Dear Source:
It is very sad to read about the state of our schools in the Virgin Islands. I am a former student of Guy Benjamin, Julius E. Sprauve and Ivanna Eudora Kean schools; and I stand behind the teachers in their quest to improve the schools and their salaries. Dedication backs commitment, to have dedicated teachers our government need to commit to the needs of our teachers. The children of the Virgin Islands have benefited significantly from the strong support of our teachers and the community over the years; tremendous gains have been made without the leadership of our elected officials.
The people of the Virgin Islands should put legislation in place as a preemptive measure; stating that they will no longer tolerate wasteful, fraudulent and abusive spending, poor financial management, and a lack of authority by our government. Before any elected or appointed official take office, they must sign a binding contract clearly stating if for any reason their performance in not up to standard; they risk losing their office, pensions and benefits given as part of the electoral process.
I have lost confidence in the government's ability to effectively run our school system. The VI Education Department has continued to drag their feet while our schools continue to fall behind. There are no clear school missions; school conditions are unsanitary, the buildings are unsafe and falling apart; all the components vital to building an effective school system. The students of the Virgin Islands have consistently scored at or near below the bottom of students nationwide on the SAT and other standardized tests.
Maybe it is time for the Federal Government to take control of the USVI since our elected officials continues to fall short.
Tina James
Alexandria, Va.
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