L.A. Schools and Unions

* Your June 11 editorial, “Romer Needs a Fast Start,” on the one hand decries “entrenched career bureaucrats and administrators” in the Los Angeles Unified School District and on the other hand implies astonishment that “even administrators and principals” are unionized. You then go on to urge weakening of the district’s unions.

Alas, The Times began the 20th century fighting unions and ends the century fighting unions.

GENE R. TOUCHET

Cathedral City

*

Teacher bashing, union bashing, public school bashing--they’ve managed to damage a good school system in many other cities. Add superintendent bashing to these, will you? Bad-mouthing schools has done more damage than we can imagine.

Isn’t it time for a change in our attitude here? Think it over!

CAROL HOLLE

Westwood

*

Despite the animus displayed toward public education by your ever-reactionary political cartoonist, Michael Ramirez (Commentary, June 8), it is comforting to note the results of June 6 voting on school bond issues.

Districts in Rowland Heights, Hacienda-La Puente, Glendora, Claremont and Palos Verdes all approved bond issues by votes ranging from 69% to 84%. In Santa Clarita, school bonds failed by less than 1%.

Ninety percent of this country’s population is educated in the public schools, which continue to do a yeoman job despite heavy burdens of dysfunctional families, lack of English proficiency, crumbling infrastructure and shrill political attacks from the far right. I was educated in public schools and believe I received, for the most part, an excellent education. Shame on Ramirez.

STEVE ANDERSON

La Verne