Get Involved
Among the ideals that make the Town of Pike Road different from many other communities is its educational philosophy.
“Happy people are those who understand what is important in life, enjoy their daily pursuits and enjoy learning. A love of learning is a seed planted in youth, harvested in maturity and seen in an attitude of felicity”.
One of the greatest challenges facing any community is the education of its children. The promise of a quality public education remains a cornerstone pursuit for cities and towns of all sizes - around the nation and right here in Alabama. A sound educational footing is critical to long-term success and happiness.
It’s a tough job, often made tougher when lapses in resources innovation or vision derail the momentum of hard work and good intentions.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
In Alabama’s Town of Pike Road, community leaders are overcoming these obstacles. Taking charge with a bold commitment to better education. For us, For All, For everyone.
It all begins right here in the community.
What we want is what you want, because our vision for education is based on the desires of the people who live here.
The Town of Pike Road conducted 58 “neighborhood discussion” meetings in 2005 and 2006. In each of these sessions, school options were a topic. In addition, the town formed a small discussion group of school leaders (former superintendents, university leaders and citizens) to gather additional input. The input from all these leaders has been taken into account and used to develop an action plan.
PLAN of ACTION
- Local control
For Pike Road, our modest size may be our greatest asset because we’re still small enough to get things done without a morass of bureaucratic hurdles. That’s why our vision includes our own, locally chosen, leadership team – Just like we have with our town council. Local control will ensure discussion will be made by the people that decide what is affecting our children and is made in Pike Road by people you know.
- The ability to pay
Perhaps nothing challenges a school system – and its community – more than funding. That why we’ve positioned ourselves to take such pressure out of the equation by earmarking a percentage of our sales tax revenues to education. We are on a path for pursuing private, philanthropic support to be formulated of a foundation called the Pike Road Investment in Community Education or PRICE
- Innovation and best practices
The town utilized the input and the expertise of its citizens to identify that teaching excellence was a critical feature of success. Further, the town identified that university involvement would enhance value. Now, the town is leading efforts to form a statewide imitative supporting Professional Development Schools and creating the “Alabama Schools for Excellence in Teaching” program.
- Quality education
Will the same educational product be more attractive just because it is located in a new building or located closer to our home? No! The Town of Pike Road understands that facilities are only a small part of what is needed to make public education an attractive option. New buildings, with the same content, will only be “more of the same.”
Where do we go from here?
Will the work of establishing a new, innovative and locally controlled school system be difficult? Absolutely. But that’s part of what makes it so exciting.
It’s a beginning, but it’s also the start of a rich promise. A promise that’s, perhaps nowhere more important than here in Pike Road.
But not without your help…
If you want a working relationship between your school and the universities, innovative ideas in the classrooms, emphasis on teaching, a focus on professional development, sufficient funding, accountability and local input, then join the Town of Pike Road education team.
Your call to action! Make a contribution today! Support Pike Road's educational foundation, the PRICE Foundation. PRICE provides you a means for supporting “excellence in teaching” and the Pike Road educational initiatives.
Remember the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said “A mind always employed is always happy. This is the true secret, the grand recipe for felicity.”
Getting Involved
Mayor Gordon Stone of the Town of Pike Road commented, “The town is thrilled with the concept that has been developed for the Pike Road School. We are now moving forward with the finalization of the specifics of the plan. The process for finalizing the next step is called the PATRIOT Initiative. Over 50 volunteers have been recruited to assist in this effort. The PATRIOT Initiative will lead to a calendar which will contain the timeline for action.”
Getting involved is simple. There are numerous ways that a person can take action:
- Call the Town of Pike Road and ask to be included as a volunteer on the task force - (334) 272 - 9883.
- Email the Town of Pike Road and ask to be included as a volunteer on the task force - townofpikeroad@charterinternet.com
- Mail a contribution to the PRICE Foundation; 4902 Pike Road; Pike Road, AL 36064
- Contact the PRICE Foundation for a presentation on the specific opportunities.