Letters: Why must schools be run by educators?

I HAVE watched with interest the actions or, better yet, non-actions of the leaders of the Phila school system.

Knowledge has a cost, but the only ones benefitting from that mindset are the superintendent and his generals. They need to implementing a more comprehensive strategy aimed at the majority of the students who have a desire to learn. They have placed too much blame on disruptive students, but when should the actions of a few supercede the desire of the majority?

Get a backbone. Take control of the schools with a message. Mine would be this: "I have a black suit to wear on occasions. I can wear it to your sentencing for committing a crime, attend your funeral or attend your graduation. What will it be? The bottom line is that I will be there for you. You choose why I wear that suit."

Why does an educator have to run something as dysfunctional as our school system? You don't have to be a politician to run for office. Or have a degree of a certain discipline to be a CEO of a major corporation. Why keep having a regurgitation of failed programs with new names? Think outside the box and you will gain outside support from those ranks you have disrespected and ignored for decades.

Giving up is not an option. Nor is passing the buck. Remember, education has a price.

Chris Harrison

Elkins Park

Thank you

I want to tell you how grateful I am for you putting Corin Stewart and her mother, Sandra Stewart, on the front cover of the Daily News on April 26. Sandra is my daughter-in-law and Corin is my wonderful granddaughter. Many people have told me how refreshing it was to see a picture and headline of a heartwarming story on the cover of the Daily News. I also want to thank Dan Geringer for his wonderful article and picture of the entire family. Everyone who saw the headline on the cover and the family picture on Page 3 really enjoyed the article that he had written.

The Alex Lemonade Stand that Corin sponsored was a huge success. I want to thank the folks at Marinucci's Deli for giving Corin the space outside their deli and for arranging to have some of their vendors donate items. Herr's donated several boxes of snack bags of pretzels and potato chips, and Canada Dry donated 10 cases of lemonade. Thanks goes to Rita's Water Ice on Rhawn Street and Dattilos Delicatessen for donating water ice. Thanks to the Pretzel Factory for the donation of Philadelphia soft pretzels. Thanks also go to Merc Brothers Pizzeria. They saw Corin's picture and read the article, and, without being asked to help, donated a large pile of boxes of pizza.

Thanks goes to everyone who donated, both at the lemonade stand and online and to friends who saw one of the family members and gave to her cause. Thanks to the police officers who watched over the stand and the many other policemen who donated at the stand. Thank you to the many firefighters who came to lend their support. And thanks to all the wonderful adults and children who came to the lemonade stand. Your caring and loving generosity has really touched our family.

All of you have blessed my heart. You are all wonderful people and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Your giving will help children with cancer live to see the future. May the Lord bless each one of you. Thank you again so much.

Judy Stewart

Philadelphia

Sorry, doesn't quite have the same ring to it

I have been reading the Daily News for close to 60 years now and have finally come to this conclusion:

You should, as a matter of truth, change your name to: "Republicans Always Bad . . . Democrats Always Good."

That just about sums up your position on everything!

Kenneth L. Denski

Southampton

Why them, not him?

Can someone explain to me how and why alleged child pornographer Daniel Cooke was granted bail after being arrested on 25 counts of child pornography, and Italians that were found not guilty are being held hostage by the federal government in Philadelphia?

Janice Di Joseph

Philadelphia

No Robinson analogy

There is no question that I am happy for Jason Collins and anything his recent actions may have done to help the cause for human dignity. However, Christine Flowers makes an extremely valid point in illuminating the tenuous at best analogy being drawn by some between the journeys of Mr. Collins and the great Mr. Jackie Robinson. I couldn't improve on Ms. Flower's analysis but would like to agree that the definition of "analogy" by an early edition of Webster's New World Dictionary that "the inference that certain resemblances imply further similarity" really doesn't compute in this case.

Joe Ridgway

Marlton, N.J.