Letter to the New York Times

To the Editor:

Re: "More Applicants Answer the Call for Teaching Jobs" (front page, Feb.11).

I recently met a number of Teach for America teachers working in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, in Starr County, which is the poorest county in the U.S. Though I have already given a year of service to that same community as an Americorps volunteer, I was inspired by the level of commitment and hard work these teachers were putting into their two-year stint.

I, however, like many of the people quoted in the article, wonder how many of these peers of mine will remain teachers for the rest of their careers. While President Bush has promised many times to "leave no child behind," in the wake of September 11 he has done more for the defense industry than for teachers' salaries. Teaching is our most important profession and the one most oriented towards the future. It should be attracting our best and brightest during recession and in good times. After all, it is teachers, not fighter planes, who have the power to leave no child behind.


posted by Adam at 3:18 PM [edit]