Readers write: US business, school accountability, student lunches

Letters to the editor for the June 22, 2015, weekly magazine.

Readers Respond

Who should take care of students?
Regarding the June 3 online article “Behind civil disobedience: Woman fired for giving free lunches at school” (CSMonitor.com): How should schools handle this situation? Should taxpayers foot the bill to ensure no student goes without lunch? Public schools report students are arriving at school without having eaten breakfast. For whatever reason, the basic needs of an alarming number of students aren’t being met. Whose responsibility is it to take care of this?
Mary-ann Muffoletto
Logan, Utah

US business above bribes
Regarding the June 15 Monitor’s View “The US probe of world soccer bends a norm toward honesty”: We have worked in the Middle East and Europe since 1995. The 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has governed the conscience of US business dealings outside its borders in a very effective way. While companies from other countries were accustomed to bribing and stretching the truth to win jobs, the US companies stuck to the truth. The FCPA brought an enforced sense of honesty to the job-winning game, and this instilled a trust in US project management.
Richard and Wendy Winegar
Sarnia, Ontario; and Kauai, Hawaii

Hold schools accountable
The June 3 online article “Nevada’s groundbreaking school-choice law: Help or hindrance to public system?” (CSMonitor.com) caused me to consider how accountability for results will be key to the success of the education savings account program. I would suggest baseline and quarterly testing to ensure the ESA opt-in students are making as much progress as their public school counterparts. Otherwise, the alternative sources of education should not be redirecting taxpayer funds. I am confident strong outcomes can be adopted using ESA funds, but only if we allow ongoing intervention to ensure exceptional results.
Kathryn Kelly
Incline Village, Nevada