Letter: Teachers merit more respect

Thursday, April 1, 2004 | 9:32 a.m.

It appears as though a large amount of CCSD administrators have limited classroom experience, questionable personnel management skills and business savvy. This would seem to render them less than effective in leading our schools, understanding what works with kids, dealing with families, setting and implementing instructional and budgetary policies and retaining experienced teachers. Yet, they receive much more favorable contracts than the teachers instructing our children.

Until our CCSD administrators and School Board begin treating teachers equally to our administrative colleagues (ie. salary and benefit packages, an open door for input and exchange of ideas, etc.), teachers will continue to prematurely exit the classroom at a rate far faster than they are able to be replaced.

Experienced teachers are the cornerstone of public education. Young teachers turn to them for ideas and students thrive in their classrooms. The amount of teachers with 20 or more years of experience has steadily decreased in the school district over the last 10 years for reasons that could have been addressed by our administrative body.

In order to retain good, experienced teachers, administrators need to provide their full support. Many times this is as easy as acknowledging input from teachers, listening and then acting upon their ideas and respecting teaching professionals as equals.

BART BOULTON