I’d like to start by saying congratulations to Lehighton Class of 2019. Graduation was a very nice ceremony and held in our new beautiful stadium. Acknowledged were all the students who would go on academically to be teachers, lawyers and military. What was not acknowledged were our vocational students who attend CCTI. Most of these students will not get to walk with their class because they attend CCTI full time.

Other schools in our district have their vocational students walk with their home school class as well. As someone who will see her vocational student graduate next year, a student who also participates in fall sports at his home school, it is upsetting as a parent to hear your child say his school doesn’t even count him in anything.

Our students are excluded from almost everything because they do not attend classes at the high school. But the students who were in a two-year college class were acknowledged, even though they haven’t been in the school classroom in two years. It’s heartbreaking as a parent to hear your child say he doesn’t matter to his home school; it’s like we doesn’t exist. This needs to be changed, and these students need to be accepted. Without them you would not be able to have basic needs fixed in your home. Remember that the next time you as a teacher, lawyer, doctor need your heating, plumbing or electrical work done in your home or business.

All of our students matter … upset parent of future graduate.

Samantha Bing

Lehighton