OCR Text |
Show 4A Sun Advocate, Price, Utah -- - Thursday, May 20,1999 Sun Advocate Stall editorial Finds charter school concept confusing By JACKIE ANDERSON ing a single school. I believe education tried a similar concept and Staff writer site based management. the term occasionally, but dont know if it is still in place or just disappeared in the way of many new and innovative educational concepts. Curriculum development will be a parent-teachdecision." hope they can reach a consensus by the end of their first school year. School uniforms will be worn by teachers and students." They could be on to something there. "All classes will be limited to 20 students." They are definitely on to something there. So why can a charter school, which is funded (with the exception of a start up grant) with the same called just dont get it. What's up with charter schools? Apparently, Utah is behind the times when it comes to the concept. I hear other states have had I functioning charter schools for some time. I'll admit I had heard the term and was a bit embarrassed, as a one time educator, that I didnt have a clue as to what a charter school was. Utah is finally catching up with the rest of the nation. Grant funding will have eight charter schools operating next fall, one of them right here in Carbon County. have interviewed the local charter founder, researched the web for information, attended the local meetings, written articles explaining what a charter school is. Nonetheless, still dont get it. Before me is a document distributed to participating parents in attendance at the last Pinnacle Canyon Academy meeting. It explains the purpose, mission and description of the school. If there is a difference between the charter and other public schools in these areas, it escapes me. The document goes on to list the differences: School governance is a combination of parents, teachers, board members and community busiI I nesses." This sounds to me like a miniature version of the already existing district school board, but one serv it still hear I er I WPU monies as regular public schools, limit class size, but regular public schools can not? "Because we choose to," stated Roberta Hardy. The local charter organizer explained that committee members choose to receive less money in WPUs in favor of the smaller class size. What is the charter school giving up in favor of smaller classes? Not teacher salaries. A beginning teacher at the Pinnacle Peak School will be making approximately $14,000 more a year than other beginning teachers in the district. Steps, lanes and tenure, however, are not offered. Not technology. Each student will have daily ac cess to classroom computers inter linked by a web server allowing parental review and involvement and technology training for teachers will be ongoing. The charter school will forego bussing. Parents are responsible for transporting students to and from school. Administrative salaries will not be a factor. Hardy is volunteering her director services, and teachers have agreed to divide up principals duties. The school is renting its building, commonly less expensive than ownership. The charter school will be utilizing existing cafeteria services at Sally Mauro, also a savings in facility and staff costs. Why did the state approve charter schools? What are they hoping to accomplish? Hardy says it provides parents with an option to regular schools. She says teacher's will have more flexibility in exploring alternative, innovative approaches to classroom instruction, students will have ready access to technology, class sizes will be smaller and parents will have more input into the entire education process. Arent those the same things you and I want for our kids? Do they have to go to a charter school to get them? Shouldnt all students have access to those educational opportunities in all of our schools? I applaud Hardy, the Pinnacle Canyon committee, and the parents for taking advantage of the on page 5A) Guest editorial Hate crime bills undermine equal justice By DANIEL NEWBY erly are typically infused with hatred or, at the very least, an incredible disregard for the worth and rights Sutherland Institute During the last session of the Utah Legislature, there was a great debate surrounding the unsuccessful hate crimes amendments proposal, Senate Bill 34. The recent murder of Matthew Shepard, a homo- sexual college student, prompted the Wyoming Legislature to consider hate crime measures. Now the United States Congress is considering hate crime legislation that would impose greater penalties on criminals who target victims based on race, sex, religion or sexual orientation. The American judicial system has a long history of attempting to identify certain factors that may have contributed to criminal acts. Juries and judges attempt to determine whether a crime was premeditated or accidental, whether there was any malicious intent to do harm to the victim. These are reasonable questions that can, and often should, be taken into consideration in judgment and sentencing. Recent hate crime proposals, however, attempt to take the difficult job of determining intent to a new level. Federal and state proposals all appear to have one thing in common: setting up special classes of victims, who are afforded a higher level of government protection than others victimized by similar crimes. Hate crime proposals assign punishment on the basis of thoughts and beliefs and attempt to discover and then punish what people think, rather than focusing on criminal acts of violence and vandalism. Violent crimes against individuals and their prop of another human being. The question is whether to attempt to categorize and play favorites with varieties of hatred. Can a judicial system remain just while setting up a special hierarchy of victims and increasing punishments for convicted criminal offenders for harboring the wrong kind of thoughts? Men and governments are not endowed with sufficient wisdom and knowledge to set up elaborate legislative indicators and penalties for hateful thoughts, beliefs or philosophies. This is not only unreasonable to expect of a judge and jury, but it is