Last Sunday, Washington Post staff writer Brigid Schulte made the argument for year-round school in America ("Kids Love Year-Round School," Oct. 25 Forum). Her stance was based largely on the assumption that more time in our schools and with our teachers will guarantee higher performance by our children. As the parent of three children, all under the age of 8, I disagree.

The education of a child is bigger than simple math facts and the memorization of science theories. It should be a holistic journey from childhood to adulthood -- from a carefree life where Mom and Dad are responsible for everything to maturity where they are responsible for themselves and others.

Summers provide the opportunity for kids to experience important lessons that cannot be taught in the classroom. Activities such as scouting, Bible school, athletic camps, summer jobs and programs provided by our museums and colleges provide kids the opportunity to learn life lessons.

As a teenager, I worked in a grocery store during the summer. The lessons I learned in that environment are still with me. The things my oldest son learned at Cub Scout summer camp this year, and in future years, will help form his character.

Other countries may lead on math and science, but America continues to lead on innovation and leadership. Perhaps it is because our children have a more well-rounded education including the time to develop the creativity, initiative and independence not typically found other places in the world.

Perhaps the most damaging reality of a year-round schedule would be a reduction in family interaction. While many in Washington may believe that education begins in a state-run school, it should begin and end at home. Parents should always be a child's primary teacher.

BILL MILLER
McCandless

Family values

Brigid Schulte advocates a shorter summer vacation be scheduled in children's school calendar ("Kids Love Year-Round School," Oct. 25). This enriches her children's learning while alleviating the conflicts of day care for her busy work schedule.

Why do people who have "found their answer" feel that all people should be forced to share the same values?

Summer vacation was always the favorite school term and recess a favorite class in my family. We don't lack in academics or enrichment, but value creative unstructured activity.

Ms. Schulte, please don't advocate for all children; seek out whatever activities you value to involve your children in and allow other parents to do the same. And allow children the time for the "Huck Finn" summer if that is their value.

TERESE TUMINELLO
Shaler

Peak realities

In his commentary "Peak Everything and the End of the World" (Oct. 25 Forum), Andrew Potter attacked a cartoon view of concerns about running short on resources and the continuing destruction of the environment. Part of his reasoning is that "over the past 100 years, life in the developed world got steadily better by almost any conceivable measure." But he mainly argued that what happened in this period is sure to be sustained in the future. To some extent I agree, but he has taken this point to an extreme, and there is a danger in this.

Mr. Potter has advanced an argument to justify irresponsible behavior. The convinced reader sees "that over the long term, increased productivity leads to ever-higher levels of prosperity, social stability and well-being." The obvious conclusion is that individuals and even corporations don't have to worry and don't have to do anything. Market-driven innovation will take care of everything. It's strange to see this argument for irresponsibility so soon after a worldwide economic disaster that was partially caused by lack of acceptance of the idea of peak real-estate prices. Those who were told that no peak would be reached continued to speculate until the peak was reached and the bubble burst. This didn't include most of us in Western Pennsylvania who acted responsibly in not driving local prices to artificial and unsustainable peaks. But we still suffer from the irresponsible actions of others.

Peaks of all sorts do in fact occur. They cause more damage if we pretend that someone else will prevent them from doing damage. We can take responsibility and also save money in the case of natural resources by not overusing them.

ROBERT J. REILAND
O'Hara

Call to ingenuity

Andrew Potter, in his Oct. 25 piece ("Peak Everything and the End of the World") suggests those who acknowledge peak oil are "doomers." Let me offer a few counterexamples: T. Boone Pickens, James Schlesinger, Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger, Alan Greenspan and Bill Clinton. Further, the American Journal of Public Health is preparing a special issue on the threats peak oil poses to medicine and public health; and the U.S. government has in recent years published several reports -- all virtually ignored -- warning of the dire consequences of peak oil. Finally, the Defense Department hosts a monthly forum on alternative energy, given the reality of peak oil.

Mr. Potter also claims that peak oil has metastasized into absurd claims about "peak everything," including peak credit.

Thirty years ago two books were published, "The Limits to Growth" and "Overshoot," whose core argument is that perpetual economic expansion is impossible in a world of finite resources. "Peak everything" -- including credit -- is pretty much what these books predicted as the endgame of ignoring bio- and geo-physical constraints. This is not a death sentence; rather it's a call to human ingenuity to create an ecologically sustainable world.

DAN BEDNARZ
Edgewood

Let's be serious

Name calling is a commonly employed technique to promote propaganda. When Andrew Potter takes on economist Jeff Rubin's views about resource scarcity (Forum Oct. 25) calling Mr. Rubin and others "peakniks" it was clear from the beginning the essay was going to be a less than honest argument.

The gist of Mr. Potter's argument is "the odds are we're going to figure things out" presumably as the result of innovation. Mr. Potter raises the collapse of fisheries worldwide. Does he really believe we'll be able to invent new fish? He is a former instructor in philosophy and so is presumably deliberately employing logical fallacies in this essay in the service of rhetoric. The essay is most persuasive in demonstrating Mr. Potter's disingenuousness. I should hope that in the future the Post-Gazette will publish serious attempts to engage the issues about resource scarcity.

JOHN POWERS
New Sewickley

UPMC Braddock should be about much more than money

Steve Twedt's piece in Sunday's edition was a love song to efficiency above humanity, profit over compassion with the "experts" Mr. Twedt quotes each contributing a verse ("Empty Beds, Not Empty Coffers Forced Hospital Closing," Oct. 25). However, they neither live in our community, nor have to worry about where their own health care is coming from. I hope their respective employers are appalled, as I am, by what they've said.

Our community just didn't suddenly stop using UPMC Braddock in 2008. The decline in admissions coincides perfectly with UPMC's acquisition of its Monroeville site. Three hospitals -- UPMC Braddock, UPMC McKeesport and Monroeville -- and one facility, financially, must go. From there it was purely a business decision, a view crassly advocated by Mr. Twedt's sources.

I still harbor a great deal of appreciation for the contributions UPMC Braddock has made in the community and in the county as a whole. However, I am deeply saddened by the modus operandi to effectively "blame the victim," that somehow Braddock brought this on ourselves.

The bottom line: The losses UPMC Braddock produced (and will no longer carry) will underwrite the construction of the Monroeville facility. This is great news for everyone in Monroeville (except the giant hospital already in Monroeville) and those in the "let them eat cake" camp, like professors Steve Foreman and Martin Gaynor, can rejoice that ruthless efficiency has indeed vanquished community compassion.

Here in Braddock, we will deeply grieve the loss of a vitally important community asset, partner and friend.

MAYOR JOHN FETTERMAN
Braddock

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