Richard Littlefield: Are we as a community able to look at problems in the school district?

A writer recently said that what Dawn Johnson said about our students' academic growth was Dawn's use of hyperbole. Her assertion of proficiency numbers was, and I quote, "Not the case in 2023."

Publicschoolreview.com says Laconia students are 76% deficient in math, and 69% deficient in reading and language arts. These numbers reflect reality, and not an anti-public school vendetta or narrative made up to hurt schools, teachers, or the district's powers that be. When are we as a community going to look at raw and real numbers from a reputable source and come together, not to fight about the different causes behind the academic decline of our students, but to brainstorm and find fixes that allow for personal and academic growth in our students, schools and community as a whole?

Are we as a community able to do that?

Are we as a community able to objectively look at all the problems in our school district?

If Laconia is going to continue to grow through all the problems we have, the truth, and the ability to sit down and communicate in open discussion will have to become the priority it was many years ago.

Richard Littlefield

Laconia