The State Board of Education hosted the annual 9th District Congressional Hearing Tuesday night in Dahlonega. This public forum gives parents and 9th District community members to voice their opinions to their State Board of Education representative.
Martha Zoller represents the 9th District and she will bring public comments to the full State Board of Education.
Parents’ main consensus was their desire for more transparency from school officials.
For example, Banks County parent Michele Ramsey wants every Banks County education meeting to be livestreamed.
“I’m asking that the State Board of Education create and enforce a strict policy that all public meetings be livestreamed and uploaded on the local Board of Education Facebook platform or directly to the school website for transparency,” Ramsey said. “Our Banks County commissioners do it, the other local Board of Education is doing it, so I don't understand why the Banks County school system and the local board of education cannot.”
Andy Marple, another parent from Banks County, pressed for more parent involvement. According to Marple, there is not a parent-teacher organization in Banks County.
“I feel that a parent teacher organization needs to be stressed to the Board of Education and to our superintendent,” Marple said. “The idea of innovative and creative ways to enhance our children's education should never become an issue.”
Another hot button issue was parents’ concern regarding teaching materials and lessons.
Jen Gooby said that both of her children had an assignment in sixth grade about England’s pollution during the 1800s.
“I would much rather them [focus] on geopolitical economics,” Gooby said. “Talk about the military, talk about the relationship between countries, how they work on trade and those kinds of issues rather than talking about climate change.”
Gooby also voiced her satisfaction that critical race theory is not being taught in Lumpkin County schools.
“I would like to preserve that, I don't want us to go in that direction,” Gooby said. “Critical race theory teaches that because you're white, then you're by nature racist.”
On the other hand, Gary Hulsey discussed a few things that he thinks every curriculum should include. In his opinion, every middle and high school should teach students about the Constitution, Declaration of Independence, the existence of the Federalist Papers and the 10th Amendment.
“We must educate with the truth in all cases,” Hulsey said.
The hearing ended with comments from Zoller, challenging parents to boost their childrens’ confidence in their math skills.
“We would never let a child say they weren't a reading kid,” Zoller said. ”But we let kids say they're not math kids.”
