Firings Teach Students the Wrong Lesson
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The Post asserted that the teachers terminated by D.C. Public Schools are those who "habitually can't control their classes, fail to plan lessons, are late for school, waste instructional time and, most troubling of all, have no expectations for their students" ["Dismissals for D.C. Schools," editorial, Oct. 3]. Wrong.
No one but Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) and Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee knows why these layoffs happened. My husband devoted his time, energy, eight years of teaching experience and 50-plus years of life experience to teaching. What we do know is that Mr. Fenty and Ms. Rhee demonstrated to those children that it isn't enough to do your job well, be early and always prepared, and never give up on what you believe in. In a television interview, the mayor publicly stated that instruction would not be disrupted, yet he could not tell the public how many teachers would be affected, and frankly he was callous and indifferent about how these actions affect lives.
They took away my husband's job, and they broke his heart. Such is life. These cuts will not improve the quality of teaching; they will only exacerbate the dysfunction of the system. And what do those children have to believe in when they arrive in class now?
KAREN HOWARD
Washington
