By Terrelle Harr, Guest Columnist
I am writing in response to John Midkiff’s guest column with the headline “A breakdown of Cherokee County school mergers” (in the Sept. 21 edition of the Cherokee Scout).
His prevailing point is that Murphy Middle School is an unsafe, crowded and undisciplined school.
Therefore, why would the Cherokee County Board of Education choose to merge middle school students from a “successful” pre-K-8 school (Martins Creek School) into Murphy Middle School?
He goes on to state that the board of education is “derelict” in its duty because of combining Martins Creek middle students with Murphy Middle school students and by “disrupting” two other “well-functioning” schools, Ranger Elementary/Middle School and Hiwassee Dam Elementary/School.
In response, I have studied the Teacher Working Conditions Survey for 2024 as found on the N.C. Department of Instruction’s website. I found some discrepancies in Midkiff’s reporting. He compares apples to oranges in several cases. He denigrates the teaching staff at Murphy Middle by reporting that only 26% strongly agree that Murphy Middle is a good place to work and learn. However, when you look at the survey results, 91% of the school’s teachers agree or strongly agree that the school is a good place.
Midkiff goes on to point out that bullying, disorder in classrooms and in commons areas, and disrespect of teachers are a “disaster zone.” He failed to compare Murphy Middle responses to the only other comparable school in the county, Andrews Middle School. Middle school students are beginning to exercise some independence, and in so doing defy authority. They have to learn once again what appropriate behavior is. The reader should compare the two middle schools to get a better overall picture.
(Martins Creek, Ranger and Hiwassee Dam schools are all primarily elementary grade students, who are not yet at the same stage of rebellion that results in bullying, disrespect, etc).
Midkiff also addresses and compares safety at Murphy Middle. He states that only 21% of Murphy Middle teachers strongly agree that safety issues are addressed quickly. However, the survey shows that 68% of teachers agree or strongly agree that safety issues are addressed quickly.
Neither the State of North Carolina nor Cherokee County is willing to fund the small schools that have heretofore existed in Cherokee County. There are some great advantages of having small schools, but when the district cannot fund each small school at the level that brings the same learning opportunities to all students, then a change has to be made. I trust that the school board and school officials have weighed the funding issue vs. learning opportunities and made the best decision, albeit a controversial one.
Unfortunately, parents’ schedules will be disrupted for a time during this transition at all three schools. However, the compensating factor is that students will have greater learning opportunities in a larger environment of their age range. All three schools are still very small compared to schools in urban environments. Staff will have the opportunity to get to know all the school’s students just as before. Principals will no longer be administering 10 grade levels (pre-K-8), which will allow more time to focus on supporting staff.
It is time to put disagreements with the school board aside and work to support our schools. The 2024-25 session is beginning. Students are going to adjust, and I predict they will like the changes overall. The school administration, staff and students need all the support that we can give. Successful education of students requires a team.
Let’s stop the meddling and naysaying and get on with the school year.
The writer is a resident of Murphy.