Letters to the Editor: Will Trump become an education president?

To the editor: One of the few glimmers of hope I see in Donald Trump’s incoming presidency is in the area of public education reform. (“Donald Trump has a chance to become a true education president,” Opinion, Nov. 24)

Karin Klein’s editorial was spot on in identifying the problem with high schools becoming so college-focused. The problem is pervasive throughout K-12 education.

Our system of public education was created to foster an informed electorate. It was never designed to create a college-going culture. I hope we will see much-needed reform so our public education system can return to its original charge.

Jason Y. Calizar, Torrance

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To the editor: Trump cannot “become a true education president” while deporting undocumented children and the undocumented parents of U.S. citizen children, cutting SNAP benefits (as he tried to do in his first administration), attacking trans children and their parents and defunding schools that do not suppress students and teachers who protest Israel’s war in Gaza.

As we prepare for another Trump administration, we cannot fall into the trap of viewing his policies in isolation. To do so is to further marginalize the people most affected.

Anya Goldstein, El Segundo

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To the editor: Although I have no problem with supporting careers that don’t need a bachelor’s degree, I think that there is a danger to society in concluding that the only benefit of a college education is to get a higher-paying job.

When I went to college, the focus was on learning about the world and becoming a knowledgeable person overall in order to make a better society. A country rises and falls due to its people’s level of education.

With all the misinformation and pseudoscience on the internet, we need people who have a broader education in order to make decisions that affect all of society from a position of knowledge.

Bruce Halpern, Torrance