Tax Teachers, but Raise Their Pay

* As a public school teacher in north Orange County with four years’ experience, I agree wholeheartedly with Joel Fox that exempting California’s teachers from state income tax would not only fail to make the general public more appreciative of my profession, but would almost certainly cause a backlash that would undermine the recent positive steps taken toward improving our school system (May 14 column).

What better way to make people resent teachers than to excuse us from something almost everyone hates.

And to suggest that teachers are more valuable than other public servants is unfair and insulting to police officers, firefighters and the like.

However, as a teacher who graduated summa cum laude from Chapman University and chose this profession not because I had no other employment opportunities but because I wanted to try to effect positive change in the world around me, I would appreciate being paid a fair wage for what I do.

BRIAN WILCHER

Placentia