Schools should have closed completely. Teaching online only widens the achievement gap.

Schools should’ve closed completely

As a school psychologist with 40-plus years experience, I am distressed by decisions made regarding futile attempts to continue schooling through an unfair, improvised system that leaves the most vulnerable further behind in a widening gap.

Rather than building the plane on the fly, schools should have closed completely. Schooling, online or in person, should have resumed when all students had full access.

Traditional school could have resumed, where left off, at some future date. July? The next grade may not have started until October, but no one need have been left behind.

Teachers have responded valiantly and there is pride that so much was accomplished quickly, but this does not negate the damage that is done.

Robert C. Locke, Black Mountain

Let virus prompt an education overhaul

Regarding “With online school comes chronic online absenteeism,” (April 7):

As expected, students motivated by grades will make to effort to attend online classes and complete assignments. Those without motivation will expect schools to socially promote them regardless of competency. Maybe now would be a good time for a total overhaul of educational philosophy, structure and strategic methodology, especially with the technology available today. Eliminate grades, standardized tests, and social promoting. Use mastery-based learning where students must demonstrate competency before advancing to higher level concepts.

Cathy DeCostanza, Matthews

Pandemic is not the time to protest

The writer is a Reproductive Rights Coalition volunteer.

Abortion clinic protesters have been arrested in Greensboro and Charlotte for violating stay-at-home orders and the ban on mass gatherings.

We are in the middle of a world pandemic. This is not the time to be making a point if the behavior you engage in to make that point puts the community’s health at risk.

The Charlotte archdiocese and Charlotte area churches should ask priests, pastors and community members to observe the stay-at-home order if they genuinely are “pro-life.”

Brooke Adams, Charlotte

Economic shutdown must be limited

My concern is that local and state leaders will extend this economic shutdown too long for small businesses and restaurants to recover.

Yes, we must social distance and give this virus time to peak, but health experts may not factor into their recommendations the economic devastation and the lives hurt by it, financially and emotionally.

Leaders should listen to the health experts, but then weigh all the factors in deciding how long to keep the economy shut down.

Keith Brittain, Pineville

Don’t forget local businesses like ours

I know everyone is focused supporting restaurants, but I feel they’re forgetting about local family-owned bakeries. We own a bakery in Concord and have lost all of our big events, i.e. parties, weddings, baby and bridal showers, office catering. Those are the big things that pay our bills.

The stimulus package of 25% doesn’t help when you’ve lost all your income. Please, support local small bakers. This crisis has been devastating for us. We’re scared to death to lose everything we’ve worked so hard for.

Dawn and Brian Adinolfe, Concord

Eager for stats from new antibody test

Four days ago the FDA approved a COVID-19 antibody test. One of the most important statistics we could see would measure the population immunity, or simply how many people have survived this - not just those hospitalized, but all those who had mild symptoms and recovered at home.

Group/herd immunity is the only way this virus will get under control without either a vaccine or continued isolation practices. The latter is not economically sustainable.

So I ask the federal powers that be: When will we start seeing these statistics?

Bob Pisano, Indian Trail

Firing of Navy captain was wrong

Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly removed U.S. Navy Capt. Brett Crozier as commanding officer of the USS Theodore Roosevelt because he had “lost confidence” in Crozier.

While all the details are not known, I see this sordid move by a member of the Trump administration as one more removal of a person who is not in lock-step with the administration and its dangerous decisions. Crozier’s blunt letter ruffled administration feathers, so he had to go.

Modly was acting as a puppet for Trump when he dismissed such a leader. Crozier was willing to do what was right for his ship - not for Trump.

Roger Barbee, Mooresville

This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 3:10 PM.