Saturday, July 04, 2009
Tough grading scale is a disadvantage to county students
Letters to the Editor
Recent letters to the editor
- Pick of the day: Passing the buck won't stop abuse
- Letters: Illegal traditions should not be tolerated
- Pick of the day: Teacher's conviction should scare parents
- Letters archive
From the RoundTable blog
Read the latest entries
Tough grading scale is a disadvantage to county students
Roanoke County parents continually hear that local colleges are aware of its grading scale and take it into consideration during the admission process. Has no one in this school district's administration ever entertained the idea that some students might aspire to go to college somewhere other than Virginia Western or Virginia Tech? That they might hope to get into one of thousands of other fine colleges in the U.S., including perhaps an Ivy League school?
Our students are severely penalized when it comes to being admitted and receiving an academic scholarship, as they are competing against the thousands of other high school students across the country who receive an A for a grade of 90 percent, whereas our children receive a B for a higher grade of 93 percent.
College admissions directors at top colleges have repeatedly said that the first thing they look at is the level of difficulty of the classes taken and the grades received in those classes. They do not look at the grading scale of each high school.
Please level the playing field so that our children are no longer being unfairly penalized and shut out from some extraordinary academic opportunities outside of Virginia.
Time to discard race in job decisions
The decision in the Frank Ricci case is too little but it is not too late. This decision overturned the callous opinion by Judge Sonia Sotomayor, but failed to fully enact equality, saving that for another day.
How are we going to move past race by constantly measuring everything by race? Wasn't it Dr. Martin Luther King who wanted a country that would judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin? Yet, we have a Supreme Court nominee who ruled certain firefighters who earned a promotion should be denied the promotion simply because of their race.
Shouldn't justice be blind? Justice shouldn't have to take a peek at the color of a person's skin to determine which rules should apply.
How are we going to move forward? Sotomayor has decided to continue to discriminate and target those she decides are guilty. This isn't what the Constitution demands. It's time to cast off the chains of racial division and stop measuring everything by racial(ist) standards. Let's agree that merit and character are the only guides, then demand our elected officials get in line or get out of the way.
Time to win friends around the globe
President Obama is right. The U.S. must get out of the meddling business and get into the friendship-building business, not only in Iraq but elsewhere in the world.
As the invasion of Iraq was never about the liberation of the Iraqi people -- not one asked to be liberated -- we can only speculate as to what President Bush's obsession to dethrone Saddam was. But that aside, the time has come for the Iraqis to govern their country. The sooner we're gone, the sooner this will happen.
Mission is part of the solution
I agree with Rusty Baker ("Rescue Mission draws criminals," June 30 letter) in that homelessness is a problem in Roanoke, but that's the only part of his letter I agree with. I think he's way off the mark when he implies that the Rescue Mission is the root of the problem.
The Rescue Mission provides a great service to Roanoke and Southwest Virginia, and, contrary to what Baker thinks, actually does help many people who genuinely need aid.
I suggest he take a tour of the mission and see the great things they're doing to help the homeless men, women and children of the area. To blame criminal activity on the Rescue Mission is absurd.
When he states that the Rescue Mission offers "free room and board, a place to loiter and drink all day, [and] unsuspecting downtown residents and workers to rob," he's only showing his ignorance.
I donate to the mission and have volunteered. I've seen the faces and talked to the people who use the services of the mission. Baker should do his research before offering up such uninformed generalizations.
Have a little compassion, friend.
Now the Word Sleuth has gone missing
Well, thanks, Roanoke Times for all your changes, but there are some we don't like. You rudely knocked off the Word Sleuth from the classified section of your paper. It is often the only reason for turning to the ad page. Not only did you cancel my favorite, but you inserted the bridge column in its place.
I and many others who don't write to you, but love working the brain exercisers, are disappointed, and hope you find some way to insert the Word Sleuth once again. Thanks for trying.
