Legislation signed by Brown last year requires the state Board of Education to approve a new assessment plan for California. The board will work to minimize the number or length of tests and to return results to teachers more quickly. With these changes, we can save time and keep our focus on teaching and learning.
Sue Burr
Sacramento
The writer is executive director of the state Board of Education.
Teachers aren't opposed to testing. We give meaningful tests all year long and use the results to see where students need more help.
But making all students regurgitate memorized facts learned throughout their entire school careers on a yearly test that means nothing to them so that the government and critics of public education can play "gotcha!" with schools and teachers is hardly reform.
Kurt Page
Laguna Niguel
Water wise
Re "San Francisco's water ways," Editorial, Jan. 15
Thank you for acknowledging the futility of dismantling the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, which serves 2.6 million water customers and generates clean energy. In San Francisco, we're proud that our households consume on average one-third the amount used by others in California.
More than 30 cities utilize Hetch Hetchy water. These cities use about 33 million gallons of groundwater per day and nearly 6 million gallons of recycled water.
This year, San Francisco will start delivering recycled water to Harding Park and Sharp Park. San Francisco plans to recycle 4 million gallons per day and double our groundwater use to 4 million gallons per day in the coming years. We also offer programs promoting conservation.
California's water resources would be well served if everyone used as little water as Hetch Hetchy's customers do.
Ed Harrington
San Francisco
The writer is general manager of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
Serious comedy
Re "Colbert raised Cain but not many votes," Jan. 23
Although satire is his tool of choice, Stephen Colbert is doing more to educate Americans on so-called super PACs and the coordination between politicians and their oceans of unlimited money than any pundit, policy paper or newspaper.
Colbert is showing us how it works, piece by piece.
Something bigger than a laugh is happening here.
Richard Hawkins
Sherman Oaks
