In Phil Bacharach’s rebuttal to Dr. Deering’s comments on the A-F grading system, he says, "Not knowing you have a health problem does not make the ailment go away. If you know about it, however, you can treat it and take steps to lead a healther life."

The problem with the A-F grading system is that it ignores the heath of the community in which our schools are located.

You simply can’t ignore the effect that poverty and homelessness have on a student.

You can’t ignore the effect of being hungry or unwanted.

You can’t ignore the fact that many poor students can’t see because they need glasses or can’t concentrate because their teeth hurt.

You can’t ignore that many parents just don’t care and think of schools as nothing more than free day care.

Give me an involved caring community and I’ll give you a successful school.

Give me an uncaring, crime ridden neighborhood, and I’ll give you a failing school.

Yes, Mr. Barcharach you can’t ignore your health and have a healthy life, but you can’t ignore the health of a community and have a successful school.

Not including the health of a community as part of the A-F grading system makes it invalid on its face because it ignores the reality of what’s going on in our neighborhoods. That’s why both of our great state universities called into question the A-F grading system, not because they have some hidden agenda.

Dr. Deering is one of the finest school superintendents in the state. Instead of condemning her, you should be working with her to fix the problems in public education.

Glenn Goldschlager.

Midwest City