‘Don’t Blame the Teachers’

The opinion piece by Diane Ravitch on June 14 tended to blame a variety of problems of why student achievement does not compare favorably with international counterparts, and that teachers have no control over what can be described as “societal and cultural problems” [Oped, “Don’t Blame the Teachers,” June 14, 2007].

Unfortunately, there is one fallacy that has not been addressed: Why is it that teachers and other educators are being paid bonuses and other incentives for increasing student achievement?

How are they improving achievement if, in fact, they have no control and have not changed societal and cultural issues?

In other words, paying bonuses enables a teacher to overcome the so-called societal and cultural issues that have been stated repeatedly as hindering student achievement.

So either the results being reported of increased achievement are suspect, and there is evidence to indicate that achievement data is often falsified, or students can learn in spite of societal and cultural differences.

Of course, bonuses suggest that teachers can teach more effectively when that is what they are being paid to do in the first place, so maybe teachers can be blamed.

ARMAND FUSCO
Retired superintendent
Branford, Conn., School District
Guilford, Conn.

‘The Gay Marriage Tax’

I was the one who suggested to Comptroller William Thompson that he write a report on the economic benefits to New York of gay marriage [Editorial, “The Gay Marriage Tax,” June 11, 2007].

As a gay man who hopes to marry his partner in the jurisdiction where I live, work, and volunteer, it struck me that where some people may not recognize the moral and civic sense of gay marriage, they may be swayed by an economic argument.

Just like with the push to undo the military’s untenable “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, gay people are not only asking to share rights, but also to shoulder the responsibilities, financial or otherwise.

If we wind up paying more to be married, as do our heterosexual friends and family in some ways, we are willing to do so.

All families, gay and straight, will benefit from all people being able to enter into marriages.

The comptroller’s recognition of this fact, and his running the numbers on it based on the authority of his office, should be congratulated.

GARY PARKER
Co-president
Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn
Brooklyn, N.Y.

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