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Public Comments Run Wild During SAISD Board Meeting

SAN ANGELO, TX – San Angelo ISD held their regular scheduled board meeting on Tuesday night and public comments? Well let's just say there were a ton of public comments given. 

A number of members of the community gave their opinions on whether or not to change the name of Robert E. Lee Middle School. 

Those making comments included the leader of San Angelo's NAACP Shirley Spears(1:17:59), leader of the petition to ditch the Robert E.. Lee name, Jessie Ramon (1:00:31), San Angelo LIVE! Publisher Joe Hyde (1:57:25), and many others. 

One man named Clint G. (1:24:01) provided a heated argument regarding not only the Robert E Lee name change but against the San Angelo ISD extreme coronavirus policies.

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Schools are reflections of their community, but more importantly, the school and its associated identity belong to the students. Everyone that has passed through the halls of Lee Jr. High will always have their memories, those can’t be taken from them. But ultimately, changing the name of the school will have little impact on any alumni’s future. I do see the argument that espouses a concern for this being a type of “domino effect” change; if this goes through, what’s next? Personally, I think there are countless Texans, of which Lee is not, that can easily supplant a contentious (whether you agree or not, it is…obviously) namesake.

Just a suggestion, why not let the kids decide? It’s their school. Have the School Board choose a few alternatives, should the choose to rename.

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If the "associated identity" of the school "belongs" to the students, who are inextricably part of the community the school represents... why have the school board pick any "alternatives" at all? Simply let the students choose the name by popular vote and, once this is done, change the name? Unless, of course, there was already some name you or someone had in mind for the newly renamed Elliot Oliver Robertson Rodger Middle School of Justice?

Also, the name is "contentious," which in and of itself means nothing. Contentious to who, and why? As you've stated, the name "will have little impact on any alumni’s future," so why bother changing it? The name itself also points to a critical juncture in American history when the nation was divided, entire cities were razed, and millions of Americans were killed over ideological differences. (Not "argued with," mind you, but deaded in the gruesome, stupid, highly organized and hellish process of war.) The current name contains many vital lessons which we ought never forget.

Personally, I'm fine with the students renaming the school themselves - that is, *themselves*, without any overriding influence to compel them into one decision or another. (Megan Thee Stallion deserves more recognition, IMO.) Otherwise, the current name should remain and serve as the reminder - and life lesson - it was meant to be.

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How about we don't spend a cent on name changes or any other damned thing until the kids that leave Lee are smarter than when they arrived? Public schools are failing our kids as they focus on everything BUT the kids and now the San Angelo public is validating that by avoiding the real issue and that issue is the poor quality of our public school education. Have you talked to a middle schooler lately?! It is a nightmare.

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I have heard all kinds of arguments supporting the name change of Lee Middle School, but I haven’t heard of what they could consider as a new name. I propose the school be somehow named for San Angelo’s history as the Wool & Mohair Capital of the World. The mascot could be a version of the animals that provided that wonderful wool & mohair of long ago. This honors San Angelo’s local history, withOut any type of racial prejudice or oppression.

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