“They have to reapply and go through the steps all over again,” she says. “[A school] must show compliance with all of our core requirements and standards.”
In the weeks following the staff exodus, Parker McLean says local alumni and community members have become involved on a voluntary basis, answering phones and providing maintenance for the school’s buildings. Most of the work has been left to her and the board. And at 83, she feels her age will not hinder the school’s progress.
“I consider my role that of providing whatever confidence and strength that my being here can give,” she says. “It’s about remembering the debt that all of us owe somewhere. There are times when many people get a case of convenient amnesia.
“But I guarantee — and I know from experience — it does pay off,” Parker McLean says.
© Copyright 2005 by DiverseEducation.com
