Don’t tie the hands of good teachers

To the editor:

It’s no surprise to me that test scores are going down (Review-Journal, July 15). After teaching with the Clark County School District for more than 20 years, I retired early when I was denied the time to read to children in first grade in lieu of testing, testing, testing and little time to teach.

I was on a cohesive, family-like staff of 65 people, and six are left in the building after they allowed an abusive, uncaring principal to change everything that made the school successful. Thirty staff members went to administrators with legitimate grievances, but they were ignored. The district will force teachers and administrators to cheat if salaries are based on anything more than progress made in the year they have their students. As a first-grade teacher, if I am given a child who is at the level of a 3-year-old, and I am lucky enough to make even more than a year’s progress, the child will still not be at grade level.

Does the dentist still get paid if the patients don’t brush and care for their teeth? How will you reward teachers of the arts, or will no one want to do those jobs for fear of no monetary rewards?

My students loved school, were motivated to be there each day and achieved success. When they tied my hands from continuing that success, I had to retire.

TINA HAMILTON

HENDERSON