Letter to the Editor

Letter: April 7 is critical day for Sikeston’s future success

Friday, February 21, 2020

Dear Citizens of Sikeston,

April 7 is a critical day in predicting our town’s future success; it is Election Day. I am voting YES on our school bond issue on that day. One question I occasionally get when I say this is, “Why?”  My basic answer is, “Our children and community need it.”  But why do our children and community need it? 

In 2002 I came to Sikeston for a teaching interview. I sat in the Board of Education building waiting for my interview to start and a curriculum meeting was about to start as well. Every person who walked past me on the way to the curriculum meeting stopped and said hi. I wasn’t from here; the people didn’t know who I was, but I was so impressed with how nice everyone was. My interview convinced me that the people here were passionate about educating children and I wanted to be a part of it. I accepted the job. On August 1st, I went to the high school to get my key to my room and begin. I was taken on a tour to C building. It didn’t match the image I had in my head. My first classroom was C-8. The walls didn’t meet the floor, the paint was peeling, there were only two electrical outlets, the roof leaked, there was no control of the thermostat in my room, and there were other issues that are not conducive to educating students. When we did group work, I would have to remind my students to keep their voices down because the wall didn’t meet the floor and we would disturb others. 

The first time I went to Lee Hunter, I was surprised to see that the building didn’t have hallways so the children had to go outside and around to get to other parts of the building. I also noticed the same types of issues I had in C building like leaking roofs and a lack of electrical outlets. 

Some say, “Why not just repair these items?  These are maintenance issues.”  The reason is we are past the point of being able to successfully repair these items. Our maintenance staff is phenomenal and they do the best they can with what we have. They work tirelessly to try and keep things up and running. The issues with these buildings go beyond repair and remodeling. They do not meet today’s ADA standards. We are unable to secure them like we want to in the event of an intruder. They were wired for the 1960s and it is now 2020. Technology is a daily part of our lives. It is our responsibility to teach the children how to use it appropriately.  

Our community also needs this. We want our community to grow and expand. Schools are one of the first things that businesses look at when they consider moving to a community. I have given numerous tours of our schools over the years to people who were considering moving here.  I spoke of our great faculty and staff, the pride that comes with being a Bulldog, the great education we provide students and was still met with shocked looks when they saw C building. Our buildings matter!  You never get a second chance to make a first impression and C building’s physical appearance didn’t give the impression we needed. 

I would challenge you to ask yourself the following question when making your decision about how to vote:  Is it good enough for your own children or a child you are close to?  Do you want your children in buildings that have ceilings that are falling in, no temperature control, with only a couple of outlets so the teacher has to run extension cords and power strips everywhere and risk overloading the breaker box, and that are designed in such a way that they are unsafe in the event of an intruder?  I highly doubt anyone can honestly say they want their children in that type of environment.  

I dislike taxes as much as anyone else, but when I pay this tax I will actually be able to see where my money is going. I can walk up to our new schools, touch them, see students and teachers working and learning together and know that I cast a vote to help generations of children in Sikeston as well as my community. I invite you to join me in voting YES on April 7th. If you have further questions, please feel free to ask and visit the schools4sikeston Facebook page or website. Let’s show everyone that #WeAreSikeston by moving forward as a united community that not only tells everyone but shows them that we believe in the importance of education, the promise of our children, and the strength of our town. We are an unstoppable force when we work together and the time to act is now!  

Sincerely,

Jodi Glidewell

Sikeston resident and educator