DISCUSSION 4

Dickenson County Virginia Public Schools has been going through shrinking pains of a declining budget for many years.  Public school systems typically receive their funding from the local governments who receive their funding allocation from the State and Federal levels.  Dickenson County Virginia has experienced a declining student population for many years due citizens moving from the area further contributing to a shrinking economy.  A major problem the community, the local governments and the school board system faces is with the citizen unrest and protests to keep local schools open. Another co-problem is with the teachers employed by the school system are protesting for their jobs and making demands in a dire situation. Citizens, led mostly by teachers and the politicians attempting to influence their local communities, are holding rallies, protests and doing all they can to garner support and show numbers at School Board meetings and local community activist events.  Loosing jobs, closing businesses or schools is challenging and, in all respect bad for an already weakened economy. Regardless of what any political leader may say, the answer, if it only “calms the storm for a short while” will ultimately surface again when the next budget cycle completes, usually with more urgency and a vengeance. 

            The problem faced by Dickenson County Public School systems transcends problems of a government official communicating with the populace that elected the official. With the declining economy in several counties of Southwest Virginia, the State and Federal governments have invested dollars in attempt to stimulate an economy that could grow beyond the losses of a once thriving coal industry.  Tourism stimulus, through the creation of Recreational Authorities to establish entertainment opportunities, crosses local government boundaries and private borders and have been in development since 2006. A major challenge in stimulating this growth has centered on property owner rights whether from private citizens or from the former energy companies.  Through the established recreation authority, liabilities that land owners once feared have been resolved.  The tourism development brought with the formation of the Spearhead Trails (Spearhead Trails Timeline Chart, 2017) initiative has taken ten years to develop ATV and equestrian trails and is maturing well enough for businesses to begin investing and growing in Southwest Virginia.  

The Problem

            Leaders can unknowingly maintain problems when communication and linguistics is not within the skills and abilities of the leader or in this case, the elected official. Communicating with the citizens in Southwest Virginia is certainly challenging and carries a stereotypical mindset of the Appalachians and “Hillbillies” to name a few.  In truth, communication is challenging as is the motivation of individual citizens to embrace change and accept the results of a changing economy or embrace the suggested new solutions to the problem.  

Citizen engagement in the development of a tourism economy is mandatory.  According to Herman, V., Deac, L., Ciobotaru, A. Andronache, C., Loghin, V. & Ilie, M. (2017), tourism “sets up a significant indicator regarding the development level recorded by a human collectivity in a certain area.” Land is required, local business investment, new business startups in travel, hospitality and boutique shopping become feasible.  There are many stages of tourism development but typically the beginning is an event or site that attracts tourists followed by lodging and places to eat and on to other recreational activities.  The simple steps outlined here have yet to be fully embraced by the citizens in the area, evidenced by tourism inflow but common feedback being negative due to lack of lodging and “nice” places to eat.   

The Problem Redefined

Restating a problem (Block, 2011), is one step to the root cause of a problem, by educating the citizens that are in a state of unrest, unwilling to accept change and embrace the new economy possibilities.  While this economy stimulus may not bring the opportunity for the former times, it will certainly bring better opportunities than the current economy state.  Bringing a more comprehensive time frame going back to date when the public schools once operated and thrived in, in relation to the economy and citizens population may help ease the unrest while correlating the multiple factors to achieve the desired community action.  

Questions to Ask

            Questions could be asked of the local politicians, the school board officials or of the local citizens.  An attempt to stimulate the economy and gain the citizens buy in to a better economy could be achieved through enlightenment to the surrounding facts of a thriving economy and public-school system. 

1. What was the state of the economy, population, median household income and population in Dickenson County Virginia, when the School system was able to operate in or nearly operate within the financial allocations based on population?

2. What type of economy was the leading economic driver for these times?

3. What steps can be taken to develop or replace the economy that once existed to create a community where public-school funding was not a critical daily challenge?

Reactions

            When people are in an emotional uprising state, local government and official statements are not likely going to assist with achieving any desired state of calm.  An outside consultant study may help gather the facts that can be communicated properly to the citizens, through proper cultural considerations, linguistics and creative charting.  The answers from the current school administration and local government officials will likely be as expected from the questions and their correct answers.  Helping the officials to achieve the results of a motivated citizenry that will provide an opportunity for a growing economy is the desired result instead of the current state of unrest.