published: Friday, October 12, 2012

Keep schools on the right track with Cox

Editor:

An open letter to Highlands County voters: I am writing as a retired educator of 44 years (24 years in North Carolina and Virginia and 20 years in Florida), who wants to endorse Wally Cox for Superintendent of Schools for Highlands County. We first moved here 29 years ago, when my wife worked as a teacher and I was a teacher, dean, assistant principal and principal.

I have had the pleasure of working with Mr. Cox when he was director of Finance, then superintendent, for the past 12 years. I have been to many meetings he has conducted, as well as school board meetings, which have been very organized and properly conducted by "Roberts Rules of Order." Mr. Cox has always shown proper respect for each person and their point of view at these functions, showing his continued integrity for all people. I have been to many community functions where he has spoken about the school system and the progress it is making and what he plans to do to continue making progress for the sake of our many students at all levels, with the assistance of his very qualified and professional staff.

Over the years, I have seen changes made to better serve our students, schools, staff and families of Highlands County. Such items as: 1. budget; 2. construction; 3. salaries; 4. many progressive and needed programs and still doing these things with the way our economy has been the past few years. That is really being able to manage our money for education very productively, in my opinion.

I have been to all the debates where Mr. Cox's opponents have made many inappropriate statements, where most men would have retaliated back to that person making comments in a very unprofessional manner, but not Mr. Cox. He kept his cool head and responded in a professional and a confident way, still making his point without putting the person on the defensive. That is the kind of leadership he exhibits on a daily basis.

Mr. Cox is the CEO (superintendent) of one of the largest businesses in Highlands County, therefore, you need to be sure we continue to have a person we can trust with our money, as well as our children, which he has done superbly for the last 11 years. He, along with the school board, has hired very professional personnel to fill the proper positions. Mr. Cox, in my opinion, has done an excellent job in running the daily operations of the school system and keeping the safety of all personnel and students in mind.

Concerning the topic of "bullying" that does happen in schools, which has been mentioned at many of the debates, if each teacher and school administrator would follow the Code of Student Conduct booklet, which does suggest what procedures are to be followed by the school personnel, I believe the situation would improve very much once students knew they are going to be handled.

In conclusion, I hope you will "Vote Cox" for Superintendent, starting Oct. 27 through Nov. 2 and/or on Nov. 6. Let's keep our schools on the right track for another four more years.

Donn A. Goodwin

Sebring