Alexandria — To the Editor:
With our neighborhood school, Jefferson-Houston Elementary School, becoming a new building in a couple of years, it is interesting to see how many teachers are now leaving the school. They have just implemented the International Baccalaureate (IB) program and have boasted how well the training of the current teachers in this program have done. Well, now we have both the 2nd grade teachers leaving the school, we also have the 3rd grade teachers leaving the school. As the current school year started, Jefferson-Houston received a new principal, and new vice principal, and a CEO who was only with our school from September until January. What is going on in this school? Why are they still having so many problems with getting and keeping faculty? My grandson is completing the 2nd grade there, and has had the same teacher for both 1st and 2nd grades, his spelling is very poor, he is not an English as second language student. We were told that the teachers at this school are rising with the students to be sure the students receive nurturing they may not be getting in or from their homes.
As a grandparent, I feel that I can do the nurturing they need, the teachers and the schools need to do their jobs and educate our students. My grandson is passing to the 3rd grade, if his education does not/cannot improve in this school there is no point of him attending, and what will a new building bring us, if the teachers and education in this building are not top notch? Our children need a good education, I am a full time working person, I have raised four children, and am now raising two more, plus trying to stay connected to my community by attending lots of neighborhood meetings.
I am not a teacher, but know that our children deserve the best education they can get. Dr. Sherman has stated many times how our schools are improving, well, maybe he needs to look a little harder at Jefferson-Houston, maybe instead of him dancing and playing with the students in their videos, he should be promoting stronger support to the teachers that need to be educating our children. Education must come first for our children.
Bea Porter
Alexandria