Two county schools saluted and more letters to the editors

Two county schools saluted

The National PTA's School Of Excellence designation is given in recognition of schools' commitment to building an inclusive and welcoming school-community where all families contribute to enriching the educational experience and overall well-being for all students.

This year, only two schools in Tennessee received the designation and both are in Hamilton County — Allen Elementary School and Loftis Middle School.

Allen Elementary School PTA increased membership by 45 percent this year, partnered with local businesses for financial and product support and strengthened communication between the school and parents.

Loftus Middle School focused on increasing family engagement and supporting student success through foreign language initiatives and supplemental feedback sent home from the classroom.

Allen Elementary School and Loftus Middle School have set a standard we can replicate throughout other district schools to continue improving communication, support, and resource sharing between families, teachers, schools, and our community.

Wayne Brown, president

Hamilton County Council of PTAs

Schools moves a form of bullying

Fine column last Sunday by Times Free Press Editor Alison Gerber, describing how the Hamilton County Board of Education has kept the public in the dark about renovations, mergers and building new schools! In this day and time, I suppose this is "standard operating procedure." The school board has arbitrarily eliminated the public from input into local issues.

This reminds me of a teacher I worked with in the past who claimed he'd be a great teacher "if only students weren't allowed in my class." Stonewalling questions from the paper, many folks' only news source, is but one form of governmental bullying.

Is it any wonder people are turned off to politics with this kind of "leadership"? Likewise, is there any surprise for the strong growth of private schools in Chattanooga?

Tom Baker

Hixson

End times? Best turn to Jesus

Attitude of people in the last days (2 Timothy 3:1-4): "But mark this: there will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."

So are we living in the last days? Couple that with all the violence in the world, especially in America with mass killings taking place for no apparent reason except hate. A drug epidemic nationwide; this is our new normal. Factor in all the wildfires, hurricanes, floods and droughts. I guess a lot of these conditions are caused by global warming. Do you think we our progressing to a better life year after year, or could it be like in the days of Noah?

Our only hope is in Jesus (Acts 4:12): "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."

Ronnie Vaughn

Consider blood gift via apheresis

Since August 2016, I have been able to donate platelets via apheresis on a regular basis to Blood Assurance. Before then, I had given up on being able to share my gift of life.

A dear friend recommended a phlebotomist she said was skilled enough to handle my difficult veins. I am so happy that I can make a profound contribution to the health of my community.

When I attend the annual Blood Assurance apheresis donors dinner in December, I will be able to do so as a "supertanker."

I wish and hope that readers become apheresis and/or whole blood donors.

Harry Geller

Corker should help Trump fight

First of all, Donald Trump is hardly the problem with America, Sen. Corker. Our exceptional president, who gets stalked and harassed by mainstream, pro-abortion, pro-infanticide, anti-marriage, etc., Democrats and liberal media, shows the spine to fight back against this genocidal, racist, dishonest ilk. Sen. Corker needs to back off and leave our commander in chief alone.

Our nation, which started out Christian, now has been under attack for decades by the left and its pro-abortion, anti-marriage, postmodern, satirical, bullying, racist, sexist ways. Collectively, we've been tolerant, so we're hardly excluded from blame.

Instead of combating our president, who has taken a different stance and actually been constitutional, I invite Sen. Corker to stand against Roe v. Wade, the left's war on marriage, its propaganda in schools, Obama's and Clinton's Russian collusion, etc.

How ironic, by the way, that Corker would use the term "debasing" when one of our ex-mayor's "hallmarks" has been the blatant influx of postmodern architecture downtown, with postmodernism being a genre that attacks the very existence of absolute truth. And he says our president is sending a bad message?

Ronald Millsaps

Collegedale

Keep 401k plans the way they are

As a Series 6 & 63 financial transactions agent for many years, I would argue against my party's idea of tampering with the 401K structure simply to bring in more revenue to try to pay for its new tax plan.

I support contributions to a 401K retirement plan with pre-tax dollars rather than after-tax dollars (Roth) for most folks. Delaying the taxes until retirement allows compounding on more money for all those working years and then paying the taxes when most people will be in a lower tax bracket. The RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) requires withdrawals from this nest egg when you reach the age of 70 and 1/2 in most cases. The amount withdrawn is added to your yearly gross income as taxable income as you work through your tax liability. The remaining balance of your nest egg, however, keeps compounding and growing tax-deferred as it always did for all those earning years. So, in other words, the continuing growth on your account can help pay for the taxes on the portion you now have to withdraw each year, including the part you have delayed paying taxes on all those years.

Bill Reesor

Ooltewah

Only time will tell Trump's rank

Quite often I read letters to the editor or op-ed pieces stating that President Trump is the "worst president ever." In my opinion, it is far too early to make a determination on where this chief executive will rank among our presidents. In time, historians will review his body of work and make a judgment on his effectiveness based on specific criteria. He may turn out to be the "worst president ever," or the "best thing since sliced bread." It's just too soon to make that assessment.

However, he will have to reach way down to approach the level of James Buchanan, who is generally regarded to be at the bottom of the list. Elected in 1856 just before Lincoln, he did absolutely nothing to avert a civil war that everyone knew was on the horizon. The war that broke out shortly after he left office and resulted in more than 600,000 American deaths — more American deaths than in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraq combined!

Ken Barker

Hixson