Readers write for Sept. 17, 2010

The recent news surrounding three cases of influenza at a Twin Cities nursing home reinforces the importance of annual influenza vaccination as soon as vaccine is available. As chief medical officer of the American Lung Association, it is my responsibility to make sure everyone understands how serious influenza can be.

For the past five years, the American Lung Association has brought its "Faces of Influenza" national educational initiative to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area to help residents put a face on this serious disease and recognize the importance of annual influenza immunization for themselves and their loved ones.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a universal influenza vaccination recommendation to include everyone 6 months of age and older, but vaccination is especially important for individuals 65 years and older. This season, there is even a new, high-dose vaccine option for seniors. I encourage everyone to get vaccinated.

NORMAN H. EDELMAN, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION, NEW YORK CITY

The Sept. 13 story "E-school in trouble over easy diplomas," detailing the allegations that BlueSky Online School issued diplomas to students who fell short of meeting state graduation requirements, raised serious questions about why such inexcusable offenses were allowed to continue unchecked for so long.

BlueSky is an online public school established to work with students seeking an alternative to traditional high school. Some are teenage parents; some work full time to supplement their family income. Others are students in recovery, struggling with mental illness or seeking to make up course credits. They enrolled in BlueSky after being promised an education that could better serve their needs. How disappointing to learn those students were so ill-served by the both the school and its administration that they were allowed to graduate without earning the credits needed.

More troubling is the utter lack of oversight that was exercised by the Minnesota Department of Education. While the department may claim to be "running out of patience" with BlueSky, the fact is that state education officials were made aware of potential problems more than a year prior to the second audit. State officials did a curriculum audit of the school in February 2009 that uncovered issues the school was ordered to fix. When the school missed the deadline to respond or address the issues, the department did not act. When new complaints came in, a second audit was ordered, but even then it was not until news reports detailing the potential misconduct became public that any substantive discussion about corrective action began.

The explanations from the department sound, at best, as if it is not sure of its function, nor its priorities. The dereliction of duty by the department to look out for the best interests of all of our students is just one more example of a continued pattern of ineffective management, gross negligence and inadequate oversight that has occurred throughout the Pawlenty administration.

The bottom line is this: The top priority of the Education Department should always be to serve students' best interests and to follow the law. The staff must be held accountable. Minnesotans -- and Minnesota students -- deserve better.

REP. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville,

and Rep. Carlos Mariani, DFL-St. Paul

GOP gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer's recent comments about teacher tenure making it too hard to fire incompetent teachers got me thinking: There must be lots of other professions that have tenure as well. College football coaches, perhaps?

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All levels of government, as well as colleges and universities, are having budget problems. I have a solution that would help our University of Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Joel Maturi, the U's athletic director, should resign his position because of the way he handled contracts with former football coach Glen Mason and former basketball coach Dan Monson, as well as for the hiring of current football coach Tim Brewster. The U could eliminate the AD position and department budget, which would save significant dollars. Since the football team is uncompetitive, as shown by its record and the recent loss to South Dakota, the program should be dropped. With Nebraska coming into the Big Ten, the Gophers will most likely slide even lower.

And what about the new Taj Mahal, TCF Bank Stadium? It certainly will not guarantee a winning season, and how will it help recruiting when a poor record speaks for itself? The stadium should be sold to Vikings owner Zygi Wilf. The Vikings and the U should negotiate to keep all the parking revenue, which would dearly help the U with its financial woes.

The overall cost of the TCF Stadium was $288.5 million, which is a fraction of what a new one would cost now. Making this transaction would eliminate the yearly stadium discussions and would allow our Legislature to focus on more important issues, such as a failing economy, unemployment and the need for better funding of public schools.