To the Editor:

A Pennsylvania school teacher has been suspended because she has spoken publicly about her students. Not a single student, but students in general. It is about time. I have been waiting for years for this to happen.

Anyone that has heard of me knows that I basically think teachers, their unions and the public school system suck. If we are honest with ourselves about it I believe the vast majority of thinking Americans agree with that appraisal. But .there is another side to this that has never (to my knowledge) been made public by a teacher within the system, until now.

The teacher, Natalie Munroe, purportedly wrote comments about her students that included such things as they: “are rude, disengaged, lazy whiners. They curse, discuss drugs, talk back, argue for grades, complain about everything, fancy themselves entitled to whatever they desire, and are just generally annoying.”

I am proud of this woman as I believe it is about time a teacher has taken on the fight, not only for herself, but for teachers all across the country and I wholeheartedly endorse all teachers that do.

I am not saying Ms. Munroe is speaking for all teachers, or even a majority of teachers, but I am saying that I believe she is speaking for a good percentage of teachers who are tired of being berated from people like me and the taxpaying public in general. She is saying, I believe, there is another side to this and that parents are going to have to take responsibility for what goes on in the schools.

As an in-plant United Auto Worker representative for about 20 years and as an elected local union president with over 9,000 members, I believe I can speak intelligently on union issues and how to represent people. Over the years I would have loved to have represented the truth about what occurred to teachers but I can honestly state, that judging by their performance and their lack of diligence, I would not have wasted my time.

On the other hand, over the years the National Education Association and the local teachers’ unions have not represented the teachers as they have merely represented a political agenda; and the teachers acceded to that agenda like sheep. Simply stated, the teachers allowed themselves to be ‘bought off.”

At one time (prior to 1964) our public schools were world-class. Teachers taught and students learned. Curriculum was substantive and prepared students for opportunity to succeed. Then it all changed, thanks to, in part, the lack of participation in the integrity of the public schools by the teachers; until Ms. Munroe came along.

Since 1964 teachers have lost control over the kids and standards of discipline were abolished; teachers were reduced to mere baby-sitters, and curriculum changed. All a student had to do to “pass” was to be in attendance and whether they learned anything or not was of no consequence. Teachers’ standards and educational requirement credentials became a joke. Eventually, parity and tenure became the goals of teachers and to heck with the education of the kids.

This may have all been avoided if those like Ms. Munroe would have stood up over the years. But that didn’t happen and we now have cesspools called the public schools. But all is not lost, there is hope.

I suggest more like Ms. Munroe start “standing up” and demand to be heard. The taxpayers need to know the truth, firsthand. With this truth the taxpayers may start to legitimately take the side of the teachers. But it is a two-sided sword; the teachers are going to have to make some changes.

No one in their right mind wants to disadvantage a child. Most of us would probably bust a gut in support of a legitimate educational system in this country.

Teachers have been abused over the years and their suffering should stop. But they are going to have to get off their butts and start telling the truth.

Keith Kaye

Lehigh Acres