Letter from Henry Smith

This letter was sent to me asking to be published.

Dear F.O.R.E.,

Thank you for your statement.  I am concerned as well.

You ask us to say 'Thank you' to an educator and I agree that this is important.   Our educators are a very important part of our children's education.

However, you neglected to ask us to say 'Thank you' to the members of the OR School Board for their dedication, time and service to the community as they work to restore excellence to our school system.  A good system but not excellent. Needs a lot of work to enhance its quality of education.

You failed to commend the school board members for their courage in voting not to hire a less than acceptable candidate for principal of OR High School in April, whether one agrees with their vote or not.

Furthermore, we have seen an increasingly bloated ORCSD budget over the past  several years in spite of decreasing student enrollments while witnessing the hiring of increasing numbers of teachers and staff.  All of which has not advanced the goal of enhancing the quality of our students' education or the OR School System's standing in NH.

So, if you have questions or concerns about the ORSD's decisions and / or actions, sit down with a couple of the SB members over coffee and chat with them about your issues.  They are approachable and amenable to such encounters.

Let the discussion continue...

-Henry M. Smith
-Former Chair of Durham ZBA and Town Council member, 2001-2009.
-Lecturer in French, UNH, 1988-2006