Orientation at Rayen eased parent's concerns

Orientation at Rayeneased parent's concerns
EDITOR:
It was just a week ago today that I sat in the auditorium of The Rayen School for freshman orientation. I had been to the school only one time before, and that was earlier in the week to register my daughter and meet with freshman guidance counselor Wanda Smith to prepare her class schedule.
I was full of anxiety at the prospect of my daughter beginning high school and even more so that she would begin such a critical milestone at a Youngstown city school. Because the city and school district have often both been regarded as abominable entities, my heart was heavy as I wondered what the next four years would hold for my 14-year old daughter who had spent most of her school years in a parochial setting.
As I found a seat near the middle of the auditorium, my eyes and ears were simply not prepared for what I was about to see and hear. I watched as administrators, counselors and coaches came forward to welcome the incoming freshmen, offer advice and support as well as warnings regarding behavior.
Their stance was no-nonsense but compassionate, as they shared their expectations and hopes for the class of 2007. I wanted to stand and cheer! What I saw before me was the educational process working as it should in every building and in every district. They were of one accord and clear in their purpose and vision for Rayen and its students. They were about business, and I could not have asked for more. What I witnessed in the Rayen auditorium was further confirmed this past Sunday when a woman, at church, stopped sophomore guidance counselor Jerome Harrell and said, "I am so glad things have turned around at your school."
Principal Henrietta Williams and her staff clarified their zero-tolerance policy regarding foolish misbehavior and highlighted not just the importance, but absolute necessity of students ranking academics as their chief priority. What I saw before me was not the city school that so many toss aside as unprepared and unfocused. I saw a new institution, one in which the entire community can be proud. Rayen depicts what secondary education should be about. The media, community-at-large and even Youngstown city school parents downgrade the system in such a menacing manner that one would certainly believe it is a school district designed to produce only mediocre students at best. It pleases me immensely to not only say but know they are wrong.
TAMICA D. GREEN
Youngstown
Health insurance problemsleave doctors in the middle
EDITOR:
I am writing in response to Myriam Marquez's article of Aug. 20, "One-payer system will cure health care." I could not agree more that the current health care system needs a major overhaul but disagree completely on her solutions. She states that the current free market system has failed. Her belief that we have a free market health care system is totally wrong. Our current system is a third party payer system, which has ruined the free market practice in health care.
The way the third party payer system works is the reason health care costs have lost control. A triangular-payment system where one person pays, a second person provides the service, and a third person receives the service is always going to have problems. The patient pays less for the cost of the service and sometimes nothing, yet the patient expects (rightfully so) only the best in care. The payer, the insurance company, is focused on minimizing costs, and resents any fee the physician charges and also resents any demand the patient requests. The patient demands the highest quality and the easiest convenience and access but does not care about the costs. The insurance companies feel physicians are too greedy and patients too demanding. The physician is placed in the middle, often frustrated, because he cannot please either the insurance company or the patient.
The problems are very complex and the solution not easy, but the first step is returning to the buyer-seller system in which the consumer has an economic interest in his own health care.
SCOTT BEICHNER, D.O., M.S.
Youngstown