Public schools have long been in the crosshairs of public scrutiny. Some of the shots fired are justified and others might be linked to personal and political agendas which may not be exactly linked to the future of our children. Either way, it causes analyses and metaphorically taking inventory of what we have and what we need.

More often than not, progress is the result.

And so we learn that our Colquitt County?High School has been named a “High Progress” school via a three-year program to improve performances.

We applaud the teachers, the students and the administrators who have engineered this progress. 

We have stated in this column more than once that we have many dedicated professionals in our school system. And subsequently, if a child comes to school with a desire to learn … then it will happen.

We must also remind ourselves occasionally that when comparing school performances, public schools cannot “cherry pick.” They are charged with conveying knowledge in  a wide array of social challenges. And while those challenges might dilute an averaging process, we still have many students who very noticeably excel in their studies, community activities, and they perpetuate those abilities as outstanding adult citizens. 

As well let’s take every opportunity to thank those mentors who volunteer their time to help bridge the gap for those youngsters who may come from situations that, for whatever reason, are not conducive to learning.

Your efforts are noble and greatly appreciated. Someone in our Rants and Raves column appropriately noted recently: Let’s resolve to be a part of the success as opposed to being a part of the problem. We should all consider what that means to us individually.