Wednesday's letters: Public schools can't afford to lose taxpayer money to private

Universal choice will harm public education

Beware and be aware that Florida House Bill 1 would take our tax dollars from already underfunded public schools. For the sake of universal choice, your money would be spent on the private education of any child, including children of the wealthy.

Private schools do not have to comply with state rules for teacher certification or testing, or academic standards. While public schools are required to serve all children, private schools may be selective.

The advent and continuation of free public education is at the heart of our country’s success. Teachers play the vital role of educating future generations. Today’s third grader may become your nurse, carpenter, accountant or firefighter.

More:Once-subversive plot to dismantle public schools now central policy

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Given their vital role, we require our teachers to be well educated and certified. We demand that students pass tests to demonstrate what they have learned. We also expect public schools to serve all children.

Our failure to support our public schools with sufficient tax dollars has resulted in a serious shortage of qualified teachers, along with increased class size. While entry-level teachers’ pay has improved, money for professional development and retention of highly skilled, more experienced teachers is sorely lacking.

Call Florida House Majority Leader Michael Grant at 850-717-5075 – and contact your school board to express your opposition to HB 1.

Robert F. Chapman, Englewood

Hillsdale College publishes propaganda

Hillsdale College is the educational equivalent of Fox propaganda. A few months ago, I began receiving a free publication from Hillsdale called "Imprimis." The first article impressed me. I had never seen Fox propaganda taken to such extremes in print.

The Fox propaganda model says lie about or deny what invalidates your argument. Can’t do that? Then ignore it. Facts and truth aren’t necessary.

Opinion: DeSantis making New College stronger, more diverse

Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed new board members to New College of Florida and told them to reshape the liberal Sarasota school in the image of Hillsdale, a conservative, Christian college in Michigan.

The Imprimis article was from a lecture at Hillsdale about President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland getting the Justice Department to go after the far right.

More:New era kicks off with contentious meetings

The FBI shouldn’t have invaded Mar-a-Lago to get back top-secret documents stolen by Donald Trump. The government tried for a year to get them back. The former president sent some back and his lawyers lied to the National Archives, claiming that everything had been returned.

According to the article, it was wrong for the government to investigate when six GOP state legislatures tried to submit false slates of electors to Congress.

The article failed to mention that Trump had the IRS audit James Comey and Andrew McCabe while Trump himself escaped being audited as prescribed by law.

Apparently “truth” is whatever Hillsdale or Gov. Ron DeSantis wants it to be.

Bruce Weinstein, Sarasota

Racism, threat of insurrection remain

The Manatee County Commission is considering the reassembly and reinstallation of the Confederate war memorial, although a specific site has not yet been determined. I am appalled that the commission would consider such a move.

To do this would be to pay homage to those who engaged in a violent insurrection against the country we love. It would be an acknowledgment of support for the racism that undergirded the institution of slavery they fought to maintain.

More:Other sites considered for Confederate monument

Recent events demonstrate that the threat of insurrection and the reality of racism remain very much elements of our civic life. I urge the commissioners to cease consideration of this proposal and reject any action that would offer their support for insurrection or racism.

Jeffrey D. Jones, Lakewood Ranch

Anti-woke policies anti-Christian

“… one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. ‘Teacher, which in the greatest commandment in the law?’ Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’

“This is the greatest and first commandment. ‘Love God above all else.’ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40.)

Following these commandments calls upon Christians to be, at a minimum, knowledgeable and empathetic to the plight of others.

The phrase “woke” has long been embraced by African Americans as a term for staying alert to racial prejudice and discrimination. Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as sexism.

More:New board member will 'lead New College of Florida out of wokeness'

Therefore, being “woke” is what Christianity is all about. Our governor’s unconstitutional “anti-woke” policies run contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

Sergio C. Deganis, Sarasota

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Universal school choice bad idea, Hillsdale spreads its own 'truth'