Incompetent Teachers

* Re “Teachers Who Fail and Keep Teaching,” June 4:

During my 27 years as an elementary teacher with LAUSD I have seen teachers who were incompetent and should have left teaching, as well as excellent teachers who have been harassed by principals who were on ego trips or had axes to grind. I have often felt that at times both the administration and the union were more interested in winning power struggles than in the good of the children of the district. I doubt whether having tenure or not having it would make much difference in the quality of education.

My experience is that almost all teachers and principals want to do a great job, but that the difficulty of the task and their own life stresses often lead to performance that is less than it could be. The challenge is to overcome these obstacles.

What seems to be missing most is consistent, positive, hands-on supervision. I have seldom had an administrator randomly come into my classroom, spend a few minutes, and then later either give me positive feedback or make suggestions for improvement. A 15-minute, scheduled, formal evaluation does not indicate what is really happening in a classroom. It is equally rare for the principal’s supervisor to visit the campus, walk the halls and visit the classrooms.

Even as I suggest this I can hear the groans of teachers who are embarrassed by being observed and administrators who are already putting in many more hours than they are paid for. I firmly believe that this one change would increase morale, improve the quality of teaching, and prevent all of us from falling into habits and routines which adversely affect the learning process.

DAVID RICE

Covina

* While I agree that it is difficult to get rid of incompetent teachers, doing away with tenure would not only allow the few incompetent teachers to be gotten rid of, but would allow certain principals who tend to act like quasi-dictators to get rid of or harass good, competent teachers who dare to have their own opinions. Also, your article failed to address the problem of incompetent administrators who are more firmly entrenched and protected by the hierarchy and are actually promoted for their misdeeds.

LAURA VASQUEZ

Pasadena

* With over 200,000 public school teachers in California, no doubt the teaching profession has its share of bad apples. When deficient teachers are replaced, who then can we blame for lack of student learning?

Parents need to turn off the TV, and ask their kids, “What did you learn in school today? Let’s see your homework.”

Students need to take responsibility for their learning.

No less than schools and teachers, families are part of the learning team.

BILL COLLINS

Davis