AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CUMBERLAND VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT:

I sent this letter to the President of the School Board.  I wanted to share it with you all as well, and if you support CV THON and Drivers’ Education, please, take the time to write him as well.  His email is: jjordan@cvschools.org

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I wanted to take a minute of your time and let you know I am sorely disappointed that Drivers’ Education is being eliminated from the CV Curriculum and more importantly, that the teacher will be leaving the HS and no one else has stepped up to be the faculty advisor for CV THON.

Honestly, I have three points of interest here that happen tointer-weave. First, I believe the of all the courses at a HS that are beneficial, the most beneficial is the Drivers’ Ed course. I have seen places where that course is only taught outside the school, and honestly, all they do is teach driving. The benefit of the course taught in the HS is that there is more thought to the education portion of the program than just the training. By being in a setting with your peers, and having a sense of community that is brought through with this course, they learn more than simply how to pass a driving exam.

Secondly, as I am sure you are aware, CV THON has done wonders for supporting the Four Diamond fund and has put CV School District on the map as more than an academic or a sports district, but as one with compassion. I can’t say for sure if the THON’s sprouting up around the nation are directly related to PENN STATE THON, but I think the THON at CV has much to do with them as well. Specifically, several universities around the country have THONS, many with direct support and leadership from students who graduated from CV HS. These students learned empathy, compassion, and action from their engagement and participation at CV THON. They are making a difference, in part because CV THON made a difference. Let’s not discontinue that.

Finally, the one common thread in both of these is not the decision to eliminate Drivers’ Education. That was just the push of the domino. The common thread is the faculty advisor with a heart, that not only pushed CV THON, but cared about teaching responsible driving in the HS.

Please–find another way to economize. But do not harm the students, or the district, by allowing both of these to go away.

Thank you.

Steve Brady