Letters on energy standard, Iraq pullout, evaluating teachers, safe water

Don’t retreat on energy standards

The only redeeming thing about Gov. Sam Brownback was his support for alternate energy standards. Now he is backtracking on that (“Brownback open to phasing out Kan. energy rule,” Sept. 4 Eagle).

I can only figure that he needs the financial support of more oil and gas fat cats. It is unfortunate that his only truly forward-looking policy is now going to become the casualty of his need for support from backward-looking energy executives.

No matter how many ads he puts out claiming to care about education and jobs, we who pay attention know where those things really place on his priority list. Now he is retreating from his only policy that really cared about the state. This man does not deserve to be re-elected.

Bush prophetic

A speech that President Bush made on July 12, 2007, has become frighteningly prophetic. This speech was made at a time when congressional leaders and citizens alike were weary of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, pushing for complete withdrawal of U.S. troops in Iraq.

Bush did not believe withdrawal would be a wise move.

Fast-forward to 2008 and the election of Barack Obama. Obama vowed to end the war in Iraq and bring home our troops by 2011. He did what he promised, and look what happened. That complete exit of troops that Obama wanted created a vacuum in Iraq, one that was filled quickly by the terrorist state and organization known as ISIS.

Look what is happening around the globe with psychotic leaders such as Vladimir Putin in Russia or Bashar Assad in Syria. These types of leaders and terrorist organizations such as ISIS know only one thing – military might.

Being nice and sending care packages filled with brownies does not cut it in this day and age.

Bush was scorned and ridiculed for his position on Iraq, but he was right. Withdrawal of our troops by Obama was a big mistake – one of many mistakes Obama has made during his presidency.

Evaluate teachers

The teachers unions oppose teacher evaluations based in part on student standardized test scores. They believe that many factors enter in, other than the quality of classroom teaching, when evaluating student test scores.

Students are learning continuously from their environment, be it positive or negative occurrences. Thus, learning occurs in high-quality family life or in dysfunctional families. With models in the home setting, pupils see parents enjoy reading materials beneficial to the human being. Compare this model with little or no reading done by the parents. The following additional considerations need attention for successful pupil achievement:

Reading to and discussing in an interesting manner what has been read.

Talking about current events from newscasts in a meaningful interacting way, as well as about other social studies items.

Doing safe science experiments and providing explanations as to what transpired.

Working together with the child in solving selected everyday problems in mathematics.

Play and appropriate exercise are important to any learner, emphasizing a healthy mind and a healthy body.

The unions stress the importance of good teaching in providing for individual differences in the classroom and school setting. In-service training and the promotion of effective teaching are major objectives. Each pupil is important and deserves the very best in teaching and learning situations. Valid and reliable teacher evaluations are musts in the profession.

Thankful for water

Sometimes it’s the simple things in life to be thankful for. According to MSNBC, 765 million people in the world don’t have safe, healthy drinking water. We can be thankful for the drinking water we have.

This story was originally published September 7, 2014 at 7:05 PM with the headline "Letters on energy standard, Iraq pullout, evaluating teachers, safe water."