Letters To The Editor

EDUCATION

Pay teachers well, they will excel

I believe in better education for our children. However, teacher apathy is commonplace in Idaho because the wages just plain stink. Worrying about how to pay student loans can seriously impinge upon job performance where teachers are only looking for a short stay until they can find something better or until they have the experience necessary to be hired by a better paying district.

Pay teachers well, treat teachers well and they will excel. After all, is this not the same thought process to effective teaching of students; treat them well and reward them aptly for work well done?

I don’t have a teaching degree but could effectively teach at any grade level in more than one subject though I’m not “qualified.” What does qualified mean? Jean Booth Moyie Springs

Pay attention to results of students

I think that we worry too much about how the nation grades our teachers and should be more concerned about the results of our students. I know that our teachers are not paid the best in the nation, but how many people in Idaho are? Good teachers do not need a master’s degree and above to teach elementary school. Let teachers teach instead of playing politics and let’s have fewer concerns about how good the teachers look on paper and more concerns about the results of the students. Robert Gibson Post Falls

Idaho, not teachers, failed

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). I think the press did a terrible job presenting that story. Teachers did not fail. Idaho failed in its support and training of teachers. The teachers, despite this, go on to do an above-average job with their students. Nancy Heffter Coeur d’Alene

District residents make funding choices

Concerning Education Magazine’s “F” grade on Idaho schools: Everyone is entitled to an opinion. I live in Lakeland School District and I am proud of our teachers and the work they are doing. Every resident in every school district makes their choice on how well to fund their schools. I suppose some residents of other districts just don’t care. Kevin Jorgensen Spirit Lake

Findings don’t match up

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). I always try to look at the source of the information and see if there may be a bias or underlying agenda with these “ratings.” I’m sure that the rating may be deserved with a minority of teachers in Idaho, but it probably is not accurate in all areas. How can we have poor teacher quality and higher than average test scores from students? Something doesn’t match up, or the rating system is flawed. J. “Al” Hassell Coeur d’Alene

Supporters get what you pay for

We hear so often about the low pay, old, and in some cases, unsafe school buildings, overcrowding of classrooms, teachers leaving the area for greener pastures, levies and bonds failing. And now we’re “shocked” to hear Idaho gets an “F” grade for failure to support public education? Give me a break. And yet The Spokesman-Review states in every public opinion poll education is always priority No. 1 in Idaho? I guess the people you polled think like those in Washington who voted for Initiative 695 believing foolishly that the money is “out there” somewhere. Well, I for one say, in regards to those “supporters” of education in Idaho - put your money and your vote where your opinion is - you get what you pay for, or should I say don’t pay for, in this case! Thomas Keenan Coeur d’Alene

Hire for ability over money-hunger

I’ve often surmised there are many college-free adults capable of teaching elementary students; perhaps hiring should be based on ability rather than employing those college grads who have little desire to teach but harbor a strong money hunger. A teacher unable to teach should be sent off to seek a different career.

If a student receives an incomplete or failing grade, it indicates the need to work harder and/or longer. That might apply to the teaching profession as well.

Bureaucracy crowded the education field, adding far too many fingers, not enough hands. How can $4,500-plus be embezzled before someone catches on? Are educators busy lobbying for bigger schools and more money while no one watches the store? How many “educators” does it take to change a light bulb? Sue Turner Coeur d’Alene

Solution will involve group effort

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). I believe that education should be our most important concern. We need to get involved at the grass roots to attack this problem because we cannot trust it to the politicians. We need to get at least to an F-plus within the next year and go forward from that and it will take the efforts of all of us to achieve that. Helen Shaw Coeur d’Alene

Seems good teachers are still out there

Huh? Teachers in Idaho have an “F” grade for teacher quality? Where do the students in the 60 to 70 percentile on skills tests go to school? What a slap in the face to men and women who have chosen the field of teaching, whether they’re from Idaho or any other state. The majority of good teachers I’m sure outweighs the majority of teachers who do not do so well. The cliche “the majority suffer because of the minority” comes to mind. Kay Cameron Hayden

Results don’t tell enough to cause panic

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). Quality is so subjective a term in referring to teachers. I have eight years teaching nearly full-time in the schools in Los Angeles and Waukegan, Ill. In the hundreds of schools, I taught in, I rarely met an unqualified teacher. As a sub, I had the unique opportunity see thousands of teachers at work.

