Letters To The Editor

Sat., Feb. 10, 1996

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Student teacher’s mistake mishandled

I’m disappointed at how the recent incident at Holmes Elementary was resolved. Student teacher Rhonda Rodrigues made a mistake when she had students write an obscene word, even though she was only trying to catch the student responsible for writing the word. Laurie Dolan, a School District 81 administrator, remarked that Rodrigues is “seeing her career flash in front of her eyes.” Dolan went on to say the appropriate reaction would have been to ignore the profanity and continue with the math lesson.

I think Dolan’s recommended reaction is incorrect. If the incident had happened in my classroom I would have taken the opportunity to let the students know that such writing is inappropriate and intolerable. The math lesson could have waited a few minutes. We educators must not ignore inappropriate behavior. By doing so we convey a false message to our students.

I heard that both Eastern Washington University and School District 81 have taken action to remove Rodrigues from the teacher training program. If this is true, I am disappointed. I’ve heard nothing that would indicate Rodrigues was having any other significant problems in her student teaching. Why cast her to the wolves? Because it’s the easy way out? Why can’t the involved parents show a little compassion?

The next time EWU asks me for money I’ll tell them I will be happy to give if the money will be used to implant a backbone.

As for School District 81, I feel that most of the time it takes the easy way out. Patrick W. Carroll Spokane

Student teacher, school treated badly

I am thoroughly disgusted with the way The Spokesman-Review mishandled, misinterpreted and misguided the public in regard to Holmes Elementary School.

From low performance on standardized tests and misquoting Principal Brad Lundstrom to the article regarding my son’s student teacher, you have continued to present Holmes as an inadequate school.

In reality, Holmes has a remarkably dedicated staff that has provided our children with an excellent education.

I have volunteered in my son’s classroom this entire year and have worked with Rhonda Rodrigues since September. She has been a professional, inspirational voice in the classroom. Although she made a dreadful error responding to obscenity, I hope District 81, Eastern Washington University and Spokane citizens will forgive her.

Remembering my student teaching 20 years ago (when students had some respect for authority), to ignore obscenity could open a Pandora’s box for students to take more advantage of a new teacher. I had that same word, a synonym for sexual intercourse, awaiting me at my desk or chalkboard on numerous occasions.

Probably all of our children have “remembered the word” and have “known how to spell it” for years. Let’s be realistic about our children’s innocence.

Before we ruin this young woman’s career, let’s look at the whole picture, the whole person - something The Spokesman-Review has difficulty doing. Rodrigues is a human being who erred, but one who has the potential and dedication - if given the opportunity - to be a great teacher for future students. Louise Chadez Spokane

Media gorged on small potatoes

I don’t think the story about the student teacher and the word chalked on the desk belonged in the paper or on TV. It was a pretty insignificant episode.

Imagine, if something like this happened in Los Angeles it would certainly never make it into the newspaper.

A student teacher is a student. He or she is there to learn something and, unfortunately, this got blown out of proportion by going into the press. I would bet Rhonda Rodrigues has learned a better way to handle this type of situation, but it shouldn’t be something that would destroy her career, as was mentioned in the article.

The administration really should have been supportive of her, unless maybe there has been a previous problem we don’t know about. She shouldn’t have been removed from the classroom. She should have been able to handle it her way. She should have been the one to apologize, not the principal.

One person commented that the students have now learned to spell the word. I’m betting there wasn’t a single one of them who had never heard that word before, much less who didn’t know how to spell it.

What they have learned is how easy it is to get rid of a teacher, and I think that’s too bad. Jan Brandvold Spokane

Parent’s reaction worse than incident

Sara Ellard’s paranoid, self-serving rigidity is much more harmful than the offending word could ever be. I beg you, please, don’t teach my children.

I’ve taught them that mistakes are part of learning, flexibility and the willingness to work with and communicate with others is the way to solve conflicts. And, it isn’t always the words you use, it’s the way you use them.

You have shown that you are inflexible, uncommunicative, and vindictive. I would much prefer explaining cuss words to trying to explain your conspiracy theories and self-righteousness to my children. Ann Price Spokane

Rodrigues an asset; Bring her back

Education is a difficult career today. Holmes Elementary School is an extremely taxing place to work, given the high needs of our students and our community.

We are always excited to see a new teacher with the skills to be able to make a difference in education and particularly in the lives of our students. Rhonda Rodrigues is such a person. She has the skills that make her a great asset to education.

The incident that occurred here at Holmes is unfortunate,. What is also unfortunate is the parents’ reaction and the absolute insensitivity of our local media. With all of the real problem in our community and in our world., we are at a total loss to understand why this situation was chosen to give such coverage.

The vast majority of the staff at Holmes Elementary School is totally supportive of Rodrigues. We feel a great loss for our students as well as to the staff. We would like to see her come back to Holmes and we encourage Eastern Washington University to make the necessary arrangements.

She is a valued member of our learning community. We know that she will someday be a great addition to our profession. Mary E. Hageman and Bev Saruwatari, teachers Holmes Elementary School, Spokane

‘Some parents overreacted’

I am a fifth-grade student at Grant Elementary School. Last year I had the privilege of having Rhonda Rodrigues as my Camp Fire troop leader. I think she is a very good leader and would be a good teacher also.

I think that it’s unfair that she got in trouble for her students writing such a silly word. I think some parents overreacted. Allison Rosato Spokane

Incident minor, outcome awful

I still remember the challenge of student teaching almost 30 years ago. I have supervised over 200 student teachers who have experienced that same trial by fire. I understand the need for apprenticeship, training, inservice, practice and the time to learn from mistakes.

