No to Teachers, Policies That Foster Cheating

Re “One Poor Test Result: Cheating Teachers,” May 21: The subject of cheating on tests in order to uphold the politically motivated No Child Left Behind requirements would be laughable except for the cockamamie fallout of a policy based upon unrealistic expectations. Public school bureaucracy represents a system specifically set up to encourage dishonesty, as in this favored, unspoken technique: “Now, teachers, there’s no money for a proctor in the classroom to act as an accountability check. If scores don’t improve, you could be fired. Remember (wink, wink), don’t cheat! Because if cheating takes place and you get caught, you’ll get no support from us administrators, since we just told you not to cheat!”

Teachers aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit from improved test results. In previous articles, The Times has given examples of counselors and principals, even central office administrators, as culprits in the “erase-and-correct” style of garnering academic success. When placing blame, let’s give politics its rightful share in this travesty.

Jane Williams Fleming

Belmont Shore

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It appears that California Teachers Assn. President Barbara Kerr is rationalizing teacher cheating on standardized student tests as unfortunate, but not a career-ending offense. I disagree. Any teacher found culpable of classroom cheating (or other serious misbehavior in the classroom) should be terminated. Any lesser measures will be interpreted as tolerating this inexcusable conduct.

Parents and teachers still set the example. To tolerate an outrageous example of teacher malfeasance such as cheating in the classroom is absolutely unacceptable. Without the example of committed, honest and dedicated teachers and parents, our young people will be set adrift on the ethos of doing whatever seems expedient and “feels good.” They, and we, are at risk of paying a very dear societal price for the failure of our teachers to play by the rules.

Dick Johnson

El Segundo