From the Desk of... Board of Education Chair Libby Carter
As I stared at the lead-in to this column, I had to think of the major part a desk has played in my life. From my early years as a student in the classrooms at Southern Pines Elementary to my graduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, I spent a lot of days sitting at a desk. I obediently sat and listened and learned as years of teachers passed through my life. As I began as a teacher, I knew that I would seldom sit down again, for to truly interact with my students I came out from behind that desk and lived among them. I found that every day was a learning experience and that my students would be my best teachers. Now that I have transitioned to a different desk, that of chairman of the Moore County Board of Education, I find that I continue to learn from those around me, but most especially when I am up and out in our schools and in our community.
So, just what am I learning as I step out into our schools?
I’m learning that special programs like robotics and bridge-building, Odyssey of the Mind and Quiz Bowl, musical theatre and band, work side by side with our academic programs to ensure well-rounded children who find creative outlets for expression and challenges for thinking. Students are proud of their trophies and ribbons, but they are even more proud of the solutions they created, of the productions they undertook, and the arguments they won. I’m also learning that programs such as these, what we’ll call the extras, cost money, and much of that comes from parents and community organizations who see the added benefits.
I’m learning that teachers and students alike—in Aberdeen, Southern Pines, Pinehurst, and Robbins—are excited for the opportunity to attend school in newly constructed buildings and they are willing to undergo the sometimes difficult transitional periods leading to them. These teachers and students are eager to leave behind the crumbling classrooms, the outdated facilities, and the wheezing air conditioners to settle into new, safe, secure buildings with modern media centers, gymnasiums, and cafeterias. I also know that these children owe so much to our Commissioners and the voters of Moore County who supported school bonds and the additional sales tax, making these new buildings a reality.
I’m also learning that very few people actually understand how our schools are funded, and that through the complaints about school budget requests, it is obvious that better explanations are needed and that our financial transparency must continue. Our public schools are still operating on last year’s budget, and with no hope for a budget resolution in sight, we will continue to be good stewards of the taxpayers’ money.
And finally, I’ve already learned that I love doing what I do. My heart will always be in the classroom, but if I can make a difference in the life of a small child by approving skilled teachers, if I can encourage a ninth grade student by supporting a STEM program, or if I can guarantee that every Moore County student receives a quality education in a safe, secure facility, then I will still be doing what I love. I look forward to leading the Board of Education through this next year and will continue to step out from behind the desk to do so.