It’s Time to Bring Order to School System

* I am encouraged by the emergence of organizations like the Education Alliance discussed in a front-page article in The Times on March 17. The tone of the article suggests that you oppose its objectives.

For the average voter, identifying candidates for school boards who are truly committed to a conservative agenda is almost impossible. All of the brochures include the same bland statements. I hope that the Education Alliance will help us to select candidates who are truly interested in reform.

It is time to oppose such things as bilingual education, sex education, condom distribution and other activities that do not belong in the schools.

It is time to restore an ordered system of learning, with discipline and respect for authority together with emphasis on basics and respect for our great Anglo-Saxon and Eurocentric culture.

Bloated administrative staffs and powerful teachers unions are the reasons for the high costs and poor performance of our public education system.

The opposition to Proposition 187 by many teachers and others in the education establishment and their refusal to implement it when passed by a majority of voters is a glaring example of what is wrong. We must not allow teachers to use their classrooms to lobby for a particular position on any matter of policy.

Vouchers are one remedy that will bring competition to the system and possibly force the existing establishment to return to a more sane system of education.

SIDNEY HATCHL

Santa Ana

* I’m writing concerning the Orange School Board approving the counseling programs until May (March 1).

I am completely against having this counseling going on in our schools. I don’t feel it plays any part in educating our children and preparing them to be productive citizens. In fact in a lot of cases this “counseling” convinces the children that they are nothing more than victims and leads to labeling the children with a phony psychiatric label. It can even lead to the child being put on a mind-altering psychiatric drug.

Another thing I am sick of is having someone say that if you care about the children you will support this program. What they’re implying is that unless you support their way of thinking you don’t care about children and want to hurt them. Well, I have two children in elementary school that I love very much. I also care very deeply about other children. I feel that these counseling programs do much more harm than good.

The purpose of the school is to educate the children. Let’s put our efforts into accomplishing that.

I totally agree with board member Max Reissmueller that “some of these problems are just part of growing up” and “to refer them to counseling is ludicrous.”

CLAY BOCK

Garden Grove

* Re your March 2 editorial, “A Boost for Academic Effort”:

It’s true that academic efforts should be rewarded as well as the efforts made in extracurricular activities. I believe this “Renaissance” program is a good idea for those students who aren’t that great in sports, but are excellent in academics.

Not everyone is physical enough to be a football stud or fast enough to be a first-place runner, but just about everyone can hold at least a C average just as long as they try and put some effort into their work.

Also, with this program, those students who aren’t working at their full potential would probably be motivated to try harder to raise that C average to a B average so that they could be recognized. After all, everyone has to be in the spotlight at least once in their life.

ANGEL AUYEUNG

Laguna Niguel