There isn’t the slightest reason to believe that Idaho teachers are at the bottom of the pile. In this report it could be that a teacher rated “A” has a score of 100 and an “F” teacher has a score of 90. We don’t know enough to panic. If this report is true, then we have to assume that hundreds of teachers, administrators, school boards, college professors and state officials are all incompetent. I don’t think so.

If we had an O.J. Simpson trial going or a Super Bowl on the TV this week, it is doubtful if the report would have ever been published. Slow news weeks make for a lot of odd-ball reports in the news. Bob Hunt Post Falls

Develop test program for teachers

I have voted for the increase in school levies each time Lakeland School District has asked for it. I don’t have any children in school, but someone paid taxes for my education when I was growing up, so it’s only fair I do the same.

I have a problem in that even with us taxpayers supporting the school needs, there is too much waste and mismanagement of funds.

A few years ago, Post Falls gave a major pay raise to teachers but did it produce any better quality teachers?

I believe we need a test program to score our teachers. Retain the good ones who could pass such a test, and get rid of the deadwood.

Let’s go back to the main basis of school. Teach the children to read and write, learn to spell, etc., not with a computer spell-check program.

Yes, I will continue to vote to support our school programs as our youth must have an education to go forward in our society. I do wish, though, that our school leadership could bring our systems up to a better standard. Dusty Rhoads Post Falls

Corrective action should start at top

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). Education starts with teachers, continues with adequate facilities, and then encounters an insurmountable roadblock in the Idaho Code which requires a “super majority” to finance major improvements.

The Idaho Legislature is about to convene. Corrective action should start with our elected representatives and continue with local school boards and elected officials at the county and state levels.

I have seen letters to the editor by teachers who claimed that there isn’t any valid procedure to assess instructor competence. I read this as refusal to accept review and comment by their peers.

After 30 years of naval service - about half of my duties were involved with military schools as a student or a staff member of educational facilities - the Department of Defense has developed techniques that are successful in training, testing, and evaluating instruction. The basic problem in adopting these techniques is that school staffs would have to be increased significantly to require that every class be monitored at least twice weekly; formal reports be submitted, reviewed, and permanently filed in the instructor’s personal file. L.R. Broun Coolin

Reporting missed informative mark

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). First, let’s start out by you getting some background information on Education Week magazine. In this day and age of spin-meisters, publicists and lobbies, the name means little or nothing. Is it a mouthpiece for school boards, teachers unions, companies providing schools with supplies, or even groups that do not support education? What was the basis for the conclusion? Is it supported by other known and respected groups? Is additional supporting information available from other groups and who are they? What are other published viewpoints? Do other groups reach totally different conclusions?

The most “shocking” thing I read, was what appears to be press release reporting. In my opinion, the key to strong support for public education is a well-informed voter who has confidence in what he or she reads. Sadly, you miss the mark this time. Richard Hutter Sandpoint

Student encountered good mentors

I was shocked to read the recent article rating teachers around the country. It gave Idaho teachers what I feel is an undeserved “F.”

I graduated from Lake City High School in 1998. With only one or two possible exceptions, I found that my teachers were knowledgeable, enthusiastic and willing to go the extra mile for their students.

The study in the article seemed to focus more on the administration than the actual teaching. It is fallacious to suggest that because there is not a satisfactory method for evaluating teachers that good teachers don’t abound and don’t stay in our area.

While in high school, one of my classes was taught by a young student teacher from the University of Idaho who was outstanding and is now teaching at Coeur d’Alene’s Charter Academy. I also remember older, more experienced faculty who were just as qualified and equally excellent.

