Show Letter to Editor EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE NOTE-An un- un unsigned unsigned signed letter etter was received but could not be published without the writers writer's signa signa- signature tune ture Letter Praises School Board There is another sidE to this tJ s issue that Mr Howells v wrote ote of last which h he either knows nothing of or else desires not to see When I worked in PT PTA A two years ago I 1 visited every school in our county several times when attending their PTA meetings I asked tea tea- teachers teachers chers and others present about problems of school facilities wJ which ch I had heard were undesirable and in each case I discovered that the tl things were not as they had been represented with the exception of som some e of the older buildings and the shape they were in I WAS AWARE from be- be being being ing around the school board offices that the building pro pro- program program gram in our our county was moving moving ing along at a good rate of speed Seed The building program was so designed as to take care of the needs of our students stud stud- students with the most urgent needs coming first Our county has moved along much faster aster and given the taxpayers more for their money since adopting the you pay plan The plans were then and andare are now that the Junior High in our valley would I have a new building in 1966 During the summer I know that much is done to fix up and paint up the rooms be- be before before fore the stu students go back in inthe inthe the fall I also n when visiting the schooLs that the equipment de desks etc were aU all being replaced a at an amazing rate and whether the building was old or new they all had the same movable movable able equipment IT IS HARD to believe that the teachers first con con- concern concern cern in this L issue sue is the equipment needed to work with jo fo tech rt ch the students when as they comi down to the last straw they are ask ask- asking ing that summer school pro pro- programs programs grams bl be cut out and that the school ear year be cut to a days with the teachers still getting th the same pay I Ilam lam am aware that more than half of our teachers did not entirely ly follow the actions of the ILEA In calling a recess when they did or in the way that the issue itself hB has been handled from the headquarters They have had no al- al alternative alternative but to go along with the group I MAY NOT go along with the teachers in this action but I am aware that we have ninny many fine teachers in our schools in our district and I have noticed that these thesel I are the ones putting in long hours of time and are too busy to make all these com com- complaints plaints but rather make the I most mOist of what they h have ve to work with I commend these I teachers for their fine ef ef- ef efforts forts The teachers did breach their contracts by not re- re reporting re- re reporting porting for school the two days of the recess strike Has our country gotten so bad that when an agreement between two parties is sign sign- signed signed ed it has no meaning B as far faras faras as binding the parties to the contract Any time a contract Is not lived up Ito do someone should land and does pay some penalty In our grandfathers time they could make agreements verbally and live up to them unless there was an an agree agree- agreement agreement ment by both parties to change it it As far as the school board being requested to recess school I dont don't believe belie they were It seemed to be more morein morein in the form fonn of being told this is going to take place will you go along with it An employee shouldn't be made to feel that he can tell his employer when he is go- go going going ing to take time off whether the employer cr agrees or not I ADMIRE our School Board for the action it took in keeping the schools open on the calendar that was set setup setup up when the teachers signed their contracts The parents showed their willingness to help in this emer emergency ency and I am sure the same ones would help any anytime tim time the teachers would ask them to We all want good schools for our I be- be believe believe lieve our school board is a strong one and as representatives representatives tives of the taxpayers is doing the best job it can There are many problems in running the schools that the average person is not aware of They put In many long hours making and carry carry- carrying carrying ing our the decisions for the betterment of our schools LAST YEAR a delegation from our teachers organization tion met with the board con con- concerning wages and asked at this time if they would use 70 of the funds for opera opera- operation tion and maintenance for tea tea- teachers teachers chers salaries The board is spending 74 of this fund for salaries It would seem then that if any more increase in salary is to be given it will have to come from some un un- un unknown known source as the district is getting aU all the revenue from taxes it is allowed in our county I am sure the average taxpayer feels he cant can't stand standa a tax raise as he is paying so much now I would like each citizen en who has not read the editorial in the Deseret News on Fri day May 22 to r read ad It It is a coincide report on where our schools in Utah place with others in the nation Then you will be better able to tomake tomake make a decision on this issue that is now concerning our schools N TURNER |