Opinion: Teach children to notice and report threats

It has happened again. Hundreds of our most valuable, precious gifts -- our children -- have had their childhoods shattered, this time in Santee, Calif. The blood of young children poured out over the halls of another high school. Two lives gone, 13 injured, one young man in jail and many, many more altered by this senseless tragedy.

Once again children were aware that the shooter had access to guns in his home. Once again children heard this person make threats to do a "Columbine" at school, and they didn't go to the authorities. One glaring difference here is that an adult appeared on nationwide news coverage of the event and told reporters that the shooter had mentioned his intentions, but said maybe he was kidding. Even this adult who knew this boy to be troubled did nothing. A friend "patted him down" before school, but did nothing. When will we learn that we must take these threats seriously and protect all of our children?

By now we've seen the "boogeyman" that we used to warn our kids about up close and much too personally. We know now what he looks and sounds like, especially when he's telling us who he is days in advance. If you think it can't happen to someone you know, remember: The children in Jonesboro, Littleton and Santee have aunts, uncles and grandparents all over the country. Hold your loved ones close and listen to what they're saying when they speak. If you really love them, get them help.

Teach our children that they must tell when if they hear a remark that sounds like a threat to their safety. Better that they jeopardize a friendship than their lives.
-- Donna Ashley, New Port Richey

A positive environment needed

Tragically near San Diego, Calif., a student shot his classmates and smiled as he did so. This is disturbing, but it's becoming more and more common throughout the United States.

Yes, the child might have been a bit mentally disturbed and tormented by his classmates, but something triggered this young person as well as others to commit such a desperately horrible act. Sometimes when a child feels backed into a corner, he'll come out fighting in the only way he can. Where were the teachers to prevent the others from ridiculing him? And where were the counselors when they heard other students talking about the potential threat?

In the Tampa Bay area, lets fix the roof while the sun is still shining -- before such an awful incident happens in our schools.

We moved here from Ohio three years ago where I taught high school. It would be quite unlikely that the school where I taught would have such an incident ever happen. Each student was recognized and treated as an important individual, not just another number in a factory assembly-line school system. In the school where I taught there were no more than 20 students to a class. Every student had his own well-maintained desk and his own locker, which he decorated weekly to express pride in himself and his school. Every student had a textbook to take home every night in every subject. Each class had a section of the schoolyard in which they planted flowers each spring and decorated for seasonal celebrations. Every week, each student had a special duty to do at the school. Each week, the students were responsible for doing a good deed and writing about it in their journals in English class. Manners and respecting oneself and others were emphasized. The staff recognized students not only for good grades, but for good deeds. President Bush's idea of a character education curriculum was already in action without it being called character education.

After teaching in Pasco County last year, however, I could see the possibility of such a shooting incident being much more likely. The students did not have enough desks in which to sit and usually the desks were in disrepair or too small. My high school students sat in desks meant for fifth graders! They did not have textbooks to take home at night. There were 36 students crammed into a portable in the same way sardines are packed into a can. It was so crowded in the portable that it was impossible to have rows and the students had to climb over each others' desks to get to their own. There was only one chalkboard that was in such bad shape that I couldn't even write on it. The air conditioning and heating malfunctioned all the time. When an intelligent student dropped out of school, none of the other teachers were even concerned. One teacher even remarked that he was from a poor family and that the 18-year-old boy would never amount to anything anyway. How heartbreaking for teachers to not even care for students! If the teachers don't really care, how can you expect the children to show respect to them?

The bottom line is this: Students are fellow human beings, and they need to behave in society. However, if the school fails to have a positive environment and doesn't have a genuine interest in the students, behavior like that of the California student might not be so unusual in Florida's schools.

Let's make sure our students have the positive environment and needed supplies to promote learning. Let's show some humanity and genuine concern for children. They learn from us, and it's our responsibility to make sure to provide them with adequate schools. Florida has wonderful children. Let's support them to make sure that they can do wonderful things.
-- Fawn Lerner-Gilli, Tampa

Pay teachers hourly

First off, let me say that I taught for 30 years. For years, people have discussed teachers' pay. I would like to offer the following as a solution:

Teachers should be paid by the hour. Those hours should include any time teachers spend doing an action that is required by their contract, the state or their job. Included in this would be all of the following use of time by a teacher:

1. Teaching class.

2. Correcting papers.

3. Calling parents or answering their calls.

4. Going to meetings (school, subject, parent conferences).

5. Taking college courses required by the state (pay should cover the cost of the classes as well as the time a teacher spends attending such classes).

