Money isn't the only thing to consider

The students who rallied in Park Ridge to protest Maine Township High School District 207's decision to dismiss more than 130 teachers and other staff deserve commendation for insisting that their education - and especially the education of those with special needs and those learning English as second (or third or fourth) language - is too important to cut.

Sadly, those students will be the ones that suffer under the district's plan.

There is plenty of blame to go around. The school board should have foreseen this situation before it reached this point, and now it should use a small part of its $86 million taxpayer surplus to keep staffing levels adequate.

The teachers union, though, also should share in the blame: older, tenured teachers refused to renegotiate their contract and stubbornly insisted upon a significant cost of living pay increase at a time when the cost of living is not actually rising, when very few in the private sector are getting raises.

Those older teachers will keep their jobs at a higher pay rate while the younger, untenured teachers - including many of the most energetic, passionate teachers, who, at an earlier stage of life and without families of their own, are most available to students as mentors and coaches - will be gone.

These bright young teachers will find jobs in other districts, but those who suffer will be students, who will be jammed into inadequately staffed classrooms. Those who need the most specialized attention to thrive - especially special needs kids, those without parents at home able or willing to provide after-school help with homework, and those learning English for the first time-will flounder. More than just keeping teachers employed, this is a justice issue that the District 207 Board should reconsider.

Matthew Soerens

Glen Ellyn