Teachers deserve credit, not scorn
To the editor: In response to Mr. Safley's letter of Sept. 17:
If you are going to praise the District 211 leader for keeping teachers in line for wanting more money, then that same leader should be criticized for all those other atrocities you claim exist.
You say teachers with 25 years' experience do not have the attitude, energy and excitement needed. Then why doesn't that leader fire those old, unenthusiastic slug-a-beds instead of retaining them? And don't give that old they-are-protected-by-tenure line. He is not shy about trumping up charges.
By the way, what unenthusiastic teachers' rooms did you visit? You imply all old are bad and all new are good. Wow!
You say 80 to 90 percent of the student body is shortchanged. How? Are you aware of all the programs and opportunities District 211 offers?
You say our students achieve less than average results. Does our school board know this? Perhaps you should look at the district's home page. The facts prove otherwise.
You say ACT scores for students are among the lowest in the state. Where in the world did you get this information? Our students are above state and national averages in ACT scores.
You say you were forced to vote for the referendum request. How? Actually, the superintendent has taken credit for convincing people to vote for that, so I guess he must take the blame for those distortions of the financial situation that convinced you to vote for it.
You say that class size shouldn't be an issue. Do you know that educational best practices indicate class size is significant in students' learning?
When money is involved for teachers, ugliness of all sorts comes out. However, when teachers turn out children who get good grades, get an education that will serve them well, get scholarships, get into good colleges, get good jobs, and when your property values go up because of these schools and teachers, do you praise the teacher who helped make this happen?
You should. Maybe you should reward them instead of fabricating lies about them and the job they do.
Kelly Higgins
Schaumburg