THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 21, 1996 TAG: 9604190250
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
Budget punishes teachers
When Jim Spore ``talks'' pay raises for city employees, he says that most city workers would get three to five percent raises, with a handful receiving 26 percent and his goal is ``the best paid city employees in Hampton Roads.'' (Virginian-Pilot, March 3). But when he ``talks'' teacher pay raises, he phrases it a ``reduction of five to three percent.'' And his goal is to ``create a better product out of the school system,'' not spend more money in creating that product.
May I suggest to Jim Spore that as far as teachers are concerned - with regard to his duplicitous perspective for common good of the city - our product has not changed? In light of and notwithstanding recent administrative stupidity, we are still concerned for our kids - our students.
Don't punish teachers for the sins of the ignorant. Nor should teachers be punished for the shortsightedness, born out of fear, for the city's lavish and cowardly expense in spending money for administrative leave policies for the incompetent.
The new superintendent, Dr. Jenney, sounding very much like a ``company man'' of whom the city will be proud, in the same article said, ``we recognize it (the city's budget for the schools) is the largest contribution. . . in history. That doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated.''
Well, don't speak for me, Dr. Jenney. Most certainly, I do not appreciate a city manager who can make so much of ``his'' city employees' contribution and can so denigrate the contribution of city teachers, by both his action and his obvious omission of praise for the ``best'' teachers.
Bill Bennett
Virginia Beach by CNB