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Editorial
The Banks County News
February 9, 2000
BOE right in naming
White superintendent
Deborah White has worked in the Banks
County School System for 25 years. She knows how the system operates
better than anyone outside the county would. She has the background,
education and experience needed to lead the school system forward.
The board of education made the right decision in its unanimous
vote to offer her the superintendent's job. Some people will
complain that a search was not conducted. The BOE knows how difficult
it would be to find a qualified superintendent to take over with
the school year well under way. They also know that White would
still be the best-qualified because she has more experience in
this county than anyone else who could apply.
In the public sector, it is acceptable to promote from within
without conducting a search.
The BOE was elected by the people of this county to make these
tough decisions. It made the right decision this time. Everyone
should join together and move forward so that our young people
have the best education possible. Squabbling over the lack of
a search won't benefit the system.
Letters
The Banks County News
February 9, 2000
Questions
BOE's lack of search for superintendent
Dear Editor:
First, let me say I agree with the letter by Joe Davidson wholeheartedly.
If there is one bright spot in our county's educational system,
it is Jimmy Hooper. Both of my daughters have gone to Banks County
Primary School with Jimmy Hooper as their principal. During this
time, Mr. Hooper has been all we, as parents, needed him to be;
humble, knowledgeable, helpful, informative and more than any
of these, concerned about the education and well-being of my
children, as well as all the other Banks County children.
I believe that any negative actions by the board of education
or the new superintendent such as reassignment, dismissal, poor
evaluations or any type of action that would hinder Mr. Hooper
from effectively educating our children should be considered
a slap in the face of the citizens of Banks County and should
not be tolerated.
In regard to the article in The Banks County News dated February
2, 2000: "White chosen as superintendent (Board of Education
decides against conducting a search)." I find it hard to
believe that the best qualified person to direct our school system
and educate our children was already here and it was not discovered
until the resignation of Dock Sisk. If the law says that a search
must be made, then the board of education does not have the right
to decide otherwise (maybe the county attorney needs to look
into this issue).
I looked in Webster's Dictionary to gain an insight into the
word "search," and this is what I found: search - (1)
To make a thorough examination of in order to find something;
explore (2) To make a careful investigation of; probe (3) To
make a thorough check of; scrutinize.
Mrs. White may be qualified, she may have all the credentials,
but if there was no search, no comparisons against other equally
qualified educators, how do we know she is the best person for
the job?
Mr. Davidson, you may be right. We may need fresh new faces.
At the least, we need board of education members that will use
the dictionary to look up words they don't know the meaning of.
Sincerely,
Charles Whitey
Gillsville
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Column
By Amanda
Roberts
The Banks County News
February 9, 2000
 Man's best friend
Everyone in our family has their own special
Pooh stories to share. Angie can finally laugh about all of the
times Pooh made her late for work. She often found him midway
down the Cabin Creek Road and had to get him in her car and take
him back home. He would run toward the car as she called him,
smiling and wagging his tail. He would hop in the car, rubbing
against her work clothes, and sit in the passenger seat.
Mama laughs about how Pooh would follow her around during storms
because he was so scared. He would take his paw and rub it against
her to try and get her to pet him.
My Daddy has the most stories to share since Pooh was his baby.
Pooh would sit in the yard every day waiting for him to get home
from work. He would then run along behind his truck and jump
up on him once they arrived at the shop.
Pooh made me laugh a lot too, including the times Daddy and I
gave him a bath. I can also finally laugh about the way he would
"tell" on me when I got home late at night. Pooh would
welcome me, no matter how late it was, with loud, excited barks
that most likely woke up everybody in the neighborhood.
Pooh also made me cry one time. Angie and I saw a ball of red
fur on the highway near our home. We hurried over and I burst
into tears. Angie quickly said, "Amanda, stop it, it's not
Pooh." I had cried a few tears over another dog. This time,
though, the tears are for real. We really lost Pooh this time
after a car hit him on the busy highway near our home.
My father is a unique individual. He enjoys collecting various
items, ranging from coins to glassware to guns to cars and even
junk. He gets so mad when I call him a "junk magnet."
We never know what he will bring home from a day's trade. Sometimes
the items have to be towed in! That's why I rolled my eyes the
day he called and said, "I've got a surprise for you when
you get home."
Well, the surprise turned out to be two bundles of joy. Daddy
brought home two chow puppies, one black, one red. They were
for me and my cousin, Heather. We named them Pooh and Bear. Bear's
life was cut short when he was hit by a car on the highway.
Now, Pooh was a friendly rascal. He enjoyed visiting all of the
neighbors' dogs. It was quite comical to us when we rode up and
down the Cabin Creek Church Road. You could tell which houses
Pooh had visited. The front yard was full of small red bundles
of joy.
We had him neutered so that he would quit wandering away from
home. He became the baby of the family. Daddy and I would bathe
him, brush him and spoil him rotten. We became very protective
of Pooh.
Pooh was 11 this year. Over the past year, he had become senile.
He was often disoriented and got lost easily. That explains his
accident last week. Pooh was hit and killed by a car. Our family
has certainly been blessed to have such a loving pet as Pooh.
He was loving, playful, protective and my Daddy's best friend.
He will be missed greatly. At least we all have our special Pooh
stories to share with one another.
Amanda Roberts is a fourth grade teacher at Maysville Elementary
School and a resident of Homer.
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