(Editor's note: This letter to the editor was originally sent to New York State Education Department Commissioner of Education Richard P. Mills and is being printed here at the author's request.)

I live in Levittown, New York and in case you have not visited our town lately (or ever), I want to be sure you know that there are no Hoovervilles here. Actually there are no tenements or ghettoes here either. For your information, here are some of the things we do have: excellent schools, an outstanding library facility, numerous houses of worship, many beautiful parks, including nine parks with clean, well-maintained public pools, a plethora of sports organizations, civic groups for children and adults, a modern, thriving volunteer fire department and most importantly, we have families. We have thousands of families who live here in houses. People who go to work, pay taxes, have fun and basically do what families all over America do.

I found your inclusion of Levittown in question #34 of the NYS eighth-grade social studies test (along with Hoovervilles, tenements and ghettoes) to be offensive and insensitive. As a professional educator I would think you would have considered the possible ramifications (and hurt) this might have caused. Interestingly, I did not find the question to be embarrassing to Levittown; I found it to be embarrassing to the New York State Education Department and to you as the head of that department. You are supposed to represent the people of this state, not demean them.

One thing I found interesting about your inclusion of Levittown in the question was the fact that Levittown is truly the antithesis of Hooverville. Levittown was built as affordable, quality housing for returning Veterans so that they would not find themselves living in tenements, ghettoes and/or Hoovervilles! Sadly, this question will not disappear into oblivion after this one exam. Year after year students will use this test to prepare for the assessment, perpetuating this insult to Levittown.

So Dr. Mills, I invite you to come to Levittown to see what we are all about. I invite you to come to my home, my street, my community. I invite you to meet my family. If you decide to take me up on my offer, I know you will find no Hoovervilles here.

I will be awaiting your response.

Patricia Freund