BOB HARAN on the Pappas Schools Closing

I'm no expert on the Pappas schools for the homeless or the motives behind the recent decision to close them, but common sense should be used when making such decisions. Common sense would tell you that these children are in a unique situation and require special care that may not be provided at more traditional public schools.

It seems to me that the decision to close the Pappas schools for the homeless was based more on finance and less on what's in the best interest of these unfortunate children. I'm considered pretty conservative and I'm beyond a fiscal conservative, I'm cheap when it comes to spending the taxpayers money but, in the richest nation in the world, children shouldn't be homeless in the first placed.

Second, if we are to have homeless children, at the very least, government should provide schools like Pappas to handle their special needs, therefore, closing the Pappas schools was a poor decision by Maricopa County.

Every effort should have been made by our elected official to keep these schools open, including increased funding if necessary.

BOB HARAN,
www.Bob-Haran.info

Since this article was written, a story in today's 'Arizona Republic' came out on the audit of the Pappas School. Here is Bob Haran's reply:

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Posted: Oct 9, 2007 at 7:52 AM
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This is bad, but instead of closing the Pappas
schools, which hurts children in a very unique circumstance, the management of
the schools should be replaced, which has already been done. What the county is
doing is punishing the children for the crimes of the administrators. This
report from the state Auditor General is so bad, the time has certainly come for
Dr. Sandra Dowling to resign as County Superintendent of Schools. If this were
an appointed position she would have been certainly terminated by this time.

BOB HARAN