We cannot afford to lose our teachers

I recently attended an informational meeting regarding the contract situation with Swanton teachers. I ran into teachers that my kids have had over the years. Every one of them that I spoke to inquired about my kids by name and remembered specific things about them that reaffirmed to me that they do care.

It has been suggested that our district's "effective" rating on the proficiency tests is the fault of the teachers. As a parent, I've never been a fan of those tests. I believe there are multiple factors that come into play when scoring them. I have two children; one who scores in the advanced and accelerated areas, and the other who does not test well, period. I see what he does day to day, communicate with his teachers and make sure that he is staying on top of his work. He gets good grades in the classroom and I am confident that he is getting more than an "effective" education. (I do, however, question how effective an honors algebra class with 33 students in it can be!)

I remember five years ago when our district was in financial trouble. I remember the concessions the teachers took at that time. I remember the teachers, classes, programs and departments that were cut. I remember the promise that once the district was pulled out of the red, it would be restored to "full strength".

We are out of the red and currently have a budget carryover. We should be adding classes, not cutting them. We should restore programs that have been cut. Our school libraries should be open and available to our students five days a week. We can afford fair contracts for our teachers.

I would urge the community to support our teachers. What we cannot afford is to lose them.

Amy Seel

Swanton