Teachers aren’t sole factor

Regarding the June 22 letter from Bryan Davis, “Unions are the problem”:

There are many factors contributing to a student’s success or failure, yet he judges one piece of the puzzle pretty heavily. Yes, the teacher is a big piece of the puzzle, but has Flynn taken into consideration the motivation, inherent talent and home life of students who are expected to succeed at the same high level across the country, in every state, every town, every school, every classroom?

If we look at another profession that could be judged on the performance of facilitators and human subjects, it may illustrate what educators are challenged with. Dentists, for instance, give patients instructions to floss and brush nightly, and to show up for their scheduled appointments every six months for cleaning. If they don’t do these things, their teeth aren’t going to have success. Is the dentist a bad dentist?

When there are humans in any situation, there should be accountability. Teachers should be evaluated and held accountable by their supervisors for their planning, delivery and results with these little human beings.

If these little humans don’t hold up their end of the bargain, they should have consequences in place also. Accountability raises performance in all situations.

Tim Lenhart

Spokane