Letter: Top educators are rare in administration

Saturday, Dec. 16, 2006 | 7:03 a.m.

As a 30-year retired veteran teacher of the Clark County School District, I had occasion to work with four outstanding school administrators whom I considered master educators. Paul Arenaz, Willard Beitz, Scott Chalfant and Larry Olsen all challenged and motivated me, providing encouragement and opportunities to develop as a creative and innovative teacher. They gave me the inspiration and support necessary to provide the best possible learning situation for my students.

I would classify others as good old boys better suited as members of clown alley of a three-ring circus. They were more interested in status, power, prestige and monetary rewards of their position. In my opinion they lacked a true understanding of quality education and teaching; for the most part they never were real educators even as classroom teachers.

These administrators catered to parents and students at all costs, willing to appease any parent upset with a teacher's classroom policies regarding homework, projects, grading or disciplinary matters. They promoted student socialization and athleticism as more important than rigorous academic achievement.

The latter were primarily responsible for lowering grading standards and demands for excellence in classroom instruction. Their lack of backbone and courage to demand high standards contributed significantly to the rapid decline of discipline within our schools. They appeased parents by encouraging grade inflation and acceptance of poor behavior to bolster phony student self-images.

Micromanaged classrooms, detailed lesson plans, teaching to the test, inflated student GPAs and achievement test scores as well as lax discipline policies have become the icons for excellence in the Clark County School District today.

Virgil A. Sestini, Las Vegas