Recruiting Teachers

“Study Calls Poor Teacher Training a ‘National Shame’ ” (Sept. 13) overlooks a major problem. Raising the training standards will do little to bring more “qualified” teachers into our classrooms. The reason we have so many ill-prepared teachers is that not enough young people are being attracted into the field. The primary reason for recruiting difficulties is the low esteem which we give our teachers. When my daughter, a 1996 graduate in the psychobiology program at USC, was considering a position as a high school biology teacher in an urban high school, university faculty members tried to discourage her and friends told her she was “settling for teaching.”

As a former teacher (and now the proud parent of a teacher), I believe we do have to restructure the preparation of teachers. Even more importantly, if we hope to attract highly qualified individuals into the field, we must end teacher bashing and reappraise our attitude toward those to whom we are entrusting our children.

DICK CONE

San Gabriel