… 10-day count shows declining student population for Rowan-Salisbury Schools

This article doesn’t say how many students were lost to home schools. As someone who home-schooled in the past, I went to principals on a regular basis to suggest they start a program for home-schoolers (where home schoolers could take advantage of part-time attendance).

If those home-schoolers were there on count day, a lot of this problem would go away. Classes like art, band, chorus, sciences with labs or any other classes that are hard to replicate in a home would be a welcome addition to many home-schooled parents’ repertoire.

— Tracy Aitken

To say that the problem is marketing is an insult to the public’s intelligence. The problem is low-performing schools. The public schools do not provide the quality of education that students find in our local private schools.

— Karen Bowyer

When private and charter schools are obligated to accept and teach every, any and all children, that comparison can be made. They aren’t, they don’t and it can’t.

— Ron Turbyfill

… Rowan-Salisbury Schools’ test scores released

Rowan-Salisbury Schools need so much help and repair. Also, they can barely keep any good teachers or principals long.

Plus, what happened to individual desks in elementary classrooms? Now the kids are grouped at a table with four to eight kids per table.

— Roxanne Riley

Proud to see lots of our schools meeting and exceeding growth. On the upward!

— Sydney Leigh

Proud to be a part of teaching the whole child. Not just teaching to the test.

— Macey Morgan

This is embarrassing for Salisbury.

— Jatana Jernigan

… My Turn, Karen Lilly-Bowyer: Schools are losing ground

Thank you so much for this very eye-opening account of what is going on within the RSS system. Doing homework at a restaurant is a pathetic suggestion coming from a superintendent. Parents of young children better wake up and demand better from the top.

— Lisa Camp

The competition for the children’s minds is overwhelming. Look at the movies, music, sports — all of which are designed to warp and lead young minds to a side of living which is not conducive to learning anything of substance.

Parents are to blame for all children’s woes. What is allowed to enter a child’s mind is a direct reflection of what comes out of their mouths. We want and need these young to develop into thinking and productive individuals.

— Dennis Johnson

One thing forgotten in the digital conversion is learning styles. Some people just do better with books and paper. Having taught in a 21st Century Classroom a few years ago, I discovered that some students needed the book in hand rather than the technology in front of them.

We need to address appropriate styles of learning in order to help our children improve. And, it should be obvious, allow teachers to do what they need to do.

— Debbie Lesley

Reading the Post the last few days, I conclude that we have a lot of backseat drivers, full of easy answers, so sure that they know who to blame.

— Doug Sokolowski

… Editorial: Taking a chance on lottery in Rowan

The Legislature needs to make a law that requires them to fund the education systems, helping to make N.C. schools’ quest for education excellence a goal and not be able to divert lotto funds for balancing the budget or unauthorized purposes.

— Mark Lyerly

And the teachers still have to dig into their own pockets for supplies. Two things that should never meet — a politician and money.

— Steve Troutman

The N.C. Lottery is the greatest tax ever imposed on the poor in North Carolina. Remember who crooked it through the General Assembly — the great Democrat felon Jim Black. It is achieving its purpose, making some people rich, not lottery winners.

— Larry Cole

… Other Voices: The failure of the N.C. lottery

I just do not understand why the General Assembly, with a surplus of funds, has failed to increase monies for education. Teachers deserve greater raises. Teachers deserve to have teaching tools they need and not have to pay for them out of their product. … Time to change that mentality by changing the people in the N.C. General Assembly.

— George Benson

… Novant Health Rowan nurse, wife, help hurricane victims in Houston

This is exemplary work, Tim and Donna. Not many people will give up their time, much less two incomes from the same household. I am sure many blessings will follow your kindness.

— Veda Smith

…Fundraising still needed for Rowan native’s ALS treatment

The stem cell treatment alone is $28,000 to $35,000, depending on Alex Clark’s progression. The longer Alex waits, the more expensive it becomes; however, Alex will receive treatments before and after the stem cell procedure which will total $50,000 or more.

For those of you who have made donations, we thank you. There is still time to join in the fight to help Alex beat ALS.

Donations can be made via gofundme, PayPal or by mail.  Make checks payable to:

Alex Clark

P.O. Box 484

Salisbury, NC 28145

We are in the process of completing the The Alex Clark Foundation and will post updates periodically.

— Alisha Byrd

Thank you for reminding people of Alex’s needs, but I’d like people to know about the work Alex does on a daily basis, talking with young men who are on a trajectory towards prison or death from violence; about the teen students he tutors, takes on field trips and social service days to help others; about families he counsels and how those families trust Alex because they know Real when they hear it.

I’ve sat in his Compass group and watched the teens relate to him and seen his father-and-son group grow to fill a very big room because they know they are getting love, compassion and guidance from someone who walks the talk. Alex has great value in this community — we need to raise him up.

— Whitney Peckman

… Letter: Remedies for opioid crisis

With all due respect, there are no “meth” clinics in operation. Methadone maintenance treatment is a thoroughly evaluated and successful treatment option for those with opioid use  disorder. This type of treatment has required counseling for patients, and this is only a piece of the puzzle.

You do have some good ideas which have been recently implemented — for instance, the STOP Act, which requires the use of the Controlled Substance Reporting System by providers. It also does not allow more than a five-day prescription for acute pain concerns and does not allow more than a seven-day prescription for post-operative pain. It is becoming more difficult to find a primary care physician that will prescribe pain medication at all. Most are sending individuals with pain concerns to pain management.

As far as overdoses … the concern lies in prescription abuse and the use of heroin that is mixed with other substances such as fentanyl which is much more potent and lethal.

— Jennifer Jones

… Letter: Smoking in parks doesn’t compute

You know who wrote the letter just from reading the headline.

— Eric Shock

I think the sign should say “Smoke ’em if you got ’em.” I have my rights too.

— William H. Moffitt

… Letter: Enforce immigration laws

We won’t stop illegal immigration until we shift the target from the weak to the strong.

Prosecute employers and the problem will be solved quickly and at little cost. We can keep pretending that poor people crossing the border for a better life are the problem. or we can admit that for too many years we have allowed undocumented workers to be exploited.

What other country can you, an American, work in without a permit?

— Cathy Mahaffey

… Editorial: A request for proposals from Amazon

To up the chances of trying to attract (Amazone), give them Fibrant with the deal. Let them own it. Then we get jobs and they would own the fastest internet system. Think about it. It would be a win-win for everyone.

Rick Morris