News Summary

This proposal is in response to an article posted in the Middletown Journal regarding the new homework policy being considered by the Middletown school board.

Over recent years, I cannot help but notice the unpleasant atmosphere in our Middletown School District. Our students are victims of favoritism, bias, unfairness, improper enforcement of disciplinary actions, discrimination and unethical grading practices. The solutions I propose to these problems are simple and easy to implement, yet incredibly effective.

First, the elimination of homework grades is silly when the solution is to abolish grades altogether. Because we know students will work even harder and put forth more effort when completing assignments that won't count for anything, we can safely assume having no report cards will produce even more diligent and motivated pupils. If we absolutely have to give out grades because of state requirements, let's just give everyone all A's!

My second proposition deals with the taking of attendance. This task is very time-consuming and can require serious amounts of paperwork. The precious minutes wasted every morning checking little boxes could be used for academics and socializing. Teachers wouldn't need to worry about tardy slips or filling out detentions if a student skips class.

But then again, we would not have to be concerned with truancy because everyone will want to come to school to have fun and receive their straight A's!

Third, I take issue with the favoritism demonstrated by the coaches of our sport programs, as well as the band and choir directors. Awards such as "most valuable player" or "most improved" can make the kids who don't win them feel quite bad about themselves. As far as games go, I think most readers agree we shouldn't even be keeping score in the first place!

Along the same lines, I think the title of "first chair" and "soloist" should be abolished from the music programs. After all, everyone wants to be as good as everyone else. There is no reason to hurt a young musician's precious ego by awarding them "second chair" or asking them to rest a few measures while another student plays a solo. Our students are fragile and are not able to handle this type of failure. Don't even get me started on the unfairness of tryouts for the spring musical!

For my fourth (but not my final) proposal, I take aim at the real cause of most of the issues within our school district, the teachers themselves. They expect our students to be on time and ready to learn every day. They even have the audacity to assign homework and projects with deadlines!

I don't even know what the point of having assignments is anyway. Review? Memorization? Critical thinking skills? Reasoning? Quite frankly, I am not sure how our poor dear

children have been able to cope so well under these appalling conditions.

Liz Farney

Middletown

'Let's put politics

I'm really pleased to see our new governor, Ted Strickland, wasted no time going into action to correct the many ills facing Ohio taxpayers.

It's no secret the state of Ohio under our past governor hit bottom in job losses, home repossessions, health care, school funding and now has higher taxes than 45 other states.

I have spoken with Gov. Strickland on a couple of occasions and I was pleased to learn he is very "down to earth" and easy to talk with. I found he listened intensely to what I had to say, rather than trying to impress me with his importance. This certainly is a change from the typical politician. I am very impressed with him and his proposals to make the needed changes in the state.

Some of my friends may wonder why I am making such positive comments about a Democrat governor when they know I am a longtime active Republican. My response is, "I'm an American first and a Republican second." I want what's best for Ohio's school children, workers, seniors, veterans and each

citizen regardless of political party.

A Democrat governor and a Republican House and Senate can easily cause "gridlock," resulting in stagnation with little change for Ohio's future. My wish is this does not happen. We are losing jobs and population. Our tax rate is the fifth largest of 50 states. The citizens of Ohio deserve the best our elected officials have to offer. Let's put politics "as usual" aside. The future of Ohio now rests with the governor and Ohio lawmakers. My final wish is they both work for the benefit or our citizens, not political parties.

Don Gingerich

Springboro

Failure of school levy 'a source of pride'

When the school levy failed, it was a source of pride for me. It let me know that voting still works.

State minimum education standards are set by our legislators in Columbus and should be followed by all counties. If one is truly unhappy about the conditions of our schools, they should lobby state government officials to reorganize the school system as a whole.

For individual school boards in any county to hold landowners responsible for the state of funding in reference to any school activities program or education level would be equal to ... high-powered lobbies in Washington, D.C., fixing issues with Congress.

With the advent of local access TV, school boards are funding public-education-government stations on local cable systems with money that should be spent to fund schools. These stations effectively run a political lobby for the school board with no opposition because p.e.g.'s do not have to give equal access to different political viewpoints.

Children should not lobby or be used as a lobby hinge to motivate voters. Children are a responsibility of their parents, and if the parents are not happy with the school system, they should make the state revise the school system at large or seek private school or home school options to provide what might be considered adequate for their families.

For the school board to continue to get coverage in the paper on this issue, one might think that newspapers are a lobbyist tool.

Parents need to be forthright in providing for their children. This would include teaching their children morality, honesty, integrity and diversity. If these concepts are not implanted by parents successfully, children will continue to make a mockery of public schools.

Please let levies expire when their purpose has concluded. A sales tax to help support schools would create more funds and all residents and transient purchases within city limits would help support the system equally.

John Hutton

Middletown

'Your levies fail when you fail to perform'

This letter is in response to letters by Sam Minge and Jennifer DeSutter.

Sam writes that we "destroyed the best thing about Middletown" when we defeated the levy. He is ashamed that we denied anyone a quality education. Sam, since when is it a quality education when the schools are last in every grade and every category in proficiencies as compared to the 11 school districts surrounding us?

The colleges have remedial classes to prepare the graduates to start college. This school system has met only seven indicators out of 13 in 10 years of trying. They are only rated as "effective," which means that they are "average" in their effort.

Sam also calls it "childish" that we have an issue with the school board. It is not childish, Sam, when we expect the board, superintendent and teachers to provide a performance-driven effort and get mediocrity.

Jennifer writes that "we don't care about the future of the city or the kids."

No, Jennifer, we want to force the schools to change the way they teach the kids so that they will be prepared to go on to college or to work. We don't complain about the streets, crime, schools being sub par, leadership, etc., without due cause. They are facts that need to be addressed by the council, but no action is being taken by a group of seven that will not make competent decisions. We are frustrated!

Jennifer, like Sam, thinks the kids are getting a superior education. Jennifer points out that she is "saddened that the gifted and athletic kids won't be given an opportunity to excel." What about the majority of the kids, Jennifer? How about the kids who are not as "gifted?" Do they not count? We are so proud of our "gifted and athletic kids," but we could care less if the rest of them fall through the cracks.

I ask Sam and Jennifer one question. If the Middletown school system was a stock, and you were putting money in that stock, and it was showing no growth, and you couldn't influence improved growth, would you tell your manager to sell the stock, cut your losses and move to another stock? Sure you would. Then why keep plowing money into a school system that has shown little growth in many years?

You have your levies pass when you produce positive measurable results and people perceive value for their dollar.

Your levies fail when you fail to perform.

Terry S. Wills

Middletown