- April 19, 2024
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Grading policy makes sense; give Pryor some credit for trying
Dear Editor:
Kudos to Matanzas Principal Dr. Chris Pryor for thinking outside the box in an effort to improve our students’ education. Do the critics not understand that students who do failing work will still receive a failing grade?
Dr. Pryor’s method of grading will only benefit those students who are motivated enough to return to their studies. The idea that students are employees who must be treated as such is ridiculous. Employers fire those who fail to perform in the workforce; however, teachers must always work to motivate and encourage their students to learn and be successful, not fire them when they are troubled and overwhelmed.
This grading system is a tool that not only evaluates, but also makes real success a possibility for struggling students who are ready to put forth the effort, but for whom it would have been futile to even try under the other system.
Students’ grades should reflect how well they have mastered the material, and if they do indeed master it after receiving a zero grade, this new system better reflects their true abilities. We should be cheering, not disparaging, the efforts of Dr. Pryor to facilitate learning.
Robin Lacey
Palm Coast
Parents, please be aware of what your children are being taught
Dear Editor:
I would like to add my two cents to the Common Core discussion:
Although my children are in their 30s and have long since graduated, I have a vested interest in a well-educated population, as it is the fabric of a successful society. I have been following the comments on Common Core and I have started reading the arguments on both sides. It concerns me that, more and more, local government, our legislators and parents themselves, take actions without thinking through or educating themselves about the long-term and unintended consequences of those actions.
I believe it to be the responsibility of parents to raise independent well-adjusted children. I am happy to say that both of mine are successful professionals and living on their own, in houses they own. But, this did not happen by ceding all of my parental duties to others.
I paid attention to what my children were learning, who their friends were and what they were thinking about. When necessary, I went to the school and questioned what they were learning and asked for assistance supplementing my children’s curriculum. I took them to Washington, D.C., so they would better understand their history. I got them interested in reading. And, I taught them to think critically and make the right choices. As a single parent, it would have been far easier to let the schools “do their thing.”
While some may think that the above paragraph is a digression, it is not. It represents a long-term plan for raising successful children. We need children who can successfully take on the responsibilities of an increasingly complicated society. Everything I can find on Common Core points to the same thing: an end to critical thinking and individuality. The most important gifts a parent can give her children are healthy self-esteem and the ability to think critically. I beg all parents to take a serious look at the long-term consequences of a Common Core curriculum. You owe it to your children to make sure that they have the tools they need to succeed.
How many of you have taken a look at what Common Core is really about? Giving out trophies to everyone, passing grades even if you don’t turn in your work, insisting on “fairness” and making everyone the same does nothing but move children along. As parents, you should all be terrified of the long-term consequences for your children as they leave school totally unprepared for the real world.
Lillian Villanova
Flagler Beach
School-issued lanyards are unsafe
Dear Editor:
I have a concern regarding the safety of the lanyards, issued to the students, that hold their ID badges around their necks. These lanyards, provided by the Flagler County School District, do not release when pressure is placed on them. The lanyard should pull apart on impact. The design in use is very unsafe, and can cause serious injury or death to our children.
Speaking from my work experience, the lanyards that were issued to us were designed to separate when stress was applied to the lanyard cord. These school-issued lanyards don't separate or release and could easily choke a child if the lanyard were to get hung up on something, or if someone was to grab it and jerk it. It could actually be used as a weapon to choke a student, during a physical altercation with another student — and we parents know all too well how often that goes on during a "peaceful" school day at our public schools. Not good, and not safe, and not a good design. And not for my kids. Why do you think police officers wear clip-on ties?
The lanyards my kids use will not choke them. They wear safe and smart lanyards provided by me. The unsafe and hazardous lanyards given to our kids by the Flagler County School District, paid for by our tax dollars, are dangerous and useless, and should be replaced with common sense lanyards. If the school district cannot do the right thing, then don't do the wrong thing — do nothing when it comes to lanyards. Just don't give an unsafe lanyard. Let the kids display their ID differently, so long as it's safe. The school district may be satisfied with this choking hazard waiting to happen, but I am not.
Carl Marco
Palm Coast
Reactions against socialism are disappointing; be open to change
Dear Editor:
All I wanted to do is to inform about socialism, and what I get back is punches under the belt. People need to be more open to learn about other systems; that's how we can make the world a better place. I didn't express an opinion; I wrote facts that you all can Google. Why would you all tell me to move back? That comment is very low. I have lived both places — something the responders have not done. To Linda Hansen: Russia is a mix of communism, capitalism and dictatorship. To all of you out there: Always be open to changes. Change is not a bad thing. Where would we be without it?
Frode Nilsen
Palm Coast
