Exit makes no sense
Our commissioner of education, Johnny Key, has little or no background in public education. Yet he is touting a new superintendent whose purpose is to improve instructional outcomes.
Mr. Key/Gov. Asa Hutchinson cannot have it both ways. Should a chemical engineer with no practical educational background remove himself, too? The new superintendent, no doubt (like the education department itself far too often), will come in with "the new best thing." What does Mr. Key/Governor Hutchinson think about the central office staff working under Mr. Kurrus? Are they sitting around planning how to prevent student achievement?
The Little Rock School District superintendent "merry-go-round" needs to stop ... or at least make sense.
BOBBY D. ALTOM
Hot Springs Village
Rethink that decision
To members of the state Board of Education: We are writing because we both taught in Arkansas schools, served on the state board, both as chair, and we care deeply about students. We learned a great deal about public education serving also as members of Southern Regional Education Board and the Education Commission of the States.
We are stunned that Mr. Kurrus' contract was not extended. We are not personal friends of his, but have followed his actions this past year. He has the backing of the public school community despite difficult circumstances. He has been a good listener and exhibits real caring for students and their parents.
During our board experience, we were concerned that Little Rock School District leadership was not only a revolving door, but were always "outsiders." We believe only a leader who understands the people who live and work here and knows their loyalty will succeed. We are sure Mr. Poore is a strong superintendent. He has a good record. However, his experience has been in districts with homogeneous populations, very unlike the majority of low socioeconomic students in the Little Rock district.
We recall the Department of Education stated a need for a stable leader when Mr. Kurrus was hired. Changing personnel now does not seem to make sense. The district has made significant progress under his direction, the public supports him, and we think state leadership should too. Please rethink this action and fulfill your promise to bring stability to Little Rock.
ELAINE SCOTT
and NANCY WOOD
Little Rock
The dumping ground
Thanks for the fine job, Baker Kurrus, that you did in restoring pride in the Little Rock School District. The local pen-pushers like to point out how you reduced the teacher bargaining contract from more than 100 pages to just five.
State education czar Johnny Key (Regnat Waltonus) has dumped you and will probably come up with a superintendent contract that is just one sentence: Support charter schools or else!
JAKE TIDMORE
Little Rock
On imprecise wording
A "Police Beat" item in Monday's paper reported that a man was critically injured in a shooting at 4616 W. 23rd St. It identified the location as "near the University of Arkansas at Little Rock." The location is actually about 15 blocks from the nearest point of UALR, which would be the parking lots of the Stephens Center. That is hardly "near" the campus.
There is already unwarranted fear about crime at and around the UALR campus, and this imprecise wording could contribute to people's apprehension.
MIKE WATTS
Little Rock
That turned out great
I believe if Donald Trump isn't the Republican nominee, the party of Lincoln will become the party of Edsel.
IKE ANTHONY
Maumelle
For glimmer of hope
In Steve Wheeler's recent letter, he seemingly implies that the right of abortion is justified because there are overcrowded foster homes, which means people must not really want to adopt. To support this, he says that a friend of his fostered seven children at a time, this number occasionally rising to 13. Wheeler wrote, "This stuff about all these people wanting to adopt a child is partly fiction." I agree in it being partly fiction; there being over 250,000 children who age out of foster-care systems unadopted. A problem, however, transpired when he used this statement to defend women's right to abortion.
I was adopted when I was 5 years old out of a foster home in Atlanta. With all of the horrible stories out there about children put into abusive homes and foster parents who were only in it for the money, I understand how blessed I am to have been adopted at all. I believe this glimmer of hope outweighs killing your child because he may be unwanted or put into potentially harmful situations. Also, what a lot of people don't comprehend is that there is an option of handpicking your child's adoptive family. In the U.S., reportedly up to two million infertile couples, some who wait years, hope to adopt a child regardless of medical state.
Think about it this way. Some people's excuse in littering is, oh, it's just a little wrapper. What would happen if everyone said that? Eventually it'd all pile up, wouldn't it? Or what about the many advertisements you hear whose prime purpose is to convince you to donate money in order to make a difference in at least one child's/person's life? I guess you shouldn't because what should you care if it's one child, it doesn't help the others anyway.
Does it make sense to get rid of any aspect of a great life for your child because of a possibility?
SHANELLE JORDAN
Sherwood
Down on Broadway
I spent the last few days in Little Rock with the Arkansas State Dental Association. The event was held at the Marriott and the Statehouse Convention Center. Excellent facilities, both.
When the opportunity arose to visit other areas of our capital city, Broadway was our route to I-630. I have driven on better dirt roads. This high-traffic thoroughfare rattled my teeth and I'm quite sure did my vehicle no favors. Repave this wonderful way through downtown Little Rock ... please! Love coming to visit, but want a few more years out of my Ford.
DWIGHT D. DUCKWORTH
Springdale
Editorial on 04/22/2016