Social Security leases RTP space

tool name

tool name

Character counts

Regarding the May 16 letters on grading students: As a middle school teacher, I support the move toward consistency in grading and understand the need to separate productivity from mastery. I agree a signed test or returned form should not be a grade. I can even support no extra credit.

My concern is accepting and supporting poor behaviors and character. In Wake County our character traits include responsibility, integrity, self-discipline, good judgment and perseverance. How is not completing work on time supporting these traits? How do supporters of this move intend to hold students responsible for not being responsible?

If a student knows he can put forth minimal effort, turn an assignment in late and be guaranteed a 60, what message are we sending him? Student productivity is a real educational issue. Addressing this issue will require a combined effort from our public school officials, parents, teachers and our communities. We should not adjust our standards to accommodate poor behaviors and character

Focus on the 90

As the chairman of the State Board of Education from 1997 to 2003, I had the honor of spending time in 750 of our public schools in North Carolina. As a result, I have little sympathy for those who want to focus on the 10 percent of students who disrupt learning.

The biggest determinant in the quality of education is the quality of the teacher. However, the most effective teacher in the world cannot be successful if there is not strict discipline and order. I am tired of our emphasis on the needs of the minority who misbehave vs. the overwhelming majority who want to get an education.

There is a challenge involved with the appropriate placement/punishment for those who disobey the rules and common decency. I know that students out of school are likely to cause trouble in the community and to end up a part of the more than 80 percent of prisoners who are dropouts.

They've earned it

As chair of the Board of Trustees of the N.C. School of Science and Mathematics I write to dispute your article questioning the leadership and judgment of my fellow trustees and our chancellor ("School's top pay outpaces growth," Oct. 25).

NCSSM is fortunate to receive the service of Chancellor Gerald Boarman and each of our employees. Fellow trustees and I bear witness to an exemplary commitment to mission, an adherence to the highest standards and a relentless emphasis on upright ethics and outcomes. Rather than confine your reporting to pernicious topics, we encourage you to pursue more newsworthy stories that illustrate our institution's commitment to improving science and mathematics education, such as:

Increased enrollment in the residential program to 670 high school students annually

Educating all

I am compelled, as a supporter of public education, to respond to the Wake County Public School System's administration offering the sacrificing of funding for alternative schools. Additionally, the changes in starting and ending times for schools to allow teachers more planning time is of grave concern.

As the saying goes “a chain is as strong as the weakest link.” I am of the opinion that alternative education is an absolute necessity. If we are to be true to our commitment to educate every student, we do not need to sacrifice them.

The practical place to expand education

Closing a reported $4 billion state budget gap is a Herculean task. In recent days, we have heard a lot about what will be cut, but little of what will be protected.

Constructing a state budget for education is not just about meeting immediate needs. It is also about laying a foundation upon which further improvement is built.

That is why supporters of public education need to be as alarmed by the prospects of deep cuts to the community colleges as they are by cuts to prekindergarten programs, teachers and the length of the school year. As our political leaders craft a balanced budget, protecting the community colleges should be among the highest priorities.