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told you we have a mediocre system at best. All I have heard the school board say is, "Why
are you saying this?" You need to take the information under consideration. Quite frankly,
if I was in your place, I'd either take the recommendations and fix the system or I'd resign
and get out of the way. Honestly, mediocre is not good enough, it never has been, and it
never will be. We have a CPA, a couple of MBA's and some other people with good
credentials, and they have looked at the system and said it's not working. Let's work
together to make the students in our county beneficiaries of the best school system in the
state.
Long: We came up with a five -percent increase in our budget request, the lowest in the
state, and we were picked to pieces. Our job is to present a budget and the commissioners'
job is to fund it.
Johnson: Our job is to participate in the budget. I don't think we denied much that you
asked for. This report typifies an erosion of public support for public education. There's a
lot of things that come into play. Everyone wants to see the school system succeed. An
indispensable ingredient to this success is public support. We can't do it without this. So
many times we talk about facilities and we talk about money. I can tell you that as a small
business man with direct access to the public, I hear many people talking about county
business. These people express to me their concern about education. Seldom do these
people complain about the condition of the facilities. Time and time again what these people
talk about is the lack of discipline in our schools. I had one family that came to me about
their daughter at a middle school and stated that a teacher had attempted to fondle her during
class. They complained to me that their daughter can't walk down the school hall without
being harassed. One lady has mentioned sexual assault. One parent, of a male student at
Statesville High School, has said her son was thrown against the wall by a group of thugs.
His book satchel was opened and his personal belongings were stolen. I am not blaming
you, but I'm trying to relate to you the concerns that I hear from the public. Our students
are denied their right to an education because a group of hoodlums will not behave
themselves. Most of the teachers I have talked to are in favor of alternative schools;
however, I understand this is not the direction the school system favors.
Long: Do the people you have talked to want to teach at the alternative schools?
Johnson: It's your job to try to find the people qualified to teach.
Long: It's your job to fund it too.
Johnson: It's my understanding the school system doesn't support the idea of alternative
schools.
Long: We are looking at alternative methods of education right now.
Johnson: You need to have public support in order to finance schools. Recently, I heard
two ladies talking about the lack of discipline in our schools. One of the women was a
retired school teacher.
Long: How does she know? She's not in the school system now.
Johnson: She retired about two years ago. I have a problem with putting too much
emphasis on self esteem in schools and not enough on self control. I think this is a concern
of parents. A good friend of mine (Steve Williams) came in my store today and really
chewed me out. I didn't enjoy hearing everything he had to say, but I stood there and took
it. A lot of what he said was true, and a lot of it I didn't think was true. But, I took out my
spoon and dove into that humble pie and ate every bite of it. I know if I am going to be a
better business man that I'm going to have to listen to him. If I'm going to continue having
his business, I'm going to have to listen and implement the things that will satisfy him.
What I am trying to say is that there is growing dissatisfaction with public education. If it
continues to grow and these people on the education study committee are right, and this train