Why Mon County needs charter schools
Since I am one of the founding members of the West Virginia Academy Board, people have asked me why I am trying to start a charter school in West Virginia; more specifically, in an area that claims they don’t want one.
Personally, I am not convinced that everyone in this community feels the same. I believe it is the monopoly of local public schools that are afraid to have one; thus trying to persuade everyone that they don’t want one.
I am a mother of four school-aged children. In the past 20 years, I taught in public schools, a private school and a charter school. We were excited to move to West Virginia and experience this wild and wonderful state. However, after the first school year, we were sorely disappointed in the quality of education my children received.
We decided to home-school for a year in order to get them back up to grade level. Again, we tried the public system and, again, we were disappointed in the outcome. I know we are not alone in this feeling. Yet, the alternatives available now are grim: Pay for private school or pay for extra tutoring.
Monongalia County Schools tout they are the best in the state. Then why be afraid of a little competition? The district and school leaders have been a single voice, claiming to be all the teachers in the area. However, I know there is a quiet group of teachers and parents that don’t agree. Sadly, these quiet voices are stifled by the loud, intimidating forces that are preventing change.
Why am I trying to start a charter school here? I want to offer an alternative to the public schools. An option that is free and open to all. We will be an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, known across the globe for its cross-cultural education and emphasis on the students’ personal development. We also can offer an alternative calendar, extending school throughout the year, giving students more time in an educationally safe environment. I want options and choices for my children.
Heidi Treu
Morgantown
Electoral College protects small states
How can you possibly advocate abolishing the Electoral College (DP-11-06-20) when you live in a state with a small voter population? Don’t you realize this would produce a disincentive for people here to vote, when they will be overruled by the four or five states with large voter populations?
At least with the Electoral College, we now have five votes. The Electoral College protects those of us in states with small populations from being governed by the states with major problems they’d like to have us pay for!
William Skidmore
Morgantown
Voted for Donald Trump in 2016 but not in 2020
I was a stronger Democrat when Jimmy Carter ran for reelection. I remembered when the embargo began, vehicles lined up far from gas pumps and President Carter went to Camp David. I’ll let you guess whether he got my vote a second time or not.
Not much higher than a man off the street, Donald Trump was sent to the White House to lead our country.
What an achievement! He tried his best to keep a promise of a wall for our border. But, he has been free with insults to people, talked down to the medical profession and has voiced absurd, immature thoughts. If he says it is a fine day, step outdoors and you will get soaked. He lost a bid for another term and rests on his wilted laurels. He now assumes position of commanding a dictatorship. His manners, attitude and thinking are opposite of what a president of the United States should possess. Yeah, I voted for him the first time, but he didn’t get my second one.
This particular story isn’t politically incorrect, nor is it racist (could one possibly find a comparison it holds?): A Native American chief traveled to see and hear a politician. When he arrived home, everyone wanted to know what his opinion was of said politician.
Being a wise man of few words, the chief said, “strong wind … much thunder but … no rain.”
Carl W. Sypolt
Terra Alta
Here lies the United States, 1776-2020
We have now entered into an alternate universe where truth, facts and laws do not matter. Our president wants to invalidate elections — only in states he is losing — and let Republican state legislators decide who wins.
That mess looks like it’s headed to the courts, where a heavily biased Supreme Court will make the final decision.
The pandemic has entered into an exponential growth rate and 46% of our country won’t even take the basic precautions of wearing masks and social distancing.
1776 to 2020. R.I.P.
Joe Bower
Morgantown
Calls for bipartisanship don’t match vote trends
There was much discussion prior to the election concerning voting for people who can work in a bipartisan manner. The Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy publishes a Bipartisan Index on the members of Congress. The index measures the degree to which members of Congress work across party lines. The most recent index was based on the 116th Congress (2019).
Not surprisingly, Maine Sen. Susan Collins ranked #1 among the senators. She was the only senator to cross party lines on the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett. Yet 47% of her constituents voted for her opponent.
Cory Gardner from Colorado was ranked #3 on the index. Yet he only received 44% of his constituents’ votes.
Martha McSally from Arizona was ranked #6 on the index. Yet her opponent received 51.2% of the vote.
Gary Peters from Michigan was ranked #12 on the index. He received 49.8% of the vote.
West Virginia Sen. Shelly Moore Capito was ranked #7 on the index.
While she won all 55 counties, Capito’s slimmest margin of victory was in Monongalia County, where 17,683 constituents voted for her opponent.
It is interesting to note that California Sen. Kamala Harris was ranked #93 on the Bipartisan Index.
Of the 435 members of the House, David McKinley was ranked #10 on the Bipartisan Index. Yet 47% of Monongalia County voters did not vote for one of the most bipartisan members of Congress.
Of note, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocassio-Cortez was ranked #426. The other members of the “squad” were ranked as follows: Rashida Tlaib, #415; Ilhan Omar, #425; and Ayanna Pressley, #428.
Seemingly, people want bipartisanship as long as others agree with them. For the most part, people vote their “trump card” — their ideology.
Denny Poluga
Morgantown
Electoral College needs improvements
The editorial advocating for elimination of the Electoral College (EC) (DP-11-06-20) is good “food for thought.” As you know, with no EC, the East and West coasts would elect the national leader.
Why not keep the EC but give “weight” to the popular vote to offset the advantage of the populous and more liberal coasts? I realize that factors would have to be developed and agreed upon to fairly give weight to both the geographical and population differences in our nation, but it could be done.
Phil Wotring
Rowlesburg
Nation needs unity under new president-elect
“When you are all alone, it is a quiet breeze, but when you band together, it’s a choir of thunder and rain,” as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said.
A tribute to the voters is in order. Souls to the Polls efforts brought in droves of voters, who showed up amidst a pandemic and endured hardship to get their voices heard.
As President-elect Joe Biden mentioned, “Democracy beats deep in the heart of voters.” Now, we as a nation, strong souls, have to come together for the collective healing and to march forward in a strong fashion. We hope the disruptive moments fade. Leadership with integrity and courage will make this nation rise to what it was on the world stage once again.
The world is looking to a decisive election from the U.S. Current division among voters points to more structural elements and ingrained principles. Instead of looking for where the fault lies, the nation must move forward to one unified goal: Democracy.
History reveals it took a long time and hard work to get where we are today, and that lesson is worth remembering.
All branches of government — executive, judicial and legislative — have only one single purpose: To serve the constituents. If that vision prevails, all partisanship can be abandoned and government can function effectively.
Presidents come and go, but the nation stands.
Syamala Jagannathan
Morgantown
