Cut overhead with automated learning
Re: “MontCo magnets show imperfect reform,” July 29
With laptop learning, testing can be built in for elements such as students’ progress through a course. This has worked well for years and now it’s cost-performance effective. For example, a course in math could be constructed through differential calculus, including geometry and statistics, with automated testing throughout the course.
Students would be graded on how far they progress to the end of the course. Use of practical problems like those in “How Stuff Works” would show how well the student has learned practical elements of the course. Test questions would be randomly and automatically selected from hundreds stored in laptop or online computers.
As new material is covered, new questions would be added to the automated tests. Some questions would cover material from previous elements of the course to ensure students retain what should have been learned and retained.
In short, it’s a practical and less expensive way to educate and evaluate students. It also can be used any time in any place on any path at any pace.
G. Stanley Doore
Silver Spring
Promising PACE program in jeopardy
Re: “Energy program on the ropes as Fannie, Freddie balk,” July 21
Property Assessed Clean Energy is an innovative program that helps local communities by creating green jobs and reducing energy consumption. PACE enables homeowners in Maryland and 21 other states to make energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements, such as solar panels and weatherization retrofits, and to pay for the cost over time through their property taxes. Any increase in residential taxes is offset by a reduction in energy costs.
The Federal Housing Finance Authority, a federally mandated agency created to regulate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently declared that PACE programs violate the terms of the mortgages owned by these very companies, and as a result, were shut down.
Assessing local property taxes is the responsibility of local governments. The federal government — at the behest of Fannie and Freddie– shouldn’t be in the business of regulating or restricting a local government’s ability to administer PACE. Local governments issue special assessments to finance storm and water projects, sidewalks, business improvements and school construction. Now, it would appear that the federal government wants authority to regulate these projects also.
Congress must intervene to ensure PACE programs are fully restored. Between our weak economy and the oil spill in the Gulf, we simply cannot afford to turn our backs on this promising program.
Martin J. Chavez
Washington
Outsider’s take on Metro and Pepco
As an outsider who has lived in three states before moving here 17 years ago, I can assure area residents that other major transportation systems and utility companies do not operate as badly as Metro and Pepco.
For both, the problem is decision makers acting with redneck logic, hillbilly work ethic, and weak ethics.
The Metro system will never operate efficiently, safely, or without embezzlement as long as they keep the same board and senior staff. They need people in key positions who worked public transportation in other major cities.
Regarding Pepco, I never lost power for days in perfect sunlight other places. Despite their PR spin, the difference is the overhead lines. In my 20 years there, none of the perils they listed happened to our underground wires in Massachusetts. If Pepco started replacing the overhead lines in manageable segments 17 years ago, they’d be done now!
Diana Trent Truk
Gaithersburg
