Paige Lashes Out at Teachers Union

Re “Paige Calls Teachers Union a ‘Terrorist Organization,’ ” Feb. 24: In my classroom during a discussion or debate, no matter how controversial, students are required to use only well-defended facts; name-calling is never acceptable. My students understand that name-calling is a sign of a weak argument, never a valid defense.

I am also dismayed that Education Secretary Rod Paige seems unaware that union leaders are elected democratically by teachers and do, in fact, represent us. One can question aspects of No Child Left Behind without being “against real, rock-solid improvements in the way we educate our children,” as Paige charged in his apology. This is yet another insult to me.

Lanore Galvin

Hollywood High School

Los Angeles

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I am a retired teacher. I belong to the National Education Assn. Now that I have been identified by Paige as a member of a terrorist group, does that mean that I can be thrown into prison without due process and with all of my civil rights denied? Ridiculous? The Patriot Act in the wrong hands -- and it is in the wrong hands -- could lead to just that.

Gladys Roby

Hemet

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The NEA isn’t a terrorist organization, but it is an organization of left-wing ideologues bent on imposing their agenda on American society. Since they get to use taxpayer dollars to do so, they’ve had considerable success. They have been responsible for the decline in U.S. education standards and the imposition of an anti-family agenda and other bigotry.

Richard Sol

Los Angeles