42 The QUEE NS Courier • november 21, 2013 for breaking news visit www.queenscourier.com editorial IDENTIFY THIS PLACE Go to www.queenscourier.com and search “Identify This Place” to find out where this is letters THE QUEENS Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Bob Brennan Tonia N. Cimino Amy Amato-Sanchez Nirmal Singh Graziella Zerilli Stephen Reina Ron Torina, Jennifer Decio, Cheryl Gallagher Melisa Chan, Liam La Guerre, Cristabelle Tumola Maggie Hayes, Angy Altamirano Cliff Kasden, Samantha Sohmer, Elizabeth Aloni Cristabelle Tumola Bill Krese Jan DiGeronimo Maria Romero Louise Cavaliere Celeste Alamin Maria Valencia Daphne Fortunate Victoria Schneps-Yunis Joshua A. Schneps Publisher & E ditor Co-Publisher Associate Publisher Editor-In-Chief VP, Events, Web & Social Media Art Director Assistant to Publisher Assistant Art Director Artists Staff Reporters Contributing Reporters Web Editor Editorial Cartoonist Director, Business Developm ent Events Manager Senior Acc ount Executive Classified Manager Controller Office Manager President & CEO Vice President Schneps Communications, 38-15 Bell Blvd., Bayside, NY 11361 718-224-5863 • Fax 718-224-5441 website: www.queenscourier.com e-mail:[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Entire Contents Copyright 2013 by The Queens Courier All letters sent to THE QUEENS COURIER should be brief and are subject to condensing. Writers should include a full address and home and office telephone numbers, where available, as well as affiliation, indicating special interest. Anonymous letters are not printed. Name withheld on request. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, AS WELL AS OP-ED PIECES IN NO WAY REFLECT THE PAPER’S POSITION. No such ad or any part thereof may be reproduced without prior permission of THE QUEENS COURIER. The publishers will not be responsible for any error in advertising beyond the cost of the space occupied by the error. Errors must be reported to THE QUEENS COURIER within five days of publication. Ad position cannot be guaranteed unless paid prior to publication. Schneps Communications assumes no liability for the content or reply to any ads. The advertiser assumes all liability for the content of and all replies. The advertiser agrees to hold The Quens Courier and its employees harmless from all cost, expenses, liabilities, and damages resulting from or caused by the publication or recording placed by the advertiser or any reply to any such advertisement. Help the Philippines Super Typhoon Haiyan has left wide-spread death and destruction in the Philippines that is truly unimaginable. The death toll stands at 10,000 and it is rising, with bodies being found in the aftermath of the worst storm in recorded history. This storm was of epic proportions- even of Biblical proportions. This horrific loss of life touches many, especially those who have family in the region. As such, my heartfelt prayers go out to these families who have lost so much. The Philippines is going to need a lot of help in terms of medical, food and financial assistance in the midst of all this devastation. As Americans I’m asking all who can to contribute to this worthy effort in helping the poor people in the Philippines. There are a number or charitable organizations that can help like: The American Red Cross, UNICEF, Save the Children and the Catholic Relief Services, as well as local religious and community groups to name a few. So please, give, for these people need our help. Remember the good of the many outweighs the good of one. Frederick R. Bedell Jr. Glen Oaks Village Leave it to the teachers Our borough has a superior track record with many of the finest educators in the city. But they are being pushed around in all sorts of ways for reasons that have nothing to do with quality of instruction or service to students. One of these areas is the restrictions on a teacher’s freedom to decide criteria for judging student performance. Don’t tread on teachers’ rights. All this fuss about how teachers grade their students is further evidence of the needless meddling of outside influences, usually political, driven by non-educators ( or those who got their credentials fast as instant rice), who do not like allowing professionals to have reasonable independence in their own classrooms. Teachers should be rigorously trained and then trusted by supervisors who should know at least as much as the teachers do, provided the supervisors rose up “the old-fashioned way.” Teachers should have restored to them reasonable power to decide their own grading policy based on their unique insight and knowledge of their students. Standards should be spelled out clearly to parents and students and they should be enforced fairly. Avenue of appeal should be preserved. But basically it should be up to the teacher alone to develop and justify their own grading policy. That was how it worked in the glory days of public education. Ron Isaac Fresh Meadows Branching out It is great news that half-hour weekend service on the Port Washington line will be restored. Thanks go to Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Thomas Prendergast and Long Island Rail Road President Helene Williams for the funding. It will now be easier to attend Met games, other Citi Field, US Open, Arthur Ashe stadium, Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens Zoo and Madison Square Garden activities, along with Broadway shows. This proves once again why it pays to live in Great Neck, Little Neck, Douglaston, Bayside, Auberndale and other northeast Queens neighborhoods. Those of us in the know live in communities adjacent to Long Island Rail Road Port Washington branch stations. We have great schools and air quality, along with a low crime rate, abundant parks, libraries, shopping, entertainment, movie theaters, hospitals and medical facilities. Riders on the Port Washington branch have far more abundant seating than commuters on other branches. We also have and a quick 30 minute or less trip into Penn Station without having to change at Jamaica. Port Washington branch riders miss most service disruptions. The return of half-hour weekend service on our branch is a nice gift to offset future planned fare increases in 2015 and 2017. Larry Penner A CORRECTION In last week’s issue, Congressmember Grace Meng was incorrectly identified. We regret the error. VISIT QueensCourier.com For more stories Help spread JOY & CHEER It’s that time of year again. The holiday season has arrived, and The Queens Courier will once again be collecting toys and clothing to be donated this year to the Queens Centers for Progress’ Apple Preschool in Jamaica for our annual holiday gift drive. The Apple Preschool program offers children with disabilities a large variety of educational and therapeutic services, including speech, occupational and physical therapy and counseling. The children interact with special education teachers and clinicians who work on language skills, cognitive, motor and social development. After participating in the program, the majority of the children integrate into the public school system. Apple Preschool is asking for new, unused and unwrapped donations for their students, 31 girls and 52 boys between the ages of three and four. Donations can be dropped off at The Courier’s office, located at 38-15 Bell Boulevard in Bayside, up until December 10. So please, as you go spread Christmas cheer, remember those in need and help us bring some holiday spirit to the children. ALL ABOUT THE SCHOOLS It seems that all eyes are on education in our great borough. The Department of Education’s recently released progress reports point out that, out of 62 Queens high schools, 31 earned As, 16 Bs, 6 Cs, 5 Ds and 4 Fs. Progress reports were issued for 239 Queens elementary and middle schools. Fifty-eight of them earned As, 97 Bs, 74 Cs, nine Ds and only one, Springfield Gardens’ Community Voices Middle School, failed. This comes on the heels of some welcome – and some unwelcome – news in our communities. Over in Woodside, officials recently broke ground on the construction of P.S. 339, one of six new schools expected to be fully operational by 2016 in western Queens. Meanwhile, over in Bayside, a controversial proposal to build an elementary school at the site of the Keil Bros. Garden Center and Nursery sailed through the City Council, despite the community’s overwhelming opposition. Nearby homeowners said the 456-seat institution would destroy their quality of life, worsen parking and traffic and lead to dangerous crossing conditions for students. While we understand their frustrations and concerns of “not in my back yard,” we think that new schools are a necessity. A new school would relieve heavy congestion in the district’s 21 elementary schools and afford our children a better learning environment and experience. We think this is important. After all, aren’t the children our future?
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