Parent advocates for more school time
As a parent who has a child attending public school, I am very concerned with the future of these schools. We can't put all of the blame on the teachers, school board, superintendent, community. Some of the blame goes to parents. Yes. Parents must be held accountable as well. As parents we are the first teacher our children will encounter; it's up to us to set the standard of learning in our children.
We need to foster learning. It's time to think outside the box and reshape, reinvent our public education system.
We have 180 days of school a year. Unfortunately, this no longer works. I don't know when the school board and the rest of the community will realize that we cannot educate our children with this schedule. It's time for a change. We need year-round school.
We need to accept and acknowledge that we have failed the educational needs of our children in Hamilton County and we need to make it right. Year-round school, longer days at school. Let's face it, 180 days is not feasible for our children.
Yashika Ward
Where is city on tax freeze?
I have read a few letters to the editor and have heard the Democratic candidate for assessor of property is supporting a property tax freeze [for seniors]. My question is the Democrats who recruited their candidate to run, Andy Berke and Chris Anderson, have not implemented the tax freeze. And yet the city of Chattanooga raised my property taxes in 2011. Hamilton County has not raised my property taxes.
It seems they are trying to create a crisis that does not exist in the county, which pays for all education, the jail and Erlanger without a cent from the city. The last thing Hamilton County needs is a liberal activist taking over the assessor's office. Take your fight for a tax freeze to the city.
Wally Reece
Hixson
We allowed sin in God's creation
My heart broke as I read the Times Free Press and relived the tornado destruction of five years ago. In Ringgold, many asked, "Where's God?" When humans suffer, we ask, "Why did God allow this to happen?"
But I ask, "Why do we blame God for our sins? Why do we insult his perfect love for us?" Yes, we can blame a drunk driver when he kills someone, but how can we blame God when we are the ones who allowed sin into his creation? Sin corrupted our bodies; sin corrupted God's creation.
"For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God." (Romans 8:20-21)
We live in a fallen world. And we are the ones to blame. But we have hope. "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)
Ben Burke