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Something must be done to continue positive growth of education

September 27, 2004

Dear Editor:

I am currently in my internship year as a teacher at a local public high school. The idea of a strike came as quite a shock to me because I believed that Kentucky was finally making a concentrated effort, especially under the campaign that Gov. Ernie Fletcher ran, to improve its educational system and I couldn't believe that educators would go to so drastic measures. If, when I had graduated from Centre, I had gone back to Ohio to teach I would currently be making several thousand dollars more and would have impeccable health benefits, but I chose to remain in the region that I really have grown quite fond of. However, I will not be able to afford to remain as an educator in this area under my current circumstances with graduate school and a wedding on the horizon. I'm not saying that I'm flawless and the model of a teacher that Kentucky needs, but I don't see how driving teachers out of the state is improving the quality of education in the area.

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A previous letter mentioned the need for educators to be taken seriously as doctors, lawyers, and CEO's are. I totally agree with this statement. Teachers can no longer allow politicians, especially governors, to run under the false pretext that they are going to raise salaries (nope), fund programs (nope), and improve the quality of life for educators (umm nope) if we wish to be taken seriously as other professionals are. Kentucky's health benefits were ranked 49th in the nation last year, so you can imagine what the cuts will do to the quality of health care in the future, and I don't think that by allowing this to happen that educators are saying that we want to be taken seriously.

I sincerely hope that an agreement is made before a strike comes about. The educators and especially the children cannot afford such an event, but something needs to be done to continue the positive growth of education and the positive development of our future generations.

Jason Mott

Danville

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