Excellent article about the fired teacher suing his former school district [“Law and Order,” Current Events, May/June]. The limited scope of the interview doesn’t delve much into the facts of the case, which must still be litigated in court. I question, however, the wisdom of suing a district and administration for a perceived lack of support. I also question what schools must do with students who are kicked out. Where will they go? Who will supervise them? It’s quite reasonable to assume that these same students don’t want to be in school at all; what makes Mr. Pitone believe that they will become bored and beg to come back to class?
I wonder what preconceptions Mr. Pitone had prior to embarking on his second career. Did he believe all students took education as seriously as he did? Did he believe all parents were supportive and willing to sacrifice? I also wonder how many others out there think teaching is nirvana, where all students are focused all the time and every student is as invested in school as the teachers are. Sounds to me like Mr. Pitone realized on Day One what I’ve known for nine years—students are not products, they are people, and people can’t always be forced to adhere to someone else’s expectations.
Charles A. Nassar
Magahay Elementary
Sterling Heights, Michigan