You just don’t step onto the court of life without going to practice.

I couldn’t believe the spotlighting of the incident reported in “School kids get a lesson in obscenity.” To end a career before it starts because of such an incident is absolutely incredible.

I know this school, its administration and staff. This incident would not have been ignored. The purpose of student teaching is to learn how to manage and teach 30 diverse individuals at once. Practice in teaching is an imperative part of teacher preparation.

In this complex world it is necessary to teach our children to think, assess, evaluate actions, create options and, most of all, to learn from the consequences of our decisions. It is as important to teach these processes as it is to teach facts.

The reported incident was awkward, but certainly no more so than many episodes that happen daily in today’s classrooms. Is the message to students and new teachers that if they make a mistake they will never be forgiven?

What a shame to lose this teachable moment.

Rhonda Rodrigues, many of us understand your moment of frustration and believe in your learning and commitment to children. I hope you will continue to prepare yourself to teach. Margo Long, director Center for Gifted and Talented Children, Whitworth College

Rodrigues can become a fine teacher

It’s important that some things be said about Rhonda Rodrigues, the student-teacher caught up in the obscene-word controversy at Holmes Elementary School.

As director of student teaching at EWU, I am responsible for placement of EWU students for practicum experiences in schools across the state. Rodrigues is one of those students.

Rodrigues made an error in judgment. She’s admitted that, apologized and endured a public flogging for it, but should that end a career before it’s started?

Rodrigues has been an excellent student at Eastern. Evaluations by her supervising teacher at Holmes show she’s been professional in every way, having good rapport with students, preparing lesson plans well and having good classroom management skills. There’s every indication that she can be a credit to the teaching profession.

If a student fails his or her practicum, we bring the student back for remediation. That’s not necessary in Rodrigues’ case. She and I have talked about this incident, and she knows better than anyone what she did wrong.

If it’s true that we learn more from our mistakes than our successes, Rodrigues has learned an important lesson and indeed will go on to be a superior teacher.

I’m trying hard to place her so she can complete the experience this quarter, but the publicity is making it difficult to find a student teaching opportunity for her.

I earnestly hope she isn’t derailed because of the mistake she made and readily acknowledged, while still learning to become a teacher. Dr. Stephen Spacek Cheney, Wash.

GRASS FIELD BURNING

800-ton figure erroneous

“Grass growers’ pollution statistic called misleading” was truly a misleading statement. Researching the claim that the county’s grass growers contribute 800 tons of particle pollution annually sent me to visit Ron Egger of the Spokane County Air Pollution Authority.

I asked him how he calculated the figure of 800 tons. He told me he used a factor of 4 tons per acre, this being the number used for irrigated bluegrass on Rathdrum Prairie. The factor used for dryland bluegrass in Spokane County is 1.5 tons per acre. When used in the formula for PM10 emissions as depicted in the Department of Ecology’s Spokane Attainment plan to EPA, emissions for grass fields outside the non-attainment area is calculated at about 300 tons. This is 38 percent of the figure published in the paper - a gross misrepresentation of the facts.

It was also assumed that all 300 tons impacted the urban area of Spokane. However, in the 1995 Grass Seed Field Burning/Complaint Matrix at the SCAPA office, very little emissions impacted the burning area. Most of the complaints recorded daily were upwind of the burning area, and there’s no assurance of avoiding duplicate complaints.

Grass growers don’t enjoy the burning season either. We’re searching for economically viable alternative practices.

I expect the paper to verify our statements and verify the statements of our regulators. After all, our government covered up the Hanford pollution event. Can we trust it now to give us unbiased comments on this issue? Karl Felgenhauer Fairfield, Wash.

Long, unselfish view needed

Area grass growers, in their attempt to justify burning, cite the benefits of growing grass, i.e. soil conservation, oxygen production, water filtration, etc. This is extremely misleading.

I do not believe for a moment that without the bluegrass crop the fields and soil would go bare. Other crops would be grown or native plants would grow in their place, providing the same benefits as grass. How about exercising some honesty and ethical behavior in the search for a solution, rather than just blowing smoke?

Unless we begin to take seriously our responsibility to care for the Earth, greed and the struggle for power will destroy the planet and us with it. We all have a stake in the Earth’s future, for ourselves and our children. Let’s forgo the quick fix, immediate gratification and take our responsibility for the future to heart. Brad Brougher Spokane

There must be a better way

I protest Staff writer Karen Dorn Steele’s treatment of the grass growers’ side of the story. Karl Felgenhauer is correct to point out that bluegrass fields clean the water. So why was a contrary view, represented by Save Our Summers, inserted into the story? The bluegrass farmer’s position was not inserted into the SOS story.

I moved to Fairfield from the Santa Clara Valley last July. We enjoy the clean air and quality of life here. In the 1930s, the Santa Clara Valley was rated among the world’s top 20 agricultural. I grew up surrounded by orchards. The valley had a thriving canning industry until the early 1970s, when the canneries were forced out of the area because those in San Jose objected to the smell.

The Santa Clara Valley is now better known as Silicon Valley and the orchards I grew up with have long since been paved over. Freeways, office complexes and houses now stand where walnut groves did. Sadly, the office complexes are not filled, the freeways are overfilled and the average price of a family home is out of sight. Jobs that the computer industry created have since been relocated out of state. This leaves the Santa Clara Valley with a legacy of inflated home prices, unemployment from corporate downsizing and smog. Are you sure you want to go this route?

While my heart goes out to those who are adversely affected by the smoke, there has to be a better solution than to legislate the farmers out of business. Rev. Paul Masters Fairfield, Wash.

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