Teachers are entirely suited to serve on school boards
Letters to the EditorPublished March 27, 2006
Re: School board room is a lot different from classroom, by Howard Troxler, March 23.
I am on a one-year leave of absence from the Pinellas County schools pursuing my doctorate in curriculum and instruction at the University of South Florida. I understand Howard Troxler's point - participating in the School Board is different from the classroom. However, the school is different from the real world altogether.
Running a business is not similar to participating in a school board either. I know because I have been in business for 30 years and a teacher for 10 years. Teaching requires the ability to observe, analyze and interpret people and situations more diverse than anyone who has not been in a classroom can imagine. Teachers teach to prepare children and families for the future.
Therefore, I agree, a school board is a lot different from the classroom. It requires intelligent, capable, diverse, insightful and above all ethical, dedicated individuals possessing the ability to manage time, money and people. There are only a few professions suited to the great task; one that comes to mind is teaching. Teachers manage money, time and people. Remember, most principals were classroom teachers. After all, teachers prepared everyone else for their futures.
-- Lorna Cole, Largo
School Board remains dysfunctional
Re: School board room is a lot different from classroom, by Howard Troxler.
I must confess, our stars have not aligned very often throughout the years I have read Howard Troxler's column. The piece on March 23, concerning the Pinellas County School Board was insightful and accurate reporting of the floundering and focus on fly specks displayed in every public meeting. I don't think this is a minority viewpoint.
Voter apathy combined with a powerful teachers union that can turn out the largest working group in the county has resulted in this unacceptable condition. A year ago the Times editorialized on this subject and described the board as dysfunctional. Nothing has changed. If anything the antics have become more immature.
You could do this community a great service if you would continue to highlight the need to change the composition of the Pinellas School Board. You have identified the training and experience required to establish a capable board. The challenge is getting those people to become candidates. A review of award winning school board membership will not turn up any with a preponderance of school teachers.
-- Donald O'Neill, Clearwater
New approach to insurance is needed
Re: Rising insurance costs.
Now that the picture is becoming more clear about insurance costs, it's time to take a good look at the insurance business as a whole.
Why should I or anyone pay these ridiculous prices for the insurance companies to profit from? Why should I pay to line the pockets of an insurance sales person and the overpaid upper management of these companies? Why should I pay them so they can lobby in our state Legislature and in Washington to cement their power and secure their profits? Does that make any sense?
It's time to take a more common-sense approach. We should start a state fund for property insurance. A portion of this should go to a national disaster fund as well. The state could operate and manage this. The costs could be paid for by the interest that is generated by this account and the surplus could be put back into the fund. Everybody could pay a real price for their property insurance based on property value and location. This way our money would be working for us and not the insurance industry.
-- Bob DeVore, St. Petersburg
A careless insurance company
Re: Honest man returns son's last gift to father, March 16.
It's a wonderful thing to have the money returned to the rightful owner. But has anyone taken into account that the insurance company personnel, when told they gave the money to the wrong person, told that person to keep the money? Is anyone checking on this insurance company? I sure would like to know who they are and why they feel they can throw our money around because apparently it's too much work for them to find the legal owner. That is sick.
I hope both Mr. Rojases spread the word about that company and cancel their own policies. Find an honest insurance company.
-- M.K. O'Hanlon, Inverness
Who will fix the VA system?
Again, the headlines speak of problems with Veterans Administration hospitals.
It is obvious to anyone who listens to the news on a regular basis that the VA health system is far too small to handle the number of veterans who need help. But there does not seem to be any discussion about solving the problem.
It is obvious that the system is overwhelmed. The Bush administration has increased the need for more service to the terribly damaged young people who are leaving Iraq just as the system has been overwhelmed. But no one in the government, from the president on down, seems interested in either fixing the VA system or in changing the laws to make sure that vets really do get service.
One easy way would be to instruct older vets who are now suffering from non-war-related diseases to use regular medical care - but allowing them to pay only what they would pay under the VA system. That would alleviate the crowding of the system but continue to honor the commitment the government has to its aging vets.
There are other things that could be tried. We all know vets who go to VA hospitals far from home. Perhaps the VA should consider mobile clinics or small, free-standing clinics.
Of course, none of these ideas might work for any number of reasons: cost, availability of medical personnel or legal restraints. But if I can sit at my computer and think of ways that might be feasible, surely someone in this country who has the authority can do something. Those people whose support of our troops required that they put little ribbons on their cars might do something more substantial by writing to their congressional representatives and senators about this problem.
-- Adelle Milavsky, Tampa
Don't denigrate the VA
I have read a lot of letters and opinions regarding the medical services provided by the VA at Bay Pines and James A. Haley VA hospitals. Most of them are negative. Particularly the one on March 20 (Questionable care at VA hospitals).
-- I can't say much about the Bay Pines facility, but I have spent a fair amount of time at Haley and I have to say that the treatment I received there is outstanding. I would be more willing to trust them with my care than I would any charity hospital.
I will be forever grateful to the James A. Haley hospital and its satellites, especially in New Port Richey. The staff in both locations are superb and the most (to use a modern term) user-friendly I have encountered in a long time.
Please do not denigrate the good works done by the VA because of the opinions of a few folks with an ax to grind.
-- Russell R. Suereth, New Port Richey