Maryland should move Preakness date

A recent article in The Baltimore Sun discusses the need to revive the Preakness Stakes as an event, in addition to renovating the Pimlico Race Course facilities (“Preakness 2024: Pimlico renovation aims for rejuvenated event — and to quiet doubters,” May 13).

According to reporters Childs Walker and Hayes Gardner, Pimlico race organizers have struggled to attract compelling fields in recent years with fewer trainers willing to run their Kentucky Derby horses after just two weeks’ rest.

The article acknowledges that Maryland officials and racing industry participants have advocated stretching out the Triple Crown schedule to fit modern training practices, “but New York officials have seemed disinclined to move the Belmont from its traditional date three weeks after the Preakness, and there’s no over-arching authority to force their hand.”

But why do New York officials have the final say? Why can’t Preakness officials force their hand simply by changing the date of the Preakness to three weeks after the Derby?

That would shift the burden to New York officials to move the Belmont back a week or contend with trainers who are reluctant to run their horses on only two weeks of rest.

— Michael A. Lee, Towson

Wright is visionary Md. schools need right now

In the realm of education, few leaders have garnered as much acclaim as Carey Wright, the former superintendent of Mississippi’s public schools who was recently confirmed as Maryland state superintendent of schools (“A teachable moment for Maryland’s new school superintendent,” May 1).

Her transformative education approach has positioned her as a beacon of hope for Maryland students.

Wright’s decision to return to Maryland and take on the challenge of revitalizing the state’s education system is a testament to her dedication to provide every child with a high-quality education.

As she brings her wealth of experience to the Free State, it is imperative that we recognize the critical role policymakers and local school leaders play in ensuring success for Maryland students.

In Mississippi, Wright oversaw one of the most amazing turnarounds in education in our country. Since 2013, Mississippi has moved from 49th to 21st in fourth grade reading alongside other academic gains.

Many eyes will be on her to see if she can accomplish the same thing in Maryland, especially given the steady decline in early literacy proficiency that has occurred statewide since 2013 according to The Nation’s Report Card.

Wright’s job in Maryland will be harder than the job in Mississippi because she will be operating with two hands tied behind her back.

In Mississippi, Wright had two incredibly important state policies that gave her the ability to implement the changes she needed to make.

These two state policies — A-to-F school grading and comprehensive science of reading policies — aligned the interests of the adults and educators in each school with the interests of the kids in those same schools.

A proven approach to reading coupled with an understandable system to measure student outcomes and progress gave schools a clear path forward. Wright was able to focus on support and intervention instead of arguing about how schools were really performing.

To replicate her “Mississippi Miracle” in Maryland, Wright cannot work alone. Education stakeholders must unite with the rest of the state behind a common goal: improving Maryland’s education system.

Now is the time to seize the chance to make history in education and Carey Wright is the right leader to guide the way.

— Patricia Levesque, Tallahassee, Florida

The writer is CEO of the Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Supporting Trump does not seem very Christian

I’ve heard on major news outlets that the vast majority of Christian evangelicals support former President Donald Trump (“Dan Rodricks: Digging into the roots of evangelical support for Trump,” Jan. 23).

This is very confusing to me. I was always taught that an evangelical’s beliefs were strongly grounded in right above wrong, hope for the hopeless and working to help the misbegotten.

It is a conundrum to find that millions of them can support a candidate who slept with a porn star while his own wife was pregnant and then paid for her silence on the matter to keep his supporters from finding out.

Doesn’t an evangelical ask a higher power to guide them any more?

— Stephen R. Coar, Havre de Grace