Chances are you’ve read a lot of news about or surrounding Clarkston Schools. There’s a good reason, it is our Number One beat (responsibility) to cover.
The district touches everybody. Your kids or grandkids go there; you may have graduated from there; you may know someone who works there, and; if you live or own property here, you pay school taxes. Most of the news — 99 percent of the coverage we publish — is positive news. We write about the kids, the programs, the teachers, and sporting events.
However, sometimes news isn’t happy-happy. This has prompted schools superintendent Al Roberts into action. Last week he wrote employees. In part . . .
? . . . there have been a few newspaper articles that have not presented our school system in the best light. I do not believe any of us enjoy negative attention, and I hope we all want the public to think highly of our district. This is why any incident must be handled with integrity and discretion. As your Superintendent of Schools, I can honestly say the administration has done so. That being said, I am troubled by rumors and innuendos that have come to my attention; and by a curiosity that has the potential to violate school policies and/or employee privacy rights. The fact is the district, as a matter of policy and law, does not comment on investigations that it conducts; nor do those involved in an investigation engage in conversations about the incident. It is important for all of us who are employed by Clarkston Schools to understand our rights to privacy will not be violated by an ‘inquiring minds? mentality. So, I am taking this opportunity to remind all employees that freedom of speech does not protect one from libel . . .?
Obviously gossip has no place in the schools and teachers should show students how to handle these sensitive situations. But if the purpose of the memo is to stifle speech, that is inappropriate. Some did feel threatened by this memo and that is why we have raised the issue.
Gossip is not appropriate and would reflect badly on the school AS WELL as being inappropriate. But if bad things are happening at the school and reflect badly on the school, that should not be silenced. That is not the reason to be tight-lipped. There is a line between gossip and hurtful speech on the one hand and transparency of a school that needs help.
If the administration does not wish to communicate to the public through this newspaper (as has been the case for years now) so be it. We then ask all employees, students, and parents to do their job for them and contact us (as you have done).
The Clarkston News did not gossip about a noose hung on the chair of a worker (who happens to be black); the News did not report innuendo with our story on a teacher who drank the night before school.
We did our job and reported the news.
Parting note, a society that does not encourage ‘inquiring minds? is a society doomed to fascism and tyranny.
DPR