Giving public money to private schools cause of failing education system | Letters

Privatization to blame for failing schools

Columnist Philip Derrow’s assessment, “The American K-12 education system has been failing its students for far too long,” ignores what’s happening to this system, especially in Florida (“Ramaswamy is right: We should care about grades,” Jan. 7).

The “failure” Derrow decries lies with policymakers who desire to privatize all education options and entirely dismantle traditional public schools.

Taxpayer dollars once earmarked for the “system” are now sucked up by vouchers primarily for religious schools centered on Bible teachings, not STEM, and for homeschoolers who enjoy wide-screen TVs and Disney World tickets thanks to voucher dollars.

The “system” is compromised by Florida’s poor average teacher pay (50^th in national ranking), which results in thousands of teacher vacancies and large-scale utilization of substitute or even uncertified individuals covering classes.

Derrow claims, “Our American culture has venerated mediocrity over excellence,” but Florida legislators and Department of Education officials value education that gives highest regard to false ideas over truth, banning discussion of such topics as the threat of global warming.

Students cannot successfully problem-solve when problems are whitewashed. Derrow suggests shifting school focus from sports and prom queens to academics. Good idea. Let’s focus on that rather than throwing our traditional public schools under the bus.

Jill Lewis-Spector, Ed.D., Sarasota

Seidman column will be missed

As a daily reader of your Opinion page, columnist Carrie Seidman’s writings, her great words, the many varied topics and educational, entertaining messages will be missed (“Writing new chapters means closing old ones. It’s my time to do both,” Dec. 24).

Gerald Lagace, Sarasota

Musk drives away Tesla customers

I’ve been saving to buy an electric vehicle for years and my preference was − wait … drum roll − Tesla!

But not since Elon Musk acquired X and became an online nuisance.

Apparently, the Tesla CEO forgot who made his electric vehicles a resounding success: the progressive, enlightened crowd that was willing to bet on the future – and the same crowd that Musk now despises and ridicules.

Sorry, Mr. Musk, I’m no longer interested in Tesla. I’ll buy any electric vehicle but a Tesla.

Your sales and stocks are down but what did you expect after biting the hand that feeds you?

Tamas Frecska, Sarasota

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Don’t throw traditional public schools under the bus | Letters

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