Schools, Teachers Warrant Support

* Columnist Steven Frates (Nov. 26) seems to be one more voice of negatives toward the public school system and, in particular, the “powerful teachers union.” It’s time for these “voices” to back off their “no new tax” agenda and invest in our children.

Both George W. Bush and Al Gore recognized that public education should be a high priority on their political platforms. It’s time to give our children the education and the facilities they need to feel some dignity and respect. Many parents and politicians would not work in facilities as lacking as our public schools. These schools are badly in need of repair, and some of our communities are badly in need of new schools. There is a school in Anaheim that is all temporary buildings, is on double session and is a year-round school. What are we telling our kids about where they rate in society?

Proposition 39 has safeguards built in it to prevent the managerial incompetence that Frates is concerned about. Critics need to divert their attention from the Belmont High School failure and look at the successes in other areas. He says that teacher unions will “certainly demand their cut” from the money that would be freed up by additional funding of school construction.

Who are the members of this “powerful teachers union”? They are the classroom teachers in our neighborhood schools. They are those who have been trying to teach kids with not enough materials, technology and other resources since 1978, when this state passed Proposition 13. They just want a decent place to teach, to work, and yes, they want a decent wage.

We live in a state where 50,000 new teachers are needed in the next few years. There is a teacher shortage, but there is no shortage of teachers. There are enough certificated teachers in this state to fill the gap. Way too many of them (50%) left the profession within their first five years because they realized they would have to teach for 25 years and spend thousands of dollars to get a master’s degree to move across the salary schedule--only to discover that top pay is little more than entry-level pay for the job that eventually steals them from the classroom.

If additional money is freed up for school programs and salaries by the passage of a bond issue, then so be it. It’s way overdue.

LLOYD PORTER

Placentia