School Must Deal With Reputation

[dave]

**This was originally printed in the Demopolis Times May 28th edition.**
<p> Demopolis Academy. Founded 1970. That’s on the sign I’ve passed my every school day for the past five years. There’s a school nearly hidden down Mauvilla Drive that I’m sure some people would be surprised to find exists. The senior portraits on the walls show that mine is not the only generation that has received their education from D.A. This school’s traditionalism seems evident to all, and at times I’ve found myself pondering over why changes has been so forbidden from these halls. I’m sure that is how it is at most schools, bit I’ve had plenty time to think about this one.</p>
<p> I was asked to give a student’s perspective, and being that I haven’t attended another school since the fourth grade has probably caused a little close-minded view on my part. However, I hope to speak only the truth. On the one hand, D.A. is a positive alternative for the Christian student (or parent for that matter) who seeks an environment that provides an escape from the total exclusion of God, and (dare I say) the belief in Jesus Christ. It provides chapel once a month, a devotion and prayer every day, and curriculum from a Christian perspective. If a complete stranger walked in Demopolis Academy and simply took a tour of the facilities, all would appear to be right and good. That Stranger would walk away thinking how they wouldn’t mind having their child attending there. And so it may be. It is a fact of life; however that simply because you close your eyes does not make the danger go away. Plugging up our ears may bring comfort, but not a solution. Staying at D.A. for five years has helped me to see that what goes around comes around. The attitude at D.A. has made quite a reputation for its students, and it needs to with it. Of course, who am I to complain?</p>
<p> I’m only a freshman in high school who is offering his observations to possibly open eyes and renew minds. To say that I have no blame would be a lie. But allow me to leave with a passage of scripture :<br>”Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man, who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it- he will be blessed in what he does.” – James1:22-25</p>
Henley Logan<br>9th grade<br>Demopolis

[dave]

I hope Henley Logan frequents the website here, so I could get more comment into what the problems are at West Al Prep as he sees them.

[Scott]

I dont know but in my personal opinion most of those that attend DA come from families that believe themselves elitist. They come from families that dont want their children to associate with certain individuals who may come from different backgrounds. In many places it may necessary to send your child to a private school such as Sumter County where the public school system is for a lack of a better word pathetic! In Demopolis this is not the case. In Demopolis the public school system is just fine and allows the student to grow and succeed. In my way of thinking DA is just a legal way to segregrate. DA is not needed in Marengo County and as far as i am concerned should be shut down. Some of the best people i have ever known came from Dermopolis High and some of the worst people came from there as well, But oh well that is a part of life and all children should be allowed to see the different cultural aspects of life. Schools should be an eclectic mix of life. Not just a certain financial or social background!

[Jeff]

Granted DA is not a cheap place to go to school. But I don't really think that it is a school for children of elitest. Many of my really close friends came from DA and to be honest, I encountered more "stuck-up" people in public schools than in the academy. A lot of kids went to DA just because of there friends going to school there, as well as being able to get away with much more (playing) over there. I do believe the academy needs help academically, but doesn't need to be shut down.

[Scott]

Just tell me what purpose does DA or West Alabama Prep serve? I cannoot think of one thing that those 150 or so students recieve or get from DA that they are not able to get from the public schools in Demopolis. There is no way that i can believe that the parents of those that send their children to that glorified daycare do not have some sort of alterior motive. Jeff granted those kids or now adults that you know and are friends with may be good people I have no problem believing that because i have known you a great deal of your life and know that your family are standup people. But in my opinion and i know my opinion means nothing DA is not needed and those kids that want a good decent education should be sent to DHS!

[dave]

I don't blame the kids that go to WAP for the reputation the school has earned over the years. But you have to look at the school's history. Segregation became illegal in the 60's, so since D.A. was founded in 1070, it has never been illegal for a minority to attend school there. Yet, in the 33 years of operation, how many blacks have attended the school? I honestly don't know, but I'm willing to bet you could count them on one hand, if there was any to count. How many black teachers have been hired? The estaboloshment themselves has dodged the issue. The students defend the school by saying "they can come if they want to", and that's a valid argument. What has the school done to get more diversified? They wouldn't have to be a "regional" school to get more students, they could double the student body by having black students there. They would see more community support if more of the cummunity was actually attending there.

WAP has 2 reputations; they need to deal with them both.

[Jeff]

WAP or DA either aht you want to call it does have issues. I am not real sure about the former administrative staff of the school, but I do know the students. On the racial hand, our public schools house more "rednecks" than the academy does. I am not saying that the academy is some excellent school to send a child too, but it isn't as bad as most would think. It is mearly an alternative

[Scott]

Ok i will give you the point that it is an alternative to going to Public School but what are they running from. What do the kids and parents not want to be subjected too? I know as jeff said that there are some real a$$holes in public shcool but there are those types of people all through life. I just think that it is an injustice to send these kids to a school with such a small and undiversified studnet makeup. Thats all. Most folks dont even know that DA exist anymore and i believe that it would be in the best interest of all if the great minds and resources that are being wasted at DA could be consolidated at the various public schools in the community. No doubt that there are some very bright individuals at DA that are not being tested as they could be with some of the courses available at DHS. I ask this simple question: is DA any longer a necessary institution in our community? For as long as I can think back if you wanted an easy academic career then you went to DA if you could afford it and i see now that they are attempting to rectify these shortcomings. But once again what is DA an alternative too?

[Jeff]

Well, it really depends on the person I suppose. You make an excellent point here. And we all know that in the past DA is not exactly a thriving intellectual institution, though there have been some rather sucessful students to come from there. What I wonder is, what rules are different there? The state dictates testing and standards for public schools, but I thought that the private institution had to have some sort of standard to. Does anyone know the differences in the standards between the two types of schools??

[dave]

Being a private institution I'm not usre if they have to have any sort of "standard", other than a standardized test to get the diploma. I know a monkey could problaby pas the GED with a few tries, and when I took the High School Exit Exam there were questions like "which one is the square".

Not to beat a deasd horse on the racial issue here, but I know D.A. and M.A. last time I noticed didn't celebrate (or even recognized) Martin Luther King JR holiday. Now, I never met a student, redneck, racist, black, white, whatever that needed a good reason to take a day off of school. I would like to know the private school's official opinion when it comes to celebrating a nationally recognized black holiday.

[Jeff]

Well I know that DA get's out for MLK, but as far as the regulation goes, it's still a little fuzzy. I looked up some laws bout all start out with "Private schools, but not church schools, must...". DA being a church school, due to being a christian school, doesn't seem to be affected by those rules.