BTMHS valedictorian says Anderson was right

I am extremely perplexed by the reactions of the Bulletin, Melindo Persi, and Stephen Acropolis to the comments made by former Principal Robert Anderson.

Does Mr. Persi not remember the leaking roof, the falling ceiling tiles, and the "waterfall" stairwells that caused the school to be shut down on February 15? Is Mr. Persi truly unaware of the fact that U.S. History students do not have textbooks they can bring home? Does Mr. Persi know some new kind of math that makes computers from 1995 less than a decade old?

I'll admit Persi is correct in stating that the roof never "collapsed" at Brick Township Memorial High School. Yet, the damage incurred during that February rainstorm caused school to be let out early one day, caused school to be shut down the following day, caused graduation to be moved to a Monday, and cost the district approximately $170,000 in emergency repairs and replacement of 11,000 square feet of roofing tiles.

Persi's reactions to Anderson's statements show that Anderson was on the ball calling Brick Township School District "stagnant." (When I speak of the district, I like to use the word "complacent.") Just because one chooses to ignore a problem does not mean it goes away, a lesson the district should have learned from the February roofing incident.

BTMHS is lacking in countless areas, including supplies and technology. The 20 or so new computers in the library were not paid for by the district, but rather bought by the librarians with a grant from the OceanFirst Foundation. One new computer was installed in each classroom this past year for use by the teachers, while students in Java computer programming and keyboarding still use computers with Microsoft Office 2000 Edition, a recent upgrade from Office 97!

Test scores in Brick are nowhere near where they should be for a suburban middle-class neighborhood. The percent of graduating seniors attending four-year colleges is appalling, especially considering the nationally renowned public colleges in New Jersey. People who try to make changes in Brick are constantly chased out of the district. Open your eyes, Mr. Persi. Open your eyes.

Samantha Griggs

Brick Township Memorial High School valedictorian

class of 2007