Monday's letters: Advantage of New College education, what's next for School Board?
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New College innovation makes a difference
As an alumnus of New College of Florida, it concerns me greatly to see that the DeSantis administration is planning on remaking its mission and curriculum.
More:New board member: No overhaul at New College
More:DeSantis packs college board with conservatives
More:How to send a letter to the editor
Since graduating, I have spent my whole professional life teaching in public higher education, using the educational tools I acquired there. I have seen firsthand that public school students often do not get the same advantages as students at private institutions.
The kind of unique and innovative education that is the hallmark of New College can make all the difference in a student’s life, as it did in mine. Removing that opportunity, especially for purely political reasons, is a betrayal of all that education stands for.
Justin P. West, Chesterfield, Massachusetts
Past bodes ill for future of School Board
I have become very concerned about what occurred recently on the Sarasota County School Board. The way in which Superintendent Brennan Asplen was pressured to resign.
Story:School Board finalizes superintendent's departure
Herald-Tribune Opinions Editor Roger Brown expressed his concern about the actions of certain board members toward Asplen in the Dec. 1 paper. With Asplen gone, I now wonder what will come next from admittedly conservative board members Bridget Ziegler, Karen Rose, Tim Enos and Robyn Marinelli.
Compared with other Florida counties, and nationally, Asplen had an outstanding record of helping our children learn and prepare to be constructive participants as adults in our society. No specific reasons were given for replacing him, which does not bode well for future board actions.
We will always have citizens leaning conservative or progressive. We are bound to have disagreements, but we need a balance of viewpoints.
Given past events, only the presence of Board Member Tom Edwards, the sole vote in support of Asplen, gives me confidence that the needs of our children will be fairly considered.
Richard Coburn, Nokomis
No reason to return Confederate monument
Years ago, I lived on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy.
Monument Avenue was lined with monuments to Confederate leaders. If you drive there now, you will see that all of those monuments have been removed.
Opinion:Put Confederate monument in Ron DeSantis Park
So why should Manatee County bring back a monument to the Civil War? If the capital of the Confederacy has removed its monuments, why is Manatee looking at bringing back a monument for a war that was about destroying our country?Wendy Wicks, Sarasota
Comparison shows scale of border crisis
Much of our public commentary on the Southern border and the immigration crisis repeats the same talking points and recent statistics, all of which is very concerning to many, but which still fail to convince some people of the scale of the crisis.
As a historian, I thought some historical statistics might help others see the dimensions of the problem.
Ellis Island was the main entry for U.S. immigrants from 1892 until 1954, 62 years. Over 12 million immigrants entered there, an annual rate of 200,000. They included one of my grandparents and one of my wife’s grandparents.
In the last two years, at least 5.5 million immigrants are said to have entered the U.S. at the Southern border. That is an annual rate of 2.75 million, more than 10 times the annual rate for the last decade of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, when our economy was growing far more rapidly.
These numbers should convince all Americans that we must secure the Southern border, and reestablish a lawful process and realistic limits on immigration to the U.S.
Douglas P. Seaton, Longboat Key
DeSantis can’t abuse power, call it freedom
This is America and Gov. Ron DeSantis is free to believe that there is no such thing as white privilege or systemic racism.
He can believe that members of the LGBTQ community shouldn't have rights. He can fantasize that the state is rampant with voter fraud, and that universities are filled with harebrained ideologues.
He can think whatever he likes because this is America, where thoughts are not policed and an open exchange of ideas is welcomed. He can be as ignorant and insensitive as he likes − in his private life.
But the governor is not free to elevate racism into public policy. He may not use his elected office to bully gay and transgender citizens.
DeSantis may not seize control of our universities, deciding which lines of inquiry are approved and which are to be suppressed. He may not use his elected authority to bully people and corporations who criticize him.
But most especially, the governor may not abuse power the way he does and call it “freedom.” Freedom is for everyone. America is based on the idea that we are allowed to disagree. His use of the word “freedom” offends those who cherish it.
Steven Phillips, Sarasota
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College education makes a difference
