BusinessReport.com

Posted on February 26 at 2:53 p.m.

Baton Rouge is so desperately trying to attract this young, hip, cool crowd. They are trying to become a great city like Austin, Atlanta, Portland, all the rest. They are trying desperately to step up their game, but they forget some of the most important parts. This issue is a prime example of why Baton Rouge is losing young professionals.

I'm in my mid-twenties, a military brat, and chose Louisiana as home because of the food, culture, and people. But I will quickly move if I decide to have children because I can't imagine sending my child to Baton Rouge public schools.

Yes, the magnet schools are fantastic. Yes, Baton Rouge High has produced some of the city's, and the nation's, best and brightest, but there are so many other children that do not qualify for these schools. There are children that won't be able to go to the very few magnet programs that are available in East Baton Rouge Parish.

While your children are attending the magnet programs, have you stopped to spend some time with the children in any of the failing schools? I challenge you to spend a few afternoons at Glen Oaks Middle. Get to the kids, watch the teachers, and then tell me that our school system is improving.

Granted, this is one of those schools being taken over, but there's no excuse for this kind of environment.

And if you want a prime example of how our students aren't getting along well in the system as it is, take a look at Capitol Middle. Wonderful facilities, horrible failure rate.

Buildings don't teach children. Blanket pay raises don't reward teachers based upon merit. Discipline and truancy funding is only effective if there is an adequate plan in place or proposal in place about how to utilize the funds.

It's time to stop letting the School Board and the entire system off the hook.

The children of East Baton Rouge Parish deserve better. I hope you know that. I certainly know that, when I do have children, they will deserve better than what this city has to offer.

And if you're apathetic because your children go to private school, you're only allowing a system to propagate that does little to help students make it through high school, make it to college, or tech schools, and eventually become a productive member of society.

It's about more than getting them funding right now. It's about holding the School Board, the system, and ourselves responsible for an education system that is failing our students and, ultimately, our community.

On Vote ‘no’ on school taxes