Student achievement down, teachers quitting? We’re looking at you, Texas lawmakers | Opinion

Our schoolkids deserve more

My fifth-grader started school with one substitute science teacher, then another.

The fourth-grade science teacher quit, too. The test scores showed it. My son gets A’s and B’s, but his test scores are abysmal. That’s partly his fault and partly the state government’s fault.

His principal said a permanent qualified candidate for this school year has yet to be found. In her 30 years of experience, she said, she’d never had such difficulty finding a replacement.

With 65% of Texas teachers wanting to quit, I totally get it.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker recently said that “more must be done to boost scores,” and that’s great. Real courage would address the current unnecessary war on public education in Austin and the school voucher agenda.

Texas’ bright future depends on voting for public education today. Politicians note: We’re watching.

- John Davis, Crowley

Not in line with the numbers

The Azle Independent School District and its school board deserve a jeer for sending a representative to the Tarrant Appraisal District board meeting to oppose property tax relief for Tarrant County residents while the school district takes in even more taxes. (July 29, star-telegram.com, “‘The implications are not good.’ Tarrant Appraisal changes could lead to higher school taxes”)

Azle property tax is increasing by millions for the 2024-25 school year over the previous one. That was on top of millions in increases the previous year. The increase in enrollment over that time was about 2% (about 140 kids).

- Diane Thorpe, Fort Worth

Keep Texas land, water clean

Thank you for the great reporting on “forever chemicals” in Johnson County farmland. (Sept. 1, 4A, “’Almost worthless’; North Texas farmers sue EPA, fertilizer company, alleging chemicals in fertilizer is destroying their land, killing their livestock”) To everyone who wants clean air, clean water and limited chemicals in our food, remember what Donald Trump did during his four years in office: He ended more than 100 environmental policies, including bans on toxic chemicals, and installed industry lobbyists in top jobs.

So, if you want the Environmental Protection Agency to be able to stop these toxic “forever chemicals” and support clean air, clean water, industrial safety standards, etc., we need to make sure Trump doesn’t get back into office.

- David C. Rondeau, Aledo

No faith in Trump or Harris

Neither Donald Trump nor Kamala Harris is worthy of the presidency of the United States. Neither mentions the great COVID-19 catastrophe in which the U.S., with less than 5% of the world’s population, had one of the highest coronavirus death rates of any country on the planet. Trump is no friend of the environment, and Harris has reversed her position on highly polluting fracking. Neither is trustworthy.

- Loretta Van Coppenolle, San Antonio

I don’t see a real choice

I am a Hispanic, 73-year-old woman, and I worry about all the immigrants getting into our country illegally. I was born and raised in a small town about 15 minutes from Houston, where the overpopulation now is unreal.

I was so disappointed in President Joe Biden running our country that I really don’t know if I will even vote this year. Former President Donald Trump does have some ideas, but he’s too busy talking trash about other people instead of focusing on the truth and getting America back on track.

As for Vice President Kamala Harris, I am not too sold on her running the country. There is just something about her annoying smile. I can’t quite see her doing a good job.

- Guadalupe F. Balboa, Houston

This story was originally published September 8, 2024 at 5:07 AM.