Letters from Our Readers

Dr. Bob Todd felt compelled to respond to my last letter, saying he was not embarrassed by his primary defeat. He is even more insensible than I thought.

States, not just school districts, all over the country allow access to most or all extra-curricular activities for home school children. Many allow them to take individual classes.

I asked for my sixth grade daughter to be in the middle school math club and to try out for the math team, and they kicked her in the teeth. They said, by way of a letter from the district's attorney, after absolutely no discussion, that there is no way to be sure she is keeping up on her work in other classes and that they have no way to discipline her if she causes problems. Has anyone ever known a math club student who did poorly in other classes or who was a trouble maker? Give me a break.

I have talked to literally hundreds of people on the subject and every single one saw it as a "no-brainer." I'm a taxpayer and we live in a "right to school" state. My kids have every right to be involved.

I quizzed Woody Shelnutt and Connie Hale before the last election and they said that my children should be allowed to participate if it is not against the law (it is not). But we have all come to realize that Mr.Shelnutt, like Mr.Clinton, will say anything any time if it will get him out of trouble for that moment.

I come from California and the hardest thing to accept is that Georgians are so slow to make changes. I suspect this has much to do with dinosaurs like Dr.Todd. I pay big-time property taxes, do not burden the school district with any of my four daughters (Yes, Dr. Todd, they are my children, not "children in my care." You may be unaware, but couples adopt children of different races these days). I request participation in something that will cost the district not one extra cent and I am turned down.

The reason 78 percent of the voting public did not vote was because they knew that any percentage who voted would unceremoniously discard Dr.Todd. He is a bureaucrat who needs to try his darnedest to join the '90s, hopefully, before the next millennium arrives.

Bill Webster

Peachtree City