Editorials / Opinion

At the end of his guest column, Dick Dickinson asks: If military instructors maintain such a high morale while also educating their personnel effectively, why can’t civilian educators do the same? [“Reward teachers like military officers,” Opinion, July 17]. The answer is simple: Military personnel want to be there. They are all motivated, because they signed…

Once again, The Seattle Times makes a worthy request the we the people help with school supplies for the needy [“This Fourth of July holiday, give to The Seattle Times School Supply Drive," Opinion, July 3]. Like the situation with hunger, the need for these tools for education has increased. As a teacher for…

Those of us who work in the public sector have come to expect ideological attacks and extremist rhetoric from the Freedom Foundation ["How the union trumped voters in Seattle Public Schools budget," Opinion, June 24]. Let’s set the record straight on some of the wild assertions made by Jami Lund in his guest…

Like most working moms with preschoolers, I am not able to attend City Council meetings or lobby our mayor to do the right thing for education [“Voters should thwart attempts to hijack mayor’s pre-K mandate,” Opinion, June 19]. So I was pleased when the council did what our city needed: to put forward…

It makes me sad that so many people seem to have the attitude that “I got mine, now you are on your own,” especially when they are talking about babies and preschoolers [“Why should everyone else pay for your children? ,” Northwest Voices, June 25]. Many babies are born into families that, for one…

I agree that “even before it hits the ballot” the mayor’s pre-K plan has significant problems, but I disagree on what they are [“Voters should thwart attempts to hijack mayor’s pre-K mandate,” Opinion, June 19]. The biggest problems with the mayor’s plan are: First, it is not universal. It’s a pilot plan covering only 14…

This letter may not be popular with many parents, but part of the population will nod in agreement.  Why do so many parents now believe that the general public should be responsible for their child care? ["Voters should thwart attempts to hijack mayor’s pre-K mandate," Opinion, June 19]. Why are the supporters of Initiative 107 pushing…

The article “High cost of college: the truth behind the myths” [Local News, June 15] was excellent, especially the link between state budget cuts and higher tuition rates. However, I’d like to clarify that community and technical college classes are, indeed, rigorous. That’s why our transfer courses qualify for university credits and transfer students…

State lawmakers have admitted they failed to follow the state Supreme Court’s order to fund our children’s education [“Supreme Court menaces lawmakers on McCleary, education funding,” Opinion, June 16]. This was after the court originally found lawmakers in violation of our state’s Constitution back in 2012. Our children’s future can’t wait any longer. Do Democrats…

Donna Grethen / Op Art

The assumption that with experience comes increased quality of teaching, is inaccurate or, at minimum, an over-generalization [“How gaps in teacher quality widen the gaps in student achievement,” Education Lab, June 6].

As there are veteran teachers of high and low quality, there are first- and second-year teachers with equal if not greater merit. Often with youth comes innovative approaches, enthusiasm and a love for the teaching profession that has not been dampened by bureaucratic suffocation — a determination to “do as we have always done,” an attitude that teaching is a job or worse, that the non-future of