I know it can become easy to kick people when they’re down. In light of that, I feel the need to celebrate some accomplishments and some things that may be overlooked by the common eye.
Let me say ‘job well done’ to our Richmond County School System for getting us through this past school year. I will not pretend that everything was outstanding, but they did pull off a major success by keeping a majority of the schools open and kids in class. In my eyes, the biggest success was the ability to pull off all the graduations at the conclusion of this semester. They were able to make all the students feel important, especially by hosting those events at each school’s home stadium.
Another big accomplishment was providing equipment (as needed) for all students that learned from home. In some cases, this equipment went so far as providing internet hotspots to students who didn’t have internet. This may not seem like much to most, but in a county where the majority of the students receive free lunch, that can be the difference between success and failure.
More from Michael Meyers: Why Even Take the Job?
One thing they must work on is communication. As it relates to communication, the school system as a whole is very far behind. Depending on how many students you have, you may get that many messages. On the other side of that, there were several instances during the year where messages with important info or events never came through. I can remember an instance where a school would be closed the next day, and the school system knew that morning and still waited until that evening to alert parents. That’s just horrible.
I know I’m going to get some heat from Venus Cain about the above comment. She’s going to call me first thing in the morning and say, “Mike, you didn’t have to go there!” I have to say this about her before leaving this point: she is probably the most responsive board member I know. She always answers my calls, and any parent that I know who reaches out to her, she answers their calls, too. She does a good job of keeping her constituency informed, and she goes to bat for those kids over and over again.
[adrotate banner=”19″]
While I’m in the celebration mood, let me give a birthday shoutout to my grandmother, Shirley Coy, who is is turning 86. In that same breath, let me thank Amanda and Jaime, who served us with excellent hospitality at T-Bonz Steakhouse last Sunday. In the midst of everything that is going on, with crowds and potential confusion — the customer service was top notch. You walk into some restaurants, and they talk about the wait and the lack of staff and how people don’t want to work. They had at least three large parties going on at the same time and managed to seat us as well, another large party in itself. They opened up another area just to accommodate us, and my grandmother was so happy. People were coming non-stop coming to check on us, serve us and say happy birthday — that really meant a lot.
Last, and definitely not least, comes my ultimate celebration, but at the same time our ultimate loss: SRP Park and the Greenjackets. Every time I cross that bridge, I put my head down in utter disbelief. How did we let something so grand slip out of our fingers into another city and state? Tom Denlinger, president of the Greenjackets (and as I say, Mr. Greenjackets himself), has done an outstanding job. I have already attended several games this season and each time, it’s like walking into Disney World. You are greeted by the most welcoming people who seem to be just as excited to be working as you are to be coming.
More from Michael Meyers: What is a Hero?
Everything about the entire experience is exceptional. The customer service is superb, the facility is immaculate and the ambiance is one of a kind. If you have not been to a game, you can try to get a ticket — but they are hard to come by these days. I can guarantee you will want to go again. The question I have is, how did we let something like that slip through our hands? I guess the answer to that will have to wait until next week. But that’s if we don’t discuss who will be appointed to the mayor’s seat after he leaves to run for… Oops! Almost gave away another future column.
Michael Meyers is a Columnist for The Augusta Press. Reach him at Michael.meyers@theaugustapress.com.
[adrotate banner=”45″]
