To the editors:
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Where was the Reader’s sense of “responsible journalism”? What was the basis for Zaccor’s suppositions? Do we (teachers) get a chance to refute these allegations? These were some of the questions that ran through my mind. By Monday, Stockton’s “headhunters” (disgruntled teachers, parents, etc . . .) were out watching for Karen Zaccor and any of her cohorts. Yes, she and her sidekick J.M. were poised at the lunchroom doors assuming smug positions of kingship, ostensibly monitoring the breakfast program. It took a great deal of fortitude for many teachers not to confront Zaccor on her allegations. However, by Wednesday tensions had mellowed and the status quo sauntered on. Only then, did I deliberately sit down to read your article in its entirety. I didn’t find it as objectionable as I’d been told. In fact, I consider it an excellent article. It should have been circulated in Chicago’s major newspapers to let Chicagoans know how school reform via local school councils is faring in some schools. Yet, arriving at this conclusion did not quell the resentment I felt for Karen Zaccor’s assessment of Stockton’s teachers and their performance.
Dr. Lieberman touched on the major causes for poor academic achievement at Stockton; but believe me, they’re only the tip of the iceberg. Ms. Zaccor and those who think like her must remember that we are not the “enemy.” We are the victims of an ever-changing society as well. We know the students we teach are expected to be the next generation of the leaders. We want our children to rank high when compared to other “developed” nations. We want to work with parents, the community, the local school councils and everyone concerned, to make education worthwhile. But this can’t be achieved if one group is hurling derisive statements toward another. Instead of Ms. Zaccor and her associates’ criticism, they should join with all educators to combat an epidemic of illiteracy that has reduced our nation from a pillar of worldly superiority to a haven of havoc.
Florence Hamlish Levinsohn replies:
