Educating migrant children, school shootings, gun safety 

Migrant children deserve education

As the new school year begins, we celebrate the return of students across Long Island [“What to know as LI schools set to open,” News, Sept. 2].

However, in Roosevelt, many children from migrant families are not attending school. These children deserve the same educational opportunities as their peers, yet barriers are keeping them out of our classrooms.

For many families, fear of deportation makes school attendance risky. Additionally, residency requirements, intended to ensure proper enrollment, can become unintended barriers for vulnerable families. These challenges lead to an unacceptable outcome: Children in our community are being denied their right to education.

As educators, our mission is to provide every child the opportunity to learn and grow. We must work together to ensure that all children, regardless of their circumstances, can access the education they need to succeed.

I am committed to collaborating with local and state leaders to address these barriers. We need flexible residency requirements and clear support for families. Education is a fundamental right, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every child in our community has the opportunity to thrive.

— Shawn K. Wightman, Roosevelt

The writer is superintendent of Roosevelt Union Free School District.

Form coalition to halt school shootings

The nation once again witnesses the tragedy of gun violence and school shootings as four victims succumb to the rage of a gunman, authorities in Georgia said “Worries rekindled for parents,” News, Sept. 6]. Several other innocent lives also were affected with injuries.

The idea that parents and students begin another school year aware that their safety is in jeopardy is disruptive to learning and living. The country is focused on an upcoming general election. This shooting, though, sadly highlights individuals who are threatening to society. Government is not proactive enough in the protection of students.

The 14-year-old alleged shooter apparently slipped through the cracks when over a year ago he was interviewed by the FBI, which could not stop the incident. The boy seems to have been a victim of poor guidance and parental abuse. He cried for help, and the adults in the room failed him.

Mental health advocates, gun law advocates, and schools need to form a coalition to head off these frequent attacks.

— Nancy DiMonte, Elwood

Two issues in schools are intertwined. Many schools are restricting cellphone usage because of the effects on both academic integrity and students’ mental health [“Districts, tell kids: Leave phones home,” Letters, Sept. 6].

Parents worry about cellphones being taken away because they’re afraid of being unable to reach their children if an active shooter is in the building [“We have to try to stop school shootings,” Opinion, Sept. 8].

Too many politicians offer “thoughts and prayers” and say this isn’t the time to be political, and refuse to act to save lives.

In June 2022, just weeks after the shootings in the Tops supermarket in Buffalo and in Uvalde, Texas, our State Legislature passed a bill raising the age of purchasing an assault weapon to 21. Every single Republican legislator from Suffolk and Nassau counties — in both chambers — voted against the bill. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed it into law.

I am weary of hearing about public safety from Republican elected officials who won’t agree to take weapons of war off our streets. In Nassau County, any politicians who target banning transgender female athletes from county facilities rather than banning AR-15s don’t appear to be serious about safety.

The time to get political and pass gun safety legislation is long overdue.

— Shoshana Hershkowitz, South Setauket

If we lived our lives never learning from our mistakes, we would never move forward. This is where we find ourselves, with some Republicans saying it is not the right time to talk about gun reform. Here we go again.

Another school shooting and more children and teachers killed.

An obvious solution to help mitigate this danger is comprehensive gun laws.

Some Republicans falsely claim that the Democrats want to take their guns away. Two things can be true at the same time — smart gun laws and people reserving the right to legal and safe gun ownership.

Before voting, ask which candidates support changes to our laws to stop the slaughter of our children.

— Brenda Ferrante, Lindenhurst

Why do most gun laws protect the gun owners more than the children?

— Paul Pepe, Massapequa