Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D.

To the Editor:

Thank you for “Scissors, Glue, Pencils? Check. Cleaning Spray?”
(front page, Aug. 15), about how shrinking public school budgets have
forced schools to ask students to provide supplies that would normally
be supplied by the school.

This is unmistakable documentation of the defunding of American
education (not to mention other services and infrastructure) by our
political leaders, who would rather finance the military-industrial
complex (by starting and prolonging foreign wars), Wall Street barons
(by bailing them out and letting them avoid paying taxes) and Big Oil
(by subsidizing it and limiting penalties for environmental
destruction).

What’s the next step? One-room schoolhouses? Welcome to the new feudal
America, where we pay taxes so that mercenaries and polluters can send
their kids to private schools. Is it any wonder that America is losing
its competitive edge in academia?

Ruth E. Kastner
Greenbelt, Md., Aug. 15, 2010

Note from KBJ: The letter writer says nothing about the bloated administrations of public schools. Getting rid of one unnecessary administrator would pay for school supplies.