Write a letter to the editor at the
Greenfield Recorder. Topics can be anything from local topics like the parking kiosks being installed, a big box store for Greenfield, to international topics such as the tragedy in Japan or the revolutions in the Middle East.
The letter should be 100 words minimum and 300 words maximum.
The letter should feature the use of rhetorical devices which help to achieve your purpose.
Be aware of your audience, your purpose, and your tone.
Content will not be revised, but mechanics and spelling may need to be revised for publication.
For examples, see the handout as well as a sample below.
"Our Public Charter School
After reading both the sentiments of Mr. Garbus and Mr. Plotkin, the voters of Franklin County should now be aware of the public nature of Four Rivers Charter School. While both letters promoted the fair lottery as evidence of a fair system, both letters also failed to address a most unfair underlying premise: Children who struggle the most in schools lack stable support at home. The single action of entering one’s child into the unarguably fair lottery distinguishes the parents of these prospective students as parents who are willing to take appropriate and proactive action to ensure the education of their children. To separate out these families sets up an unfair system. Implying that our local public charter school in no way hand picks children is fallacious. The mere presence of an entrance requirement which exceeds the local surrounding public school’s requirements refutes their claim of equality. If the argument of both gentlemen is that Four Rivers Charter School does not hand pick the kids from the lottery pool, then I concur. However, if the argument is that having an application process to enter the lottery is not a powerful, albeit covert form of selection, then I must disagree. Much like Mr. Garbus and Mr. Plotkin, I am a proponent of an enriching and engaging education for all the students in Franklin County, but adopting a policy akin to W.E. Dubois’s “Talented Tenth” is not only ineffective, but unfair. "
