‘Unity Rally’ urges support of schools’ mission

     When parents and teachers are “on the same page” and support each other’s efforts, everyone benefits, several speakers told a “Unity Rally” at the Avoyelles Parish Courthouse Aug. 18.

    The “Avoyelles Parish Unity Rally on the Square” was designed to start the school year by “recognizing and honoring our teachers” and showing support for “our most cherished investment -- our children,” Police Jury President Charles Jones said in his opening remarks. “We’re here to support our young people.”

     In all of the brief remarks in the hour-long event, the main theme was the need for respect among all parties involved in a child’s education. 

   Students were told to respect their parents at home, their teachers in school and the law when they are outside of home and school. Parents were told to respect the teachers and their children. Teachers were told to respect the parents and students.  

    “I am who I am today because of teachers,” District Attorney Charles Riddle said. “Teachers, you make a difference.”

    Riddle said everyone in the community plays a part in the success of a school system. It was also noted that a successful education system improves the communities.

    “The key to saving our communities is to do it one person at a time,” Riddle said.

    School Board President Darrell Wiley said the school year is off to a good start, but his motto has always been “start strong and finish stronger.”

    “That word ‘unity’ has a nice ring to it,” Wiley continued, adding that it cannot be achieved if everyone “plays the blame  game.”

    He said pointing fingers and placing blame is a long-established practice when it comes to the school system. Parents, teachers, students, elected officials and school administrators take turns being blamed for school, district or student performance.

    “The community and the schools need to work together,” Wiley said. “We need to try to build relationships.”

   He said the School Board has implemented programs to benefit students -- from providing all students in every school with free breakfast and lunch every school day to programs that allow students to earn college credit or trade school credit while still attending high school.

   “We are making an effort to get the public involved in the schools,” Wiley said. “We value your opinion, but too often that opinion comes at the end of a negative situation. We need to stop playing the ‘blame game.’”

   Wiley ended his comments with a quote from legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, who said, “We will chase perfection, and we will chase it relentlessly, knowing all the while we can never attain it. But along the way, we shall catch excellence.”

    Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said students need to know that parents and teachers are united and are “on the same page” in their efforts to educate that student. A child needs to know he cannot play the parent off the teacher or the teacher off the parent.

     “There is no teacher that wants your child to fail,” Dauzat said, noting that teachers, schools and the entire district are “graded” on students’ success.

     “We succeed when your child succeeds,” he continued. “We’ve got to do a better job of being unified. Let’s be unified. We must stand together to make the future better for those children.”

    In addition to comments from public officials, two choirs performed. St. John Community Church-Baptist sang Gospel songs with a message of hope. The Avoyelles Public Charter School high school choir performed two songs, including one in which the crowd was urged to sing along on the chorus that said, “Lord, we pray for unity.”

    Two ministers also spoke on the issues of hope and unity.

    Rev. Charles Guillory, pastor of St. John Community Church-Baptist delivered remarks aimed at students, urging them to “keep hope alive” in their lives.

    Guillory said students, and everyone else, must maintain hope and keep trying for success.

   Rev. Leslie Draper III, pastor of Tree of Calvary Baptist Church in Simmesport, said parents cannot expect the schools “to produce ‘A’ and ‘B’ students when you are giving the schools an ‘F,’ as in failure to support them and failure to try to understand their process.”

    He said improvements cannot happen “if we just sit back and fill out complaint forms and never try to be part of the solution. All of our problems can be remedied if we work together.”

    Draper said he is tired of seeing Avoyelles’ children grow up and leave the parish, taking their talents with them. He led the crowd in chanting “Keep them here.”

    “We can do better than we have been doing,” Draper continued. “We don’t want our children to say we didn’t do our best for them.”