Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Want to help education? Ask a teacher

The article in Thursday’s Las Vegas Sun describing the budget debate reveals clearly that too many legislators are bent on destroying what is left of a poorly funded and broken education system.

As someone who served more than 40 years in the classroom, it is apparent they know even less of what it takes to make teaching and learning successful.

Is it astounding that those who support further starving a troubled education system, for the most part, never served in or attended a public school.

It appears, the farther they are removed from attending or serving in a public school system, the more they claim to know what it takes to turn a failing system around.

Those who support such schemes as vouchers, school and teacher evaluations based on a one-time student test, merit pay, removing course work and professional staff development and additional degrees in their subject areas, and removing collective bargaining rights should agree to serve in a classroom of a Title I school for just a week. I believe they would come to appreciate what it takes to be a successful teacher.

It is also astounding that the teaching profession is the only one that legislators believe they are experts on and have sufficient knowledge of to make proposals for an environment they know very little about.

If you want to improve our educational system, ask a teacher. They are the ones serving on the front lines each day without the essential support required to succeed.

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