I would like to address Steve Heffernan’s comment that he supports independent schools. Lest we forget, the term “independent” is replacing the term “Private and Parochial” school. These are schools that accept and reject students based on the school’s standards, these standards can be based on income or political or religious philosophy.

Public schools must accept everyone, like the makeup of our country; a melting pot of different ethnic, religious, economic, social, intellectual, (the list goes on) individuals. “Independent” schools can say to their students, unless you do better, we are shipping you out to the public school. Public schools cannot say to a student, unless you shape up, we are sending you to that “independent” school.

I think it is fine for people to want to have schools that they think will serve their children better, but not with public funding. Public funding of private and parochial schools isn’t a way to better serve our children, it is a way to let people who don’t want their children in public schools, for their own personal reason, to reduce their cost of their child’s private education by having the public taxpayers pick up part or all the parents’ tab.

Peter Ryersbach

Bristol