Parents speak out about the need for involvement and dialogue

In recent weeks, the Springfield News-Leader has featured several editorial columns filled with inaccurate and misleading information about our Springfield Public Schools. Because that erroneous information is presented so prominently on the paper’s opinion page my staff and I have attempted to correct it, because I believe an informed conversation about our schools and the challenges we face has to start with facts rather than conjecture.

Thus, it was refreshing to see two parents and volunteers speak out on behalf of our schools today. Both authors shared a common theme in their contributions: the need for real community involvement to ensure the success of our children and schools.

Tim Burk discussed his experiences as a volunteer and president of his school’s PTA.

Gail Melgren urged readers to take a broader view of the achievement gap, rather than attempt to address the issue with vitriol.

Less than a month after the editor of the paper called for a more civil dialogue on the opinion pages, it’s good to see that several have heeded that call. If you have questions or concerns about your school or the district, don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff, myself included. We want you to be informed about the state of our schools. I encourage you to take the time to volunteer in our schools, donating a small portion of your time pays immense dividends in the lives of students.