Give Bonuses to Parents, Not Schools

As a third-grade teacher who works very long and hard--as do my colleagues--I cannot personally be responsible for my students who do not do homework, who forge their parent’s signature on notes sent home, who are not read to nor with at home, or who eat a breakfast of lard, starch and sugar before coming to school to eat a government-provided breakfast.

Instead of giving monetary bonuses to low-performing schools and/or teachers who improve test scores, why doesn’t President Bush and his group provide tax credits to parents whose children improve their grades from one grading period to another. Then maybe parents would make sure their children practiced their math facts, did their short-story writing and read a minimum of 20 minutes each night before playing with their electronic toys, which they seem able to afford.

Linda Smythe

Wildomar, Calif.

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In response to “Provide Incentives for Inner-City Teachers,” letters, Dec. 16: Salary is not the issue. As an L.A. Unified inner-city high school teacher of more than two decades, I am continually vexed and perplexed at the perception that there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the majority of inner-city classrooms are staffed.

Albeit underpaid, the preponderance of our young teachers, even those who are not yet credentialed, are more than prepared for the task at hand. Adequate knowledge of their subjects, energy, optimism and a keen desire to make a meaningful contribution to their students abound in their classrooms. Our schools are not failing because of inexperienced or underqualified teachers.

Our schools are failing because our students, and their parents, are refusing to put in the time it takes to learn.

Neil Williamson

Belmont High School

Los Angeles