School Official’s Statements Offended

As a teacher, I was offended by the statements made by Norman Guith, the new superintendent of the Orange Unified School District (“Orange Schools Chief Hopes to Heal District’s Ills,” July 15). I wish my colleagues in Orange success, but I don’t hold out a lot of hope for wonderful changes from an administrator who obviously considers teachers a minor part of the educational process.

Quoting Mr. Guith, “We didn’t build these schools to give teachers a place to have a job in, we built them for children to learn in.” (I hope the teachers in “these” classrooms know how to avoid ending a sentence with a preposition whenever possible.)

Exactly what is Mr. Guith suggesting? Is he suggesting that if we placed children in “these” classrooms without teachers they would learn what Orange Unified has adopted as prescribed curriculum?

The Riverside County superintendent stated that Mr. Guith is not afraid of surrounding himself with excellent administrators. Is he equally as willing to surround himself with excellent teachers?

“This district has entered into a contract with its retirees, and we have to honor that contract--it’s the honorable thing to do; it’s the gentlemanly thing to do.” I believe, Mr. Guith, it’s also the legal thing to do.

“I didn’t come into this district to let it go bankrupt.” That’s very interesting, Mr. Guith. As a veteran teacher of 33 years, your salary is 2.61 times mine. Explained another way, my wife and I have a total of 60 years of teaching between us, and your salary package is about $27,000 more than our combined salary. If Orange Unified does go bankrupt, the blame, I’m sure, can be shared by all employees. Unlike in a big corporation, Mr. Guith is not working to increase profits at Orange Unified; his source comes from the same public funds as the salary of my wife and me.

BEN BOELMAN

Placentia