The teachers union is the problem. It demands higher wages, smaller class size, more teaching aids (and aides), then blames parent apathy for weak results. And that is true across the country, not just in Philadelphia.

The study should have included teachers (salaries, health, retirement and other benefits) in Canada, Germany, France, Mexico and developing countries with the education results in those countries, then compared those to our results.

We should import 10,000 teachers from England, Canada, etc., at half the current payroll and start over. Then we can reward the teachers who motivate students and perform, and still save millions. We pay top dollar for bottom results, and we have for 50 years. Let's clean house. We cannot pay full-time salaries and astronomical benefit packages for part-time jobs that yield sub-par results.

Joe Murray

Morrell Park

Northeast gets the shaft on parks panel

I was really disappointed to see that the city's new Parks and Recreation Commission lacks Northeast representation. I was one of about 250 applicants that applied for the new commission, which is replacing the Fairmount Park Commission. I have 20 years experience as an officer with the Friends of Pennypack Park, one of the many volunteer groups here in Northeast Philadelphia.

With all the park groups, recreation volunteers and athletic organizations throughout the Northeast, representation was warranted for an area of more than one-third the area of Philadelphia. One of the inadequacies of the Fairmount Park Commission for many years was sparse representation of the Northeast.

The process was for City Council to nominate 25 names to be submitted to the mayor. Then the mayor was to appoint nine from that field, and the new commission can include people from outside the city (counties contiguous to the city). Unfortunately, it appears that the mayor has appointed two people from outside the city and ignored Northeast Philadelphia.

There are many in my organization and in the Northeast that have the experience to tackle the many problems that face our parks and recreation facilities, and have the "roll up your sleeves attitude" to get things done.

Harvey R. Cantor

Somerton

Editor's note: Two mayoral appointees, Anthony Langford and Carlos Rodriguez, listed Northeast addresses on their applications to the commission. Langford's application identified him as president of the Friends of East Fairmount Park and a board member of the Strawberry Mansion CDC. Rodriguez' application identified him as a Beneficial Bank branch manager and president of a North Philadelphia-based youth baseball program.

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