To the Editor:

The good news of the Reaching Heights Spelling Bee is in: Students from Heights High placed second in the competition [a team of CWRU faculty won after three tiebreaker rounds]. Kids, our kids at our high school, from our school district defeated bankers, musicians, librarians, and teachers. This was no kid-on-kid competition. The annual event was a free-for-all tumble amongst spellers of every age, race, gender, and academic background. My goodness, that is good news and we should rejoice. Unfortunately, after reading the newspapers and listening to friends and neighbors who choose not to send their children to our public schools one might think that there is not much to celebrate. However, after the magnificent “Fiddler on the Roof,” the choral tour of New Orleans, and the wave of acceptance news from students getting into every imaginable college and university something good and wholesome is going on. And, on top of all this, children who go through our public schools are not only getting a great education but are participating in an experiment in grass roots democracy. Because our schools will not turn anyone away our children also experience America at its best.

Congratulations students, teachers, administrators, custodians, coaches, aides, school board members and superintendent. Keep up the good work!

John Lentz

Pastor, Forest Hill Church Presbyterian