To the Editor:
Years ago I had a friend that said, “Tell the truth and shame the devil.” Obviously, someone in our school system is not “shaming the devil.”
I have worked with both Mary Anderson and Jeff Sili on behalf of the community and I have found both of them to be people that care for the community and are very honest. I am appalled, that for some odd reason, the men on the on the school board found it necessary to censure Dr. Anderson for telling, when asked, what she believed to be the truth. Now we all know that truth usually lies somewhere in the middle of two different stories, but we are not King Solomon and there is no baby to offer up to be cut in half. So what do we do? How do we find the truth?
I am going to quote a modern philosopher, Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil says that the best prediction of future behavior is past behavior. For all of you in Caroline County that know Anderson and Sili know what their past behavior has been: community activists, educators, executives, and other positions that reach out to help those around them. I have not heard either one of them accused of being liars. So, past behavior would lead me to believe that, for the incident of asking a county supervisor to leave the school grounds and Mr. Killlough stating that he “owned the schools,” the probability is pretty high that that did happen. Ask yourself, who had the most to lose or gain in not telling the truth?
I am sorry I do not know Dr. Killlough. Maybe if I knew him personally, knew him to be a person of honor and integrity, as I know Dr. Anderson and Supervisor Sili to be, my viewpoint would be different. Sadly, my only knowledge of Dr. Killlough is what is written in the Progress and through relatives that live in Wise County, Virginia. For those of you that like research, looking up Dr. Killlough’s tenure in Wise County may help you decide what you think is the truth. As it stands, I have to admit my prejudice to listen to people I know and respect.
I must add that I find it incredibly ironic that the male members of the School Board censured Dr. Anderson in public for speaking the truth in public and not keeping the subject a Board matter. That is like covering up a basket of dirty laundry with another basket of dirty laundry. Perhaps this is how our school system has reached its current state, where our teachers are among the lowest paid regionally and we have to spend millions on school buildings to make them safe and usable for our children.
The last time I looked, people with nothing to hide were open and transparent. The superintendent of a school system should be honored to have a member of the Board of Supervisors care enough to visit the schools. Especially, since the Board regulates local funds for the schools, a professional working relationship between school and board is essential for the best interests of our students.
So, in the best interest of our students, School Board and Dr. Killough, quit playing games and get down to the real job of providing the best schools for our future generations. Instead of tackling each other, tackle the problems that plague our school system. When the School Board becomes one team, working together for the children of this county, you can count yourself a success.
Bonnie Kilgore
Ruther Glen