Radical Changes for U.S. Schools

* In “Blacks Want Out of the Nation’s Failed Schools” (Commentary, April 22) Arianna Huffington cites a Newark city councilman’s warning that “we’re not going to fix our schools by tinkering with them. It’s going to take radical changes, and we have to be willing to experiment by any means necessary--including with vouchers.” Vouchers do not address the challenge meaningfully.

A radical change would be to fix our crumbling school buildings. In 2000 a National Education Assn. study said that America’s public schools need $112 billion for repair and modernization. Not surprising when you consider that the average building is 50 years old.

A radical change would be to start paying teachers a salary that could attract our best and brightest.

A radical change would be to nationalize our education system. At present, education policy is made everywhere--legislatures, state departments, districts, unions, city councils, businesses and more. Every other developed nation has a national system of education and funds those systems at a significantly higher level than we do.

When are we going to get serious about this issue and make public education our No. 1 priority? The demands of a 21st century work force make substantial investment in education a national imperative.

MICHAEL FINNIGAN

Encino

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* I agree with Huffington. We don’t need more testing. However, she doesn’t go far enough with her recommendations. We need more than an educational revolution. The educational system is constantly undergoing changes. As an educator for 25 years, I saw many revolutionary ideas put into practice, only to be discarded a few years later. Whole language, “new” math, phonics, no phonics, spelling books, no spelling books, open classrooms, etc. You get the picture.

No, Arianna, pointing the finger one more time at the system won’t cut it. The revolution has to be in the areas of cultural mores and economics. Parents need to have time to spend with their children. They need support from the community, churches, the health field, from business and the entertainment industry to make a secure, safe home environment possible for the majority of families. It’s the only solution that will make any real change.

MARTY WILSON

Los Angeles