Let Parents Choose Schools

Gov. Maggie Hassan’s veto of HB 1637 — also known as the Croydon Tuition Bill — is a big setback for all children in New Hampshire. She is denying them the education that is best-suited for them and denying parents the ability to make decisions about their children’s educational needs.

The town, parents and School Board in Croydon had agreed that sending these five children to the Montessori School in Newport was the right thing to do. And since tuition at the Montessori School was less than the cost to send these students to the public schools in Newport, the town is saving tens of thousands of dollars.

But Gov. Hassan disagrees with these parents and the Croydon School Board. The governor vetoed this bill and claimed it “interferes with tuition agreements between school districts.” She states, “It also would undercut every New Hampshire public school student’s constitutional right for the opportunity for an adequate education.” What about the rights of parents to make decisions about their children’s education? What about trusting in local communities and local school boards to make decisions about how to best educate their students?

Those of us who have followed the problems with Common Core know that more and more decisions are being taken away from parents and local communities and given to state and federal bureaucrats.

I am deeply concerned about the future of our children. I am a strong advocate for school choice and empowering local communities and parents to make decisions about how to educate our children. Decisions about education have to be made at the local level.

Ruth Ward

Stoddard, N.H.

The writer is a Republican candidate for state Senate in District 8.

Humanities, Now More Than Ever

Thank you for publishing James Heffernan’s June 12 article “Why We Need the Humanities.”

Though the emphasis in education currently leans toward mathematics and science, two areas that seek concrete answers to questions, we cannot forget the conundrums raised by great literature. In a time when most people stare at small screens, opening a book is more important than ever.

When I was earning my masters in English, I read Chaucer, Milton, Shakespeare, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Austen, Cather, Glasgow, Voltaire and Flaubert. These writers, as well as many others, held up a mirror to humankind, thereby posing the great questions that never truly get answered. Such works also exposed me to history, philosophy, culture, religion and morality. In our consumer-centric, materialistic, narrow-thinking society, personal introspection is not emphasized nearly enough. Delving into the humanities forces us to peer deeply into our own souls, something that will never happen while staring at the screen of a so-called smartphone. The humanities teach us the most important lesson of all — what it means to be human.

Coleman Stokes

Enfield

Blame Sin, Not Guns

I mourn for the survivors of the Orlando mass murder. What was the cause of this? The Bible calls it sin. We are all sinners, but not everyone takes firearms into a gay bar and starts shooting people. What happened to the armed guard at the entrance at this bar? Wasn’t he there to prevent such a tragedy? I urge everyone to recognize this latest crime as an act of extreme hate, not the mere availability of firearms. Such sinners must be shot dead before they carry out their hate.

Mitchell A.M. Ota

Hartford

D-Day Deserves Remembrance

As a combat veteran of World War II, I congratulate Russell Farley and Sarah McArdle for pointing out in their June 10 Forum letter, “Never Forget D-Day,” that the Valley News neglected to mention D-Day. This was one of the most historic dates of the 20th century, and I can only assume that this omission was a simple oversight by the paper.

I was in infantry training for the invasion of Europe to oust Hitler when D-Day occurred. My division (84th Infantry) got to the Normandy beaches in late September 1944. The major ports were still destroyed from the invasion and we had to be taken across the channel from England in landing craft to land on Omaha Beach. Unlike the conditions on the actual D-Day, this wide, flat beach was basking in a warm September sun, lapped by low, gentle waves — certainly a tranquil scene except for a few remaining anti-tank structures. But we were compelled to look up to the cliffs above the beach, where the Germans had an unobstructed killing field for easily picking off Americans and their allies. Many of these troops were so weighted down with weapons and packs that they drowned in the heavy surf.

Once we had landed in Normandy, my division moved rapidly across France to the front, which had just entered Germany. I eventually got caught in the Battle of the Bulge during the terrible winter of 1944-45, when weather was as much the enemy as the Germans. Eventually we met the Russians on the Elbe River. But these are other stories. However, it was all made possible by D-Day, a date and occasion that should have been acknowledged by the Valley News.

John E. Yocom

Hanover

Support for McCormack

I am pleased that Sen. Dick McCormack is running for re-election to the Vermont Senate. Dick has served Windsor County voters well over the years and has earned my support and respect.

Dick has supported many issues that are important to me, like GMO labeling of our food and giving child care workers the right to organize. He made sure we increased the minimum wage and that workers have paid sick days. His experience and institutional memory are assets.

During the primary election on Aug. 9, Windsor County voters will get to vote for three Windsor County senators. I plan to cast one of my votes for Sen. McCormack, and hope you will, too. In fact, you can vote early beginning June 24 just by asking your town clerk for a ballot.

James Heinz

Woodstock

A Write-In Vote Helps Trump

In Saturday’s Forum, Walter Jeffries stated that he would be writing in Sen. Bernie Sanders’ name in the November election. While I also voted for Sanders in the primary and would vote for him in the general election had he been nominated, the truth of the matter is that, like it or not, Hillary Clinton is going to be the Democratic standard-bearer in November. Voting for Sen. Sanders is going to be as good as a vote for Trump. While Secretary Clinton is not an ideal candidate, she is far and away better than Trump would be in the White House.

Until we have a viable third-party, we are going to have to vote for the choices given to us by the two-party system, and God help us if a person like Trump ever gets to be president. So I would ask Mr. Jeffries to reconsider his choice and make his vote count to keep Trump out of the White House.

Richard Dupuis

Wilder

Poetry Aplenty in Grantham

As a brief follow-up to the excellent and thoughtful letter on the state of poetry in our schools by my wife, Judy McCarthy, of Grantham, in the June 7 Forum, the Grantham Village School has a well developed poetry curriculum in grades 1-6.

The program includes a poetry evening in the upper grades in a coffeehouse setting, with finger snapping replacing applause and spontaneous participation in poetry recitations by students and parents. Also, scattered throughout the school are “poetry pockets,” each containing short poems to be read by students as they wait to enter classrooms, the cafeteria, restrooms, etc. I am confident that other Upper Valley schools have similar programs.

Bob McCarthy

Grantham