To the Editor,
In 1966, Dwayne and I moved to Fulda when he took a position as the elementary principal at Fulda Public Schools. He was in that position until he retired 30+ years later and active in the community for as long as he could be before he passed away. Dwayne loved kids, and he went out of his way to be sure that every student – every student – was treated with respect and allowed to learn to his or her highest potential. Dwayne also put the students first, even if that meant holding them accountable for something. He wanted what was best for the kids. Always. He would not have put any student in a risky or unsafe situation.
As a lifelong educator and as someone who is very involved with Fulda Community Education, I am deeply saddened by what is happening at the high school, particularly to my granddaughter and other students, who because they are eligible to take dual enrollment classes from credentialed faculty, earning both high school and college credit at the same time, are being forced out of the high school building several times a day. The administration and school board give all sorts of reasons as to why their actions are acceptable, but the reality is, their actions are not acceptable. By forcing students out of the school, by limiting all students to only 15 minutes a day to access resources in the library or computer labs, the school administrators are hurting students. There is no educational objective behind their actions.
This is the 50th year that there has been a Westra in a Fulda School building. I am concerned by the current state of affairs and how students are being treated. The administrators and teachers should allow every student to be the best that he or she can be – to learn and achieve to their highest potential. The administrators should give all Fulda students access to the public school building and to the resources that have been purchased by taxpayer dollars.
Dwayne would be appalled by what is going on and stand up for these students, just as he did for thousands of others who passed through the doors of the Fulda schools. His legacy lives on in the scholarship we established in his name. I am glad that many people are standing up for the students of Fulda High School, and I hope that others will get involved and let the administrators and school board members know that their actions are not acceptable.
Beth Westra,
Fulda
