Love-Hate Mail
Special needs
Regarding your cover story on publicly reviled Metro Nashville Public Schools superintendent Pedro Garcia (“Best Foes Forever,” March 22): so you think MNPS parents don’t like this pompous autocrat? Try being one of the one in 10,000 parents of children with special needs in a system where our “leader” recently told a community businessman, “Special education is not among my top five priorities.” It is a system where No Child Left Behind means Our Child Left Behind, where special ed directors propagate a 30-year-old antiquated model of isolating children in self-contained classrooms. As a result, most white parents have flocked to the Williamson County Schools, where their offspring have a chance to be educated alongside typically developing children, emulating future real-world settings compliant with federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It’s a class-action suit waiting to happen, a civil rights movement not yet happened. Your front cover illustration omitted the pointy things atop the mug shot.
LEISA A. HAMMETTAdvocate, proud mother of a 12-year-old with autismlahammett@comcast.net (Bellevue)
Skullduggery
After seeing the picture of Bob Clement and a few of his closest friends the first word that came to mind was “skullduggery” (“Tripped for Sure,” March 22). With such a weak field of candidates for mayor of Nashville, it only seems fitting that Mr. Clement would choose this arena to resurrect his fading political career. With a bright but uncertain future, Nashville deserves a mayor with the vision to steer us in the right direction, rather than a business-as-usual politician who is still living on his family’s name.
DAVID MOSOWdmosow@bellsouth.net (Nashville)
Treading too softly
Regarding John Pitcher’s review of last week’s NSO concert (“Hit and Miss,” March 22): I attended the pre-concert discussion with Mr. Remmereit. He explained that he believed Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 was too often performed in a heavy and ponderous manner and he and Mr. Serkin were seeking to play with lighter textures throughout. I have been advised by pianist friends who heard the concert that Mr. Serkin rode the Steinway’s soft pedal, apparently seeking a lighter sound. Unfortunately this approach was a total failure. The piano sounded thin and metallic in the high registers and when Remmereit pushed the orchestra at full throttle the poor soloist was blown off the stage. It did not sound like the rich, romantic Brahms piano tone the piece demands. I agree this was a miss.
JONATHAN TAYLORjp4cds3@comcast.net (Nashville)
Peace to P’s
Carrington Fox pointed out what many others never discovered: Martha P’s was a great little place to eat (Dining News, March 22). I will miss it.
JOHN DENSONJohn@densononline.com (Nashville)
Educational programming
Thank you so much for Walter Jowers’ articles on the problems with new home construction (“Homeowners Beware,” March 22)! We find his information extremely valuable in educating our readers so they can prevent a “new home nightmare.” I love when he said in “Homebuyers Beware” that “master builders” should be able to build a house that meets code. Priceless!
CINDY SCHNACKELNational Secretary, Homeowners Against Deficient Dwellingscschnackel@fourteen.net (Norman, Okla.)
Monday Massacre
As a concerned parent of two Metro students, I am deeply troubled by the unfair process behind the current implementation of the dress code as a first step towards standard school attire (SSA) (“Dressed to Shill,” March 15)
The “fact-finding committee” was composed of a group of principals with a predetermined pro-SSA outcome. Parents and a student were on the committee in order to add an appearance of fairness, but their input—when allowed—was completely ignored. This was clear from the televised board meeting in February.
The Litton data was incorrectly analyzed and actually hides a growth in disciplinary violations in the school since SSA was adopted—[the committee] used statistics like a drunk uses a lamppost, more for support than illumination.
On the day after spring break, there may be a “Monday Massacre,” as students do not believe a policy that was never distributed to parents or students will be enforced.
The policy treats boys and girls differently: girls’ jeans are all made as lowriders, with few exceptions—too few to clothe the tens of thousands of girls who would need to purchase them before the Massacre.
How they dress on the outside does not penetrate the skin and reach the hearts and brains of our children, who will be at high risk of becoming rebellious and academically “shutting down.” The clothes truly do not a man (or woman) make.
The phone “survey” was unclear, and never truly allowed most parents to correctly express themselves. The results have never been made public. It was unfair that the survey took place before all of the relevant information was presented to the Metro community. This is a process in which Dr. Garcia is given full reign, without challenge by the board or the mayor’s office, to implement whatever policies he wants. Today it is SSA; tomorrow, who knows....
D. SCOTT TROCHTENBERGdtrochtenberg@yahoo.com (Nashville)
