Teachers maligned by headline

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Teachers maligned by headline

I took great umbrage with Jake Griffin's Suburban Watchdog article with the subtitle "Taxpayers' burden for teachers to attend conference adds up" on Feb. 15 in the Daily Herald. As if there is not enough "teacher bashing," you absolutely lied when you used the word "teachers" in that subtitle. that conference had nothing to do with teachers, whom you so unfairly represented.

That conference was attended by school board members, administrators and their families. Not one teacher was there. As you pointed out, the conference was jointly sponsored by the Illinois Association of School Boards, Administrators and the Illinois Association of School Business Officials. In what world is the word "teachers' included in this information?

I am a retired public schoolteacher. and our district always was represented at these conferences, coming away with valuable new tools to hone their respective skills. I am in no way condoning the seemingly exorbitant amount of money spent by some of these districts, but it was not teachers who spent that money. You used the word "taxpayers" 16 times in this misrepresented article, as if to say (very irritatingly, I might add), that taxpayers are standing in the street having their pockets picked by educators.

Educators did not deem that school districts should be funded heavily by taxpayers. Our state and federal governments decided on this method. And, by the way, do you know who the school board members, administrators and teachers are anyway? Taxpayers, the very same ones who pay educators' salaries like everyone else. And due to this state's pension debacle, we as a group are probably going to have to pay more taxes on the taxes we are already paying.

So, get your facts straight before you try bad-mouthing teachers to the public one more time.

Sandy Hill

Aurora