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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 1, 2008

Updated:

School Choice? What A Joke!

Hey, all who live in or are thinking about moving to Hernando County: I am writing to let you know that if you are a middle-income family and have children who have an excellent academic record, stay away.

See, because of federal regulations (at least that is what the school board is blaming it on) you really have no school choice. If you received school choice because your Title I school did not make AYP (average yearly progress) or because you were rezoned to a school that did not make AYP and you requested a specific school, don't expect to get the first school you pick - unless, of course, you live on welfare or have a child in the gifted program.

My family is a middle-income family who cares about what type of education our children receive. I built my house 10 years ago in the school zone that I wanted my children to go to, Pine Grove. With the new rezoning, we are now in Westside. I was not very happy with this, until I received the School Choice, as Westside did not make AYP.

My first choice was Explorer. Well, we did not get Explorer, even though it is five minutes down the road from my house. I just happen to live on U.S. 19 but on the west side of U.S. 19. When I called to find out why, I was basically told that families living on welfare, whose children are in need of more academic help (why they need more academic help than my child, I don't understand) are given first priority. It has nothing to do with where I live (five minutes away) or how well my son's school grades are, as I was told he is an excellent student.

It has to do with the fact that I am a middle-income family doing what is right by my children, which puts us at the bottom of the list for school choice. So, now my son has the option to stay in a Title I school that has not made AYP or travel about an hour to a school that is not a Title I school that did make AYP.

This is just one of many reasons why it does not pay to do what is right. If you are a middle-income tax paying American family you are getting ripped off at every turn. Maybe we should all get fired or quit our jobs and live off of welfare; as the benefits are many and the risks are few. You get free healthcare, dental, vision, food stamps, rent and now they even get first priority when it comes to school choice. I don't know, maybe it's nice to sit on your rear end all day and do nothing, not even help your children with their homework.

For all who are reading this don't think that I am rushing to judgment, because I'm not, I grew up in the welfare system and thought it was the most degrading experience; and I was only a child. Once I started to work and live on my own, I never once relied on any government program to take care of me or my family -not even when my husband got laid off from a very good paying job and had to take a job making half of his income. We just worked harder to make it up, and our children had to wait for those new pair of glasses or to get work done on their teeth because we still made too much money to qualify for any kind of assistance.

So, come on people, wake up and start standing up for your rights. Stop being ripped off because your middle income.

Diane Ramirez

Spring Hill

No Substitute

For Formal Education

I was disturbed after reading the article on the lack of qualifications one has to have in order to be a substitute teacher in the Hernando County School District.

One only has to have a high school diploma to teach here! Several years ago I did substitute teaching in California for about a year. I had a bachelor's degree in business with a minor in English.

I also had to go through two interviews and was required to pass a state exam prior to setting foot in a classroom. The pay at the time was $125 a day, and after 90 days of employment you were eligible for medical benefits.

I realize Florida has lower standards in many areas compared to the rest of the country, but can education continue to be one of them? As a nation, we are falling behind the rest of the world. For the first time in history, the U.S. did not send any students to the Worldwide Math Competition.

Can't Hernando County at least find individuals with a formal education to be substitutes?

I also think the salary is very low ($7.55 per hour) to have to maintain order in the classroom and handle the duties of a full-time teacher.

It seems to me money is spent here for new schools that are not needed( given the declining enrollment) when it should be spent on giving the students the best education possible.

Sean O'Hara

Spring Hill

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