ODY a fine institution of education
I feel I need to respond to the recent article in the Richfield
Springs Mercury, as well as written literature, which is currently
circulating in the community by the Quality Education Study Group of
ODY.
I am the son of a graduate of ODY, a graduate of ODY, a parent of
two recent ODY graduates and currently (and proudly) have two children
in the ODY school district. There has been at least one of my family
members in the ODY district each year since 1935. I have never
considered my education or the education of any family member as being
substandard as you suggest in your propaganda. Some of the finest
people I’ve come to know in my life have walked the halls of ODY.
I understand that several of you “concerned parents” have made the
decision, so I suggest you live with it gracefully. I have difficulty
in understanding why you expend so much time, energy, and anger in
needlessly promoting fear in parents who continue to send their
children to ODY.
To those parents who are exposed to the Quality Education Study
Group fiction, I say, look at the many successes and understand that
there is no perfect school district. Our family’s most recent successes
are a 2001 ODY graduate who will begin his final year at RIT, having
made the Dean’s List every quarter that he has been there, and a 2004
ODY graduate who will enter his sophomore year at Ithaca College and
has been recognized with several leadership accomplishments during his
first year. Both reported after their first few months at these four
year private universities that they were better prepared for their
college career than a lot of their fellow students. This was not a
surprise to me as I knew that their education at ODY not only prepared
them well academically, but had instilled both character and integrity.
As with all in life, you get out of it what you put into it.
It is interesting that you reference Owen D. Young in several of
your writings. Please be respectful and educate yourself about
Mr. Young and his involvement in public service. He was a member of
many boards and understood that you make changes in institutions, and
fully and thoughtfully educating yourself about the issues from the
inside, and not taking ignorant and arrogant potshots from the outside.
I have volunteered at ODY in past years, attend as many school
sponsored activities as I am able, my wife volunteers her time as a
school board member and we try to continue to make it successful by
trying to be a positive force within the community. So, I guess that I
am a different kind of concerned parent for “quality education,” in
that I have committed the most important part of my life, my children,
to the ODY district.
Dan Collins
Jordanville
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