Khachigian Is Unfair to Teachers

* I read with growing discontent the Sept. 13 column by Kenneth L. Khachigian, “Prop. 8 Will Hold Schools Accountable.”

Khachigian describes one section of the proposition as “requiring teacher-competency exams to close the loopholes in the credentialing process.” I would like to know which loopholes I may have passed through.

As a young and fairly new teacher, I have seen nothing but attacks on my perceived lack of competency by Gov. Pete Wilson and the media. This, despite graduating in the top 10% of my high school, attending the prestigious University of California, and spending several successful years in private enterprise.

Then when I decided to become a teacher, I spent another two years attending evening credential classes (which I passed), passed the subject-matter competency exam, passed a competency exit-exam, endured annual evaluations by my district and several in-class evaluations by my principal and vice principal.

I am now told that I may have to take a new state test if I don’t hurry and get all of my paperwork through to the state before that test takes effect on Oct. 1. And now Proposition 8 would like to add its two cents.

Many of us bright young teachers are very offended and increasingly disillusioned by the attempts to blame teachers for poor school performance. All this while receiving starting salaries in the mid-twenty-thousands. Perhaps we should look at our funding levels, student language barriers, and yes, even parents themselves (some of whom don’t even show up for annual conferences) before we attack those of us who are working hardest to educate our children.

Teachers need support, not more competency tests, to fill those “loopholes” we may have passed through to get here.

MARK LOZA

Fullerton

* There is a saying, “‘Do not judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes.” I would like to invite Kenneth Khachigian and others like him to substitute teach in my classroom for one day.

However, I will not leave any lesson plans, since I am only an “educrat.” I do ask one favor of my substitute: When you find that phonics book, please let me know where it is. I was unable to find a single copy at my school.

Could you also leave me a ream of copy paper, because my school only gives me nine reams for the entire school year. After that, I pay for it out of my own pocket.

My school is starting English only, in accordance with Proposition 227. Would you leave the English textbooks on my desk, because I have yet to receive a single one.

I shouldn’t complain about starting English only, though. At the beginning of the school year, in July, my district administrators told me to continue teaching the bilingual program. So, I was left with two choices: I could teach in Spanish, and risk being personally sued by a parent, or I could teach in English and risk being fired.

Now Khachigian wants to further punish me and my colleagues for working with poor, limited-English-proficient children by hiring a “chief inspector of schools.”

I welcome any teacher competency test, although I have already passed the California Basic Educational Skills Test and the Multiple Subjects Assessment for Teachers test. I do, however, object to being held 100% accountable for the relative achievement of my students compared to that of upper-middle class, fluent-English-proficient students.

This kind of program will make it even more difficult to find teachers willing to work with children in disadvantaged areas.

Although I know that Khachigian could never fill my shoes, the offer stands.

MICHELLE JACOB

Santa Ana