Classroom Contagion

Re “Put the Squeeze on Lemon Teachers,” Aug. 22: Steve Lopez writes that on any given day 7% of teachers call in sick. Not to gross you out, Mr. Lopez, but many parents send their children to school when they are sick because of a lack of day care or planning. In turn, these students cough and sneeze and wipe things in strange places. We don’t work in a sterile environment. Have you ever seen the children’s bathrooms? Soap? Towels? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Same with the faculty bathrooms. Do you see a correlation here? Now think about having to withstand this for 30 years.

Mark Storhaug

Los Angeles