Alonso ready to face Baltimore's 'big job'
Some might think that new city schools CEO Andres Alonso would run straight back to New York City after reading Sara Neufeld's open letter welcoming him as CEO of the Baltimore schools ("Big job," July 1). But I don't think the problems of Baltimore will make Mr. Alonso head north anytime soon.
For starters, he has worked effectively in tougher districts: The New York City system is more than 10 times larger than Baltimore's and is infamous for its school politics, and the Newark, N.J., school district faces at least as much judicial scrutiny as Baltimore's schools.
Both those districts have many terrible schools.
So I think Mr. Alonso can survive here in Charm City.
And Baltimore's schools aren't as dismal as Ms. Neufeld portrays them to be.
They do face daunting challenges (which are, after all, the reason Mr. Alonso took the job). But the city schools also show signs of improvement.
Among them are a balanced school budget, rising test scores and school attendance rates, new small high schools, more after-school programs, a community schools initiative and strong programs to attract and train principals and teachers.
So, welcome to Baltimore, Mr. Alonso. We've made some progress improving our schools, but the progress is not nearly fast or universal enough.
Please begin working right away.
Jane Sundius
Baltimore
The writer is education and youth development director for the Open Society Institute - Baltimore.
Court right to block race-based plans
The Supreme Court was right to strike down school desegregation plans in Louisville, Ky., and Seattle that take race into account ("Separation receives stamp of approval," Opinion
Commentary, July 5).
Discrimination by any other name is still discrimination.
What's at issue here is not the fact that students at public schools with a high rate of minority enrollment often do not do as well as the students in mostly white schools do. Or that there is no doubt that students from poorer areas frequently do poorly in their neighborhood schools.
Success in public school is not guaranteed by the Constitution. Equal protection under the law is.
Thus it is incumbent on school and government officials who seek to improve the achievement of students from minority groups (or of students living in poverty) to devise alternatives that reach this goal without infringing on this most basic right of U.S. citizens.
Dennis Sirman
Selbyville, Del.
The writer is a retired teacher and administrator in the Baltimore County schools.
Land deal a bad buy for state taxpayers
What am I missing?
According to The Sun, David Sutherland's company bought the Kudner Farm property just eight months ago, establishing a market price of $11,968 per acre ("Md. official denies land deal conflict," July 3).
Since that time, most developers have been writing down the value of their lands as the real estate market deteriorates.
Yet in a deteriorating market, the state is willing to fork over $18,518 an acre (or a 55 percent profit to the developer) for a property that "is not hooked up to public water or sewer systems and would be expensive to develop" and that does not front on the water or have access to it, because the developer will not sell it for any less?
I say, let the developer keep the land. This is not a good deal for Maryland's taxpayers.
Barbara A. Gilmour
Towson
Bush again damages national interests
We should not be surprised by President Bush's disgraceful commutation of Republican loyalist I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Jr.'s prison sentence for perjury ("Libby sentence met guidelines," July 4).
Mr. Bush has for years acted against the national interest, in his deceptive and constantly changing rationales for the Iraq war, his destructive politicization of the U.S. Justice Department and his shameless dismissal of science that does not support his ideology, to cite just a few examples.
The time has come for him to go.
Charles W. Mitchell
Lutherville
Memorial politicizes our losses in Iraq
On the Fourth of July, The Sun ran a front-page article about two female graduates of the Naval Academy who tragically lost their lives in the war in Iraq ("A somber milestone," July 4).
While reading this article, however, my sorrow turned to outrage when I saw that the memory of these two brave women, along with 10 male academy graduates who also gave their lives in Iraq, are being used as propaganda to justify this war - because on the academy's memorial wall, these 12 names are not listed under the words "Iraq" or "Afghanistan" but under the heading "Global War on Terrorism."
Today, we know that the claims President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney made before the invasion of Iraq, seeking to link Iraq to the 9/11 attacks, had no factual basis.
To list these 12 names under the words "Global War on Terrorism" distracts our attention from the ultimate sacrifice made by these brave warriors.
Until the invasion of Iraq, the academy's memorial respectfully listed each graduate who died in our nation's wars but did not attempt to glorify those wars.
War memorials should honor the dead, not the talking points of politicians.
As a Navy veteran who served our country in the skies over Vietnam, and as a taxpayer, I demand that the memorial be re-etched to reflect only that these graduates died in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Alan C. Cohen
Baltimore
Residents can select other power sources
I'm glad to hear that the people of Maryland are finding ways to deal with the rising bills from Baltimore Gas and Electric Co. ("Simple steps ease jump in BGE bills," July 4).
There is another thing residents can do: Get rid of BGE as their electricity supplier.
For a modest price increase, one can switch to clean, pollution-free energy generated entirely by wind power.
It's easy to do; a list of alternative energy providers can be found on the Public Service Commission's Web site.
Those who switch will enjoy the double satisfaction of knowing that they are helping improve air quality and the Chesapeake Bay while thumbing their noses at BGE.
David Chipkin
Odenton
'Think Baltimore' for Pratt St.'s future
I absolutely agree with the writer of the letter "'Think big' as city plans Pratt Street" (July 1).
But I want the designers - whose selection I supported - to also "Think Baltimore."
Rather than seek to replicate unreplicable boulevards from other U.S. and European cities, Pratt Street should mirror our local assets, climate and culture.
To borrow a great quote from a speech by Pericles to his fellow Athenians: "We do not imitate, but are a model to others."
M. J. Brodie
Baltimore
The writer is president of the Baltimore Development Corp.