In Washington we can—and do—provide virtually any kind of alternative a community wants within the public education system. Seattle has entire schools based on alternative concepts. Effective alternative programs are operating in even the small communities of the rural counties, such as Chimacum and Quilcene in Jefferson County.
Charter schools will simply drain already tight resources with no consistently demonstrated return and no local accountability for their programs or results.
Barbara E. Morey
Seattle
Oh, Weekly! You endorsed charter schools, and now you get a failing grade. Your anemic endorsement of charters: "Their purpose is to teach kids in new ways." There's a big leap of faith between purpose and reality. Your endorsement says that charters would be "unhampered by the bureaucratic baggage of public schools." Just remember that annoying baggage was written by the same lawmakers who wrote the charter school law. If these regulations are so onerous, why not just repeal them from public schools? But the Weekly may be right; to some, requiring certified teachers is a necessity, such as in real public schools, while in charter schools (where it's optional under this law), it's a real bother. And accountability? How about the large charter school group in California that this September shut down its schools without warning—12 days before school—leaving 8,000 students, and their parents stranded without their immunization or school records?Who do you think was left to pick up the pieces? Public schools. Lastly, the truth is that in 39 states in hundreds of charter schools with thousands of students, it has been proven that, overall, charters perform no better than public schools. So what's the point?
Mel Westbrook
Seattle
I couldn't help but notice that in your endorsement for the 2004 presidential election, you singled out Ralph Nader for name calling. My Webster's defines "megalomaniac" as one suffering from "a delusional mental disorder marked by infantile feelings of omnipotence and grandeur." Ralph Nader and Peter Camejo may be many things; honorable and dedicated spring to mind, but mentally ill does not, and this act by your editors is both juvenile and unprincipled.
The Kerry/Edwards ticket has quietly taken tens of millions of dollars from Republican donors, and consequently supports the substance—the wars, the USA Patriot Act, the appointment of anti-choice judges, tax cuts for corporations, the destruction of any social safety net, and more—of the Republican agenda, but with a friendlier, more well-spoken implementation.
I believe that the world is at a point of great crisis. More and more I'm finding strength in the writing and speech of Arundhati Roy, who said, here in Seattle and in reference to the upcoming presidential election, that the citizens of the U.S. may act expediently but that they must act with principle. She went on to imply that no person of principle could cast a vote for John Kerry. I believe that to be correct.
Your endorsement, and the childish insult tacked onto the end of it, do not reflect well on your editors.
I've enjoyed reading your paper in the past. If you find you have principles in the future, principles that direct you to make tough choices in the face of incredible adversity, I may pick it up again at some later date.
Already missing Tom Tomorrow . . .
Jeff Cochran
Seattle
Cast your vote! Write to Seattle Weekly, 1008 Wester Ave., Ste. 300, Seattle, WA 98104; fax to 206-467-4377; or e-mail to letters@seattleweekly.com. By submission of a letter, you agree that we may edit the letter and publish and/or license the publication of it in print, electronically, and for archival purposes. Please include name, location, and phone number.
