Letters to the Editor in Press, Oct. 1st & 2nd

Race not the issue (Oct. 2nd)

I am writing in response to the article in the Tuesday Sept. 18 edition titled "Like us or leave us, GR board tells parents." School board member Arnie Smithalexander stated that some parents seek student transfers out of the Grand Rapids district because of "blatant racism. They don't want to send their kids to our schools because of the way our kids look. And if they want to send their kids to Kentwood, Grandville or Hudsonville, then fine. They should move there."

It is obvious from her statement that she has never been inside any of our local charter schools.

Local charter schools are racially and economically diverse. The majority of charter school parents did not choose a charter school over GRPS because of the presence of minorities. It angers me that Ms. Smithalexander would bring race into the issue.

Many of us like Grand Rapids and are happy in our culturally diverse neighborhoods; we are just not satisfied with our neighborhood schools and want something better for our children. We want higher academic standards, a safer learning environments and access to better music and arts programs.

The charter schools' four main pillars of higher academic excellence, moral focus, student responsibility and parental partnerships are what keep us there. Safety is a big factor in why parents choose to send their children to charter schools.

Unfortunately for GRPS this has trickled down and is affecting the middle and elementary as well as the high schools.

-- LYNNE BEALS/Grand Rapids

All about money (Oct. 1st)

I'm writing about The Press article "Like us or leave us, GR board tells parents" (Sept. 18). Why is it that the first thing that comes out of certain people's mouths is racism? The remark made by Arnie Smithalexander is very much uncalled for. "It's just blatant racism. . .They don't want to send their kids to our schools because of the way our kids look." That's being racist. It's all about the money. That's why she is saying this.

--We the parents have the right to pursue choice opportunities.

-- Parents who live in Grand Rapids pay property taxes and some of that tax goes to Grand Rapids schools.

-- Parents who send their kids to other schools provide transportation for their kids.

-- If all families who send their kids to other schools who lived in the Grand Rapids school district moved out of Grand Rapids, who would be paying the property taxes that helps support the district? It sure wouldn't be us; Grand Rapids schools would go broke.

What gives her the right to judge parents who send their kids to other schools? How does she know the reason parents send kids to other schools? Has she ever asked why? She is the one who is being racist. She obviously doesn't like the way our kids look and this is the reason why I would not let my kids go to Grand Rapids schools because of her and other board members' attitudes. Like I said, it's all about the money, not the kids' education.

-- LISA BOLAND/Grand Rapids

GRPS should do better (Oct. 1st)

If you don't like it you can leave? A private business adopting this attitude wouldn't last long ("Like us or leave us, GR board tells parents," Press, Sept. 18). It amazes me that our "leaders" can't take responsibility for the mess they created.

We all want the best education and safest atmosphere for our children. The visible measurement of school success is what's seen in published test reports. Since children are our most valuable resource, why would anyone with means and mobility send their children to schools with low test scores or a "rough" atmosphere?

Since the year 2000, Grand Rapids Public Schools have closed the most successful elementary schools in the city: Hillcrest, Vandenberg, West Leonard and Fountain. Our elementary schools are where families become committed to GRPS.

These programs attracted people (transfers) who saw a way to get a quality education in GRPS. The district restricted transfers to other districts (which kept students and money in the district). The district wouldn't have its house painted by someone that did shoddy work, just because he had a ladder, paint brush and lived in the neighborhood.

I won't send my children to a school with low scores, just because it happens to be close to my home.

If the district bothered to do exit interviews with families leaving, it would find "superior education" and "safety" to be the dominating reasons people leave GRPS. They'd also find Asian, black and Hispanic families leaving the district. This is not a racial issue.

-- SALLY LOWE/Grand Rapids