6. All outside time spent preparing for a course.

Added to all of these should be the consideration of the individual teachers' experience and degree. Finally, the pay should be equal to that of the average worker. I believe if that were ever done, no teacher would complain about lack of pay.

Using the above factors, I believe that if the pay was the government's minimum wage which is $5.15 an hour, a beginning teacher would be paid around $30,000 per year.
-- George Spirek, Brooksville

A disgraceful imbalance of values

Derek Jeter is a great baseball player and from all accounts is a wonderful person as well.

My daughter is a great schoolteacher. She also is a wonderful person.

Assuming Derek Jeter will bat 500 times a year over his 10-year contract, he will be paid $37,800 for each trip to the plate. If he puts the ball in play on the first pitch, he will earn $37,800 for one swing of his bat. Product endorsement monies will substantially increase this figure.

My daughter, who devoted four years in college to become a schoolteacher, receives a yearly compensation far less than the pay Derek Jeter gets for just one at-bat. Granted, Derek Jeter is among the highest paid athletes, but all sports pros are getting absurd salaries -- far more than they need or can wisely spend. It's not their fault. Rather, it's the self-serving owners and corporate moguls who are willing to spend so freely to buy a pennant or a larger share of the market. I believe the correct term for describing this strategy is called "greed."

Surely a "day of reckoning" is coming when enough fans finally realize the stupidity of it all and say: "I quit." That day has already arrived in my household. I will not pay exorbitant prices to attend games and purposely avoid products advertised on TV that perpetuate this ridiculous situation.

The real losers in this disgraceful imbalance of values in our society are our kids, and perhaps even America's future. We are facing severe teacher shortages (in large measure due to low salaries) and overcrowded classrooms.

I am so sorry to have been a part of the problem as an avid sports fan. It is deplorable that business executives, government officials and "framers of public opinion" have allowed this disparity to evolve.

I am so proud of my daughter and other dedicated teachers for following their profession. I only wish their year-long efforts were worth just one at-bat. (That goes for Derek Jeter's teachers, too!)
-- Paul Leach, Largo

Trembling for the future of Florida

As reported in your excellent March 2 editorial Vandals after our judiciary, some Republicans in the Florida Legislature are proposing that Florida Supreme Court justices and District Court of Appeal judges who don't poll at least a two-thirds "yes" vote in a retention election be kicked out.

If the Democrats are smart, they will propose that this be broadened to include all public officials -- including the governor and members of the Legislature -- to require that they also must get two-thirds of the vote to win retention (re-election).

Of course, such a ridiculous proposal would never receive serious consideration, but it would expose the hypocrisy of this Republican attempt to gain revenge on the judiciary for their refusal to knuckle under to Republicans trying to trample on the rights and freedoms guaranteed us by the Constitution.

I tremble for the future of our state, our environment and our general welfare in the hands of Jeb Bush and Tom Feeney.
-- Sydney K. Potter, Tampa

A show of support

Re: Senate Republicans' energy bill allows Alaska drilling, Feb. 27.

Former President Jimmy Carter best described this careless piece of legislation when he said, "It has some very serious destructive elements to the overall protection of our environment and removes some of the encouragements to energy conservation."

My husband and I are well acquainted with the details surrounding this issue and we are encouraged to read that the majority of Americans, most Democrats in Congress and some moderate Republican senators are against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. However, the wishes of the majority of the American people may not be enough to defeat this legislation.

Thankfully, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., is planning a filibuster of any bill that includes drilling in the refuge, and he seems to feel there is a good chance he can be successful. We have e-mailed Sen. Kerry to show our support for his filibuster. We encourage others to go to his Web site and do the same.
-- Peter and Darlene St. Martin, Largo

Thanks for the smiles, Snuffy

Re: Cartoonist Fred Lasswell dies at 84, March 5.

Hootin' Holler will never be the same!

It's people like Fred Lasswell who put a spring in our step as we walk out the door each morning ready to face the "real" world.

Way back when, I came this close to meeting Fred but never did.

Through his main character, Snuffy Smith, Lasswell allowed us to smile at ourselves as Snuffy did his best to evade any thought of a work project his wife Loweezy had in mind.

Rest in peace under a white oak tree, Snuffy.
-- Andrew Alfano, Oldsmar

Share your opinions

We invite readers to write to us. Letters for publication should be addressed to Letters to the Editor, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

They can be sent by e-mail to letters@sptimes.com or by fax to 893-8675.

They should be brief and must include the writer's name, address and phone number. Please include a handwritten signature when possible.

Letters may be edited for clarity, taste and length. We regret that not all letters can be published.

Back to Opinion

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

From the Times
Opinion page