PNJ Warrington Middle Piece Ignores Big Issue

In the midst of its editorial today attacking teachers and school employees for shortcomings at Warrington MS, the editors conveniently left out the most important aspect of a school's success: Parents.  Instead, the PNJ ignores the tremendous efforts and monies expended by the district at Warrington, to include millions in facility, software, and personnel--all directed at the effort of improving that school.  Instead of calling Superintendent Thomas for his side, the PNJ simply says school staff have "failed"--and then PNJ asks Don Gaetz what he would do to fix Warrington.  Sorry, but Okaloosa is quite a bit different than Warrington; Okaloosa has ZERO schools with the demographic makeup of a Warrington.  May as well ask a successful landlord from Beverly Hills how he would fix a Truman Arms.  The situations are different and the solutions are complex and different as well.  I'd like to know what PNJ thinks would happen if we switched the faculty and staff between Warrington and Gulf Breeze middle schools, but kept the students at their respective schools?  Here's the answer PNJ-- there would be no distinguishable change in student performance at either school.  It's communities and parents, that's what makes a great school.  One cannot ignore the elephant in the room regarding the loss of fathers in some locations, extreme poverty, high crime, and social apathy.  It's a battle in some of these schools--keep on excoriating the teachers who are at Warrington trying their best, and soon we'll have no teachers willing to work in places like Warrington--regardless of pay.  Assign blame where it actually belongs, don't, as you put it, sugarcoat the realities at Warrington for the sake of political correctness--it's blatant, disgusting pandering and it is destructive.