Dear Editor:
Hello, my name is Jasmin Lane. I currently attend Dillon High School. I am in the 11th grade. I am ranked in the top 12 in the class of 2013 with a 3.860 GPA. I have been involved in student government and am active in my church youth group at Dillon Church of God.
South Carolina requires students to take U.S. History in their eleventh grade year. In class this week, we were discussing the upcoming year, when my teacher, Mr. Numer Locklear informed us that the school has a shortage of textbooks. He told us that our class, which happens to be an honors class, will not be receiving textbooks at this time. The US History texts are “backordered” and their arrival date is “unknown.” How can a teacher possibly cover all the needed information in a 50 minute class period, especially when our only study option is our class notes? How far behind will my class be when they finally arrive?
I understand that this book shortage is not unique to Dillon High, but I am very worried about the education that I am receiving when compared to the students in other districts and in other states. I am afraid that I will graduate unprepared for college because of this inequality. I am literally the definition of “left behind.” It is because of these issues that my parents and I have opted to remove me from Dillon High School and enroll me in South Carolina Virtual Charter School. This is a home based online public school, where we will have more control over my education. I have written to Governor Nikki Haley, and also plan to write to President Obama.
While this specific issue will no longer affect me, I worry about other students, and the future of Dillon County and the state of South Carolina. There has to be a way we can solve this problem. When my plans to write this letter came to the attention of the administration of Dillon High School, my mother received a call at home, and I was called out of class to the principal’s office. It was explained to me that this book shortage was due to “no funding for new books” and couldn’t I hold off writing any letters as it might make the school “look bad.” How can one expect change if one is not making active strides toward achieving it?
Sincerely,
Jasmin Lane
Dillon, SC