Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

The Monroe City Schools Board elected new officers for the 2021 school year Tuesday(Jan.19) night in their first meeting of the year. District 4 Board Member Darryl Berry was elected as board president, succeeding outgoing president Betty Ward Cooper. District 7 Board Member Sharon Neal Greer was elected as vice president replacing District 6 Board member Brandon Johnson. After the results were announced, Berry assumed the role as president directing the proceedings of the meeting. With the school board having a 5-2 majority, it’s amazing how the minority controls the majority. Students lively hoods are at stake making new school board officers’ vote suspect especially when the minority controls the majority. What a sad day when opportunity surpasses classroom success. A lengthy discussion was held concerning the progress and whether the Flex Day program would continue. A review of the progress was given by Dr. Harrington Watson, as he gave his assessment of the program. Watson said that there is more work to be on the flex day and that there are children “who are failing” and he hopes that the flex day can help those children as it goes forward.

Supt. Brent Vidrine, when ask if the board was going to address the issue, he said that the current discussions was putting the issue before the board, so that members could make a decision on whether to continue the program or discontinue it. The board after entertaining a motion moved to continue the flex day in its current form, but will try to make it better. The board had said that when the program was initiated, board members would review the status of it, which happened Tuesday night.

In other matters, a resolution proclaiming that the Monroe City School District along with other school districts throughout Louisiana, will celebrate School Board Recognition Month in January. Over 640 locally elected school board members throughout Louisiana are being recognized by schools and their communities for their service and dedication to public education.

A second resolution sponsored by State Sen. Katrina Jackson, District 34 Representative Fred Jones and District 16 Representative Pat Moore, “extends congratulations and commendations” to the Monroe City School Board “in honor” of School Board Member Recognition Month, The resolution continued by saying, “Education is the foundation which we shape who we are and who we aspire to become. And we applaud these extraordinary men and women for working together to create educational visions for our students and educators. We salute the Monroe City School Board for the tremendous dedication they have shown to our school-aged children, and we wish them immeasurable in their future endeavors.”