There is no question about the commitment and dedication the Westbury Board of Education provides to our outstanding school district. The hours of service can not be measured. The residents of Westbury are extremely grateful.
The Westbury School District employees are highly qualified professional teachers who are dedicated to the children in Westbury. Teachers work hours beyond the school day preparing lessons, monitoring progress, examining reports, evaluating students, just to name a few responsibilities.
Teachers by nature are forgiving and accepting. However, the assault on the teachers and especially Ms. Corbett was reprehensible. Experienced and gifted teachers who have demonstrated on many occasions their skills and abilities were not given the support of the Board of Education. Teachers from Westbury School District attended the board meeting to provide moral support to their colleagues. The teachers were respectful and allowed for open dialogue, but nothing could be said in public to criticize the teachers. The executive closed session was asked to express the board’s concerns. The concerns were not the qualifications or standards of the profession, so, what were the objections to the teachers?
Stop blaming the public school teachers for the problems in our society. Westbury teachers provide excellent instructions to their students. They care about the success and failures of their students. Test scores do not measure the caliber or character of a student or district. Teachers are being held responsible for things that are beyond their powers to change. The real problem is not in the classroom!
—Mary J. Harris
