Back teachers

Re “Student behavior out of control, Newport News teachers and community members say” (Jan. 18): I do not have a degree in child behavior. However, when growing up, I had a loving mother and father. One thing I was taught was respect for parents, our elders, police and teachers. In school if we misbehaved, we were sent to the principal’s office where some form of discipline was administered.

In today’s society, respect is rapidly becoming a forgotten word, not only at home and in our society, but also in our schools and in our government. While reading the article, my conclusion was that if teachers are not supported, students cannot be taught. If in a class of 25 students, two are continually disruptive, 23 students cannot be taught no matter how hard the teacher attempts to teach. If these two are sent to the office, will the teacher get the backing or will the administration bow to outside influence, and inform the teacher that he or she needs to try harder to understand the student?

The teacher is in the classroom to teach, not to psychoanalyze each student. Teaching is not an easy job. I taught for four years at a Navy school; however, I had positive control over the class and backing from the administration. My hat is off to those who have selected teaching as their career. Individuals who want to become teachers believe they can assist in changing lives and attitudes. However, they expect support and backing from their administrators, and moreover they should receive that support. As in many areas, politics is now in our educational arena. This must be stopped. If we do not support our teachers and let them do the job they were trained for, we will continue to develop a world of idiots. The dumbing of America is becoming a reality.

— George W. McCormic Sr., Virginia Beach