Quality of education rests with students

To the editor:

Response to ?Candidates? ?cut? philosophy alarming? [June 30].

The United States of America has outstanding debt obligations. According to www.usdebtclock.org, as of 8:05 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, June 30, 2011, our National Debt is 97.9 percent to our GDP Ratio. That means that essentially every dollar that a company, corporation, or small business generates needs to be paid to investors in U.S. treasuries in order to balance our account as a country? For One Whole Year!!!

I agree with you that cutting and other budget-balancing measures inevitably harm our school and all other public services. However, there need to be cuts somewhere?or more realistically, Everywhere.

I think that Fairfield has some of the finest teachers in the country. Don?t worry. They won?t be the Teachers that we lose when there are more budget cuts within Jefferson County. Until, of course, the school board decides that our effective teachers need to be cut along with the ineffective ones. (Prediction: We will lose our fine teachers before we lose our fine administrators. Not only are our fine teachers in higher abundance, but they have less pull ? politically ? as individuals).

Also, the burden of how well a student is educated rests solely upon the student. No matter how good the teachers in our county are, they are still normal individuals with a 24-hour day like everyone else. Not only do they have a 24-hour day, but their workday in which they can have the most impact on students is about eight hours. (Not counting the hours of grading and lesson planning that is done outside of a teacher?s ?workday.?) During a teacher?s paid working day they must educate 15-25 students per hour for six hours. That?s between 90 and 150 students to engage, give materials to study, and attempt to activate (activate: having students use what they?ve learned in a practical manner) in one day!! It?s impossible for a teacher to make sure that a student understands and can use the material provided without the student being determined to learn the material. (Note: I have yet to mention the fact that teachers also have families, and need to spend time with them as well.)

Therefore, and this is a comforting thought Ms. Kessel, your education is Totally within your hands. Teachers can help us, make the material that we learn fun, and provide us with support when we need to be supported. However, a teacher cannot make you learn. You cannot rely on the public school system to give you a better education than your parents. (Note: in the 18th Century the educated class often went to university at the same age that our children begin attending middle school ? therefore you won?t be part of the first generation to receive a less adequate education than your parents.) You cannot rely upon the government to treat your educators fairly, and compensate them for their pains.

Most importantly, you can only rely upon yourself to become educated, and THAT is an encouraging thought. If you are a self-willed and determined individual then you will become an educated, informed and competent person with ease. That is an encouraging thought, nay, Fact.

? Jeremiah Weigert, Fairfield