Mr. Golkow’s letter demonstrates gross misunderstanding of what it means to be a teacher. After serving my country for more than 20 years in the Navy, I am now a proud high school teacher. Addressing his specific points, I can assure you that many of my fellow teachers do indeed fight the five o’clock traffic. And while we do tutor students after school, I’m not aware of any that make extra money for it. We do it solely for the students, including Mr. Golkow when he was in school, and his children as well.
Before submitting his poorly informed (and poorly written) letter, perhaps Mr. Golkow and others of his ilk should do a bit more homework to understand exactly how dedicated so many in the teaching profession are to children and education, and how much of our own money we have to put into supplies for our classrooms (and sometimes food for our students).
Like my previous career in the military, I don’t do this for the money, and many of my fellow teachers don’t either. We do seek fair compensation, but above that, a simple “thank you,” from our students and fellow citizens would be appreciated.
Rob Ballister
Retired U.S. Navy Commander
