Dropout rate in high school

To the editor:

Thank you for responding in last Saturday’s Osceola News-Gazette, Mr. Wheeler. I see the data through a different lens than those who are “intimately involved with Florida public education.” Just how does a reported graduation rate of 65 percent or even 79 percent finally shake out at 97 percent? You must admit that even with manipulated data those numbers seem skewed, to say the least.

I think the Florida Department of Education (et al) is “dumbing down” K-12 requirements. I expect that trend to continue to the next lower degree in November. Due to our current recession and business-busting government (local, state and federal) trends, I took a time-out and recently returned to college at Valencia. I can tell you that when an old man like me earns the A’s, it isn’t because of higher intelligence. It is because I have had this level of education before. It was high school back in the late 1960s. Furthermore, my high school grades were not that good.

I believe colleges and universities are forced to adjust their curriculum from time to time due to the level of public education of those coming in.

The decades of a gradual decrescendo in public education (K-12) is flying under most people’s radar while the taxpayer cost is going up.

I am in no way political, Mr. Wheeler, and I am not picking on you or necessarily on Osceola County alone. I am saying that today’s taxpayer cost of $19,000 per student, per year is not getting the job done in any Florida county (or elsewhere) and is enormously expensive. Throwing more money at education will not get it done either.

At some point, someone is going to have to design a new way to educate K-12 students because the public education system we have now is far too expensive for the result. Despite a few hiccups in a manipulated positive snapshot, the overall trend is getting worse and more expensive.

I am not qualified or knowledgeable enough to offer the big picture solution, but that solution, I expect, will have emphasis on private school education. Other activities such as high school sports could be handled by local business/Osceola County government — not a school board — sponsorship and in methods never tried in the past.

Michael Hall
Kissimmee

Racial discrimination?

To the editor:

I have a gripe. In response to the editor’s “Our View,” in the Saturday, July 24, issue of the Osceola News-Gazette, the editor failed to mention all the Hispanic businesses and restaurants that only employ other Hispanics to work there.

If that is not job discrimination, then I don’t know what is.

People should clean up their own back yards.

Mark Cox
St. Cloud

Cars on beach have to stop

To the editor:

What does it take to stop this madness of cars traveling through sand where children, the elderly and others are there (at beaches) to have fun and enjoy the sun? They are too busy to think that any minute a careless, thoughtless driver is going to run over them and risk being maimed or killed.

There is also the matter of polluting the sand with gasoline and oil leaking from old cars, smokers throwing cigarette butts out the window and dirty diapers. Let’s get together and stop this madness.

Bring back our beaches for what they are meant to be – clean family fun without cars.

Maria Nin
Kissimmee

Responds to letter

To the editor:

This letter is in response to Mary Carr’s letter to the editor dated July 22.

Ms. Carr is correct. I have, in fact, stated that a portion of political campaigning is 40 percent showmanship like PT Barnum. What she conspicuously and most likely intentionally left out is that I have also said that politics is 60 percent B.F. Skinner.

Here is some data regarding the B.F. Skinner portion of being elected and running for re-election. I fought successfully for a school uniform policy for all schools in grades K-12. As of this past school year, which was our second full year with the school uniform policy in place, we have had a 75 percent reduction in gang-related activity in our schools over that two-year period.

Additionally, my opponent has it dead wrong about morale.

I have been on the School Board for eight years. Morale has never been higher. Good results breed higher morale. Surely there are many unhappy staffers who, until Dr. (Michael) Grego came in as superintendent, could just coast and collect a paycheck. Those are the new complainers because now they are expected to work harder for our kids. To that end, they’d love to see someone replace me. Those workers know that if they aren’t willing to work to higher expectations and do better for our kids, they will get no sympathy from me.

Ms. Carr clearly states that she is friends with my opponent – that loyalty is admirable.

Friends see what they want with a bias. My friends tell me that I won the debate.

Ms. Carr states incorrectly that I verbally mislead people and used the debate as an example without providing what I said that was misleading. But then, Ms. Carr failed miserably when she actually ran for the Osceola County Commission.

Here is why parents have turned to me over the years when they have had a school problem. First, I am also a parent with two children of my own in elementary and middle school.

On too many occasions to name, when no one else would help them, I have literally dropped everything and will continue to in order to help any and all parents with anything that they need for their child or family.

Ms. Carr is right that voters should become informed. To that end, a brand new piece of information is available. As of July 22, the board of directors for the Osceola Boys and Girls Club voted unanimously to make me its new chairman.

I have fought and will continue to fight for our children and community.

My job is to continue to do what is right. Doing what is right is not always popular.

To that end, I voted five straight years against the previous superintendent in an effort to move our district out of its complacency and excuse culture.

Now, after fighting to get Dr. Grego hired as superintendent, we have a higher high school graduation rate than the state average and higher graduation rate than Orange County schools – both are a first for us and only the beginning.

Change is easy, improvement is hard.

If Ms. Carr or anyone else has any questions about this or anything else, please call me at 407-973-4141, or, if you prefer, e-mail me at jaywheeler@embarqmail.com.

Jay Wheeler
Osceola County School Board,
district 1 candidate for re-election