Let’s not give up on public education

To the editor:

Corey Levitan's Sunday article about families sacrificing all to send their children to private schools was certainly a feel-good story for those parents avoiding public schools. But I wondered how many other parents of the more than 300,000 students starting public school this week felt like I did.

If we were to take the information in this article to heart, we would feel guilty for sending our children to public schools because we neither valued education nor were selfless enough to renounce our superfluous spending habits in order to do what was right for our children and pay for private school.

The open houses I attended at my children's public elementary and middle schools over the past few days were full to capacity. Concerned parents spoke with committed teachers and administrators about ways to keep our children on task and prepared to receive the best education possible. Wouldn't it be nice to read a success story, instead of fear and criticism of public education, for a change?

The parents and children of Goolsby Elementary have been more than happy with the quality of education they receive. It can be considered a model for what works in public education. At Goolsby, there are so many parents willing to volunteer in their children's classes that schedules have to be made to accommodate all of them. Fundraisers enable the school to purchase state-of-the-art equipment. Awards have been won for the school's philanthropic efforts.

Daily morning ceremonies, presented by the diverse student population, teach values to the entire school, and even the before- and after-school Safekey program is so popular that children whose parents are home after school beg to attend just to play with their friends. The teachers are adored by parents and children alike, and our principals have been fabulous and available to us. Furthermore, test scores are at the top because no children are "left behind."

For parents who are less than happy with their kids' schools, there are ways to help instead of complain. Overwhelmed teachers could use assistance. They are only human, as are the teachers in any school, public or private. Parents need to prepare their children for school and then encourage them to study and abide by the rules all the way through. These tasks cannot be left to the teacher alone.

The difficulties associated with overcrowding in public schools due to budget cuts can be lessened by community volunteers. For a city this size, Las Vegas has the lowest percentage of volunteers in the country. If even a small percentage of parents, grandparents and retirees volunteered for an hour or two a week in their neighborhood schools, teachers could focus more easily on educating our children.

Working as a community to help our schools improve can be accomplished one person at a time. Let's stop complaining and start working toward the betterment of the education of our youth. We are all in this together. Don't give up on public education.

Amy Litman

LAS VEGAS

Fair pay

To the editor:

There has been much debate over the wages of public-sector employees, such as our teachers. All the wages and tips earned by union employees in the hospitality industry may be fair -- and the teachers of Clark County are no better than other workers. However, far more is asked of a teacher for much less compensation.

If blackjack/poker dealers, valets and other hospitality workers have a college degree and are taking courses in continuing education on their own time and at their own expense, what do you think their hourly wages would be?

The taxpayers of Nevada are lucky that teachers are salaried employees, and that most love their jobs. The Clark County School District would go broke if these dedicated teachers were compensated for the time they actually worked.

It's time for the state of Nevada -- and Clark County in particular -- to do what's right for our children and pay our teachers what they are really worth.

Joe Beltran

NORTH LAS VEGAS

History lesson

To the editor:

As any longtime Las Vegan would be, I was sad to learn of the death of Frank Fertitta Jr., whose contributions to the community and the gaming industry were enormous (Saturday Review-Journal). But I suspect that, given his nature, he wouldn't want credit for what he didn't do, at least entirely on his own.

So, while I do not want to detract from any deserved tributes to him, we are forgetting that before Station Casinos started revolutionizing the locals gaming market, there was the Showboat, which offered many of the same services to locals long before Mr. Fertitta opened his own place.

Making this even more interesting historically, Mr. Fertitta's first job in Las Vegas was at the Tropicana, which was operated by J. Kell Houssels Sr., and then J. Kell Houssels Jr., who also ran the Showboat. And when the old Showboat tower was imploded, it was done by its buyer ... Station Casinos.

Michael Green

LAS VEGAS

THE WRITER IS A PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AT THE COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN NEVADA.