One key Challenge Day belief; everyone needs at least 10 hugs a day! Hmmmm... depending on who is hugging who, doesn't this border into inappropriate behavior in school? Then again, let's only enforce what we want on those we choose to single out?

As a 2008 Marathon High School graduate, it deeply saddens me to see so many people fighting to rid the school district of employees who spend so much time affecting, for the better, the lives of the Keys students. I am a student at the University of Central Florida pursuing a degree in Public Administration, graduated at the top of my class at MHS, and have succeeded in all of my dreams thus far after graduating MHS. And a good portion of my success I can credit to my family, friends, and staff at MHS, including Sunny Booker. In regards to Booker not pursuing the public records request, MYCP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is not a governmental agency, and therefor does not have to release it's records simply because a public records request was made. The financial statements, as far as I know, are not public record, and does not represent a poor decision on Booker to not release them. Additionally, Booker started out as a theater teacher in Virginia, then was Assistant Principal at MHS for several years, and worked her way up to her current position, where she spends countless hours and devotes almost her entire life to the wellbeing of Monroe students. As a MHS student, I was also involved in many MYCP programs, including Challenge Day, and although some of the programs are questionable, I have seen the program do amazing things in terms of anti-bullying advocacy, tobacco, alcohol, and drug-use prevention programs, and creating mentoring opportunities for students. These are crucial programs that the school district has committed minimal funds to, and for all of you who think Booker should be "fired", take a close look at your morals and values. The school district has dedicated an entire position to ensure the safety and well-being of our students, and she has done a phenomenal job as such, regardless of her political beliefs. I challenge everyone who posts on this site, including the Citizen staff, to take a close look at the FACTS and what the school district staff has done. Don't let one sour incident (the Acevedo cases) ruin the morale of a district that had so much potential.

This is just another reason for home schooling

Challenge Day is a bizarre, destructive and fraudulent attempt to make the schools look as though they are doing something constructive. Inept teachers who have not accomplished anything of real accord, in the world at large, masquerade as psuedo-gods, who are going to heal and resolve the sensitive issues that individual children are dealing with, without allowing them the time to 'process through' these issues at their own speed and in their own manner. Some large, distorted and sick Egos are behind this nonsense. One thing we know for certain is that this school system cannot be trusted. Let's increase our academic standing in the world, so that we don't have to go through all this baloney in the hope that our children may feel good about themselves. Why don't we just give them a world-class education?