ANDERSON, Ind. —
For the start of the 2010-11 school year, Anderson did not become a battlefield between students forced to consolidate two schools into one.
Certainly, some students were bound to dislike others. Tempers likely flared over still-lingering summer arguments.
The start of the school year was also not a district-wide transportation nightmare. Granted, many students may have felt like they waited too long for buses and some ended up riding their bus for much longer than they ever assumed. And Anderson High School students may still be wondering which of the more than 40 buses they are to take home.
But the disaster that many predicted for the first week of consolidated schools did not prove true. In general, the start of the 2010-11 school year in Anderson was safe and without widespread unfortunate incidents.
The same was true — and usually is — for other districts.
Notably, at Lapel High School, educators took a little time off on the first day to begin bonding immediately with students through a pep rally where students joined together for games.
After the rally, principal Greg Ganger told students, “For an hour, you didn’t care who you were. You were a team. You were a family.”
The event was a clever reminder that a school building should provide character-building activities and education for all students.
Anderson school teachers, too, went out of their way to bring students — previously from separate schools and traditions — into one unified body. Whether they employed smart get-to-know-you games in the classroom or whether they showed compassion in understanding transportation glitches, the effort showed unity.
Now it’s time for students, parents and educators to unify and get serious about this school year.
The rough economy is not going to let up on school budgets. The bitterness of some families over budget and program cuts is not going to ease up overnight. Our schools are going to have to do more with less funding. And every student and taxpayer must be unified in understanding and overcoming the dilemma. The goal of educators and families must be aimed at helping every student succeed. We practice the mission by developing new approaches to education and be welcoming every student into each building.
Perhaps the concept was best stated in a banner hanging at Anderson High School. But its message can apply to every school building: “One school. One goal.”
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Editorial: Firings show inability to turn foes into friends
