Letter to the Editor
Educator not sorry to see trustee resign
I was surprised but not disappointed to see that Trustee Mobley has resigned from the Nye County School Board. Before Mr. Mobley represented Area II, he was our representative on the board from Beatty. We are now in Area I. We noted at the time that he never visited our schools, nor initiated any contact with us (the staff of Beatty schools), though he was instrumental ex officio in developing policy for us to follow.
Several years ago, after hearing district personnel complain that the rep for our schools had never visited our schools, I personally called him to invite him to our schools in Beatty, and he showed up to an event that year. Since then he has been back once, maybe more, to our graduation, representing the board. Frankly, he never bothered to make our acquaintance.
As we start the second year of a three-year school board "commitment" to a new starting and ending date (an uncomfortable, expensive and doubtfully effective change in a schedule that didn't need changing, as far as most people could see) I will pass on to the voting public what I was told about this dubious decision to start school in early August: We were told here that Mr. Mobley was instrumental in making this change, that he had been informed by instructors at community colleges, that it would be helpful to get the K-12 program coordinated with the dates of the community colleges, effectively ending our first semester at Christmastime, as they do at those institutions.
As I write this, we teachers are on duty, two work days having been scheduled this week, and are awaiting our students Monday. I know I don't have to point out the exigencies of our climate, which makes this arbitrary decision so unwelcome.
But, as a professional educator who has to make myself aware of research that effects my assigned duties, I want to inform the public that I have never seen any research that shows the beneficial effect of lining up the K-12 dates with the schedule of post-secondary programs. What was that all about?
His parting remarks don't put him in a good light: "I don't know, it seems like we don't do as much as we used to," he says, as he leaves a district burdened with budget cuts, at-risk students, dysfunctional and economically disadvantaged families, English language learner issues, old buildings, outdated books, malfunctioning HVAC, etc. We, Mr. Mobley, the teachers you never regarded, cannot corroborate your claim not to be "doing as much as we used to." Exactly the opposite is true, as I believe the public realizes.
Good luck to you in Wyoming. What exactly did you think you were entrusted to do for us here in Nye County? Public servants should have a spark of enterprise, sympathy, fellow-feeling, and a large dose ofrespect for those they seek to serve. You asked for people's votes, but you didn't deliver, and you leave when the going gets rough ’ and HOT! Some public servant. Voters …take heed.
Mary Beth Aragon
Teacher at Beatty High School
