Students’ grasp of subjects woeful
Dr. Brian Hale’s May 16 article was a brilliant expose on education. His message was softened by the use of metaphor comparing Robert E. Lee’s statement after the Confederate loss at Gettysburg, “oh, too bad,” with the educational environment of today.
However, Dr. Hale pulls up short by saying “if we continue as we have, we will guarantee educational failure.”
I have worked in the classroom for several years in both public and private education and I, too, have experienced every educational/student example that Dr. Hale cites.
It is now my firm conviction that education in America has failed and that we are now in the end game. It may take five years for the perfect educational storm to occur. A poor economy/lack of jobs forces individuals back to education as a way to gain immediate income through scholarship money, not for the acquiring of knowledge, while mega-advancements in science and technology are developed by a select few but applied to a student population unable to acquire this knowledge. This scenario creates a vacuum for a new educational power to emerge.
Statisticians can sing the praises of exceptional students, and variables like high school graduation or college degrees show a positive growth in education; however, they are meaningless because of grade inflation which results in abysmal basic math skills and poor word recognition and reading comprehension skills. These skills are at one with education, and our general population of students does not possess mastery in these areas. lt is indeed “oh, too bad.”
WALTER MICKULICK
‘Prayerful’ notions are venomous
Some local pastors on the recent National Day of Prayer urged prayer for America’s elected officials, including the president and his family. That is a welcome gesture given the vituperative criticism of Mr. Obama that, oddly, perverts the divinely instituted concept of prayer for political expediency.
Take this bumper sticker, for instance: Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8-9. Nice sentiment, but check the verses: “May his days be few; may another take his place of leadership. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.”
For sheer mean-spirited ignorance, however, it would be hard to top this “prayer,” reportedly popular on Facebook:
“Dear Lord, This year you took my favorite actor, Patrick Swayze. You took my favorite actress, Farrah Fawcett. You took my favorite singer, Michael Jackson. I just wanted to let you know, my favorite president is Barack Obama. Amen.”
Like the “birther” phenomenon (which by itself proves that political idiocy is viral), such “prayerful” sentiments are further evidence of an anti-Obama mindset so virulent that those who should know better — presumably including many churchgoers — think it’s cute to trivialize both prayer and Scripture.
MICHAEL LOFTIN
Hixson
Recruits deserve better treatment
In response to the editorial in the Times, Wednesday, May 19, about putting our soldiers a risk: How about when a college graduate joins the Navy and is told the Navy will pay all of his tuition debt off, then gets to boot camp and is told they are not paying it, then gets to his job, is assigned an E-6 job with E-3 pay. How does the military keep the troops’ morale up doing just that?
I could list more but I think if a person is serving his or her country, they deserve better.
JOSEPH RUNION
Riceville, Tenn.
National leaders reveal their gall
We recently have witnessed and heard unmitigated idiocy and gall by elected and appointed officials in reference to illegal immigration. With Arizona’s attempt to cope with illegal immigration and keep its citizens safe, the highest ranking legal official, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, has threatened a lawsuit of Arizona’s law on constitutional grounds. Yet, he has admitted in congressional hearings that he has not even read the law! Gross legal incompetence!
Not to be outdone, Janet Napolitano, director of Homeland Security, criticizes the law and admits before a congressional committee that she has not even read the law! Idiocy when 20 percent are now from the Middle East!
Two assistant secretaries of state, Posner and Crowley, have criticized Arizona’s law and apologized to Communist China in talks — the same Communist China that has a terrible history of murdering and imprisoning its own citizens. And, neither of the two has even read the law! Unmitigated gall!
Arizona took action because the Obama administration and the previous Bush administration have failed to close our borders.
American citizens must demand that borders be sealed against illegal entry and reject “comprehensive immigration reform,” which is simply another way of saying amnesty that rewards illegal behavior with American citizenship.
MALVIN C. MAUNEY
Crossville, Tenn.
Project at dam started with Bush
I would like to set the record straight to the person who wrote in to your May 22 Letters to the Editor section. The locks at Chickamauga Dam were started during the Bush administration, not during the Obama administration. This is just another case of bashing Bush for the things that have gone bad and praising Obama for the things that have gone good.
RONNIE POOLE
Soddy-Daisy
Don’t pick on just property owners
Mayor Ron Littlefield expects property owners to pay for higher salaries, new facilities and programs. Do fire and police ask if a person is a property owner before they answer a call? No.
An automobile decal is required in Chattanooga but not enforced. 217,000 people are employed in the Chattanooga metro area. If 200,000 people own a car and are charged $10 for a city sticker, that brings in $2 million. Car tags in surrounding states can run $200. The mayor asked for a solution. Enforce the law.
Is expansion necessary right now? Most people cut back when money is tight. Is Hixson recreation a priority? I haven’t had a raise in several years. Why should city employees get one? People are taking pay cuts to keep their jobs. States are furloughing teachers, requiring that they take days off without pay.
The mayor says, “his budget is the most responsible way to pay for services,” meaning the stable community pays for imprudent spending. By taking advantage of property owners, the city taxes people who are stuck. We can’t vote against the tax or organize against the decision. Cut back, or tax the entire community.
SHARON HUEY
Public employee benefits out of hand
It is encouraging to see one member of the City Council realizing that the city’s retiree pension and medical benefits are ballooning uncontrollably.
At one time ,public service employees accepted lower wages in exchange for better benefits, but their average pay now significantly exceeds the private sector, making their benefits more disproportionate. Defined pension plans, cost of living increases, retiree medical plans are a luxury afforded fewer and fewer private sector retirees.
A cautionary tale of where this leads is exemplified by Yonkers, where more than 100 police and firefighters are collecting pensions greater than their final pay at ever younger ages, one collecting over $100,000 at age 44.
Which brings me to the ridiculous 33 percent tax increase proposed by the mayor. Naturally, this is supported by the Times editor, but then I have never known him not to favor any tax increase of whatever form. Before the council goes along with adding more city employees, whether police, firefighters etc., it should take a close look at its benefit package, in particular its policy of allowing people to retire early with full pensions. In any case, why does the city need more employees? It seems to be managing fine as it is.
TERENCE E.C. KNEE
Hixson