School's A-F rating system is confusing: Letters to the Editor

El Paso Times
·2 min read
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Montana Vista Elementary School Principal Eric Villalba checks in on classrooms as students and teachers get settled on the first day of school Monday, July 26, 2021, in El Paso. Clint ISD reopened to fully in-person learning for the first time in over a year. The COVID-19 pandemic forced school closures and the school district transitioned to remote learning last spring.

A-F rating system is confusing

As a parent who wants to make sure my child is receiving the best education possible; one that is going to set them up for success, it wasn’t until I attended a parent workshop hosted by CREEED that I realized how important data is in understanding how to know if this was happening. Manny Soto is right in his column, “A-F ratings in STARR exams for students aren't what it seems,” understanding the A-F rating system is confusing to begin with, and it doesn’t really tell parents an accurate picture on how well a school is preparing students for college and beyond.

For me, I would prefer to know if my child is meeting state standards at the minimum and more importantly, if they are on track to be college-ready by the time they get to high school. And if not, at least I’ll have the data to have conversations with their teacher, principal, and other parents about how to get my child and theirs on track for college. After all, shouldn’t we all be striving for and demanding the best education possible for our children?

Brenda Reyes

East El Paso

More:A-F ratings in STARR exams for students aren't what it seems: Manny Soto

Texas could benefit from federal methane rule

As a Franciscan sister in El Paso, I am concerned about the immigration and refugee issue that floods us each day. I also know that some are coming because of food insecurity, which has climate change as a factor, others may be coming because of increasing storms. Right now, the Environmental Protection Agency is having public hearings and asking for comments on national rules to address methane pollution in the oil and gas fields.Methane pollution is more than 80 times stronger than other sources of greenhouse gases that increase climate change disruption. It is also a source of pollution that causes many health concerns adding to the ozone pollution that we and others in West Texas face. It is a moral imperative to care for our common home and work for the dignity of every human being.We know that Texas doesn’t have strong methane rules and could benefit from federal rules. We need the EPA to pass national rules to address methane pollution, flaring and venting and quickly. The Methane Supplemental Rule proposal is an important step forward to ensure that approved monitoring technologies and data are available to all so that communities and individuals can participate and engage in the Super Emitter Response Program, which is designed to quickly address very large leaks from the oil and gas industry.

Odile Coirier

East Central El Paso

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: School's A-F rating system is confusing: Letters to the Editor