Just ask a teacher!

Dear Editor (Queens Chronicle):

As a senior, tenured teacher I am extremely disappointed with the opinions that you express in your paper (“At last, mayoral control of schools renewed,” Editorial, Aug. 13) and the accompanying advertisements that support your views.

You claim that Mayor Bloomberg and his appointee Joel Klein are the best thing since white bread (now whole wheat), and they have done a bang-up job with education. Well, I want to correct you.

Speak to any teacher in New York City and you will hear a different opinion. Teachers in the city are very unhappy with the lack of leadership and the harsh treatment and tone of this administration.They have appointed their cronies to positions of leadership,put principals in place who lack experience or who have limited teaching experience, use scripted teaching methods,and do not allow for individual expression or teaching methods.

They have taught to the test and claim that results have improved. Have you looked at the exams? Have you scored the exams? I have!Although the results show that progress has been achieved they are not accurate.It’s an out and out lie. I read many of the exams and was told to mark them higher (which indicates that child has met the standard). Also I have heard that a principal has given credit to students to help them graduate. Is this progress or just a fudging of the results?

Children are still unable to write and they are missing out on the enriching parts of their instruction because these areas are not being measured. Administrators are micromanaging the schools, increasing paperwork, testing and data entry in lieu of teaching. These meaningless activities take away time from actual instruction with the sole result of lowering teacher morale. Do you know that textbooks are being thrown away?

The new motto on the reports from the Committee of Special Education reads One Team, One Voice, One Goal. I think this sounds like One Mayor, with no other opinions or thoughts allowed.

I would appreciate your investigation of these facts. Ask a teacher!

Neil Kedes
Bayside