I have always been a woman who accepted the inevitable; I have been slow to judge and quick to say "always take the time to listen the the other side of the story." Well, my friends, I'm sorry to say that these rules do not apply to a recent situation.
A situation occurred on Friday, May 1; a situation in which teachers at R.W. Vincent were forced to comply with orders given from the principal, Mrs. Hobaugh. A child started a fire in one of the restrooms at the school.
The principal was quickly met in the hall by a teacher to "sound the fire alarm, there's a fire in the restrooms." Mrs. Hobaugh told the teacher not to sound the alarm but instead instructed all teachers that they were "to stay in their classrooms with the doors shut." She then instructed the front office that in the event that any parents should call advise them that nothing is going on, and a strictly routine practice was taking place.
Routine? This word implies that this is normal behavior of this principal to cover up a situation that could possibly have drawn some uninvited attention. A situation that, if handled correctly, could have held the potential to teach our children something valuable. Instead, even after being advised of standard procedures for the school during a fire, Mrs. Hobaugh ignored those policies and procedures while putting the lives of our teachers and children in danger.
I want to assure the parents who have children at R.W. Vincent that this will be handled appropriately. You all have my word, and I do not take my word lightly.
There are many lessons to be learned here, one lesson being this: A person of power or influence should ALWAYS understand that they are responsible and held accountable for the decisions they make. And when you are blessed with the opportunity to be in a position of influence, you should understand that you are taking an oath to be an honorable person who can make decisions in the best interests of everyone involved, not selfish decisions that clearly showcase your self-centered motives. Everything holds the potential to be a learning experience, but NOT at the cost of teachers and children's lives. And if this is "routine", I believe there will be many parents wondering what goes on once they drop off their kids and the doors are closed at R.W. Vincent.
Ashley Wood
Sulphur, LA
