Provide an education second to none, says lawmaker

CLARKSDALE – On the eve of Coahoma Community College’s fall semester, state Sen. Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland, urged faculty and administrators to embrace the National Negro College Fund’s legendary motto, “A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste.”

Combining storytelling and motivational expertise, Sen. Simmons said the motto launched in 1972 has resulted in 350,000 students receiving $2.2 billion in minority grants for college.

“But no one has defined who is responsible for minds that are wasted,” he said.

However, he offered several entities: progressive and committed communities, parental involvement, public servants, public, private, and parochial schools.

Speaking directly to educators, he said, “Today you must do more with less; you must deal with dysfunctional and corrupted minds.”

He said a mind void of a good education becomes susceptible to crime, incarceration, alcohol and dope.

Schools must provide an education that is second to none, he said.

“Educators must find students where they are; motivate them and move them,” he continued.

“You must educate the whole student – not only the student but you must reach out to the parents and the entire community,” added the lawmaker.

“You must look at the education system like manufacturing – starting with raw products unloaded by a yellow school bus, nurtured by quality control, and ending with a product ready for market,” he said.

More than 150 attended the annual staff development conference in Whiteside Hall and were updated on new faculty, staff, safety procedures, blackboard, and the reading apprenticeship program, iRead.

“The future sits in our classroom,” says instructor Barbara Boschert. “Being able to read is the road to success.”

Dr. Vivian Presley, college president, stressed the importance of recruitment, retention, and responsibility to students by faculty, administrators, and staff.

“Raising them (students) up is a worthy goal; that’s what we are all about,” she said.