Dorchester District 4's Superintendent Jerry Montjoy has at least one idea right concerning improving his school district: see Student Motivation Is Primary Goal in Wednesday's P & C. It's an idea that was trashed years ago by the Charleston County School Board. Give up?
Montjoy says, "What we're trying to do here is build tradition. That keeps alumni involved. And motivation leads to tradition." You might also put that, tradition leads to motivation.
Ever wonder why Burke High School has the only strong group of alumni supporters in CCSD? Easy. It's one of the few high schools that's been allowed to keep its name.
What graduate of Moultrie High really feels a connection to Wando? Or graduate of St. Andrews High to West Ashley? Which high school do graduates of the High School of Charleston support? Or Chicora or Rivers High?
Pathetic, isn't it?
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
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2 comments:
James Island may have a connection to its alumni, though its status now as a charter school occupying the former campus of another school may be confusing to some. A good name and an honorable reputation appear to be institutional virtues that CCSD doesn't understand or value.
It's not easy for a school to recover a good name after its thrown under the bus as CCSD often does to its less liquid assets. A curve ball was thrown at James Island years ago by CCSD when it closed one school and consigned its facilities to another. The older James Island High was the survivor when the ax fell on its former rival, Fort Johnson High. JIHS was then moved and given the new buildings of FJHS. Then for some reason a dim light at CCSD came up with a classic edublob idea. Someone in the administration thought it would be a nice gesture (to whom I know not) for the mascot of the older school to be abandoned in favor of their adopting the one belonging to the closed school.
Like that's supposed to be healing community wounds or something. Go figure.
You make a strong point about alumni loyalty being lost by changing a school's name.
My old high school's name has been changed and although my graduating class still meets regularly for reunions in the same area, most of us are not active supporters of the renamed and relocated high school.
I chose a private school to send my son to rather than the present "version" of my old public HS in the Chas area.
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