Charter schools; Clinton’s mistakes; life or death debate

Charter schools

Writer Rebecca Hucker is badly misinformed about the relationship between special education and charter schools. (“School choice gives a better chance for special ed students,” Nov. 17)

All of the resources for children with special needs cited as being available in charter schools are mandated by federal law enacted in 1975 to be provided in public schools.

It’s fundamental to provide these children with a free, appropriate education defined by a written education program targeted to each child individually.

Public schools must conduct assessments to determine individual children’s needs and then provide the teaching and related services, including physical, occupational, speech and behavioral therapies necessary to enable learning to occur in conformity with effective practice.

While some charter schools may meet these requirements, often they lack the specialized resources for children with vision, hearing, behavioral, cognitive, physical and other disabilities.

Further, some charter and some private schools “cherry pick” their students by denying enrollment to children with more difficult disabilities.

It is simply incorrect to say that all charter schools do a superior job with children with disabilities, just as it is to say that all public schools deliver an effective education to these students.

Clinton’s mistakes

For all those complaining about internet hacking of emails of the Democratic National Committee, John Podesta, Huma Abedin, Hillary Clinton and others, remember they were sent on under-secured or unsecured email servers.

They were put on a media where, once out there, they were mostly likely hackable given the right tools.

No one has denied the veracity of the emails.

“Fly over” states. Failure to address middle-class issues. Labeling voters as deplorable and irredeemable. Clinton’s off-handed dismissal and ignoring the press and people isolated her from the very people she needed to vote for her.

She never set foot in Wisconsin and expected to win. Her presumption of victory with rock concerts and even plans for fireworks displays just reinforced the ice queen image.

I’m willing to see how Trump governs. It’s time to try something new.

Life or death debate

In an Associated Press release on Dec. 27, there were statements regarding the GOP’s vexations in the upcoming battles in replacing Obamacare.

Here’s one: “Budget hawks see healthcare as the main driver of government deficits, and they are loath to address that imbalance by raising taxes. Instead they want to rewrite the social compact so individuals accept more responsibility and risk for their healthcare.”

Also noted by the writer is this: “For some constituents in fragile health, it’s literally a life-and-death debate.”

But it shouldn’t be!

No one in “fragile health” should be put in a position to worry about his/her healthcare, considering it to be a life-and-death situation.

That’s not the America in which I was born and raised.

We’re better than that! Or are we?

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Charter schools; Clinton’s mistakes; life or death debate."