Submitted by Ed Greenspan, Oct 28, 2007 16:03

The scores on all the city and statewide exams are a joke and our educational leaders know this.

As long as we allow the complete lack of discipline in our schools to continue without appropriate punishment, expect to see scores below par.

Far too many children are allowed to misbehave and subsequently get away with it. People would be shocked if they attended suspension hearings. Disruptive students bring attorneys who help them destroy a school's case. Cases are routinely dismissed. Parents of disruptive pupils either don't show up or create havoc themselves when they attend.

We need the return of the 600 schools. If you don't behave in school, you don't belong there.

In additional, we have the editorial boards of the newspapers who routinely blame teachers for the ills of the school system.

We have the Manhattan Institute that would love for teachers to surrender all their hard earned gains in previous contracts with the city.

How can Diane Ravitch state that teachers gave up nothing to achieve the pension change of 55/25?

If Ms. Ravitch did her homework instead of shooting off her big mouth, she would have seen that in 2005 teachers gave up:

The right to grieve letters placed in their files. They are working longer days and longer years. Hallway and cafeteria duty were reinstated. Seniority transfers were done away with. Principals and others can now hire friends, relatives and other politicos regardless of ability.

Our school system is in a state of crisis. It's time to listen to the teachers. Teachers, not Sol Stern, Diane Ravitch, Mayor Bloomberg and Joel Klein, are on the front lines. When will someone investigate the fact that Mr. Klein taught for exactly 6 months before fleeing the classroom?

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