in the Spanish immersion program and I am very concerned about the actions of a small number of parents who oppose the standard mode of dress portion of the school improvement plan for 2004-2005.

In all honesty, I considered removing my daughter from this school last fall.  I am a very involved parent and my daughter and her friends know that they can trust me and talk to me about anything that worries them.  So I have heard about events taking place both in the halls and the classrooms at Aycock that are absolutely unacceptable in any school.  I expressed my concern to Mr. Price about the different situations, as did many other parents, and he responded appropriately.  He held a number of parent meetings, allowing us to elaborate on what the problems were as well as possible solutions. He assured us that the school improvement team would indeed be meeting to determine how to improve conditions at Aycock – regarding disciplinary policies and their implementation, regarding retention of qualified teachers, and other issues.  At every step he has welcomed and received parent input.  I understand that the SIT also received student input.  It should come as no surprise that the student body was not in favor of SMOD. What child admits to wanting the limits that parents should set and enforce? But if parents don’t set and enforce limits, who suffers?  The child suffers.  Often their classmates suffer.  And their teachers suffer – and I must say that the teachers at Aycock are certainly not paid enough to endure what they have endured.  Ultimately, our whole community suffers when parents don’t do the parenting they should.

Mr. Price also actively solicited feedback from parents about each of the initiatives in the school improvement plan.  I was very glad to receive a phone call from an Aycock teacher several weeks ago asking for my opinion about the initiatives being planned, even though I was already aware of the proposed plans.

But now, the nay-sayers are at it again.  I’ve lived in Greensboro for 17 years and I have never seen as much community discord as we have here.  Just like with the baseball stadium, just like with the High Point high school choice program, there seems to a small group of people who have boundless amounts of energy for stopping any program dead in its tracks.  I am so frustrated by their actions, which I believe may result in a poor-quality educational environment for my child; I am seriously considering moving to another city or another state.  I have received emails from other parents who are intimidated by these forcefully opinionated parents and who don’t speak out.  They are pleased with Mr. Price’s plans and have no idea that these few parents (less than a dozen people) seek to undermine the efforts that so many of us are making.  The bottom line is, it’s not enough for my child to get a good education – I’m a good parent and will do whatever I can so that she has the educational opportunity she deserves.  It will only be enough if ALL children at Aycock have those opportunities.  And that starts with respect. 

I agree that the standard mode of dress should not be a stand-alone policy – it will only help if other improvements are made as well and I am assured that they will be.  Frankly, if I were a middle school teacher, I would not have lasted a month at Aycock, the way it was this year.  These are people of great courage and perhaps we should be reminded that they are all specially trained to do their jobs. They are educational experts. Yet we treat them as if they don’t know how to do their job?  To keep good teachers, a critical element for success in schools, we owe to them to provide the kind of working conditions that are at least conducive to the task we are asking them to complete.  That is the LEAST we can do. 

Aycock – its students and teachers – are full of potential.  I pray that Mr. Price’s initiatives will not be derailed by these few short-sighted parents.  I have suggested to Mr. Price that another aspect of character education should be considered at Aycock, namely a service project for each AA class, or each social studies class.  Many of the complaints about SMOD involved losing the “right to make a statement” but there a lot better ways to make a statement than choosing this or that shirt.  If each class were to decide what is important to them (helping the homeless, feeding the hungry, helping seniors, etc), and were guided in choosing and planning a service project that would truly make a statement, just imagine the sense of accomplishment and pride that these children would feel at an end of the year assembly when each project is recognized. And just imagine what that would do for the community of Greensboro, to have these kids entering young adulthood with the knowledge, skills and motivation to really make a positive statement, rather than to wear a particular brand of shirt.

Please feel free to contact me at any time should you have any questions that the parent of a sixth grader may be able to answer.  I know that you have many demands placed on you, often from conflicting sources.  I hope that you will support Mr. Price and the overwhelming majority of parents who want Aycock to succeed for every child.

Sincerely,

Erica Derr

Greensboro, NC 27408