To The Editor:

As Ronald Reagan said, "There you go again."

Once again, Terry Wike is starting a campaign of misinformation and distortion aimed at getting people to vote no on the school levy.  As the parent of children who actually attend Westerville schools, I am already fed up and disgusted with the tactics and the lack of facts in the mailing that hit most of Westerville this past week.

For example, Mr Wike says many seniors cant pass a ninth grade reading test.  According to the superintendents office, the reality is that out of 928 students in the 2003 graduating class, only one one! did not pass the graduation test. 

Mr. Wikes letter also paints an ominous picture of the school district hed like to see.  According to his letter, he sees Reading, Writing and Arithmetic as the ceiling of what our children are taught.  Like most parents, I chose Westerville because the school district sees that as the floor.  Schools need to prepare children for the workplace of tomorrow, not the workplace of 1950 Mr. Wike envisions.

Lets all remember two things: First, if you want a quality education you have to pay for it.  Second, a vote against the levy is a vote to cut teachers, transportation and programs aimed at having well-rounded students.  Thats fine if you send your kids to private school, like Mr. Wike.  For the rest of us, there are real consequences for teachers and schools that are doing their very best in the midst of difficult times.

I would like to see people make an informed choice when they go to the polls this fall.  Unfortunately, Terry Wike, or the Westerville Action Group cant be relied on to provide accurate information.  I urge people to visit both www.CitizensforSchools.org and http://wevote2003.tripod.com to find real answers, instead of relying on Mr. Wikes garbage.

Sincerely,

Fred Stratmann