Superintendent questions; need NAS explanation; Denton fracking ban

Superintendent questions

I was taken aback after reading the article about finalist Joel Boyd for superintendent.

School trustee Ann Sutherland said there was no formal review of test scores in Santa Fe schools where Boyd was superintendent.

Board President Norman Robbins stated trustees “didn’t necessarily dwell on that, but did discuss that.”

Robbins went on to say that a lack of dramatic improvement in test scores isn’t unusual for a superintendent after slightly more than two years on the job. Besides, trustees chose him because they believe he can improve test scores and he has an action plan.

My questions are, what’s the basis of that belief? What’s the difference between Boyd’s tenure in Santa Fe and former superintendent Walter Dansby?

FWISD had the best in Dansby.

He had a plan, a plethora of experience and a bond package that passed. Yet he is no longer superintendent.

Was it the test scores or the man?

— Rosie Williams, Fort Worth

Denton fracking ban

Frack Free Denton’s Adam Briggle and Denton Kevin Councilman Roden made a series of odd claims in their recent op-ed (“Rep. King should bow to local control,” Feb. 22) that undermined their argument.

They said when drilling slows, it has “detrimental economic impacts.” Yet both supported Denton’s fracking ban, which prevents drilling. Briggle has even traveled to Louisiana to encourage others to ban drilling.

They argued for more “local control” in Texas. This rings pretty hollow since at least one of the authors has been working alongside New York-based Natural Resources Defense Council and the Washington, D.C.-based Earthworks, which has pledged a “war on fracking” nationwide.

Local control is a value, but it’s not the final argument.

The EPA has recommended that states take the lead on regulating drilling, because they have the expertise and resources that neither cities nor the feds have.

Forcing Denton taxpayers to pay for more government staff doesn’t sound very conservative, either.

— Steve Everley, Dallas

Need NAS explanation

Fort Worth and the Naval Air Station told everyone that lives or has a business in the flight zone that there could be no new buildings built, only replaced with the same footprint and same amount of people.

Recently the Star-Telegram showed that MedStar completed remodeling and moved 400 employees into the flight zone. Also, a new motel has been built across the the street.

Meanwhile, flight zone restrictions caused city denial of a permit to remodel an office complex on Calmont Avenue and add more employees.

How is it that selected businesses are OK, but others are not?

— Don Loyd, Fort Worth

This story was originally published February 25, 2015 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Superintendent questions; need NAS explanation; Denton fracking ban."