It’s offensive to pretend to need a service animal

People who pretend to be disabled and disguise their pets as service animals so they can bring them to places animals usually are not allowed are a rotten lot, to put it bluntly.

The American With Disabilities Act is supposed to help people who rely on service animals to navigate the obstacles of daily life — not thoughtless posers who feel entitled to bring Fido along on every errand. Legally, this is a tricky violation to enforce, which has slowed down legislative attempts to address the problem. Morally, there is no question that something must be done to stop this offensive charade.

Your chance to help shape DOE school calendar

Kudos to the state Department of Education for seeking broad input as it considers changing the school calendar for the 2016-17 academic year and beyond. The DOE has posted an online survey at http://bit.ly/1CIq6ac that asks respondents to rank their preferred calendars among several options, and provides room for open-ended suggestions.

The simple online survey, open until April 22, is an ideal way to collect input from all members of the public-school community, with parents strongly encouraged to participate. Until now, the DOE has developed the school calendar based on prior models, with input from educators. Bringing parents and students more fully into the discussion is a welcome improvement.