Roy Exum: Our Senseless Divide

  • Friday, December 9, 2016
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

If I could change one thing about the schools in Chattanooga, my wish would be that everybody could become good friends. I’m talking about the private schools versus the public schools. The rancor is so bad we hardly ever play in sports anymore and what the loathsome TSSAA has done in recent years to the out-numbered private schools is sinful.

My dream would be that there would be some type of public-private education council where really smart administrators from the public schools could share ideas and exchange advice with some really smart people from the private schools. There is not one speck of difference in a good teacher in either orbit but you would think it is the Americans versus the Russians.

For instance, the head of GPS is a dynamic black lady named Autumn Graves. Autumn was once a child growing up in Richmond - predominately white Richmond, despite the greatness of the late Arthur Ashe. I’m betting she has memories of elementary school and her high school years that could be well applied to our public schools today but we’ll never know. Autumn could be the greatest voice of wisdom our public schools have ever had but, no, false pride forbids the conversation.

She graduated from the University of Virginia and got her masters at Columbia. Do you think she might know a little bit about what a black girl needs to do to make it to the top? Hold that pose … do you think she might know a little bit about what any boy or girl, forget race or gender or economic setting, needs to be encouraged to make it to the top? Yet the public schools dare not to ask.

My newest hero is LaFrederick Thirkill, also a dazzling leader of children all black. I spent one morning with him at his “failing” Orchard Knob Elementary School and was absolutely bedazzled as the dynamic principal proved to me success and learning and fun and being proud is easily attained from children who come from poverty. I’ll guarantee you if I could put him with The Bright School head O.J. Morgan – whose students are the direct opposite – together at lunch, both of the best two elementary principals in town would be truly enriched.

It’s a no-brainer. I promise you. No two people in the world believe more in kids than O.J. and LaFrederick. But because we are haughty and protective of our turf, and resent those who have what we do not, it is with a sneer our public school leaders look at our private-schools' successes as dollar signs and nothing could be further from the truth. A child has no concept of a dollar but point to the finish line – black or white – and every educator in this town can aim directly at a winner.

Listen, McCallie football coach Ralph Potter is a longtime friend of mine and East Ridge football coach Tim James is, too. That’s because back in the day I could sit between Ralph’s daddy – Pete – and Tim’s daddy – Raymond – and listen to them explain ideas back and forth for hours. Pete and Raymond, still best friends in heaven, helped each other become the best two football coaches ever in this town. Trust me, I have seen it work too many times. You ask Ralph about Tim, and Tim about Ralph, and they know exactly what I am talking about.

Many years ago, when the TSSAA was very cruelly splitting the public schools and the private schools apart, there was a lot of drama and people on both sides said and did things that they shouldn’t. The TSSAA had a milk-toast leader – listening to just one side – who was more worried about keeping his income than doing the right thing. I was there, trust me. The Board of Control and the Legislative Council had a vendetta that totally ignored some of the best lifelong friendship is born after boys and girls play against one another.

The public school’s beef was that the private schools skimmed off their best athletes because they could offer a better education (not true) and because the fat-cat backer would secretly pay an athlete’s tuition so he would be eligible (still happens). The public school’s whining about the private’s better facilities was absurd; 100 yards at Howard’s Chubby James Field is the same as 100 yards at Baylor, and a 1-and-1 from the foul line at Ooltewah was the same 1-on-1 at Boyd-Buchanan gym. The people who were responsible for the split will forever be blatant frauds.

Nowadays the public schools openly recruit via a “hardship letter” and the private schools can still pick and choose. But I’ll tell you that Chattanooga Christian football coach Mark Mariakas has more confidants in public coaching circles than he does among private coaches. Why? Both public and private coaches greatly respect and admire Mariakas. Seat him next to Adam Caine, the Sequatchie County mastermind who won 13 games this year, and I’ll promise they’ll still be drawing defensive schemes six hours later.

But, no, don’t you dare. Adam, despite the fact he played at McCallie and may be the greatest mastermind of a secondary in the state, would never be approached by a “private” because of some sort of reverse prejudice. Does this make sense when both Mariakas and Caine only care about a junior who is playing left cornerback? It is the most regretful thing I have ever tried to comprehend.

Can you imagine the heads of English departments swapping stories, teaching plans and sharing the book titles their students most enjoy? English doesn’t change. But teaching methods do. There are English teachers at Notre Dame and Silverdale Academy that would love to sit down with English teachers at Ooltewah and Signal Mountain. Why? Because every English teacher is passionate about the best approach for their students and – get this – their success means nothing compared to their students’ victories. That’s teaching!

It is no different than scouting and charting an opposing pitcher. If the visiting team hammers that pitcher, they’ll be four or five other coaches calling early the next morning to find out how the winning coach worked the innings. I believe the exact same dynamic could apply in chemistry, drama, marching band, you name it.

This may well be the most technical-savvy moment in our country’s history but basic algebra, honors English, chemistry labs, and – yes, please, civics – doesn’t change on economic lines. Every child must understand life’s basics so they will grow into those who want their children to learn more than they did. That’s education.

What you must never forget is that a sophomore in any private school is a sophomore in any public school. They are sharp-minded, inquisitive and eager if properly taught. We must satisfy their curiosity, and manifest it, despite whatever barriers both the rich and the poor in any third-period class must overcome. Challenges are universal, different but the same. I promise with all my heart we can develop winners on both ends of any spectrum.

There is not a better motivator in the country than Tyner High football coach Wayne Turner. He gets every living drop out of his small but scrappy players. McCallie basketball coach Johnny Shulman, within 10 minutes, could tell Wayne something he doesn’t know. Why can’t we do that? Wayne could give Johnny the combination lock to a gifted player who is lazy. Each is so marvelously gifted but why can’t they share?

I am repulsed every year that our area private schools must travel to Memphis when, candidly, playing a public school across town would be four times more fun for every single person involved. Yet I vividly remember a public-school coach who refused to let his daughter compete in the Baylor relays for fear “she might get beat by somebody from Baylor. I am not going to let that happen!” I wanted to hit the guy, because his daughter didn’t run when she would have had a chance. What is sports? What is a travesty?

In Chattanooga we’ve got some of the best educators you can find. Many are in the public school system and, yes, some are far superior to their private-school peers. But wait, there is indeed a magnificent visa-versa. Why we lack the leadership to bring our entire community’s teachers and coaches and administrators together, in my mind, hurts kids at every single school in town.

It would be so easy but instead is so hard. Because of false pride, our children – public and private – are not what I pray they could be.

royexum@aol.com

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