HERALD EDITORIAL:

A fresh start in education

The Perry County Board of Education now has the chance to make a fresh start with the students and parents of the county. Along with the new members, the board has brought in a new slogan, "Kids first."

So many people have become disenfranchised with the board in recent months, especially with the recent controversy, that they feel as though the board and its superintendent do not have the right priorities in mind. Indeed, the students of Perry County should come before any other matter, and that is what this new board is pledging to do.

This fresh start is not only a chance for a new beginning with the students, but with the teachers and principals as well. Education begins with the relationship between the teacher and the student, but it also goes beyond that relationship. If the members of the board are not able to provide adequate support to both teachers and students, the students are the ones who suffer.

Perhaps now that the new board members have been sworn in, they will be able to get to the business for which they were elected - the students. The young students that attend our schools are indeed our future, and the members of the board must be able to help in providing that future with a solid educational background that is capable of supporting the student in any field he or she might want to pursue.

The duty of the Board of Education is not to simply vote on funding and new textbooks, but instead to ensure that the people of Perry County did not waste their votes. The people of this county have entrusted their children's education with the Board of Education and the educators it employs. To misuse that trust is an unforgivable offense. Perhaps this new board will work in unison to make sure that the trust they have gained was not in gained vain.

- The Hazard Herald