Netlets for Monday, June 30

As I read a June 24 letter on the growth of charter schools, I was struck by another example of how a change made this past year in one of the Minneapolis School District's most successful and academic challenging programs is causing the exit of more students.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program has kept many high-achieving students in Minneapolis Public Schools, and has attracted students who were in private elementary and middle schools. In the past, entrance into this highly competitive program was based on a student's past academic achievement and teacher recommendations along with a written essay. Because of these requirements, the highest performing students were put together in a very rigorous learning environment, which motivated them to achieve.

Apparently, though, new academic research has shown that competitive entrance requirements are not the best way to motivate top students as they prepare for high school and college. In its recent high school redesign, the Minneapolis School District has determined that a lottery system based on which middle school you attended, whether or not you have siblings in the same high school, and just pure chance is a better way to select students to create the most rigorous and challenging academic environment.

As we all know the best colleges are moving away from academic performance and other achievements toward selection of new students by lottery. And in the work place, actual performance is not considered when it comes time to award promotions, pay raises or bonuses. I am looking forward to the school district expanding this lottery concept to selection for football, basketball and other sports teams to make them more competitive. Finally, my students may have a chance to play, and who knows, it might even attract students from surrounding school districts that want better odds of making the team.

In reality, I am saddened by this situation. The Minneapolis Public Schools have served my three students very well. However, competition is a fact of life for everyone who wants to get ahead. There are many fine programs in Minneapolis that serve all levels of students, and that is a strength of the district. There are special programs for the lowest-performing students. Why can't there be special programs for the highest-performing students? I even agree that the IB programs should be expanded to meet the level of demand for all who want the challenge. However, the best students should have a chance to learn with the best students based on competitive academic entrance requirements, not a lottery. I have met parents who did not enroll their children in Minneapolis because of this decision, and I do not look forward to the day when I may have to look outside Minneapolis Public Schools when my youngest student is choosing a high school.

COLLIN DICKEY, MINNEAPOLIS

Just as no one beyond the shores of Paradise Island knew that Diana Prince was really Wonder Woman, perhaps no one beyond the shores of Nicollet Island knows the true identity of the super hero sighted on the Hennepin Avenue Bridge on a recent Monday. She was painting over graffiti, on her own time, with her own paint, in a color that matched.

Minneapolis thanks you, Graffiti Avenger.

MARSHALL ONSRUD, MINNEAPOLIS

I was disappointed to read the inaccurate response from Sean Parnell, president of the Center for Competitive Politics, about publicly financed elections (letter, June 23).

David Donnelly from the Campaign Money Watch specifically referred to Arizona's clean election laws that do not run opposition to the First Amendment. Arizona politicians can opt in or out of public financing and are not disallowed to raise private campaign money. There is no cap to limit the amount politicians can communicate with voters. Furthermore, nearly all the politicians in Arizona say they now have much more time to speak with their constituents on the campaign trail instead of fundraising.

We also don't need to look far to see how privately funded elections have corrupted our government. From the Jack Abramoff crimes influencing Republican congressmen, to the bribery of Democratic Sen. William J. Jefferson and the billions of dollars in pork spending, companies are buying unfettered influence from our politicians and reaping the rewards.

JEFF MOCK, HOPKINS

So the Republicans are having trouble coming up with enough volunteers for their convention while their Democratic counterparts have long since fulfilled their requirements ("GOP National Convention puts out SOS for volunteers," June 24).

Could the Republicans' staffing problem be due to party members being unenthusiastic and embarrassed about both the platform and the candidate being touted and, therefore, having no desire to be involved or associated with this year's convention? Maybe they should take a page from the Democrats' playbook.

BRIAN MARSH, SPRING LAKE PARK

Barack Obama may have two Ivy League degrees, but perhaps he and other Democrats should have paid more attention in high school.

In economics, they would have learned that when supply goes up, prices go down. While both sides agree that we need to reduce our demand for oil, only Democrats claim that increasing supply will not have an effect.

Finally, in history class, they might have learned that fanatical world leaders don't "see the light" just because you ask them nicely. No one likes war, but sometimes there are homicidal dictators who defy U.N. resolutions for a decade and use chemical weapons (yes, WMDs) on their own people.

John McCain understands these lessons. He has crossed party lines to get things done, he proposes policies that increase oil supply, and he will use America's military force if needed.

Obama says we should forget these lessons and just "hope" -- hope that the laws of economics will be suspended and that terrorists will change their ways. Unfortunately that kind of hope isn't based on reality or on actual plans. That kind of hope brought us Clinton's Internet stock bubble and the current real estate situation -- it sounds really good at first but there's nothing to back it up!