Private charter students are not held to the same standards as public schools in Texas

Charter schools no quick fix

I disagree with recent articles by Brian Byrd and Nicole Russell in favor of using public tax money to support private or charter schools. (Jan. 15, 4C, “Rural lawmakers have blocked school choice for Texas kids for too long”; Jan. 18, 11A, “Time for Abbott to respect school choice, cuts property tax”) schools has always been less than it should be, and they want to make the problem worse.

Private and charter schools are not held to the same standards of public accountability or governance by elected local school boards. Many of these schools do not always follow the curriculum required by the state or local school board. Compared to many public schools, there is actually little difference in achievement levels.

The Texas public school system has served the people well despite the legislature’s failure to adequately fund the schools. Prior to state-mandated tests that require teachers to “teach the tests,” Texas high school graduates were found to be able to work or study.

-Calvin Crider fort worth

Not default by another name

President Joe Biden is refusing to join talks on raising the debt ceiling, saying any failure to raise the US credit card limit would lead to economic destruction. He’s probably right – if the US actually defaulted on its debt. But a default is not the same as not paying your bills. A default in this case specifically means a failure to pay interest and repayments on existing bonds.

If the debt limit prevents the Treasury Department from issuing new bonds, it has enough money to pay the interest owed on the old bonds. For 2022, the United States collected $4.9 trillion in revenue and paid only $475 billion in debt service. To default on existing bonds and cause financial chaos would be a deliberate choice by the administration.

-Jason Adams southlake

Protecting what we worked for

The 118th Congress is in session, and Republicans may try to cut Social Security and Medicare benefits. I will be following closely what my US representative, Kay Granger, does and says on the matter.

I will urge him to vote to protect and secure my Social Security and Medicare benefits. I worked hard for them. I know a lot of people in Fort Worth who would be angry if she doesn’t vote to secure our hard-earned benefits.

Please Rep. Granger, be a champion for your constituents.

-Cary Clark, fort worth

DHS needs answers on migrants

The number of Americans who have died from fentanyl and other illicit drugs continues to rise. The southern border may not be “open,” according to Washington officials, but the flow of humans and drugs is certainly not stemmed.

I would like someone from the Department of Homeland Security to finally say, “We have no idea who these migrants are or what they are planning to do here; we just want them here. I won’t hold my breath for such transparency, and I certainly wouldn’t expect an honest explanation of why these people are wanted here.

The 9/11 hijackers had no trouble concealing their intentions from law enforcement and intelligence agencies.

-Bob Schultz Haslet

Stop the violence before it starts

I do not claim to be an expert in psychology. My common sense says that COVID-19 restrictions have hampered children’s emotional development by depriving them of social contact.

At school or in society, we need to be in contact with others. When a minor conflict arises, we deal with it so that when a larger conflict arises, we can resolve it without violence. Now, such experience is limited, so violence is too often the result. (January 23, Star-Telegram.com, “2 Fort Worth teens arrested in fatal Paschal High School junior shooting in Whataburger”)

The answer might be for schools to teach conflict resolution and anger management classes to provide students with the tools to resolve conflict without violence.

-Dan Moore, fort worth

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