Re: Pin school failures on principals, letter, June 22.
I am incensed after reading Timothy Hobbs' June 22 comments regarding school principals. Hobbs states that principals should plan, strategize and produce results with regard to our current school grading system.
As a Pinellas County educator, I know that most principals do just that in addition to their many other duties. Almost every school meeting I attend includes some plan to improve FCAT scores or comply with No Child Left Behind.
Hobbs also states that "government has no business in education." Who does he think put the school grading process into place?
From my own experiences, I believe that the vast majority of teachers and administrators work very hard to ensure that students reach their highest level of achievement. Indeed, it is frustrating that half the high schools in our county received a "D" this year - primarily because nearly everyone is working hard to improve.
While I think that accountability is important and that standardized testing has its place, I also think that it is ridiculous to grade our schools based on a single test. There are many factors essential to a complete education that are not included on the FCAT, yet they are not considered in Florida's school grading process.
Furthermore, the FCAT measures every student to a single standard of achievement, regardless of their educational background or personal circumstances. If Mr. Hobbs would research the facts instead of merely putting the blame on teachers and principals, he would discover that the No. 1 predictor of school achievement is socioeconomic status.
I firmly believe that all students can achieve, but I would love to see Mr. Hobbs teach in a classroom of impoverished students whose parents may be drug addicts, alcoholics, abusive and/or neglectful. Or perhaps he can assume the role of principal in a school with a high number of migrant children, many of whom miss nearly half the school year and for whom English is a second language, and then expect them to achieve the same test scores as students who are the product of very different circumstances.
Instead of pointing the finger at school officials, it's time to assess the methods by which we evaluate student achievement.
-- Amber Turcott, Palm Harbor
Mother Nature will remodel beaches
Re: Clearwater will flex its rules for beach resort, story, June 19.
Ah, the unending quest by whomever is currently in power to sell our few remaining assets, no doubt to get their name immortalized on some street sign or something.
It's all about the beach, stupid. Clearwater Beach, Daytona Beach, Miami Beach, Ipanema, Monte Carlo, Atlantic City and so on.
It's the beach that brings people.
Soon we won't have one, and all we will have after midday will be long shadows from the never-ending condos and high-rises that will block everything from everyone.
It's a disgrace that nationwide, we sell our natural assets, then try to stop Mother Nature from her own remodeling. No doubt this sellout by the city will soon need the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild the beach for the whiners who settle there.
-- J. Dalney, Oldsmar
Hold on to hotel and its memories
Re: "Timeless' resort may rid Clearwater Beach of bargain label, story, June 13.
My wife and I are celebrating our 42nd wedding anniversary at the Clearwater Beach Hotel. We have celebrated Valentine's Day, birthdays and wedding anniversaries over these 40 years at the Clearwater Beach Hotel.
But now that our Clearwater City Council has voted to destroy all of our pleasant memories for the almighty dollar, I think it is time for our local residents to shout, "No way!" The local people are losing out to politics and money once again.
We don't need a Miami Beach on Clearwater Beach, with a sea of condos. Besides being a historical landmark hotel, this beautiful structure and five-star restaurant should stay on the beach for the people.
I hope this letter motivates other residents to write in protest to stop the loss of the Clearwater Beach Hotel.
-- Bob Willms, Dunedin
EDITOR'S NOTE: The Clearwater Beach gulffront property where developers have proposed a hotel and condominiums is not public property, but is privately owned. The Hunter family, which owns the Clearwater Beach Hotel, is participating with other private developers in the proposed project to build a new, upscale resort on the current site of their hotel. The City Council has given preliminary approval to land use changes that would permit the developers to build the project on their land.
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