Letter: Council Candidate Concerned Over City's Schools

I am very concerned with the overall health of Manassas City Public Schools. I believe our teachers have the most challenging and difficult profession sans law enforcement.

Our teachers do not receive the help or support needed to be successful in today’s climate. There is the lack of help from parents and leadership from our superintendant.

We have challenging demographics (Manassas Park resembles our same challenges but have found a way to persevere) and teachers are bogged down with constant over assessment, paperwork and red tape.

While some of this is federal intervention there is still a large element of local hindrance. After these factors there is only a small percentage of time to actually teach our children.

I have talked with many teachers over the last several months and they feel their concerns have fallen on a deaf ear. Our teachers, school board, superintendant and community need to address the issue of the lack of parental involvement, lack of English proficiency and our systems quagmire.

I am not an education specialist, but maybe a program that addresses not only students who are challenged with the English language, but their parents also. A teacher can only do so much even in the best climate. If a student does not receive help at home because parents are unable to read, write or speak English then their children will learn at a much slower rate.

We have intense programs in place to teach challenged English speaking students and are not using similar intensive programs to teach Spanish to the others. We are using many resources to teach only one segment to become bilingual.

All parents need to be persuaded to help on a regular basis in our classrooms. This should be a major focus and a talking point during the enrollment process.

I am in favor of abolishing the Revenue Sharing Agreement in its current form. In its place a more scrutinized and transparent agreement will follow. This may show the need to cut in places and add in others. Possibly showing a net increase to the over all monies allocated to our schools, but will be responsible for changing our system at its core not throwing away more tax dollars on ideas without that in mind.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for our teachers and will do everything in my power if I am fortunate enough to be elected to retain our good teachers and get the teachers back to teaching! I will listen to your ideas first and foremost and urge the school board to do the same.

Sincerely,

Jerry Carman

Manassas City Council Candidate

www.jerrycarman2012.com