Paid for by Citizens for Colburn Committee. Authority John W. Phillips, Jr., Treasurer

Talbot must do better by its public schools
April 12, 2006
Star Democrat

This letter was addressed to the Talbot County Council:

I was astonished to learn the county where I attended school now ranks last on the “Educational Effort Index” (how the Thornton Commission defines adequate school funding). We’re Maryland’s second wealthiest county. Why do we rank last?

Do council members have children in Talbot’s public schools? If not, how are parents adequately represented? It always appears as though Talbot’s land barons are well represented when it comes to our property tax.

If you knew how much time parents spend volunteering in and out of the classroom, selling fundraiser pizzas and pretzels at their work place, soliciting businesses for donations, and working the concession booth during athletic events, you wouldn’t hesitate to give the schools what they request and more.

I sometimes feel parents should simply write a check to the county for $2,000 or $3,000 and save themselves countless hours hawking pizzas to other parents and co-workers. Even then, we would surely have to earmark the funds.

The charity I am privileged to be associated with has donated tens of thousands for local school programs that at one time would have been county-funded. I just watched as two parents generously donated several dozen team jackets to a local tennis team because not all the children could afford to buy them.

Parents need to become more involved and attend more county council meetings. But then who would staff the concession stands and do the fundraising?

JEFF WELLER, St. Michaels