Shuttle and Schools

I am writing to you because of a recent event that touched the lives of millions of Americans: the Discovery launch. I am now a resident of Florida, but my family lives in your county. My husband works for Rockwell at Kennedy Space Center.

I informed my mother of the program out here to show support for the shuttle launch and that was to wear or display green for shuttle “GO.” She took that information and decided to spread the word and show her support in the high school where she has served for 19 years. It is a Garden Grove school and several teachers and many students were involved. I applaud her action and believe that our schools everywhere should be aware of national movements, especially one as important as our space program.

The reason that I am writing to you about this is the lack of support and callous attitude of her administrators. They did not announce the successful launch, and it occurred before their general announcement time. When she asked them to let the school body know, they did not want to interrupt the classes. At lunch she asked the principal, and he stated that if they could read they would know about “it.”

Doesn’t this seem a bit out of place in a school where learning about our country and values is of primary concern both to educators and taxpayers?

My reason for writing is to share the respect and involvement I have with the education process and to hope that the principal in question is not the spokesman for the general public. We need to believe in our future and teach our young people to respect the past. If they don’t, our traditions and values will be in jeopardy.

ANDREA RICE

Cape Canaveral, Fla.