Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

October 6, 2012

Letters to the editor: Lots of blame to go around at Cheverus

Cheverus’ coach and athletic director made a bad move, a reader says, when they played Indiana Faithfull, who was later declared ineligible.

Re: "Cheverus stripped of 2010 basketball titles due to ineligible player," Oct. 2:

It seems really very simple. The coach at that time did not have to play this potentially ineligible player, even though the courts said he could be on the team and play. There is nothing in the rules that says a player cannot be benched, captain of the team or not.

Do I think the parents were selfish to do this to this team, taking this issue to court? Of course I do. Selfish and self-centered, shame on them.

But it seems that the coach and athletic director made poor decisions as well. If the kid hadn't garnered a single point and sat on the bench, the rest of the team would have won or lost as a team -- and there is no "I" in "team," right?

Maybe they'd have won a Gold Ball, maybe not. But the school and team wouldn't be embarrassed, as they now are.

Pamela Smith

North Yarmouth

Readers divided over record of House re-election hopeful

With Election Day around the corner, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind Scarborough residents how fortunate we are to have legislators like Republican Amy Volk representing us in the Legislature, especially when it comes to issues involving education.

Amy, the mother of four children who attend (or have graduated from) Scarborough schools, went to Augusta to voice the needs and desires of her constituents.

Amy voted in favor of L.D. 1422, "An Act To Prepare Maine People for the Future Economy," which enacted new high school diploma standards and requirements that provide students the opportunity to gain proficiency (and a diploma) through both "traditional" and "alternative" pathways (such as portfolios, performance, exhibitions and projects).

She also supported L.D. 1858, "An Act To Ensure Effective Teaching and School Leadership," which holds teachers and principals accountable to performance standards and lets the best stand out by creating a new performance evaluation system for Maine's educators.

According to Amy, "This is one of the most exciting bills we passed in the 125th (legislative session)." Just as our students must meet standards to advance to the next grade level, so our teachers, too, will be evaluated to make sure they are providing the best possible education for our children.

Amy keeps us informed about what is happening in Augusta (and here at home in Scarborough) through her frequent emails, her website and Facebook page, and her presence in the community. She keeps education in the forefront as a key issue in her tenure in the Legislature, and would serve us well if elected to another term in the Maine House.

Please remember to keep Scarborough's voice in Augusta by voting for Amy Volk on Nov. 6!

Claudia Murray

Scarborough

It wasn't until I read the Maine Sunday Telegram story about virtual charter schools that I understood how badly we need to remove state Rep. Amy Volk from office this year ("The profit motive behind virtual schools in Maine," Sept. 2).

Volk serves on the board of directors of the Maine Connections Academy, an online charter school that had been bidding for a place in the state education system.

With such a blatant conflict of interest, it should be no surprise that she has pushed policies that would siphon money out of our public schools and into the online school she wishes to start.

(Continued on page 2)

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