There are many reasons why children can't read

There are many reasons why children can't read
EDITOR:
"Why can't John and Jane read?" asks the Vindicator. "Ask their schools" was the Vindicator's response. What their headline should have read is "Blame their schools/teachers." The Vindicator urged concerned parents and community members to quit blaming parents, students who move from school to school at an early age, and other sociological factors that impact students' lives. Rather, they should refocus their blame towards teachers, their outdated methods and building principals who "look the other way" in allowing incompetent teachers to remain employed.
If the Vindicator truly wants to ask the schools why John can't read, they should ask the teachers and administrators across the state.
Ohio school districts differ in pupil-to-teacher ratios, socioeconomic factors, student attitude, parental involvement, the amount each district spends on instruction, attendance, quality of buildings, intervention assistance, and of course, funding. To suggest that proficiency scores are the only gauges of teacher competence and quality is to suggest that the number of AP awards a newspaper receives determines its writers' abilities. I feel that the Vindicator's suggestion to ignore such factors is insulting to teachers and unfair to districts that do have more than their share of such problems.
No one should deny that Ohio schools have important problems that need to be addressed. Their problems are not solely lazy and inadequate teachers. We as a society need to come up with real solutions rather that deciding who's to blame. The state legislature can come up with an equitable and fair funding plan for schools, parents can spend time at home reading with their children each day, community members can volunteer in the Ohio Reads program, students can do their homework, administrators can acquire funding and implement innovative new programs in their districts, and yes, teachers can teach, just as I suspect most have been doing all along.
It is the responsibility of teachers to try to reach all children in their classroom -- an enormous responsibility for an individual to undertake alone. Teachers must continue to seek out new ways to improve their methods and schools must provide the leadership and resources necessary to facilitate that. As society and its problems evolve, so must our educational systems. Teacher support is absolutely vital to making this process successful. Teacher-bashing may be trendy right now but it is a simplistic answer to a complex problem.
PAMELA L. IARUSSI
Struthers
X The writer is a teacher in the Lordstown School District.
Most no-smoking sections inadequate for health
EDITOR:
I am a ninth grade student at Struthers High School, and I am concerned about smoking in restaurants.
It is my understanding that, by law, there is no smoking in public places. Although restaurants are privately owned, the public frequents them. Most restaurants have a smoking and non-smoking sections that are not separated by anything more than a couple of feet of air.
It does not take a rocket scientist to know that the smoke from one side of the room will permeate the entire facility. Babies and young children in these smoking situations are at a health risk especially involving the respiratory system. Inhaling second hand smoke is as harmful as smoking.
I would like to encourage legislators, both local and state, to consider banning smoking in all restaurants. The legislators pass laws that prohibit smoking by anyone under the age of 18, yet they allow people under the age of 18 to inhale second-hand smoke. To me, this just does not make sense.
Children learn by example. This might be a good example to set.
DAN ARDALE
Struthers
X The writer is in the American history class of Ralph Sandy.