Society benefits from spending on education

Joel Berg, Henderson

Thursday, June 10, 2010 | 2:01 a.m.

George Will’s column in Monday’s Las Vegas Sun seems designed to create heat rather than light. He bemoans the expenditures on education (Nevada’s is among the lowest in the nation) and says nothing of their value. He talks of New York’s low pupil-teacher ratio as if that were terrible, and ignores the higher cost of living in that region.

Both Democrats and Republicans have much to offer if they will only understand that most professional educators are more knowledgeable, skillful and understanding of the teaching-learning process than those who have not taught in public schools.

Bringing all children up to average through testing has not proved successful any more than holding a match under the thermostat would raise the temperature of a cold room — in fact, it would have the opposite effect.

Mr. Will takes great pleasure in denouncing the National Education Association. His corrosive, abrasive style might be excused a little, if only he could contribute to better understanding. Let us hope that his biases are recognized for what they are, and that he will not be so irresponsible in his future writings.

The writer is a retired public schoolteacher and administrator. In addition to being a member of the National Education Association, he also is past president of the Las Vegas chapter of Phi Delta Kappa International, which is an association of professional educators.