January 31

Difficult students don't need adults to give up on them

Letter to the Editor

Kids need alternatives and support, not to be "fired."

I began reading John Neal's Maine Compass, "Schools should be able to fire students who don't want to learn" (Jan. 18), assuming it to be a satirical work (e.g., let's fire the children, rather than eat them.)

Dismay began to set in as it dawned on me that his proposal was genuine.

Although I have not been in education as long as Neal, I have taught for eight years and I currently teach at Gardiner Area High School.

Every day I work with difficult students. Yes, they do take up a disproportionately large amount of my time and sometimes end up distracting others, but they are worth the time and effort.

Perhaps when Neal writes that some students go to school only for a "warm place to get free meals and visit friends," he doesn't realize that some of these students come from families that can't afford to heat their houses, don't reliably have food on the table or don't have a home to go to at all.

When he says that trouble-causing teenagers should spend the day with their parents instead of at school, he may not realize that many of these students are abused or neglected by their parents.

Perhaps Neal does not realize the burden dropouts place on society, representing a disproportionately large percentage of the unemployed, the imprisoned and those on public assistance.

I've had many difficult students in my day, but never one I was willing to give up on. Some kids need more time, some kids need more support and some kids need to learn or demonstrate their learning in different ways.

What they don't need is for adults to give up on them.

Karl Matulis

Waterville

Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form

Send question/comment to the editors




Further Discussion

Here at OnlineSentinel.com we value our readers and are committed to growing our community by encouraging you to add to the discussion. To ensure conscientious dialogue we have implemented a strict no-bullying policy. To participate, you must follow our Terms of Use.

Questions about the article? Add them below and we’ll try to answer them or do a follow-up post as soon as we can. Technical problems? Email them to us with an exact description of the problem. Make sure to include:
  • Type of computer or mobile device your are using
  • Exact operating system and browser you are viewing the site on (TIP: You can easily determine your operating system here.)


Most…