DEAR EDITOR:

In the past few weeks Marietta and Cobb County have witnessed the passing of two outstanding retired educators who accounted for much of the excellence these systems have attained.

For decades Miss Jane Riley in the Marietta Schools and Dr. Carla Northcutt in Cobb Schools daily made life-lasting impacts on children and young people by settling for nothing less than the best from each student in their care. They personally faced students practically everyday of their careers. Those students, while knowing these ladies loved them, knew just as well that they were intolerant of weak classroom effort and performance. For them schools were a NO MEDIOCRITY ZONE.

Miss Riley served as principal of Hickory Hills Elementary School all the years our children were there. As school employees ourselves, we were gifted with the knowledge that every day our daughters were getting first class instruction from teachers who thrived on living up to the expectations of Miss Riley.

As professional colleagues of Dr. Northcutt, we were amazed at how she created an alternative educational opportunity for high school students who needed a different route to a high school diploma other than that available in the traditional school.

The good news is that both systems have modern equivalents of both genders of these professional women. Schools have changed but the fundamentals of effective schools still stand and will forever. At the top of the list is great leadership expecting the very best work from everyone around them as personified by Miss Riley and Dr. Northcutt.

Stanley and Kaydell Wrinkle

Acworth