I am greatly concerned about the education of students who are blind and visually impaired in our state.

These students have the same right as their sighted peers to a quality education. Hawaii School for the Deaf and Blind is a school for the deaf and has not had a program for the blind in nearly 20 years.

Instead, these students attend their neighborhood schools and receive blindness instruction from qualified, certified, district special education teachers of the visually impaired (currently only 17 in our entire state). However, these teaching positions are cut every year, despite the desperate need to educate this population of students.

I am pleading for community support to bring awareness to Department of Education administrators and state officials who continually cut services to these preschool, elementary, middle and high school students throughout our state who have so much potential, but need qualified educators to meet their goals.

Amy Downard

Kakaako

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Low-cost carriers don’t make it here

Garry Corwin praises Air Asia for its low and reasonable prices and wishes to see it enter the interisland market (“Hawaii fliers welcome Air Asia,” Star-Advertiser, Letters, Feb. 22).

Corwin and others should be reminded of all the other “low-cost” carriers that have come to Hawaii. Not a single one exists today.

The record profits that Hawaiian Airlines and all other carriers have recently enjoyed are because of historically low oil prices, which I can assure you will not last forever.

Let us not forget that Hawaiian employs 5,300 local people, providing them with exceptional pay and benefits. Furthermore, the approximately $1 billion in gross revenue that Hawaiian earns annually is subject to state tax, which benefits all of us.

Corwin should be more careful what he wishes for, because the outcome may not be as favorable, as history has clearly demonstrated.

James L. Jones

Hawaii Kai

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Matlin has good eye for coaching talent

I read with interest the story of Robyn Ah-Mow Santos, with awe and anticipation of good things to come for our University of Hawaii Wahine volleyball (“Ah Mow-Santos to take the reins as Shoji retires,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 21).

Our athletic director Dave Matlin has a real eye for winners in the choices he has made for our UH coaches in his two years so far on the job.

The new coaches (football, men’s and women’s basketball) Matlin has chosen display a true passion for their sport, which brings out the best in the players. The coaches’ upbeat energy is reflected onto the fans and creates a great atmosphere.

A big mahalo to Dave Matlin for his excellent choice of coaches. Go Bows!

Joyce Cassen

Aina Haina

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Shoji’s successor a dream choice

It took the right-on column by Lee Cataluna to remind me that I must say thank you (“Women, girls knew pride and respect with Shoji,” Star-Advertiser, Feb. 22).

Thank you to Dave Shoji for his 42 years of coaching the Wahine to 1,202 wins with equanimity and grace.

And thank you to University of Hawaii athletic director Dave Matlin for choosing my longtime dream pick for Shoji’s successor, Robyn Ah-Mow Santos.

Sheryl Gardner

Mililani