Shoreline schools

Laptops meant to be in the schools

What a blunder, strategically speaking, for the school district to force Shoreline laptops on every student 24/7. The right of the individual family was deemed inconsequential.

I have consistently supported the use of computers in schools. But only with proper guidelines as befits non-adults. These are not college students. I have championed any family in the district having the unambiguous right to request free access to a Shoreline laptop for home use if requested, needed or desired. For those of us with two, three, four or more computers in the house already, this program can be detrimental and destructive. Suddenly, school monitoring responsibility is laid at the home doorstep.

Such a fabulous opportunity we have to provide every student, K-12, with their own laptop within the school. The learning potential is enormous. Let any family decide if they want one being brought home. What folly to make a universal family decision for all and force every student to carry one day and night; even against family wishes. The bad in this far outweighs the admittedly good beyond any question.

Collect the computers and strip them of their narcissistic owners’ Youtube, Myspace, i-Chat, IM, administrative work arounds and giga- and terabytes of downloaded pictures and music. Put them on carts in school, as school property, for learning 100 percent and entertainment 0 percent. Keep them from being stolen, one by one, as thieves up the tally each Friday. Allow any family to request and be granted one for home use. The vote did not authorize ubiquitous, required student ownership and personalized use of those computers. The educational possibilities are still staggering. But absolutely not in the unfair way the laptops are currently utilized.

Raymond Koelling

Lake Forest Park

School district’s stories don’t add up

Have you ever talked to a pathological liar? Someone who initially projects an aura of truth but whose statements quickly fall apart upon closer examination? They then change their story, until that also unravels, and it’s time for a new story.

Consider some of the stories we’ve been fed recently by the Shoreline School District. The administration claimed that closing North City and Sunset elementaries would save over $750,000 each — a claim that was debunked by a detailed NC-CAN analysis that showed a savings of closer to $277,000 each.

The administration then claimed that enrollment is dropping off, while a detailed NC-CAN analysis proved just the opposite. We are seeing an uptick in K-3 enrollment, though if the district continues to destroy the reputation of the district this may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The administration also claims that with only 350 children, NCE is an underutilized facility and this team of teachers and students should be parceled out to other schools. This would fill these other schools to capacity, necessitating the investment of $8 million in upgrades to “portable” structures.

This school that is “underutilized” with 350 students would then be fully utilized by relocating some 137 students from the Room Nine Community School. These children would be moved from the Aldercrest Learning Center, a facility where the administration recently invested a couple million dollars to upgrade.

When stories just don’t add up, I find it’s useful to “follow the money.” In this case, I believe that the true underlying reasons for all this financial manipulation and conflicting stories have yet to be revealed. I recommend watching very closely to what happens to the abandoned properties.

I challenge the board to hold an open public debate on the true status of the district’s financial condition and a fair evaluation of all possible alternatives. Stop this piecemeal destruction of our school district.

If you think the Shoreline Superintendent and the rest of the School Board are doing a good job, you just aren’t paying attention!

Richard Potter

Shoreline

Preservation

Keep South Woods whole and intact

Last year Shoreline voters overwhelmingly declared South Woods should remain woodland rather than be developed. On March 23, 2007, Shoreline took possession of the property for a park. Dick Deal, director of parks, wrote “What seemed like a ‘long shot’ only two years ago has been accomplished because a group of citizens with an idea and a passion came together and wouldn’t take no for an answer. I am so proud of what you have accomplished.” We the citizens, calling ourselves South Woods Preservation Group (SWPG), are delighted that this is now a public park.

Working hard for over a decade, members of SWPG have stopped an imminent sale of the property to a developer, halted an ill-advised removal of ground vegetation, created a South Woods Web site, influenced the city, school district and water district toward making an appropriate sale, added to the content of a bond issue and helped it to pass, and worked at removing invasive species from the woods.

That’s past. What’s ahead? Just maintaining the woods has fine environmental benefits and learning challenges. But there is also a growing new awareness about how to use urban natural areas for social benefits. Especially for children there are ways to use such areas for educational advances, mental health purposes, and personal development. SWPG members are as committed to a visionary future as we were to saving South Woods.

One new threat to South Woods requiring tree removal might arise. Installing playground equipment could seriously disrupt this mature second-growth forest and interfere with better use. South Woods should remain open for all citizens to enjoy nature within the city. It can also help students gain academically and emotionally. South Woods is uniquely positioned to help us learn how to do this. We can reap great rewards by keeping South Woods whole and intact and using it wisely.

Charles Brown

South Woods Preservation Group