YOUR|LETTERS February 23, 2011
Published on Mon, Feb 21, 2011Read More Letters to the Editor
Smaller class sizes mean increased success
Dear Editor,
As an educator of 21 years, I am concerned with Senate Bill 5399 and House Bill 1609.
With our class sizes already the third highest in the country, we cannot afford continued increases.
Having taught in classrooms as numerous as 32 students, and as low as 18, I can testify that lower is better.
With lower class sizes, we are able to interact with each child more often. Each one of these contacts with children helps us to build better relationships, and increases the child’s potential for success in school.
Please support your local schools by contacting your legislators and saying no to Senate Bill 5399 and House Bill 1609.
Kate Benson
Snohomish
Recovery needs only a free market
Dear Editor,
The elections in November both at the federal and state levels were mainly based on economics, but too many conservative elected officials are targeting social agendas.
The U.S. Congress is focusing many of its first legislation on abortion vice the economy and fiscal discipline to begin reigning in our federal deficit.
I am personally against abortion because I believe an unborn fetus is a life and is granted the same liberties (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) as each of us. Right now is not the time for this fight. Instead they should focus on repealing the Financial Regulation legislation that will tie industry’s hands and ensuring our corporate tax structure is inviting for investment.
Government doesn’t need to do much to start an economic recovery, basically just get out of the way and the free market will take charge.
The social conservative agenda is one of the reasons Republicans lost power in the first place. Even our two Democrat Senators and Democrat Congressman need to realize that their agenda was a failure and the only path to economic success is the free market, less government intrusion in the market, completely re-vamping Medicare and Social Security, and an intelligent approach to how our military should look and it’s mission.
Todd Welch
Lake Stevens
Lake Stevens Library made holidays even better
Dear Editor,
Hats off to the Lake Stevens branch of the Sno-Isle libraries. Over the winter break they offered activities and crafts for children Monday through Thursday each of the weeks of the vacation period.
My daughters and I looked forward to these fun activities as a way to spend time together and to do a variety of different crafts and projects.
During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it was so wonderful to sit down with them and to have something unique and peaceful to do with them each day.
The library staff should be applauded for providing such a great variety of projects and giving families a valuable way to spend quality time together when school was out of session.
The Lake Stevens Library is always one of our favorite places to visit in town, and these activities made it even more special over the winter break.
Thanks to the staff for all of their hard work on our behalf.
C. Sherene Hansen Player
Marysville
State should not be trying to get rid of teachers
Dear Editor,
I teach fifth grade in Lake Stevens. I am not in favor Senate Bill 5399 and House Bill 1609.
On February 7, I had the opportunity to go to Olympia and talk with lawmakers about this bill. I was very disappointed to realize that someone who is named on the bill truly didn’t understand the impact of the bill that he was trying to get pushed through.
These bills do nothing to prevent teacher layoffs. Ultimately these bills will result in severely overcrowded classrooms. This bill would just compound the problem. Our focus should not be in trying to get rid of teachers, but help them do better.
Principals, superintendents, support professionals, school boards, and teachers are opposed to the teacher layoff bills. We are focusing on the wrong issue at the wrong time. We need to be looking at ways to make schools better and stronger not find ways to break them apart.
The teacher layoff bills would let Olympia impose a one-size-fits-all mandate on local teacher staffing decisions. Staffing decisions should be left up to the local districts. Why should Olympia have a say in staffing when they have no direct contact with individual employees?
Mrs. Heidi Finley
Lake Stevens
Dear Editor,
As an educator of 21 years, I am concerned with Senate Bill 5399 and House Bill 1609.
With our class sizes already the third highest in the country, we cannot afford continued increases.
Having taught in classrooms as numerous as 32 students, and as low as 18, I can testify that lower is better.
With lower class sizes, we are able to interact with each child more often. Each one of these contacts with children helps us to build better relationships, and increases the child’s potential for success in school.
Please support your local schools by contacting your legislators and saying no to Senate Bill 5399 and House Bill 1609.
Kate Benson
Snohomish
Recovery needs only a free market
Dear Editor,
The elections in November both at the federal and state levels were mainly based on economics, but too many conservative elected officials are targeting social agendas.
The U.S. Congress is focusing many of its first legislation on abortion vice the economy and fiscal discipline to begin reigning in our federal deficit.
I am personally against abortion because I believe an unborn fetus is a life and is granted the same liberties (life, liberty and pursuit of happiness) as each of us. Right now is not the time for this fight. Instead they should focus on repealing the Financial Regulation legislation that will tie industry’s hands and ensuring our corporate tax structure is inviting for investment.
Government doesn’t need to do much to start an economic recovery, basically just get out of the way and the free market will take charge.
The social conservative agenda is one of the reasons Republicans lost power in the first place. Even our two Democrat Senators and Democrat Congressman need to realize that their agenda was a failure and the only path to economic success is the free market, less government intrusion in the market, completely re-vamping Medicare and Social Security, and an intelligent approach to how our military should look and it’s mission.
Todd Welch
Lake Stevens
Lake Stevens Library made holidays even better
Dear Editor,
Hats off to the Lake Stevens branch of the Sno-Isle libraries. Over the winter break they offered activities and crafts for children Monday through Thursday each of the weeks of the vacation period.
My daughters and I looked forward to these fun activities as a way to spend time together and to do a variety of different crafts and projects.
During the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it was so wonderful to sit down with them and to have something unique and peaceful to do with them each day.
The library staff should be applauded for providing such a great variety of projects and giving families a valuable way to spend quality time together when school was out of session.
The Lake Stevens Library is always one of our favorite places to visit in town, and these activities made it even more special over the winter break.
Thanks to the staff for all of their hard work on our behalf.
C. Sherene Hansen Player
Marysville
State should not be trying to get rid of teachers
Dear Editor,
I teach fifth grade in Lake Stevens. I am not in favor Senate Bill 5399 and House Bill 1609.
On February 7, I had the opportunity to go to Olympia and talk with lawmakers about this bill. I was very disappointed to realize that someone who is named on the bill truly didn’t understand the impact of the bill that he was trying to get pushed through.
These bills do nothing to prevent teacher layoffs. Ultimately these bills will result in severely overcrowded classrooms. This bill would just compound the problem. Our focus should not be in trying to get rid of teachers, but help them do better.
Principals, superintendents, support professionals, school boards, and teachers are opposed to the teacher layoff bills. We are focusing on the wrong issue at the wrong time. We need to be looking at ways to make schools better and stronger not find ways to break them apart.
The teacher layoff bills would let Olympia impose a one-size-fits-all mandate on local teacher staffing decisions. Staffing decisions should be left up to the local districts. Why should Olympia have a say in staffing when they have no direct contact with individual employees?
Mrs. Heidi Finley
Lake Stevens
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