Teaching Right and Wrong

* Re Jack Valenti’s Aug. 30 commentary asserting that we need to add 30 minutes of daily morality instruction to grades K-5:

Hey! I have a great idea for a new movie! Teacher/Rambo-type stands fully armed at the threshold to her classroom, daring the mobs of special-interest groups that want to get in, while they are talking out of both of their two-headed monster-selves. They are yelling that test scores need to be improved, so why don’t you just teach the three Rs, as the other head is spewing out stuff about DARE and GAP and SANE and 30 minutes of morality teaching. This would really be a great place to add special effects, because you could actually show those programs sucking the life out of the academic program so many of us desperately try to provide for our students in spite of the constant interruptions and hostile takeovers of our precious classroom time.

It would certainly be a nice change from the story line so prevalent in today’s media: Blame the teachers. It doesn’t matter how many violence-is-glory films and TV shows Hollywood churns out, or the access to these shows and films that parents permit; no, it is those darn teachers--if they could just teach the right stuff, we would all live happily ever after.

CATHY SCOTT SKUBIK

San Pedro

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I was especially gratified to read, “Violence is wrong.” Yes, that kind of teaching is long overdue.

EMMA GOTTLIEB-ELLINOY

Seal Beach

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Does Valenti really think teachers don’t spend a good portion of every day trying to instill principles of kindness, truthfulness, courage and fairness? We try to stem the deluge of rotten messages that flow from every media portal our students are exposed to. Why don’t Valenti and his colleagues examine their own products and ask the same question he wants teachers to teach: “What is right, and what is plainly wrong?” I am angered by his hubris.

MELISSA WALSH

West Hills

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Valenti’s novel suggestion smoothly ducks the most central component in any issue regarding children’s values: parenting. Asking teachers to be responsible for daily moral education would be akin to taking your toddler to the pediatrician every day so that he could explain household safety rules. Shouldn’t professionals who work with children be able to expect that a certain level of education, guidance and care is being provided at home?

Why do so many parents now, even fellow stay-at-home-mothers whom I know, see their time with their children, in whatever quantity, as play time and leave the real work to everyone else? Do they really assume that the rest of the world should teach their children what they do not?

DEANNA BOSHOVEN

Orange