Letters: Reality of school choice hits home with Duval public school closures

Nate Monroe is correct in his assertion that the school choice "chickens” are finally coming home to roost in Jacksonville's suburbs. But why did it take the threat of school closures for reality to hit? Our community had many opportunities to advocate for school equity, but we assumed school choice would only affect underperforming schools.

In the early days of the school choice movement, the consensus was that families should have opportunities to take their children out of failing schools and give them a chance to learn in a better environment. Nobody batted an eye when inner city schools were targeted for everything from state intervention to eventual closure.

It was a slam dunk for Tallahassee, because nobody was willing to justify keeping schools open that could not fulfill the most basic mission.

As long as vouchers and choice were seen as a "golden ticket” for low-income families to get their chance at academic success, the suburbs complacently slept through the expansion of vouchers. Those who criticized the expansion of vouchers and choice were called “alarmist” or “partisan” if they pointed out that this would eventually create an untenable situation for all public schools regardless of school grade and performance.

It should be no surprise that enrollment is dropping in Duval County's public schools, despite their efforts to stop the bleeding. But there is only so much that can be done when schools are increasingly forced to operate with fewer students and less funding that is tied to enrollment.

These tough conversations we're having now about preserving public education here are necessary because there is a great duplication of services among schools. That includes the high-performing schools that operate far below capacity, causing a drag on the overall budget.

Perhaps this will be a reminder that elections do matter and it is up to us to use that ballot to voice our concerns about public education and the direction in which we want our schools to go. The wolves may be inside the gate, but it is not too late for us to stem the tide.

John Louis Meeks Jr., Jacksonville

Riverfront Plaza doesn’t need riverfront restaurant

I can't understand why the Downtown Investment Authority would decide to add a waterfront restaurant to Riverfront Plaza. When the proposal from Perkins & Will was presented in competition with other designs two years ago, the DIA appeared enthusiastic in choosing it over the other proposals.

Earlier Perkins & Will hired me as a cultural consultant, based on my books about Jacksonville and 50 years of community involvement. As a team we discussed possible land uses. One member said the site should be a neighborhood park for the increasing number of residents living downtown and just across the river.

I proposed a park based on the model of Memorial Park in Riverside with its open grass lawn for youngsters and adults to play or enjoy occasional concerts. This lawn would be surrounded by shade trees with park benches where folks could relax and enjoy the river view. Memorial Park welcomes all and helps build community in the Riverside neighborhood. This new park could do the same.

Other team members suggested the children's playground, beer garden and cafe with a clear view of the St. Johns River, which of course was the focus of the park.

Above all, the Perkins & Will team saw the park welcoming residents and helping build a sense of community downtown while celebrating the beauty of the river. Jaxsons from other parts of the city would also come eventually, as they do to the Riverside Arts Market on Saturdays.

No thought was given to placing a restaurant on the water's edge blocking the view and undermining the vision of a park for the people of Jacksonville. I believe the open space was intended for use by park participants, not for additional building construction.

James B. Crooks, Westminster Woods at Julington Creek, Jacksonville

Stadium song-and-dance

Previous and current mayors and city councils are spending large sums of money on consultants to negotiate a deal with Shad Khan for what is almost a brand-new stadium for the Jacksonville Jaguars. There’s no question of whether or not to pony up $1 billion taxpayer money (no big surprise).

Khan received $60 million for a new practice facility, $114 million on a luxury hotel and condo project and $43 million for massive video boards plus an upper deck swimming pool. He also wanted the city to kick in for the proposed Lot J entertainment district, but that was defeated.

Khan’s net worth is $12.2 billion. In 2018 he offered nearly $800 million to purchase London's Wembley Stadium but apparently needs a little help from his friends in Jacksonville, where even season ticket holders rarely make it to two games in London.

The owner of the Chicago Bears is paying $2 billion for the new publicly owned Lakefront Stadium. The Commonwealth of Virginia just shot down a $2 billion deal to entice a pair of sports teams from Washington to cross the Potomac River into two new stadiums.

Is anyone in Jacksonville city government looking out for the average citizen who can't afford to attend a local game, much less one in England? Yet sidewalks, streetlights and sewers promised in 1968 for the poorer parts of town are still not a priority.