I count my past teachers not only as hardworking, educated instructors, but also as mentors, confidants, and friends.

To the organizers of the study: evaluate the teachers, not the quality of the methods that rate them. Your results will change drastically. Erica A. Orto Coeur d’Alene

Commitment to education disgraceful

Re: “Study flunks Idaho on teacher quality,” (Jan. 13). Nothing about Idaho’s commitment to education shocks me. The Legislature would not move on the simple majority ruling so levies can pass. We are one of the worst states in funding for school buildings. The governor recently stated his desire to put the tobacco money aside to give schools the money from interest only.

Meanwhile, buildings continue to decay. We pay our teachers low salaries so won’t attract the most qualified. Returns are not maximized from endowment lands - the lease lots are one example. State timber lands are logged heavily, and hurt the long-term investment for our children. The state officials would rather blame the dwindling timber receipts from federal land instead of admitting their lack of commitment and responsibility to the future of Idaho children. It’s a disgrace. Babs Egolf Priest River

Treat education like a business

We’re originally from Southern California where public education has, for years been very bad. Poorly prepped teachers, lousy support but good pay. The state of California has thrown gazillions at the problem but their system is still mired in mediocrity.

How do we attract good teachers and develop a workable system? Get rid of tenure, for one thing. Tenure only ensures that once it’s achieved the person getting it usually will let down on the job. Then treat public school education like a business the business of preparing our children for the world of business in the 21st century.

Hire and pay teachers based on the performance of their students: that is, test outgoing students on what they’ve learned from a particular course and reward the teacher based on how well his or her students do as a whole. In other words, pay for excellence and get rid of poor performance.

In the world of business that’s the way it works. Why should the preparation of our children for that world be any different? Mike Pierce Coeur d’Alene

Student finds some teachers lacking

Being a junior in high school I completely agree with this study. I attend Post Falls High School and I certainly have had my share of unqualified teachers. Many are teaching classes they do not even completely understand themselves. The classrooms are crowded, teachers are forced to share classrooms with other teachers, and they are paid not nearly enough for all of the work they do.

Out of all 19 teachers I have had during my first three years of high school, only eight, in my opinion, are qualified for the class they are teaching. It is not just that they aren’t qualified, but some teachers really don’t care about their students.

Whether it is just a lack of compassion, or the conditions they are under, they just aren’t getting the job done. How the government is planning to fix this, I don’t know, but if they don’t what will happen to our future? If we aren’t prepared for college, and end up not succeeding, who will fill the jobs that will carry mankind through this next century? This is something that needs to be dealt with immediately and carefully. Chrissy Paulitz Post Falls

Solution includes involvement

Both teachers and parents are responsible for the quality of education our children receive. How does a child manage to graduate from school and read at the fourth-grade level? Shouldn’t his parents be aware of his shortcomings long before graduation?

I was appalled to hear my close friend tell me about her sad, but true, teaching experience in Post Falls. She had prepared a timed multiplication test for her third-grade students. She was confronted by the principal, who demanded “Who did she think she was to put that kind of pressure on the children? They were not to have that kind of pressure put on them. They were there to have fun - not have stressful experiences.”

The old adage applies here: If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. The teacher I refer to has three children. All have or are attending Gonzaga Prep and are on to college. All have jobs. The solution is being more involved, not figuring out how to make more money so you can buy more things. Lona Pfeifer Hayden

OVER THE LINE

Health Board’s stand is important

I was shocked and angry at the Spokane Health Board refusing to take a stand against the proposed Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad’s plan to build over our aquifer. I thought their mission was to safeguard the health and safety of the citizens of Spokane. Doesn’t protecting the drinking water of our people qualify as part of their responsibility?

I hope someone on the Health Board has the intelligence to realize the importance of taking a stand against BNSF in this vital issue and take action. E.A. Malone Spokane