Speak Out A 01/03/03

A teacher's lament

I sympathize WITH THE PUBLIC-SCHOOL EDUCATOR ASKING ALL THE QUESTIONS ABOUT GETTING PARENTS POSITIVELY INVOLVED IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. IT IS JUST GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF WORK FROM THE COURTS, ADMINISTRATORS, STATE OFFICIALS ON DOWN TO THE CHILDREN THEMSELVES. IF WE WOULD TEACH READING, WRITING AND MATH FOR THE FIRST FOUR YEARS OF SCHOOL, ALL THE OTHER SUBJECTS WOULD FALL INTO PLACE. WE ARE PRESSURING CHILDREN TO LEARN TOO MUCH TOO FAST, AND MOST OF IT ISN'T NECESSARY. WE COMPLAIN ABOUT KIDS GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND NOT BEING ABLE TO READ. THEN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. IT'S SAD TO SAY I COULDN'T CHANGE THE SYSTEM. IT TAKES ALL TEACHERS ALONG WITH ADMINISTRATORS TO EFFECT THESE CHANGES AS WELL AS PARENTS TO WANT MORE FOR THEIR CHILDREN. I HAD MORE GOOD YEARS OF TEACHING AHEAD OF ME, BUT TEACHERS CAN'T DO IT ALONE WITHOUT THE STRESS TAKING A TOLL ON OUR OWN FAMILY AND OUR HEALTH. SO I RETIRED. I MISS THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIVES, BECAUSE I CARE. I ALWAYS WILL.

Enough to go around

Both Matt BLUNT AND KENNY HULSHOFF ARE COMPETENT, VALUABLE PUBLIC SERVANTS. WITH A NUMBER OF STATE OFFICES UP FOR GRABS IN 2004, THE MISSOURI GOP WILL NOT WANT TO WASTE GOOD CANDIDATES IN PRIMARY CONTESTS WHEN IT COULD MORE EFFECTIVELY DEPLOY THEM ACROSS THE BOARD. BLUNT IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR THE GOVERNOR'S RACE BASED ON HIS OWN MERITS. HE IS THE ONLY REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE TO WIN A STATEWIDE ELECTION. HIS SECRETARY OF STATE OFFICE COULD BE WON BY ANOTHER GOP CANDIDATE SUCH AS SARAH STEELMAN. PETER KINDER MAKES A GREAT ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATE, THE PERFECT CAMPAIGNER AGAINST A COMPLACENT JAY NIXON. MISSOURI REPUBLICANS WOULD NOT BE SERVED WELL BY A CONTESTED 2004 GUBERNATORIAL PRIMARY.

How others see us

MANY OF us are confused. The hypocrisy is that the United States may have all sorts of weapons of mass destruction -- of every kind -- but certain selected countries may not. Much of the rest of the world sees it this way too, and how they see it is important.

Diplomacy or war

I DON'T understand why President Bush is going to use diplomacy with North Korea but not with Iraq. They can both attack us -- right?

Small-town gossips

I AM fairly new to the area and am wondering if all small towns are like this. At our school there is a certain group of women who sit together at ball games and gossip about other parents, make fun of the cheerleaders and make comments about the players, coaches, administration, unwed mothers, past and present divorces, remarriages, other people's kids, school board business and on and on. I assume they go to work the next day and spread these half-truths. Is every place like this?