Responsibility for education must be shared by students "It's a good school," remarked Philip Ellis, Uintah School District Superintendent, Superinten-dent, in reference to Uintah High School. The only thing wrong with Uintah High School, said Ellis, is community perception. percep-tion. Three elements have led to the diminishing perception. Disillusioned kids say something to their parents about school problems, people hear their neighbors say their children have said the same thing, and then the consideration considera-tion is reconfirmed by someone in the field of education saying something wrong at the high school. After awhile, said Ellis, the situation is blown out of proportion. He said it is the natural tendency of high school students to complain about their school. He said if someone had asked him if his was a good school while he was in high school, he also would not have known how to answer. Ellis admits conditions could be improved im-proved at the high school, but only in the sense that conditions can be improved at any school, or in any situation. Ellis believes the people make or break a school, and he is happy with the administration ad-ministration and staff. One of the problems with public school in general, Ellis believes, is that too much responsibility has been placed on the school system for a student's education. educa-tion. He thinks more of the responsibility responsibili-ty must be shouldered by the student himself and the student's parents. The Uintah Board of Education has recently adopted a set of guidelines and are now in the process of implementing programs to put those guidelines in operation throughout the district. Those guidelines are: (1) It is essential that a public institution institu-tion clearly define itself; to say unequivocally une-quivocally w hat it believes in and stands for. (2) The development of responsible adults is a task requiring community commitment. It cannot be left solely to the public schools. (3) The principle tasks of the public schools cannot be achieved if a disproportionate amount of time and resources must be given to maintain order. (4) The full responsibility for learning cannot be transferred from the student to the teacher. (5) Parents must consistently support the proposition that students have responsibilities as well as rights and the schools have an obligation to insist upon both. (6) Public schools are not obligated to serve students who, through persistent and serious acts, disrupt school and violate the rights of others. (7) High performance takes place in a framework of expectation. (8) There is nothing inherently undemocratic in requiring students to do things which are demonstratably beneficial to them. '9) In order for a program to succeed it must be kept in place for a reasonable period of time and be assured of continued con-tinued support despite periodic criticism and the lure of faddishness. The concept of the "Fourth R" (responsibility) came from a school district in Modesto, Calif. The school district and superintendent felt they were being unjustly accused by the community com-munity of not providing a learning environment en-vironment for students. Ellis believes public education has suffered suf-fered in recent years because it has been trying to do too many things and it is impossible im-possible to accomplish everything. Ellis said the Uintah School District is going to promote expectations of students in an attempt to implement the concept of the "Fourth R." He said by starting in kindergarten and working through the educational process of the student, the attitude of students and the community can be changed. The guidelines outlined by the Board of Education are meant to specifically state what the public school system can and cannot do. It is impossible to educate a student, said Ellis, without the student desiring to learn. However, if a student takes an active role in his own educaiton, the resources and qualified teachers are available to provide students with everything they will need to be successful.