Letters: Texting, tests hamper students

Regarding "Math teachers are outraged" [Letters, July 1], I am going to let you in on a secret. As a parent of teenagers attending public school, I believe that it is largely the explanation for the drastically falling passing rates on the Regents exams: It's the chronic, pervasive distraction of text messaging, Facebook and electronics in the classroom and at home. It will become apparent to everyone eventually, and corrective action will be taken. But in the meantime, a whole generation of students will have missed out on the ability to learn in a concentrated, focused fashion.

I have restricted my children's cellphone and computer use during school hours and homework time, but when it isn't restricted, they receive text messages, instant messages and Facebook postings pretty much nonstop into the wee hours of the night.

Yes, there is the issue of cyberbullying and sexting, and those are grave concerns. But the simple availability of this technology, without restriction, is devastating to the education of our children.

I'm told that our high school will be giving out iPads to 10th-graders as part of a pilot project. Yet they haven't figured out how to prevent kids from going onto the Internet during class to cheat, browse and chat. Scary stuff.

Nancy Montmarquet, Glen Head

In response to the letter saying we are raising a generation of robots, ["What's wrong with schools? Where to start . . . ," June 30]: I, too, have questioned what is being taught in school. Thankfully my eighth-grade son does well in all subjects. But if you matched his writing ability to that of a grade-schooler of the 1970s, my guess is he'd fall short. This is not due to his laziness. He strives to do well.

State testing has become such a large part of the curriculum that it doesn't leave much time for the three R's we knew back when. It is far past time for the pendulum to swing back, so teachers can actually teach.

To be honest, I don't really care what score my son gets on the state tests. That isn't a true reflection of his knowledge.

So if it's all the same to you, he can keep his TV remote and cellphone which, bless him, he rarely has charged. Let us rally more for our schools to go back to being true places of learning.

Lisa Brodsky Hildreth, Holtsville