It’s good to read that teachers are once again allowed to teach phonics, so their young students have tools to build decoding and spelling skills.

Is vacation days for lost vacation days fair?

For the last 22 months, the medical personnel and first responders of our city have answered the call to help people in need. 

Every day, hundreds of thousands of plastic-wrapped breakfasts are given out to New York City schoolchildren, many of whom eat breakfast at home. Teachers say, “You don’t have to eat it but take it anyway.” At the end of breakfast time, teachers tie a large garbage bag to their classroom door handle, and many students throw out uneaten breakfasts.

The news that some schools are banning the novels of Toni Morrison is cause for alarm. The notion of protecting impressionable students from the uncertainties of the world and the potential for dark human impulses must be dispelled.

Thank you to Tom Murphy for the very necessary, very illuminating “From the Chapter Leader” column in the Oct. 28 issue about the new NYC Medicare Advantage Plus plan