Superintendent's Report
Kids always 'up to something'
Marvin Beaty

I've said it before and I will say it again "KIDS ARE NO DARN GOOD!"

You watch carefully and you will see what I'm talking about. They're always up to something! You see them huddled together obviously plotting something diabolical and maybe even criminal. On many occasions this year I made the rounds in the district and saw children huddled together or marching around the school yard. They were all smiling... but you can't fool me. They were up to something.

Why just last Saturday I saw approximately 20 of the high school athletes walking down the side of the road picking up trash for about three hours. They must have been casing the local businesses for an eventual hostile take-over. I even saw some high school kids down at the elementary school reading with the little ones. It was probably an anti-American book of some kind.

Later when I went by the track they were gathered with students from many other schools racing around the track. They were probably practicing their skills to eventually run from the police. Don't tell anyone I said so, but I saw some of them carrying bats around the athletic fields... must be some kind of gang.

As I passed by the band hall there were scores of kids playing music on their instruments... probably some of that mind-rotting rock and roll! There is even rumor of the junior high student council working to feed the homeless by participating in the Path program. It was probably a political plot to keep the poor man down.

There were even a bunch of kids wearing suspicious looking medals which they received for pretending to be someone else. They called it One Act Play but it sounds suspicious to me. Even the poor elementary kids have been tainted. Why, at Christmas time they were gathering can goods for the less fortunate (so they said). They were probably the dented cans that contained botulism or salmonella.

Have you ever heard such nonsense in all of your life? Occasionally I hear people talking about children today as if they were plotting to overthrow the world as we know it. Yet, how quickly we forget what we were like at their age.

We had hair so long that when we walked out into the wind we looked like giant "Chia Pets." Some of us wear hearing aids today because of the loud music we listened to during the '60s and '70s. Do you remember the leisure suits, flowered shirts and polyester pants? Do you remember VW buses, peace signs, eight-track tapes, and "The Brady Bunch"? What about Star Wars, pet rocks, the magic eight ball and drive-in movies? Never trust anyone over 30 was the motto at that time. Now we find ourselves over 30 and... does that mean we can't be trusted? To say the least we were a mess. But we were just kids doing what kids do.

How quickly people judge kids today, quite often without even getting to know them first.

Critics come in all sizes. The Pastor T.D. Jakes offers some insight as to how we might deal with the various critics:

"Never run to win the favor of critics or to silence their endless criticism. The false standards of scoffers are fueled by unlimited and effortless cynicism. It doesn't take effort, preparation, intelligence, or skill to criticize. That's why it is the favorite pastime of untrained children and unaccomplished adults."

I'm here to tell you that Troup, Texas, has some of the best kids the Good Lord ever breathed life into. They give their hearts and souls for each other and their less fortunate fellow man. They represent their school and town with such class and honor that it should make each one of us proud.

Kids are smarter today than they have ever been. They are more capable than ever before.

want to urge each of you to get to know the kids of Troup, Texas. You will be uplifted when you discover how great they actually are. It is impossible to spend any time at all with Chris Davis, Nick Harrison, Amanda Margraves, Abby Darden or any number of students at THS and not have a profound respect for them and their families.

I want to invite you to come around and get to know our students. You will be far richer for the experience. And remember, you are always welcome in Troup ISD.