(PIC)Laurinburg Mayor Matt Block's recent <span style="color: #0000ff;"><a style="color: #0000ff;" href="http://laurinburgexchange.com/opinion/other-opinion/5041/school-consolidation-bad-idea" target="_blank">article</a></span> regarding Scotland County school consolidation, remodeling and new school construction was well received by the community, but frankly, we thought it completely missed the mark.<span style="color: #0000ff;">
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Mayor Block is not just a politician, he's also a doctor of cardiology. Dr Block, like other medical professionals is trained to respond to symptoms after they have manifested (often severely), rather than preventing their occurrence in the first place.

If you are having a heart problem, Dr. Block can be a valuable resource, but unfortunately, no matter how adept he and others may be at repairing the damage, thhe can't prevent you from going out and doing the same things that got you into trouble.

Heart disease, cancer and diabetes are all highly correlated with poor lifestyle choices. Consuming fatty, fried foods, junk food, sodas and beer while sitting in front of the TV watching sports and being entertained by Hollywood, are pretty much guaranteed to cause you a heap of trouble. The choice between chronic, often fatal disease, and good health is up to <span style="text-decoration: underline;">You</span>.

The same is true for Scotland County'. Our extreme dysfunction is the result of poor choices we've made in the past and continue to make to this day.

One of the biggest mistakes anyone can make is to allow others to 'frame the discussion', essentially boxing us in.

Scotland County School System's framing today's discussion around consolidation, remodeling and new construction, allows those in charge to avoid having to discuss the one thing that actually matters... <strong>educating our children to become knowledgeable, critical thinkers, capable of responsibly assuming their place in a 21st century economy and self-governing republic. </strong>If they can't do this, the rest won't matter.<strong>
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According to the State of North Carolina, Scotland County is doing a terrible job. We're dead last or almost dead last when it comes to educational performance, individual health and economic performance. It doesn't get much worse than this. Despite having received tens of millions of dollars in state and federal help, things continue to deteriorate.

Why are we and Mayor Block even discussing nonsense like consolidating, remodeling or building expensive new schools when it's a proven fact that home schooled children perform measurably better than those educated in public schools?

Why are we paying for schools that have consistently failed to provide the one thing they're paid to do:<strong> Educate Children?</strong>

All to many parents can be seen hanging out, sitting on stoops, jaw jacking. Aren't they concerned about their children's future? Why are they not forming homeschooling co-ops, as other parents nationwide are doing? Over 10 million students are presently being home schooled.

Administration, supervision, educators, assistants, counselors, maintenance personnel, janitors, bus drivers, bus maintainers and contractors are making out like bandits. School Bus manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Volvo are winning the lottery every single day.

<em><strong>The Losers are Children and Taxpayers.</strong></em>

It's time to stop the BS and get to work. Scotland County's most precious asset, our children, deserve a fighting chance.

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<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #333333;"><em><strong>Source:</strong></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;">Laurinburg Exchage</p>
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<strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">ALL LINKS - Change to Blue</span></strong>

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