completely beyond the capacity or right of human beings. In addition, history has repeatedly proven the inthat to results from or dienhance justice attempts minish punishment on the basis of what an individual thinks. Consider the trench coat murderers at Columbine High in Littleton, Colo., who targeted athletes, minorities and Christians. Athletes are not covered by hate crimes proposals and many children were murdered who did not fall into any of those convenient categories. Shall we attempt to place crimes against athletes higher or lower than crimes against homosexuals or Jews? Hate crime proposals imply that these children were less deserving of protection and that their perpetrators were less deserving of the maximum punishment possible under the law. Another example is organized crime, which is often Letters to the Questions BORs request for building moratorium at Scofield Reservoir Editor: At the last meeting of Carbon conducted in a methodical, dollar-basmanner, not County Planning & Zoning, a repremotivated by other factors considered in hate crime sentative of the United States Buof Reclamation asked to be on reau proposals. the agenda Organized crimes should not be considered less seHe wanted to discuss land ownriously simply because they are not motivated by a and establishment of propership victim's color or ethnicity. erty tines at Scofield Reservoir. Finally, should a rapist receive a lighter punishment There had been a question rebecause he was offended that his victim was not atgarding one lot at Scofield as not tracted to him than if he took offense to his victims being entirely on an individuals property and possibly on U.S. Bureligious affiliation or sexual orientation? reau of Reclamation property. Absolutely not. In the meeting, the BOR repreA victim of rape is a victim of an act that rape sentative indicated he thinks most should be equally horrendous, malicious, and despiof the property around the lake is cable regardless, and separate, of the guiding thoughts in the tided ownership of the United or beliefs of the perpetrator. States Department of the Interior, A caring Bureau of Reclamation. society will demand that its government He asked the Carbon County render equal justice against the perpetrator. All violent acts of malice and all victims should be planning commission to recommend to the commissioners a moratorium equal in the eyes of a justice system without bibs, prejuon building at Scofield Reservoir dice or some nebulous hierarchy of hateful thoughts. while they examine the ownership As Martin Luther King Jr. emphatically declared in question. his quest for a just and unbiased America: have a The planning commission would dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out not agree to that request. the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation representative could not give spebe that all men are created equal. cific answers to many questions. He Men and governments have the ability to identify indicated BOR is going to request and attempt to punish violent crimes against citizens the U.S. Bureau of Land Manageand their property. ment do research on the ownership This is an enormous and challenging task for all levand boundaries. els of government, as can be evidenced by struggling One of the questions put before the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation repand overcrowded judicial and penal systems. resentative was: Why now? He Care should be taken not to further complicate the said it was a directive to the bureau (Continued on page 5A). from the vice president. The effort by Sanpete County to take water away from Scofield Reservoir is now in court and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has been put on hold with that project. Was the visit by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to the Carbon County planning commission an honest effort to get things right or ed I nt editor was it an attempt to bring pressure on Carbon County because of our opposition to the Narrows project? With the detailed paper trail on property transactions, it is hard to believe all the property owners around Scofield Reservoir do 'not have good title. Many property transactions have been made at the Scofield Reservoir area over the past few years. Local title companies have looked at titfes in this area. Has research found anything to indicate other then proper ownership by individuals? Local banks have made loans on individual properties in this area. Have the banks found any ownership problems? From my point of view, something just does not feel right with the bureaus request. Richard Tatton Price Urges residents to register, vote for constitutionalists Editor: As we approach the election of 2000, Carbon County residents will hear more about term limits. In my opinion, our voters need more constitutional information on the subject. Americas founders were right! There is only one way to limit terms and that is in the voting booth. We must not become apathetic regarding our privilege and responsibility of voting. If we abstain, we contribute to minority rule and, therefore, have no right to complain. We will deserve what we get. Prepare now - register to vote. Limiting the number of terms an elected official can serve is being promoted as a cure for an unresponsive United States Congress. (Continued on page 5 A) Sun Advocate Voice of Carbon County since 1892 Subscription Rates: 50 cents per copy; $37 per year delivered by carrier In Carbon and Emery counties; $38 In Utah, $54 out of Utah per year by mail. Classifieds Deadline: Monday at 1 0 a. m. for Tuesdays publication and Wednesday at 10 a.m. for Thursdays Publication No. (USPS 1 Issued twice a week at Price, Utah. Periodical postage paid at Price, Utah, and at additional mailing office PO Box 589, Castle Dale, Utah 84513. Postmaster: Send change of address PO Box 870, Price, Utah 84501. to Entire contents copyright 1 998 Sun Advocate Inc. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced In any form with out the expressed consent of the managing editor or publisher. Intemet:e-mall- : editorsunad.com, adssunad.com web - http:www.sunad.com I I' I |