Letters to the editor, Dec. 10-16

SUMMERLIN-AREA RESIDENT EXPRESSES CONCERNS ABOUT REZONING

I would request that, as a taxpayer and homeowner who pays community fees and association dues, that my schools not suffer from short-sighted or ineffective decisions made from a desk in a corporate office on the other side of town.

I have not been impressed with the efforts of Clark County School District board members in making decisions over the last few years that have had a negative impact on my school district and my childrens’ schools. The reorganization effort made with trades and support staff was a complete mess. The old adage of stepping over a $10 bill to pick up a penny has been very obvious and very applicable to recent actions by CCSD school board decision

I have two students who attend local schools. The teachers are under-paid, under-appreciated, and constantly paying for their own supplies, and the list of supplies that we must provide as parents are items that could easily be afforded if waste was cut from upper management and executive staff. It’s very disappointing to see continued efforts to decrease the positive environment of public schooling.

The principal of Bonner Elementary, Paul Catania, has done a superior job. To ignore his concerns or guidance is a horrible method of showing respect for an awesome interactive school principal. We are very active in our local schools, and there is a reason why Bonner, Palo and Sig Rogich are in the top schools in the district. To ignore this will be very damaging to our community and to our support of the CCSD school board.

— Paul Huettner, Las Vegas

READER EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT COMMON CORE PROGRAM

Nevada Virtual Academy K-12 has fully implemented the “common core” program, and parents are left out.

We were shocked “common core ” was implemented this semester for our seventh-grader, Christine. Why were we not told? We had just taken the CRT tests, now eliminated and replaced with I-Ready. It has everything, for a seventh-grade curriculum: Algebra II, geometry and trigonometry. Mind-boggling and confusing to see a seventh-grader struggle for three-plus hours to figure out what this math/reading test was about. Cute, though, with its ringtones and caricatures. Weird for a unit test.

We contacted counselors at Liberty University (100,000 students) to make sure what our daughter is learning would apply toward her college major. To our shock/dismay, we were told that along with 90 percent of all universities, they do not/will not accept “common core” standards. Should our daughter choose to attend Liberty, she would need to complete two preparatory years of education, plus a class on how to take multiple choice tests for their entrance exams.

I immediately contacted our homeroom teacher who said we could meet at the “September social.” Additionally, I could attend the upcoming “common core implementation” meetings at the local office. When she didn’t show up, I called to see what happened. She said she just couldn’t make it, but I could attend the meetings. We did get the chance to speak with Christine’s math, social studies and literature teachers, who shared conflicting information about it. What they did know was nobody had a choice.

At the Oct. 18 social, I was informed that the meetings had already occurred for administrators only.

We contacted the K-12 offices at 702-407-1825 and were told there is no PTA or place to voice concerns. And PTAs are not allowed.

— Fred Kuenzi, Las Vegas