Reforming Education

* Re “Big Class Divide in Elementary School Reforms,” Jan. 10:

You report teachers “must fill out a third more report cards, meet more parents and grade more papers.” Actually, based upon a class size of 35, those teachers have to grade 75% more papers than those with 20 students. Based upon a class size of 30, those teachers have to grade 50% more papers than those with 20 students.

I found very disturbing the South Orange County teachers union proposal for a $500 stipend per student for every teacher when the class size exceeds 33.

Let’s be generous and say a teacher makes $40,000 per year, which means they have been in the district for quite a while. If the class size is 35, I interpret this to mean that the teacher will receive a stipend of $1,000 for the extra two students.

This equates to only a 2.5% increase in salary for taking on a 75% greater workload than the teacher with a class size of 20. This doesn’t sound like it balances the issue to me.

As you point out, many schools will not be able to take advantage of the reduced class size program due to the lack of facilities.

I do believe, however, that much can be resolved if every upper grade level is funded for a full-time assistant to help with the slow learners, grade papers, make copies, take yard duty, etc. While I will grant that with this program students will be better prepared when they come to the upper grades, you will always have slow learners. You will always have students that need remedial help.

I believe the stipend should be provided for each student where the class size exceeds 25. This alternative would provide significant and immediate relief, is far less expensive than the class size reduction program and would not require new classrooms.

GEORGE A. PARDON

Cypress

* Re “Rules Change Should Draw More Teachers,” Jan. 2:

As a fully credentialed teacher in California who has been looking for a job for the last year or more, I would like to know why you are helping teachers from out of state to obtain jobs while there are many of us in California who are having a hard time finding permanent work.

I have over 12 years’ experience, eight years with the Los Angeles Unified School District, 1 1/2 years with New York City and two years of substituting because I can’t find a permanent position in Orange County.

I applied to the Garden Grove Unified School District, among many, and have not heard a word from them. “We’ll call you,” they say, “if we need you.”

Apparently, according to the article, they’ve gone out of state to find teachers. What happened to the application I sent in? I have excellent references, a lot of experience and a sincere desire to teach.

Why aren’t the school districts in Orange County hiring teachers that are already here? Who is going to help us?

LINDA PALMER

Irvine

* Our continuing school problem has become big news again, what with our new governor.

However, he, like everyone else, refuses to recognize the real problem because it is politically incorrect. While more money, better teachers and fewer students all help, they are Band-Aids. Until we identify the disease, we are not going to cure it.

On the surface, solving our school problem seems simple. Just set the standards back up where they were and should be. What you encounter then is that half the students fail or drop out, which is why the standards were lowered in the first place. Obviously a poor education is better than none.

I am not an education expert, but there are some things I know.

You have to identify the problem and accept it before you can discuss what to do about it.

Also, we need to go back to testing children for intelligence and aptitude so we know what to do with them.

That was also eliminated because it made certain groups look bad, which was politically incorrect. We may have to go to a two-school system, for the smart and the not-so-smart. Of course that would be totally abhorrent to the socialists who are taking over our country.

JOHN WAUGEN

Anaheim