Teaching standards, LIRR, healthy diet and life expectancy

Many factors in play to educate students

All the current and controversial ramblings regarding declining educational standards and whether 65 or 50 should be the passing grade for the Algebra I Regents exam are totally off the mark “Another backward step on education,” Opinion, Sept. 19]. Prime focus, as always, must be on effective pedagogy and the here-and-now continual development of instruction.

Many factors come into play. To what extent, for example, is the instruction progressively methodical in incremental step-by-step stages? Are teachers moving ahead to higher instructional levels before previous levels have been sufficiently covered?

Is instruction mostly geared to the math whizzes in class or to the norm? Is after-school tutoring available on a daily basis?

Are the most successful teachers sharing their savvy with other faculty members? Are outside clinicians invited to describe proven methodologies? How are administrators specifically supporting the teaching staff?

The annual “Back to School Night” at which teachers describe the curriculum to parents is totally inadequate. Parents need to be contacted on a regular basis throughout the school year regarding class progress, challenges and specific guidelines in assisting students.

The nuts and bolts of learning is always continual pedagogical development in this equation.

— Fred Barnett, Lake Grove

The writer taught in the Levittown School District for 45 years.

Just as students and teachers start our first somewhat normal school year, Lane Filler strikes with his opinion on the Board of Regents decision to allow some grace for students who learned through the pandemic “Lower standards will leave kids behind,” Opinion, Sept. 15]. He compares the rigor of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 to the recent decision to allow students to earn Regents credit with a 50 on an assessment. He has a long memory for the NCLB act and its expectations but doesn’t mention COVID-19.

An amendment to the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education pertains to the appeal process for students scoring 50-64 on a Regents exam but who passed the required course. Educators realize students struggled due to the pandemic and its impact: death, illness, quarantine, remote learning, and family complications such as job loss, food insecurity, and homelessness.

The passing score was lowered to accommodate the “missed learning” that occurred. It is disingenuous to not mention the pandemic when discussing this temporary change to graduation requirements. The op-ed is also ironic because by offering a temporary appeal process, the state is actually working to leave no children behind and allow them to move forward out of the pandemic’s shadow.

— Jeanne Knudsen, Ridge

The writer teaches social studies at Longwood High School.

New LIRR patrols will have issues

In January, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority police finally will be leaving the safety of Penn Station and actually will be riding the Long Island Rail Road from 5 a.m. until the evening rush hour [“LIRR ‘patrol’ coming,” News, Sept. 20].

Once again, the MTA/LIRR demonstrates poor leadership skills. I imagine the brain trust will have them in uniforms instead of plain clothes, which is more effective.

Most problems occur at night, especially after concerts and sporting events. That’s when drunks are out causing fights, among other issues on the trains. Now, career criminals and the like will know to adjust their working hours to limit crimes from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. To me, these hours conveniently keep the MTA cops out of danger at the expense of the riders who always have had to fend for themselves. Thanks for nothing.

— Richard J. Trentacosta, Valley Stream

At 90, he can have his pasta and eat it, too

In the scheme of life, this letter is a lightweight. But I felt compelled to tell another side to the health article “Secret to long life?” [exploreLI, Sept. 13], a study predicting that healthy diet adds to life expectancy.

My husband, Dan, just celebrated his 90th birthday, and his diet looks nothing like the one printed: daily servings of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and fish.

The only vegetable he eats is garlic-soaked spinach or string beans. Fish? Never, and also no veal but plenty of beef and pork, especially processed, and chicken only if smothered in rich sauces. Nuts, yes, if they’re fried in oil and heavily salted.

Legumes are doable in lentil soup, richly seasoned, and as beans in beef chili. Whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat and bulgur do not reside in our pantry. Coffee, yes; sugared drinks, yes. And lots and lots of pasta. And what did this 90-year-old do to celebrate his momentous birthday?

He enjoyed five laps around a course in a Lamborghini driven by a professional. Sometimes studies miss an exception.

— Pat Visconti, Islip Terrace