Published: April 30, 2008 04:50 pm            

LETTERS: May 1, 2008

NAFC contract battle is ugly to watch



New Albany and Floyd County cannot take much pride in the contention between our teachers and the school corporation.

The fact that the teachers continue to do their jobs without a contract is a credit to their integrity as mentors for our children. To refuse a modest increase in teachers’ pay downplays the significance of the most important profession in our society. Without good teachers, other professionals cannot excel.

In the general election eight years ago, the vote for an elected school board was 14,7171 to 12,032. This move to an elected school board was fueled by well-justified suspicion that school finances were not properly accounted for. One particularly despicable practice is to lay off teachers to cut costs.

More teachers, better paid, could reduce class size, provide more individual attention to students and result in fewer dropouts and generally higher student performance.

The election of school board members is critical to the well-being of our community and should not be decided by party affiliation or family connections.

Give careful thought to our candidates. We can make a good school system better; this is where it starts.

— George Mouser, Floyds Knobs

        

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