Columnist insults, but offers no ideas

Published 12:01 am Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Regarding James McCusker’s Friday column, “Schools welcome change, without changes“:

Mr. McCusker makes clear from his omissions that he knows very little about the really important ingredients that lead to a child’s successful educational experience. Those ingredients are the level of involvement of parents in the child’s education and the socio-economic status of the child’s family. Technology education, high-stakes testing, all the great ideas to improve education, all are only peripheral.

In addition to parental involvement and socio-economic status, quality teaching, of course, contributes to student success. But if people like Mr. McCusker continue to misrepresent public education in the media, it will continue to be more and more difficult to attract and retain quality teachers.

Presently, about 50 percent of all who enter the teaching profession leave within five years. Stress, burnout, lack of support from the community, unruly students and unresponsive parents all contribute to a teacher leaving the profession. Teachers are easy targets for the blame but that misses the mark.

Note Mr. McCusker’s last statement, “… we should be working to replace the system with one that actually uses good ideas and good people — and delivers what we need and our kids deserve.” Complaints without suggested solutions do not further the discussion. Good ideas abound in education and good people, well-intentioned professional people, already populate our schools.

Mr. McCusker’s remarks are insulting to the profession and do nothing to help resolve educational issues facing this country.

Bruce MacCracken
Everett