Home Teaching and Union Label

Regarding the Jan. 25 Orange County Voices column by Eileen Spatz, “Stop Making Our Teachers Scapegoats,” I would like to add to her insightful comments about the true source of our public schools’ problems.

For whatever reason, the powers that be in the teachers unions seem to be in lock-step with the liberal left with regard to directing the teaching methods and philosophies that will be used in our schools.

There is no real local control; that is long gone. As soon as these decisions are made and filtered down through the bureaucratic system, there is little room for differing opinions among our teachers. Even the PTA has been lassoed in and has become mere talking heads for the National Education Assn.

No wonder many teachers are complacent and unassertive about spouting off when they see that the progressive methods don’t work in the classroom. They stand to be put out to pasture if they do not go along. Sadly, teaching has become a profession intimidated into silence by the education establishment.

MIKE RODRIGUEZ

San Juan Capistrano

* Home teacher Eileen Spatz’s article that blamed teachers unions for the problems in education was factually incorrect with regard to every comment she made about unions.

Spatz says that “teachers need to look at methods and textbooks critically.” Teaching methods are constantly reviewed. As for textbooks, after approval by the state, school boards select books. If Spatz has a complaint, it is not against the teachers. Her central point, that a committed, loving teacher, working one on three can achieve great success, really isn’t a surprise, is it? Teachers and their unions have been saying for years that one way to improve schools is to reduce class sizes.

As a teacher with 20 years of experience, 10 in a union, I wish Spatz and the rest of the home teachers would stop union bashing, or at least get some of the facts straight.

JIM CORBETT

San Clemente