Letter: Teachers blamed for students who don’t make effort

Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2005 | 9:09 a.m.

I have taught at Western High School for 22 years. But if Gov. Kenny Guinn is successful in supporting legislation such that my salary will be affected by how well my students do on state-mandated tests, then I will have to teach somewhere else.

I plan my lessons and run my classroom with an approach that is firm, yet fair and caring. In spite of that, many of my students do not achieve. Gov. Guinn would think me a failure when a student comes into class and puts his head down on his desk every day, even after I've repeatedly knelt down and spoken kindly yet firmly to him to "do this assignment." I would be a failure when a student chooses not to turn in his essay, even though he's mastered the material. I would be a failure when a student comes in 20 minutes late, and then sits down and starts doing her makeup. I would be a failure because I have not managed to "make them" succeed.

Guinn thinks that my pay should reflect that failure, even though there are some students who excel because of my teaching. I'm wondering if Gov. Guinn knows that every year I've proctored the Achievement Tests, I've watched as at least five students fill in the answer sheet by bubbling-in random answers, another five just barely try to answer the questions and leave many blank, and quite a few don't read English well enough to even make an attempt.

If I leave Western, many students will be cheated out of the opportunity to excel. Instead, they will find themselves with long-term substitutes who are trying to teach Algebra to unruly, angry students who are playing a game of "How long will this one be able to withstand us?"

NANCY FELDMAN MAHERAS