http://www.mesquitenews.com/ The latest news from the www.mesquitenews.com website! Newsys Template Engine Opinion/letters To The Editor http://backend.userland.com/rss 60 newsys-594533518 http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2013/05/21/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/087.txt In conducting tens of thousands of interviews across the nation to diagnose its image problems, the GOP's metal detector in a minefield has finally gone off: Sun, 31 Mar 2013 13:34:06 -0500 newsys-581106442 http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2013/05/21/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/088.txt Jannine Neely, Special to Star Local News Dear Common Sense, Oh, how I have missed you! Your lengthy absence was painfully apparent recently as I listened to another senate education hearing. Why, you may wonder? Well, because education comes from thinking, while you “just know.” Texas legislators went amiss, discussing a decrease in high-stakes assessments as opposed to eliminating them. Therefore, this spring, students, teachers and schools will be held accountable for their results on the newest high-stakes test, STAAR. As you know, a system which presumes one test can be the sole indicator of knowledge for all people just doesn’t make sense. That is simple wisdom. Surely you’d reappear after a decade of TAKS, when Texas SAT scores gradually declined well below the national average. But alas, Austin’s education propaganda era continues, along with curriculums chock full of desperate test preparation measures. Again, we allowed our politician’s over- inflated egos and corporate loyalties to make the decisions. So they purchased STAAR, forced compliance with detrimental consequences, and empowered it as the final decision-maker over every student’s future, despite the work they did for 13 years prior. Oh, Common Sense, has an over-confidence in our thoughts deemed you unnecessary, thereby banishing you from our decision-making process? Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:57:51 -0500 newsys-506807769 http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2013/05/21/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/089.txt My lawsuit against the city of Frisco concerning the Arts Center of North Texas issue has drawn considerable media attention. While I was pleased with that, as I talk to people who know me, I find a disconnect in their understanding of what I was doing. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 15:21:29 -0600 newsys-424747327 http://www.mesquitenews.com/articles/2013/05/21/opinion/letters_to_the_editor/090.txt Guns don’t kill people, people kill people – but is this really an excuse for the heinous acts that strip away innocent lives year after year? Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:36:53 -0600