I Want To Be "Happy" When I Grow Up

Seeing the Light!

Below is an email I sent to the Petersburg City Public Schools Superintendent and my for representative on the Petersburg City School Board...

I am sure you remember me...my name is Charles Barr.  Last year and the year before, my son attended Walnut Hill Elementary School.  We discussed the many issues we had throughout both tumultuous years. 

After last years struggles, I seemed faced with a tough decision - move to find better schools or stick things out in my hometown of Petersburg.  After seeing a consistent decline in Walnut Hill Elementary Schools quality of education and a severe lack of community support, I felt I was given no choice but to move out of my home-town of Petersburg in an effort to find better schooling for my son.  At that time, I had doubts that this would resolve all of the issues we seemed to encounter in Petersburg.  We even feared that, because he barely passed 1st grade there at Walnut Hill, that he would likely struggle and that things could be more difficult until he caught up.

In September of this year, we moved to Prince George where we registered our son at Beazley Elementary School.  Our first interactions with the school, besides registration, was the open house prior to the start of school.  My first impressions where that the facility looked older and smaller.  After meeting his principle and teacher, we were pleased with how calm, pleasant and organized they seemed.  I was also shocked to find the required school supply list was literally less than half of what was required at Petersburg.

The first couple weeks, our son struggled, exhibiting a few of the same issues he seemed to have at Petersburg...not paying attention, talking or moving about the class room, and just not doing his work all the time.  After about 2 weeks, though, his teacher and us got that under control.  Even though he did struggle his first 9 weeks grade wise, we have seen amazing improvements in our son's behavior, reading, and grades.  Even more importantly, he now loves school and reading!  

I have been amazed at how much better my son's educational experience has been since moving.  The difference between Petersburg City Public Schools and Prince George County Public Schools is far greater then I ever imagined.  When I think of the many friends, other parents and children who are still enduring Petersburg City Public Schools I feel sick to my stomach.

Frankly, we do not allow people to physically abuse or sexually abuse our children, so why should residents of Petersburg be forced to allow Petersburg City Public Schools to educationally abuse our kids?  Sure, parents could pay for private schooling or move, but those are not options for most people.  Residents do, in fact, pay for what is supposed to be an adequate public school education.  After a battle with cancer, our family was only able to move because of help from family and the pure grace of God.  

Even more importantly to ask (more posed at our School Board, fellow Virginians, and fellow Americans, but still worth you hearing)...

How on EARTH did we let things get this bad in Petersburg?

How is it even legal for such a horrible school system to still be allowed operate?

How can we allow two schools systems, funded similarly and basically neighbors, to be so drastically far apart in quality of education?

Moving to Prince George to find better schools has turned out to be one of the best choices we have made for our son and family.  I feel sorry for the many kids and families who couldn't afford alternatives PCPS.  I am sure, if I were to have stayed, it would have cost my son his future.

Sincerely, 

Charles Barr

Really? There THAT Much Difference? Really?

I knew from my son's first day of school that Petersburg City Public schools were struggling.  As he finished Kindergarten and the 1st grade, it became increasingly evident that allowing my son to go to school there was detrimental to his development and our quality of life...so, we moved to a neighboring county.  From orientation, the differences were shocking.  I left the first orientation thinking, "Petersburg residents need to know how much better theirs schools SHOULD be."  I mean, we do not allow people to feed our children poison...why is it legal for Petersburg City Public Schools to even operate, much less citizens be required to send their children to school there (as most do not have the resources for them to go to school elsewhere)?

Petersburg, VA, is my hometown.  I was born there....grew up in Walnut Hill...graduated from PCPS...was an active member of my community and schools...yet, I felt I had no choice but to move....but then to move and find out that, just miles away, was a school system that was the polar opposite of what we experienced in Petersburg practically makes me sick to my stomach.  As one person argued, "You just can not compare the two...it is not fair."  Shouldn't it be, though?  Shouldn't it be fair to compare one school system to it's neighboring school system?  It is not about "What's not fair"....this is about "Who this is not fair TOO"...our children.

Petersburg City Public Schools should be closed immediately.  Sending your kids there, or being forced to send your kids there due to a lack of means to move elsewhere, should be illegal.

Local Law Group Files Complaint Against Petersburg Schools - 8NEWS - WRIC | News Where You Live

Local Law Group Files Complaint Against Petersburg Schools - 8NEWS - WRIC | News Where You Live

Schools Out!

Most parents cringe at the idea of the kids home for the summer.  Petersburg parents likely are thankful...I know I am.  My son had some maturity issues and definitely some behavior issues that seemed to throw his teacher and entire support staff for a loop.  Despite suspensions, meetings, and trying many, many different things, no one had the answer and his grades slipped.  You know, I never once met our "guidance councilor".  What a joke.  After much thought, we are moving.  There are too many issues here...none of which the City, residents, School Board, or School Staff are capable or willing to even attempt to fix.  For my son's sake, it is time to move to a place where the schools are properly managed and cared for.

A Year Full of Disappointment

Words, alone, can not describe how thoroughly disappointed I am with Petersburg City Public Schools, as both a parent of a child who had the unfortunate luck to be a student in one of their pathetic schools and as a lifetime resident and tax-paying citizen of this community.

In this school year I have witnessed at Walnut Hill Elementary School:

• Disregard for proper discipline techniques.
• Inadequate support, both in staff/personnel and especially guidance. 
• Parents, so burned out by years of inadequate education practices that they refuse to care anymore.
• Teachers with great intentions but out-of-date teaching techniques.
• A complete lack of proper discipline techniques.
• Suspension is the only form of discipline outside of the classroom.
• School administrators that use excuses instead of doing what is right.
• School Board and City Officials who put more energy into "Hope and Prayer" than "Actions and Solutions".
• A clueless administration, from Superintendent down...with no answers, no plan, or no experience in turning around a school in Petersburg's position.

To give credit where credit is due, there were some grounds improvements done.  With that said, the grounds issue were simple fixes...I have seen no efforts to correct the more complicated issues that haunt our schools.

Whether you have children or not, if you are member of this community, you should be just as upset.  Americans rally everyday to feed the hungry far away, while all the time children right here in our home town are starving for a quality education. Our tax dollars are being squandered...and we spend more per child then most school systems.  We can not let them take our money for trash schools anymore.

If you think for a minute our school board or school system has a "plan" or that "year-round schooling" in 2 schools will be the "fix-all" we all hope for, keep on hoping...in the mean time, I am moving somewhere with better school...and God help the poor children who are forced to continue being abused by Petersburg City Public Schools.  We all have to remember, the children are who are really suffering the most here...and there is just no excuses for that, especially in America.

"We must all suffer one of two things:  the pain of discipline or the pain of regret or disappoinment."  Jim Rohn

Stay Informed!

A great resource for parents is www.greatschools.org/!  Anybody can sign up for updates, check reviews, test scores...very cool resource!