Letters to the Editor | June 2, 2023

Being a teacher in Philadelphia for 35 years was rewarding, challenging, and heartbreaking. Some of my friends and I thought we would teach for at least 40 or 50 years, so what caused us to retire? It was never about money or the children. It was the lack of respect and support. It was about spending limited funds on test-taking materials and unengaging reading anthologies geared for the tests rather than on classroom supplies, building maintenance, support personnel, aides, enrichment programs, smaller class sizes, early diagnosis of students with special needs, and engaging parents and the community.

It was about spending millions on outside consultants when teachers were qualified to solve many of the problems. It was having an overpopulated central staff evaluating teachers according to checklists and constantly looking for the brass ring outside our region. Treat teachers with appreciation, respect, and support, and give them the tools they require, and you will retain teachers. Appreciate the art and creativity of teaching. I truly cared, as did my colleagues.

Harriet Hurwitz, Bristol, teach82351@yahoo.com

As the 2023 NBA Finals begin, with the 76ers nowhere to be seen, it might be time to admit that The Process was a failure. Since it began in 2013, few NBA fanbases have endured as much suffering as the 76ers. Besides all the Game 7 losses and second-round eliminations, the 76ers have made so many head-scratching decisions: From the burnout careers of Nerlens Noel, Michael Carter-Williams, Jahili Okafor, and Markelle Fultz to letting Jimmy Butler walk in free agency. Maybe if former general manager Sam Hinkie — The Process’ chief architect — had stayed on board, things would be different. But it didn’t work out that way.

The Process was built on a culture of losing to acquire high draft picks, but that culture has carried over every season and is a big reason why the team can’t get over the mountain. Look at the Miami Heat. Analysts and fans alike rave about their winning culture, triumphantly hailed as Heat Culture. Did the Heat ever prioritize losing during their culture build? No. And they’ve now gone to the NBA Finals six times since 2010. The worst part of all this is that Boston Celtics small forward Jayson Tatum eliminated the 76ers this year by scoring 51 points — the new record for points scored in a Game 7. The 76ers could have drafted Tatum. They chose Fultz instead.

This will be a summer filled with burning questions surrounding the 76ers. Until something changes, losing in the second round is the team’s rightful place unless they clean house. They’ve already dropped Doc Rivers. They need to let James Harden walk, trade Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, and build the team around Tyrese Maxey.

David J. Hunt, Philadelphia

As a social studies teacher, I read with great interest Jonathan Zimmerman’s column about school censorship and threats to democracy. While I found much of what Zimmerman wrote to be valid and thought-provoking, I also found it incomplete. There are challenges to what can be taught and said in schools, and some of those challenges are indeed coming from right-leaning organizations and elected officials. However, there are also challenges coming from left-leaning individuals and organizations. In recent years, I have seen students become less willing to share their opinions for fear of being “socially punished” by those who find their thoughts offensive. They are terrified of being labeled racist, transphobic, or some other “-ist” or “-ic.” Threats to free speech and our democracy are troubling, whether coming from the right or the left. Political ideology should not determine which of those threats we choose to address.

Patrick Oswald, Downingtown

Kyle Sammin’s column misrepresented the import and essence of the report by special counsel John Durham. He is misleading in his attempt to portray the FBI as politically motivated and that it solely relied on the Steele dossier to go after Donald Trump. Sammin did not mention Durham’s failed attempt to convict the analyst, Igor Danchenko, whose research was a large part of the dossier. The FBI’s investigation into the Trump campaign was opened in the summer of 2016, based on multiple points of verified intelligence. The FBI didn’t cause “lasting harm” to our nation, Donald Trump did, and Kyle Sammin is perpetuating the damage with half-truths and half-baked hyperbolic apologetics.

Thomas McGlaughlin, Ocean City

All aboard. Have a seat. Relax. Make yourself comfortable. If you are hungry, it’s the second car. Amtrak trains will be partnering with Starr Restaurant Group to provide a new fine dining cuisine menu on Acela trains on trips between Boston and Washington, D.C. Even before the transcontinental railroad was built, dedicated dining cars dated back to the 1880s in America. My grandfather worked for the Reading Co. in Philadelphia for his entire life, which was one of the first railroads in the United States in 1833. Once a week, he would travel to New York for business and enjoy a dining car experience, where he no doubt followed the very sound advice he provided to any newly married man: “Have a good lunch.”

Michael Thomas Leibrandt, Abington

Let me congratulate The Inquirer on the extremely well-written article on Notre Dame’s lacrosse championship win over Duke. Giana Han has written many excellent articles on lacrosse, most of which are deserving of the front page. My only objection is a single word — controversial — in reference to a Duke overtime goal against Penn State in the semifinals. This was not a “controversial” goal, but an improper one. In overtime, a foul was committed by the Duke player, which was not subject to electronic review, as are most other plays. The lacrosse association needs to rectify this system.

Even though it’s too late to admit the “bad call,” it must be said that Penn State played above its rank to match and potentially defeat top-ranked Duke. I have rooted for underdogs my whole life, and Penn State deserved better. Give Han some praise and maybe more space next time to explain that the goal was not “controversial,” but a permanent hurt to the blossoming sport of lacrosse, especially within The Inquirer’s readership.

Robert E. Booth Jr., Gladwyne

Amidst the challenges the COVID-19 pandemic brought, there have been notable gains: The medical community has acquired greater humility, recognizing both our limitations and strengths. We have identified and can better address deep health-care disparities. We have adapted to new forms of providing health care with the use of technology, and our pharmaceutical industry developed a lifesaving vaccine in record time. However, the gains achieved are overshadowed by the losses incurred.

COVID not only took our loved ones, but it also sowed deep divisions within our country, and citizens lost faith in trusted governmental and public health institutions. Moreover, we have lost countless seasoned health-care workers and now face a critical shortage just as there is growing demand. Our country needs fully staffed health-care entities with dedicated professionals.

We can do this by recognizing the commitment of those who remain dedicated to the profession post-pandemic and by creating supportive working environments to help retain and attract qualified professionals. This requires that we be attentive, not only to patient-to-provider ratios but to the acuity of those patients so that we ensure those charged with caring for them have what they need to do so well. The human and social costs of the pandemic are incalculable. But it has enabled us to see that we all rely upon a robust, dedicated health-care system and that we all depend upon each other.

Donna Miles, Philadelphia

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