Saratoga News

Letters & Opinions

Speak Out

Teachers should keep
opinions to themselves

Reading Wesley I. Ferguson's letter ("Concern is that teachers will express opinions," May 31) leads one's mind to what is pertinent to the curriculum, who makes the policies and procedures at the Los Gatos-Saratoga Union High School District and who makes the education codes. Surely not the parents.

It is obvious that our children are not receiving a solid education. We, California, are second to the lowest in our nation on children test scores. And guess what? Tennessee is the lowest.

We pay out more money per capita per child and any other state. We have been hoodwinked into thinking that the more money we pour into the system, the better education our children will receive.

Think again. The California school system needs to get back to the three R's and stop all these foolish "opinions." The teachers are paid a ton to teach and should keep their opinions to themselves.

Howard Theobald

Los Gatos

So, why aren't the
conservatives teaching?

I am writing regarding the letter ("Concern is that teachers will express opinions," May 31) of Wesley I. Ferguson, who is fearful of teachers expressing their opinions in school classrooms. My message to Mr. Ferguson is to relax. I grew up in Saratoga and attended Foothill Elementary, Redwood Junior High and Saratoga High School, and from my personal experience I can tell him that I don't recall ever taking any of my teachers' opinions seriously. And I was not alone. The general opinion was that they were all weirdos.

In hindsight, of course, I now see that they were not weirdos. (Well, OK, maybe a couple of them weren't weirdos.) But the point is that among children everywhere, there is a pervasive tendency to make fun of their teachers, regardless of their real merits as human beings. It is important to remember that students are paying more attention to the notes they are passing, to the pictures they are drawing and to what they are going to do at lunch than they are thinking about something as irrelevant to their world and their SAT score as a teacher's political opinion.

A major aspect of American culture is a healthy skepticism toward authority, which is a condition vital to freedom of thought, democracy and innovation. (This is what makes being a teacher such a challenge, at least since the paddle was outlawed.) That this attitude has defined our successful American society for generations should provide comfort to the nervous minds of Mr. Ferguson and Ms. Hocker, as it protects students from buying wholesale into tangential remarks made by public instructors.

One last point: Mr. Ferguson asserts that "studies show the great majority of teachers are of the same ideological/political persuasion and, therefore, the opinions they express in the classroom will inappropriately and unfairly reflect this lack of diversity." (He means "non-conservatives," though for some reason he won't spell it out.)

If this is true, and I don't know that it is, I'd love to ask Mr. Ferguson to explain what is so wrong with conservatives that none of them feel like giving back to society through this noble profession. Are they just too busy bankrupting Enron, being bogusly awarded the Medal of Freedom and getting indicted for perjury? Is the definition of "conservative" a general fear of critical discourse and discovery? Or do they, as a body, simply disdain low-paid public service? I'm curious.

William Lorton

Saratoga High School graduate

Los Angeles

Saratogans are more
than just Republicans

Reading yet another inane letter from Elaine Hocker ("Letter-writer lashes back at criticism," June 7), I felt distinctly proud to be a Democrat. In her latest missive, Ms. Hocker informs us that for the 49 years of her residency here, Saratoga has been "a predominantly Republican community, and this conservative viewpoint needs to be respected by our local educational system."

I suppose the message is that Democrats, and those not of a conservative bent like Ms. Hocker, should sit down and be quiet. Or perhaps that we erred in turning right on Highway 9, when we should have turned left and settled in Los Gatos.

The real Saratoga is far more multi-dimensional than Ms. Hocker would have us believe. We are a vibrant mix of different nationalities, religions, and sexual orientations, and, dare I say it, some of us are even Democrats. And, unlike Ms. Hocker, I strongly believe that we are enriched by this diversity.

Stacy Shelton

Gypsy Hill Road

Article on Sacred Heart
priest was 'shabby'

I was very disappointed by the emphasis of your article by Jason Sweeney on the appointment of the Rev. Gary Thomas as pastor to Sacred Heart Church ("Priest returns early from Rome to take over Sacred Heart pulpit," May 31). Of the 88 lines of copy, you devoted 36 lines to the unfortunate situation at Sacred Heart, plus a lengthy discussion about the problems of the Catholic Church. The Catholic community is aware, concerned and is working to remedy its problems. Coverage about the Rev. Thomas' many achievements as a priest would be more inspiring. You devoted only five lines of copy to his professional background.

Your readers are aware of the past situation at Sacred Heart. No one needs to be reminded. I recall that you covered all the details thoroughly in recent articles. Regurgitating the scandal is poor journalism. The article may make juicy copy, but both the Sacred Heart community and Saratoga deserve better than this kind of shabby reporting. I thought you could do better.

Agnes Krug

Shubert Drive