Letters to the editor for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014

Change education system so it inspires our students

Our education system can be modified to inspire students to set their own goals, strive for excellence, and become mentors for younger students. Apply this to driver education!

Help them develop a sense of sincerity, service and sacrifice, a desire for perfection and excellence. Assign a broad range of responsibilities such as housekeeping, accounting, food service, leadership, communication, student government, public relations, building and grounds maintenance, discipline and security. Start at the elementary level, allowing each student to determine his or her aspirations, needs and interests. At graduation, they would be ready for their two-year service, in which they would be trained to find their place based on physical ability, talent, skill, education and ambition. Incorporate a student mix, regardless of ethnicity, gender and ability, and encourage teamwork.

Implementation: A place for everyone and everyone has a place where the rewards of virtue are greatest, where the noblest citizens are enlisted in the service of the nation. Parental involvement with an adult volunteer corps could implement this program to set goals, monitor behavior and progress, and provide periodic review. Coordination, accountability and supervision would be the responsibility of the school administration. This would include providing vocational opportunities for part-time employment and training and experience and careers for their post-two-year commitment.

The Nevada Department of Education could instill interschool competition used to evaluate program effectiveness.

Your thoughts are very important to me to bring this concept to fruition. If this is a bad idea, I have tar and feathers available. Semper Fi.

Ron Kendall

President of the Look Ahead Driving Simulator Foundation

EPA story contradicted Obama’s hollow claim

In the State of the Union speech we heard that red tape will be reduced to help employment. In the Wednesday, Jan. 29 paper on page six is a story about Obama’s EPA wanting to shut down the Reno/Sparks bypass highway project. The lies continue!

Reed Henrichsen

Carson City