Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

A concerned Ouachita Parish resident said that he has concerns about one school in particular: Richwood High School. The individual shared that he is a 1993 graduate of Richwood and is seeing a trend that has gone on at the school for a few years. The person said that there seems to be a disciplinary issue occurring at the school by students that are not being addressed by authorities. The person said that he could recall back in the glory days of Richwood’s legacy as one of the top schools for Black kids in the area. He said that the school was an excellent academic school and had one of the best high school football teams in Louisiana. Now, things are not so good, as a lack of discipline by students(his opinion) is hurting the school both academically and athletically. The individual said that he had contacted the Ouachita Parish School Board and asked that his concerns be considered. As of press time, he said he had not received a response. He noted that some teachers and even those in the school administration might not be taking the issue of discipline seriously enough. He said there is a lack of respect for teachers, whether in the classroom or on the football field. He said that was shown in the kind of season that the football team endured and that the coach is acting as athletics director “couldn’t do it all”. Students, he said, are not being challenged to do better because of a lack of discipline. He said that teachers need more help “from the top” and there may be a need “for new blood” to facilitate change at the school. He said the school is being affected at the state level, failing. He said that the lack of discipline is not a reflection of all of the teachers, but the “dedication” that he remembers from his days at Richwood, is not the same. He said that if there is a change in authority at Richwood, that individual should come in from the beginning and expect discipline from the students and demand it. The principal and teachers are the authority figures, as kids are in school to learn and not disrupt the class.