Florida is serious about winning Race to the Top

Re the Feb. 5 letter State attached too many strings, about Florida's efforts to win the federal Race to the Top competition: Race to the Top is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for states and school districts to build on past successes and dramatically improve the quality of education that they provide to their students. Victory in this competition will result in more assistance for our struggling schools, support and training for our teachers, world-class academic standards and assessments and a data system that will put the tools of success into everyone's hands. 1265773277

Crowded classrooms

Crowded classrooms

The Feb. 7 letter `Ordinary' students suffer in crowded schools, which said that class size only benefits the advanced-placement kids, missed the mark. My two children, who are in a gifted program, have suffered through grades two to five with class sizes that have reached 39 kids for every one teacher. 1265773278

Barry's a booster

To all those people who are upset about Dave Barry's Feb. 3 Super Bowl column, Tourist beware: Do NOT go out: Get a sense of humor. No one promotes Miami more than Barry. He not only helped put Miami on the map, he also is a huge supporter of this city.

Partisan bickering hinders our nation's progress

In his State of the Union Address President Obama stressed the importance of Congress coming together for Americans' sake. Both Republicans and Democrats should take this ideal and run with it. The people of our nation have become not only tired but angry with the partisan bickering that has been going on for years now.

Pelosi undermines Obama's quest for change

Leonard Pitts Jr.'s Feb. 3 Other Views column What matters more? Reelection or country? is insightful, wise and clear. Each of President Obama's seven great speeches -- from Philadelphia to Notre Dame, Cairo, Moscow (barely reported as Michael Jackson had just died), West Point, Oslo and Wednesday's Prayer Breakfast -- carried the same, consistent approaches Pitts articulated: civil negotiation, compromise and consensus, or as the administration often suggests -- engagement.