Dear Source:
The recent news that Department of Education officials are planning to transfer the principal of the St. Croix Educational Complex, Mr. Kurt Vialet, to another school has politics written all over it. Can you imagine your boss saying to you, “Editor, I am transferring you, I don’t know where, but I’m sending you somewhere else.” Now, were this an honest effort to have Mr. Vialet possibly attempt to improve a different school, wouldn’t there be a plan, or a thought process, as to where he will go and who will replace him?
It is obvious that this transfer is politically motivated. If this transfer is allowed, it has the potential to be a “Pandora’s box” of possibilities. It means that every government worker, whether considered “exempt” or “non-exempt” may face consequences for openly supporting the candidate on the wrong side of an election.
Transferring a successful principal because he supported a different candidate. My fellow Virgin Islanders…. that isn’t politics! That is petty vengeance at the expense of our public school students. All Virgin Islanders need to recognize that this is part of the problem with our government. Politics dominate everything, who gets hired and fired, who gets promoted, all regardless of performance, we say it’s “who you know.”
We are a small community, an “everybody knows everybody” community, we should be able to understand that on many an election day we will be on opposite sides, but when they day is over, we can come back together to improve the community in which we live. When we allow politics to dominate everything we have our present situation, failing publics schools, out of control crime, increasing debt, and a government worries about who voted for me rather than who is best qualified. Remember, President Obama hired Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State after a heated primary election. Proving that even on the highest level of politics, we can put our difference aside for the betterment of our community.
Department of Education officials need to adhere to the idea, “if it isn’t broke, don’t break it.” Leave Mr. Vialet at the Educational Complex.
R. Arthur Burton
St. Croix Educational Complex Alum
