Threats Produce Embattled Teachers

Re “When Children Run the Schools, Society Suffers,” Voices, Jan. 17: As a teacher in a middle school, I find myself agreeing with most of the examples Gail Saunders cites concerning the amount of power students wield today. One example that she didn’t include is “I’m going to sue you,” which many a student has yelled out when a teacher has made the mistake of dipping a little too far into reality, or has accidentally tripped over a student’s foot in the aisle. This line always draws a laugh because, I suspect, of our litigious society.

On the comparison of students to inmates: Although our schools might look a lot like prisons and students might emulate role models who have been incarcerated, I don’t believe it is the best choice of image for a teacher to actually compare pupils with prisoners. With this type of thinking, teachers will find themselves in far worse predicaments than Saunders described.

W.M. Howell

Lakewood