Monday, November 30, 1998

School not day-care

Regarding the Nov. 23 editorial, "This time next year," I was surprised and disappointed at your questioning the proposed AISD calendar for 1999-2000. While many expect public schools to cure all societal ills, I felt the Abilene Reporter-News editorial staff was far more enlightened than to consider public school a day-care facility.

Teachers are required to obtain specific hour totals in professional growth. If these hours are accomplished during the summer months - on teachers' "vacation" period - the teacher is exempt from attending classes during the regular school calendar. Because some teachers don't or can't accomplish these hours in the summer, the district offers alternative hours in the school year.

That these alternative professional growth days are scheduled Thanksgiving week in 1999 is irrelevant. They have to be offered sometime to fulfill mandated requirements.

Most educators feel the old two-day week prior to Thanksgiving is somewhat nonproductive - too short to introduce new units or effectively review old ones. This is particularly true when pre-holiday excitement fills the air. So the decision was made to place these alternative days at the beginning of the Thanksgiving week rather than scatter them throughout the fall semester.

Parents must find childcare for those two days whenever they are scheduled. That is the parent's responsibility, after all - certainly not the responsibility of the AISD and professional educators.

MOLLY LENKER

Abilene

Working to improve

There were a few comments made during the Kirby Johnson murder trial that should be noted regarding the North 13th and Ash location. There are people who live in this neighborhood. They have feelings just like everyone else in this All America city. No one else, I'm sure, likes for their neighborhood to be known as "the shady side of town."

There is a group of people who are trying to improve the image of this neighborhood. It is ICAN - Interested Citizens of Abilene North. This group has been misconstrued as just another "black group." That is not its purpose. Its purpose is to improve the quality of life and living conditions in these poor neighborhoods.

As you can learn from this trial, there are a lot of characters who visit this area, and they are not black. Poverty affects everything in it as well as around it. We as citizens of Abilene should get behind ICAN and take a firm stand. We should give ICAN our full support and prayers as well as any financial assistance we can provide. We should fight crime anywhere in this town, not just in certain neighborhoods.

For those of you who remain anonymous but work diligently along with this group, I say thank you. For those of you who would like to get involved, I say come along. ICAN is not a black thing. It's an Abilene thing.

WILLIE HORTON

Abilene

Good for the heart

All of the propositions for the Dec. 8 bond election are worthwhile projects and, if passed, will positively impact the quality of life in Abilene. The Taylor County Board of the American Heart Association is especially pleased with the opportunity to expand our parks.

The multi-purpose play courts for existing parks will encourage more use there, while the two new parks will provide additional locations for outdoor activities.

Physical inactivity is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease. Unfortunately, heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Abilene. Therefore, we want to encourage Abilenians to exercise as much as possible whether you prefer walking, running or an organized sports activity. Just move! It's good for your heart.

DENISE JONES

DR. MIKE DANIEL

Abilene