Local politicians often lack vision and seemingly grab anything shiny when spending other people's money to create a legacy for their time in office.

Rob Richardson, Jacksonville Beach

Grateful to Sen. Scott for protecting pups

Last month U.S. Sen. Rick Scott introduced the Senate companion bill for Goldie’s Act, federal legislation aimed at protecting animals in commercial breeding operations — like dogs in puppy mills — from cruelty and neglect.

As a dog owner and animal lover, I am grateful to Sen. Scott for leading this critical bill to ensure that animals are protected against persistent abuse and that violators of the Animal Welfare Act are held accountable for their actions.

Animal welfare violations in commercial breeding operations consistently remain unchecked. Goldie’s Act is named after Goldie, a Golden Retriever who suffered and died in a U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed facility. Despite knowing that Goldie and hundreds of other dogs were ill and living in filthy, crowded cages, the agency took no enforcement action against the breeder for months.

No animal should suffer like Goldie did, especially when a federal, taxpayer-funded agency is charged with protecting them from harm.

Goldie’s Act provides hope for these animals. The roughly 250,000 dogs in puppy mills across the country deserve protection by the agency charged with their care. It is time we act to ensure that violators are held responsible.

All animals in commercial breeding facilities deserve humane care and treatment. I thank Sen. Scott for sponsoring Goldie’s Act and encourage other lawmakers to support this lifesaving legislation.

Beth Graham, Ponte Vedra Beach

Would you hire this person?

Let’s pretend that you’re an employer needing to fill a position in your business, and you are interviewing a prospective candidate. During the process, you learn several things about them, including that they:

• Suggested, on national TV, that labs should study injecting bleach to cure COVID;

• Looked directly into the sun during a partial solar eclipse;

• Owe millions of dollars for defrauding the government on tax statements;

• Allegedly diverted campaign donations to a hush money fund to silence a porn star about their liaison;

• Encouraged and orchestrated a violent mob, after being dismissed from a previous job;

• Have been issued gag orders in efforts to silence personal attacks on judges and their families.

• Have resorted to selling branded items including hats, shirts, sneakers and even Bibles to relieve huge personal debt;

• Have compared their tribulations to those suffered by Christ; and

• Have been described by dozens of former co-workers (and even some family members) as egocentric, unhinged, dangerous, not bothered by reality and concerned only with self-image. Many have also written books describing the aberrant behavior.

Would you hire such a candidate for any position? We certainly hope not.

This person would have shown (by these actions and many more) insufficient intelligence, judgment, integrity, maturity and morals to be given any position of responsibility.

Fran and Pete Sheridan, Atlantic Beach

Public schools serve important needs

The National Education Association defines community schools as "public schools that provide services and support that fit each neighborhood’s needs, created and run by the people who know our children best — all working together.”

Sadly, local schools are often battlegrounds over race, culture and class in America. The school choice movement undermines funding of public schools (often providing a windfall for the rich). When this results in efforts to close neighborhood schools, it is important to remember what local schools mean to their communities.

Traditionally, neighborhood schools are where most children first learn to interact with their peers and communities. For many families, community schools are not only places for academic learning, but safe havens for their children through before and after-school programs. Additionally, local schools provide extracurricular and athletic activities, learning opportunities for family and community members, and health and wellness support.

Although neighborhood schools may not always measure up academically, they meet a distinct need not measured by standardized tests. Top-quality neighborhood public schools are the basis of successful communities and a driving force for prosperity.

Karen Adler, Jacksonville

Bigger problem is tuition cost

It looks like President Joe Biden is on the verge of trying to push through another round of student loan relief. While I object to this course of action on many fronts, my biggest question concerns what happens next. Let’s assume that one way or another, all debt associated with existing student loans is forgiven.

What if a high school student today needs help tomorrow? Will that loan be forgiven at some future date by some future president? I think we should instead address the real problem, which to my mind is the outlandish cost of a college education. Something must be done to bring this cost down to be more in line with its short-term benefit.

Peter A. Baci, Jacksonville Beach

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Duval public school closings a reminder that elections do matter