After spending gobs of money on private school, my daughter entered Chaparral Elementary as a second-grader. After the best-bought education in Santa Fe, we were shocked when she tested at a kindergarten reading level. Now in third grade, she consistently reads fourth-grade material.

I agree with Rob Nikolewski's Jan. 15 column, "Money isn't everything in education." However, more funds could be used for an after-school enrichment program to assure that children in the program receive the support and activities they deserve. This time could also be used to assist gifted children who do not receive challenging work in classes, as teachers have to teach to "the average."

Allie Farnlof's Jan. 15 My View, "School grading system bypasses critical factors" on poverty is right-on, and Farnlof's respect for bilingualism is admirable. However, first and foremost, children need to learn how to speak proper English.


Gentle message

Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council spoke at the Santa Fe Hilton recently to a group that included pastors and legislators. A Jan. 25 letter to the editor, "Hate-mongering," said that Perkins' hate machine does not belong in this legislative session.

Perkins' main points were to "fear God" and "respect others." His message was far from the "hate-mongering" the writer anticipated.

The event was not visited by men in tutus, and there has not been a call to fumigate the venue with sage, as has happened at past Christian events in Santa Fe. When I asked Perkins' advice on the how to deal with those in opposition to our views, his advice was simple; pray for them.


Livestock impacts

Regarding the Jan. 22 article, "Climate plan aims to help ecosystems adapt to change": The United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization states that, "The livestock sector emerges as one of the top contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global. The findings of this report suggest that it should be a major policy focus when dealing with problems of land degradation, climate change and air pollution, water shortage and water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Livestock's contribution to environmental problems is on a massive scale ..."

WorldWatch Institute states, "The environmental impact of the lifecycle and supply chain of animals raised for food has been vastly underestimated, and, in fact, accounts for at least half of all human-caused greenhouse gases." According to the United Nation's Environmental Programme: "A global shift toward a vegan diet is vital to save the world from hunger ... and the worst impacts of climate change."