Letters : Criticism of Cleveland High Teachers
The article (“Faculty Threatens to Silence Paper,” March 28) has some interesting implications.
That Cleveland High School’s math faculty is so “touchy” about criticism indicates that they may have some real doubts about their teaching skills. Those who are confident about their performance rarely react so defensively and, in fact, would welcome such a discussion to help pinpoint areas which could use improvement.
The larger issue, of course, is that of freedom of speech. The Times article indicated that the criticism was a student reporter’s opinion, not a news story citing fact. It appeared to be written not out of malice but the sincere intention of improving math instruction at Cleveland High School. That students are attempting to be responsible for the improvement of their own education should be lauded, not condemned.
The students of The Forum should be congratulated for their courage to express their views. The administrators of Cleveland High School will hopefully think carefully before perhaps stifling student expression and concern about their own education.
PETER ORTON
Agoura
I have been a mathematics teacher at Cleveland High School for 17 years and an associate of Bob Thompson for 14 of these years. I don’t have to defend Mr. Thompson. His track record after 31 years and thousands of satisfied, well-trained students speaks for itself.
As an example of his professionalism, Cleveland wouldn’t have a computer program without Mr. Thompson. He was the guiding light in its inception and put hundreds of hours of his own time into getting it started.
Now, a student with a personal gripe against Mr. Thompson writes an anonymous letter vilifying him and the math department. He uses such words as idiot, moronic, incompetent, ineptitude and casts aspersions against the department and certain teachers because the California Assessment Program math scores at Cleveland were among the lowest in the Valley.
What he doesn’t mention is that the CAP scores of the Cleveland Humanities Magnet School are among the highest in the city. These students are also taught by the Cleveland High School math department. If these scores are averaged in with the regular school’s scores, Cleveland rates as one of the top schools in the Valley. Statistics can be made to look good or bad, depending on your outlook.
The writer of this anonymous letter to the Cleveland Public Forum leaves out one important element in education, namely, the student. Nowhere is the student mentioned in the failure of education.
As I pointed out in a letter to the editor of the Forum, students should share the major responsibility for lower math scores. Most of the students who do poorly on these tests are the same ones who complain about getting homework over the weekend. They moan and groan when asked to memorize formulas, equations, identities or theorems that will be useful in more advanced math classes or that can be used to do problems on aptitude tests. I have collected homework from classes and found that less than 50% of the class had even attempted to do the work. Yet they can’t understand why their math scores are low.
As I have pointed out to the editor of the Forum, I think the paper does an excellent job in handling controversial issues. It presents both sides of an issue and is written intelligently. However, printing “hate” letters that cast libelous statements at individuals has no place in any newspaper. I also don’t think the L. A. Times should make heroes of young people who are controversial in a negative way. Why not give a forum to young people who want to improve the world rather than tear it down?
P.S. The no-longer anonymous letter writer is a student in one of Mr. Thompson’s classes and has decided to remain in this “inept” teacher’s class.
CARL HOPFINGER
Reseda
Hopfinger is a mathematics teacher at Cleveland High School.
