Readers Write (Nov. 7): Teens' choices, Postsecondary Enrollment Options programs, MNsure, Target's sales, the election

Thank you for the front-page article "Teenage smoking at lowest level ever" (Nov. 5). It is great to see that youth smoking rates are hitting record lows. Another equally important statistic that the Minnesota Student Survey found was a significant drop (from 33 percent to 9 percent) in 11th-grade girls using tanning beds. There is a strong connection between tanning bed use and skin cancer, so this drop in tanning bed usage will lead to less skin cancer diagnoses.

The writer is the chief executive of the Twin Cities Medical Society and Foundation and senior executive director of Honoring Choices Minnesota.

The eager and active efforts in Fulda, Minn., to suppress higher-achieving students' quest to improve is disgraceful and wrong ("High school frowns on college courses," Nov. 2). I can't imagine a school administrator or teacher stating at their retirement dinner: "I'm proud of my efforts over the years to stifle bright students' desires to reach their full potential."

But the problem in Fulda no doubt exists in many other rural school systems. The voters in rural Minnesota routinely send conservative legislators to the State Capitol, and those legislators in turn routinely stifle and suppress state funding for education. You're working against yourselves, people. My guess is that the parents of those kids shortchanged in Fulda have only one option, that being to move to a larger, suburban area where administrators and teachers believe in helping kids flourish.

The current election mess sees rural voters trying to make America great again by dumbing down, not working to improve.

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As a school board member in Pine City, Minn. (though writing personally, not on behalf of the board), I am aware and concerned about the financial challenges of Minnesota schools. However, I think it's very important for students and families to be fully informed about the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) that have been legally available since 1985; these courses should be "weighted" consistently with other advanced courses in each district. As part of the "social compact" that is public education, we agree to educate each and every learner in the manner most appropriate for his/her ability and college and career goals.

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When something doesn't seem to make sense, we've been told to "follow the money." That advice clearly applies to solving the problem associated with the PSEO program, as described in the Nov. 2 article. The state's student-aid money does indeed follow the student. If a student takes a class through PSEO, the thousands of dollars in aid goes to the college, not the student's high school. The high school loses money it could use to help support efforts that ultimately benefit other students. But a dilemma is created. If a public-school district somehow discourages eligible students from using PSEO, those students might unnecessarily face college-tuition charges later and experience limited academic growth now.

One answer might be that the Legislature move the money. Compromise. Allow high schools to keep a portion of the dollars that follow the students. Public schools could then justify supervising the students within their walls. Colleges can keep in mind that the high school students are not using college facilities. True, they are using college faculties — but probably not to the extent they could if they were on campus.

The trick is determining the portion of the funds, and that's what negotiations are for. Those will be difficult, because legislators' views will undoubtedly depend somewhat on what educational institutions are within their districts. Again, we will have to follow the money.

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I had to navigate the MNsure system on Tuesday ("MNsure stumbles out of the gate," Nov. 2). I have a hard time believing that the phone crush was from a robocalling system. With the threat of capped enrollment, I think that there were that many calls.

I was locked out of the website enrollment for a reason I still don't understand and had to call the phone number. I got in several times, but could only stay on hold for so long. I finally got to who I had to, and the assistance was very good. But, the system to get there was poor.

So of the 50,000 calls, about 10 were from me. I'll bet there were more who called in several times, since most people have to work on a weekday.

Target's senior vice president of grocery management is leaving as sales fall ("Sudden checkout for Target food exec," Nov. 3). I find nothing in the Star Tribune's coverage about the boycott by American Family Association over the policy of transgender access to the restrooms and changing rooms in which they feel most comfortable.

By unreflectively falling in line with a trendy politically correct policy, Target has either ignored — or worse, rejected — the safety and comfort of all the rest of its customers. There are plenty of other places to buy groceries. We have made that simple switch and suspect that despite claims to the contrary, the boycott is making an impact.