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Keep leadership of our schools out of politics

Re: Move afoot to take step backward, June 4 column by Jeff Webb:

Webb is right. Going back to electing a school superintendent is bad news. It would mean that anyone with political backing, or without any know-how, could become the superintendent.

I was here in 1992 when residents voted to abandon the system of electing a superintendent. Hernando County was small compared with what it is today, and anybody with the right backing from a political party could have been in charge of the school system. That was the reason we wanted to get rid of the politics. The School Board should not be a political thing.

I think we should stay with the selection by the School Board. Those who are on the School Board are elected by the people and represent the residents of the county. Maybe the problem is who is on the board.

I am sure it will be a difficult task to come up with the right person to be superintendent, but I do think it is commendable that Wendy Tellone is giving the board time to start the search.

I do think it should be someone with an adequate education, but more important, it should be someone with a solid financial background. There are adequate teachers and associated staff members, but the most important part of the superintendent's job is finance. The school budget is big business. The person holding this title definitely should understand finance. Maybe the job title needs to be changed to financial manager.

If the principals are effective, maybe there wouldn't be a need for a superintendent. From what I hear (and read in the paper), each school seems to do its own thing. That is another matter.

Are the principals doing a good job of backing up the teachers? I think not.

I feel sorry for the teachers. I hear discipline in most schools just isn't there and in many cases the parents don't cooperate, and choose to ignore when Johnny or Jamie won't do what the teacher requests. How can a teacher teach when some in the class aren't paying attention?

Rather than trying to go back to the system of electing a superintendent, the political parties, both Democrats and Republicans, should worry about giving more backup to the teachers and demand that parents be held responsible for unruly children. If a child can't behave in class, he probably doesn't behave at home. Don't mention in-school or out-of-school suspension. This just gives the unruly child more time to act up.

More parent involvement is required. For some parents, school is just a place where you drop off the kids and let them learn what they can.

Kay Orsic, Spring Hill

Sell that ladder truck, reduce our fire rates accordingly

Re: End of an era for fire chief, May 31 Times:

The article mentions that Brooksville fire Chief James Daugherty is credited with increasing the staff and equipment, buying three ambulances and the recent purchase of a $640,000 ladder truck capable of reaching four stories. (How many four-story buildings does the city have, anyway?)

I come from Long Island where almost all of our towns are bigger than Brooksville and Spring Hill, and are almost always manned by volunteers, and they get along just fine.

I have a great idea: Sell the $640,000 firetruck and lower fire rates.

Ralph Bauer, Spring Hill

Doesn't it take a whole community to raise a child?

Re: Parents can't always be blamed when kids turn out poorly, May 26 letter to the editor:

Who's at fault? Or are the parents the only ones to blame?

On May 4, my 16-year-old son was brutally attacked by a 17-year-old senior on a Central High School bus because he would not give up his seat. The bus driver, who was present on the bus as it had not left the campus, admits to knowing there was a "commotion." However, the driver did not intervene or follow protocol. My son sustained a skull fracture and required hospitalization, a titanium implant and has residual numbness down the left side of his face.

When I located a witness and discovered who the attacker was, I was shocked. I knew the family for years! The father is a dedicated worker, and the mother volunteers at her younger son's school. "He never did this before," was her initial reply.

Could they be totally blamed? Were the signs of this aggression left unnoticed? If this young man was taught mutual respect and anger management at home, perhaps his role models at school did not enforce it?

Although the case was reported immediately, the principal or assistant principals never called my home to ask about the welfare of my son. Therefore, are they at least responsible as community leaders to make sure the attacker receives anger-management counseling? Who in the community is responsible to make sure this young man gets the help required to prevent another assault?

I welcome a response from your readers.

Nancy J. Jones, Weeki Wachee

With friends like big business in U.S., who needs enemies?

Re: Drop insurers before they drop us, by May 31 letter to the editor:

I agree wholeheartedly with Barbara Patterson's theory. What a great idea! There is only one problem, however. In dropping our present insurers, who would we find to insure us when every other insurance company is dropping their clients and not writing new policies?

And of course, their timing is always so perfect - right before hurricane season.

We would be left with only one option: the state's Citizens Insurance. And we all know that if you wind up insuring with them, you need to take out a second mortgage on your house just to pay the premiums.

Between the insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies and the oil companies, the American public is getting mistreated every day. I am not opposed to CEOs making large salaries. They are, after all, educated and experienced individuals with tremendous responsibilities. But after reading about the millions, and in some cases the billions, of dollars they are offered by these companies, it's no wonder the working men and women of this country struggle with the high costs of drugs, gas and insurance.

So, Ms. Patterson, your idea is a great one.

I wish we could all boycott the drug companies, the oil companies and the insurance companies. But the unfortunate truth is we are at their mercy, and they know it. They know we need gas to get to work, insurance to drive our cars and own our homes, and medication to make us well, or in many cases, stay alive.

We don't need terrorists holding us hostage; big business is doing that job very well. And my sincere thanks to all the politicians who support these industries. My hope is that someone in Washington, D.C., will one day have the courage to stand up to these people and say "Enough!'

But I believe in the tooth fairy, too.

Loretta Pizzo, Spring Hill

[Last modified June 7, 2006, 07:19:14]