School calendar debate; hold the crown; honoring heroes; what Texas model?

School calendar debate

Letter writer Mike Jones had an interesting response to the paper’s discussion of school calendar issues.

His “strong” arguments were about vacations, theme parks and kids enjoying their waning 100-degree days.

The “weak” arguments were prep time for state-required testing, prep for exams, teaching to a test required by the state and having a mandated 180-day school year.

At least these weak arguments were related to actual education issues.

To top it off, his final calendar solution was to strip the school year of vacation days! Think on that!

— Pat Gentry, Arlington

Hold the crown

Richard Greene seems euphoric in his projections for the Republicans and their new majorities in Congress.

Before they start taking victory laps, they are going to have to deal with the divisive factions within their own ranks.

Let’s see if the new congressional majority actually produces legislation that is good for the entire country before we crown them as leaders.

— John H. Brown, Arlington

Honoring heroes

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Major Tony Byars, a member of the Choctaw Nation and a war hero, appealed to Texas lawmakers many times for an acceptable law protecting unmarked graves.

He retired to Texas from the Marine Corps after 27 years of distinguished service in three wars but didn’t live to see a law passed.

He would not have been happy with the 2009 law passed as House Bill 2927.

In the March 2014 SAA Archaeological Record, Patricia A. Mercado-Allinger wrote than nine attempts failed before the 2009 law passed, and she acknowledged it needs improvement to better protect all burials in Texas.

Byars and nine other classmates entered World War II from Chilocco Indian School near Newkirk, Okla.; only three returned alive.

Despite indignities endured as American Indians, they served their country with honor.

One way to honor them is a law similar to other states’. We owe Tony Byars that.

— Edward V. Harris, Hugo, Okla.

What Texas model?

Greg Abbott must have gotten hold of some bad water at the Texas Public Policy Foundation conference when he recently referred to actions by various Texas cities as “a patchwork quilt of bans and rules that is eroding the Texas model.”

In the words of Aaron Rodgers to Hans and Franz: “I’m sorry, what?”

“Texas model”?

We’re talking here about questionable actions by no less than the cities of Austin and Dallas!

If there is such a thing as a Texas model, would one not look at places like Austin or Dallas to see just what that might be?

Are we being “California-ized” by these cities as Abbott suggests, or tyrannized by the governor-to-be?

— Jerry Schmidt, Cleburne

This story was originally published January 9, 2015 at 6:25 PM with the headline "School calendar debate; hold the crown; honoring heroes; what Texas model?."