Defends teachers

Ken Grow's letter of Nov. 23 urging LVUSD teachers to "stop whining about their plight in life" is irrefutable proof that he has little understanding of what teachers do, even less appreciation of the value of a quality education and absolutely no compassion for a group of professionals that are universally acknowledged for being overworked and underpaid.

Most educators work evenings, weekends and even holidays completing lesson plans, attending faculty and parent meetings, grading papers and fulfilling professional development goals. Vacations and holidays are commensurate with most American industries, but teachers have no flexibility regarding when they can take a respite from work; their schedules are fixed. Starting salaries comparable to unskilled tradesmen require most teachers seeking a middle-class lifestyle to supplement their incomes with second jobs and to teacher summer school.

I am not sure what Mr. Grow does for a living. In all likelihood he periodically attempts to negotiate in good faith with his employer for a "livable" wage that is commensurate with his education, training and experience. When that happens, for his sake, I hope the employer appreciates his contributions and refrains from demeaning his efforts by referring to it as "whining."

Mr. Grow rounds out his assault on educators by suggesting that teaching requires nothing more than reaching puberty and having some semblance of intelligence. Finally, he resists the notion that teachers have a profound influence on the future of our youth and concludes with the inspirational rally cry, "Get back in the classroom and make the taxpayers proud."

In one short letter to the editor, Mr. Grow, you have mocked the wisdom of Socrates and Piaget and contradicted countless philosophers, political, religious and other leaders who regard education as the highest and noblest of human pursuits. I am not sure how you became so enlightened--perhaps you were "home schooled" by Howard Jarvis? Corey Weinberg Calabasas