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Today's Letters: Responsibility ultimately comes down to the parents

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published March 28, 2007

Special school programs for blacks: racist or essential? March 25, story 

I am a high school teacher. I care deeply about my students, and it breaks my heart when I see promise thrown away. Children (high school students included) cannot learn when they are hungry, or when the parents stay up all night drinking and fighting, or when they have such poor role models at home that they have no frame of reference for "normal" life, or when the people in charge of their care do not care and do not return phone calls and do not monitor homework or grades or behavior.

The achievement gap is bridged in early childhood by the parents, by how cherished the children were, how their questions were answered or how often they were read to at night. It is bridged by how committed the parents are to their education and the value it holds. The children's behavior control starts in early childhood with the way their discipline has been handled by the parents.

Public school teachers, and administrators and guidance counselors, for the most part, jump through hoops to help these children catch up and learn anger-management and see to it that they get food, clothing or even basic hygiene products. But without the backing of parents the job is next to impossible.

Graduation rates will not improve, school violence and vandalism will not decrease, the gap will not be bridged until we get the parents to buy into the 24/7 responsibility that began when they created the special and unique individual who is their child.

Margy Kincaid, Palm Harbor

Let them try

Concerning the lawsuit against Pinellas schools requesting special treatment for African-American students: I would recommend not only that the School Board not waste scarce school funding on attorneys to fight the suit, but also that the board give the aggrieved blacks what they want in so far as a special program or special school is concerned. And I would let African-Americans run it. Let them develop the program that will close the gap between African-American students and those of other races. Let them implement it.

If the special program is successful, we all benefit. If not, at least they may find it difficult to sue whites yet again for sabotaging their progress.

As a career educator, I look forward to reviewing the program that works to close the gap.

Joe Arthur, Dunedin

Special school programs for blacks: racist or essential? March 25, story

Some questions for the plaintiff

Parents who think and behave positively and are willing to be proactive in and responsible for their children's educations generally have kids who are successful in school.

Race alone is rarely the determining factor in academic success, and special programs will not fix achievement gaps. Special programs, although well-intentioned, are discriminatory by nature, are extremely expensive, and also divert money from the majority in an attempt to fulfill the needs of the few.

The courts should ask these questions of William Crowley, who filed the original lawsuit, before passing judgment:

- When did Crowley discover that there was an academic problem and what steps did he take to correct it?

- Did his son always show up for class, on time and prepared?

- Did his son always complete his assignments and behave in an acceptable manner?

-Did Crowley regularly show up for meetings and activities directly related to his son?

- Did he tutor his son or seek the free tutoring that is always available in our schools?

- Does Crowley think his negative attitude toward the school system may have "colored" his son's attitudes toward education?

The answers should guide the court in deciding whether the school system is truly at fault in this case.

Sondra Biggart, retired teacher, Largo

Special school programs for blacks: racist or essential? March 25, story

Making choices

Special school programs to address the large achievement gaps between blacks and nonblacks are completely unnecessary. Low test scores and graduation rates among black students can be attributed to personal choices, choices made by parents and by the students themselves that affect their academic success. Students can choose whether or not they will take advantage of opportunities afforded them by the public school system. Parents can choose to help and encourage their children in their studies.

Every student in the public schools has the same opportunity to gain an education. The students, however, must choose to take advantage of that opportunity.

Andrew Szarejko, Palm Harbor

Special school programs for blacks: racist or essential? March 25, story

A simple answer

The article about African-American achievement levels in Pinellas County schools was interesting and, up to a point, comprehensive. The statistics, as disconcerting as they were, are not exactly late-breaking news.

The proper solution, however, may not be litigation that lets lawyers and judges engage in ineffectual social engineering and that results in the county paying several hundred thousand dollars in legal fees to the plaintiff's counsel.

The proper solution may be a simple one: encouraging parents of lagging students (of whatever ethnic background) to spend more time with their children on educational matters and to emphasize to their children the importance of their education. Such activities will do more to change the data than any number of buses or other judge-imposed measures.

Jeffrey Meyer, Clearwater

True friend would level with Israel March 20, Nicholas Kristof column

Open debate needed

I commend Nicholas Kristof for his courage and wisdom in opening an important debate in American politics. Mainstream media (liberal and conservative) and American politicians never dare to criticize Israel or to advocate for the human and political rights of Palestinians because they will be "blasted for being hostile to Israel," charged with being anti-Semitic or deluged with hateful e-mails. If Israelis can freely criticize Israeli government actions and debate the Israeli-Palestinian issue, then freedom-loving Americans should demand the same right here.

A healthy debate might show how harmful current Israeli policies are to Israel's long-term security and standing in the world. It might also show how blind U.S. support for Israeli policies run counter to American interests in the region. Terrorism and regional insecurity in the Middle East have increased, not only because of our immoral occupation of Iraq, but because of our one-sided support for Israel.

We have the power to help bring about a just and peaceful settlement of the Palestine-Israel issue. We just need the courage, vision and will. A democratic debate would speed up that process.

Pilar Saad, Tampa

Attacks seek to silence Muslims March 19, letter

Revealing comments

For those of us who are still trying to keep an open mind about CAIR (the Council on American-Islamic Relations) the letter from Ahmed Bedier, the group's Tampa executive director, is a source of great concern. Apparently, for him the term "neo-Zionist" is a term of opprobrium, equivalent to "racist right- wing" extremist.

I am a Zionist - although I don't know whether I am "neo." As a Zionist, I believe in the right of the citizens of the state of Israel to live in peace and security, Jew and non-Jew alike.

If Bedier and CAIR think that makes me a "racist right-wing extremist," then his letter has been very revealing of the real agenda of CAIR.

Bruce A. Epstein, Pinellas Park

Gaunt Al-Arian shocks family March, 20, story

Keep the bargain

I am not a supporter of Sami Al-Arian - far from it. But I am not a supporter of prosecutorial abuse either. When U.S. attorneys give their word to a defendant in a plea bargain, that word must be honored by all other representatives of the United States, or it demeans the honor of our country.

Moreover, jailing a defendant for contempt is not designed to punish the offender, but to compel compliance with a court order. Al-Arian has demonstrated beyond any doubt that he will not comply with an order to testify that he considers in violation of his plea agreement.

He should be released, immediately, to complete the deportation that was agreed to in his plea bargain.

Barry Augenbraun, St. Petersburg

[Last modified March 27, 2007, 21:05:56]