State is squandering previous education gains

The most important article in sunday’s Post, “The War on NC’s Public Schools” by James Hogan, should be read by everyone. Hogan describes the GOP’s successful, orchestrated plan to privatize a once envied public school system by bending it to its own ideological fantasies. This was brought home to me on a recent overseas tour where I met a Louisiana attorney and his son, a veterinarian. They both asked, “What’s wrong in NC? You used to be the Southern state we looked up to. Now you are just as bad on education as we are.” We are frittering away the gains that were made under the stewardship of Governors Sanford, Holshouser, Martin and Hunt. All in the name of a bogus ideology. Sad.

— James Saleeby

Salisbury

Honor all teachers

The “Best and the Brightest”? Only one teacher can be selected every year to be “Teacher of the Year,” but in my opinion, all the teachers, not just in RSS, or North Carolina, but across the country deserve the title of “The Best and the Brightest.” In my 26 years of teaching I have observed and worked alongside the most hard-working, open-minded, clever and creative people who all deserve the title, “The Best and the Brightest.” Those of us who teach and stay with teaching all deserve that title. Maybe a little more sensitivity should be shown to the unrecognized and hard-working teachers who teach your children and are respected members of your community.

— Carol Schmitz-Corken

Salisbury