BE OUR GUEST

Stephen Mosley, formerly of Cape Girardeau, is a resident of Sikeston. He has taught history and government in the Sikeston Public School System for 24 years. He has also served as president of that system's Community Teachers Association and is a member of the Missouri State Teachers Assocation Southeast District Executive Committee.

Some might be tempted to conclude that Ms. Nancy Baker's public school and public school teacher bashing (Be Our Guest, Feb. 13th), under the guise of objective research data, and, including her comment that, "Choice is not a matter of religion ...," would have been considerably more credible had her list of credits deleted the fact that she is president of a parochial school board of education. That, however, would be most unfair. John Chubb, whom she cites, is correct in asserting that "...the best and most effective schools are those whose parents purposefully send their children...." That is certainly true, in private, private parochial, and public educational settings. Parental resolve is indeed a key. The differences in achievement levels between private and public schools are marginal, with public schools outdoing private ones in some areas, and vice-versa. Both generally pale when international comparisons are made, although there have been signs of improvement, and international comparisons as public-private ones, have elements of "apples to oranges" characteristics that make many conclusions tentative at best.

Ms. Baker's attempt to generate broad-based public support for taxpayer subsidized private secular or private parochial education will get little sympathy if she continues to run a negative "campaign". If she's concerned about education, why not suggest ways for improving all schools, while focusing her case on the positive aspects of the cause she espouses?

One wonders if her "data" extends to higher education as well. In her article, Ms. Baker asserts that, "Evidence ... suggests that private school teachers work with more dedication than public school teachers." She then cites "evidence" from a "think tank" to try to make her case. I, and my public school teacher colleagues would certainly challenge that, though, without the time to research the literature, our evidence would be anecdotal. Even if one gives her the benefit of the doubt on this point (which I in no way do), one is perplexed about her evident failure to see the irony of a taxpayer subsidized public university instructor (Ms. Baker), attacking public schools, thus implying that she's less hard working when compared to her colleagues who teach at private colleges and universities. Ms. Baker has worked with numerous public school instructors throughout the area. Is she ready to go "on record" saying that they're less hard working than the private school teachers with whom she has contact?

I am a product of the Cape Girardeau Public Schools and very proud of it. I think that my education was first rate. I am also proud of my chosen profession in public secondary education. Cape Girardeau is fortunate to have a fine educational system, public and private. Public schools are not trying to eliminate the "choice" option. We respect the right of Ms. Baker and others to advocate the choice of private and/or parochial education. We hope that Ms. Baker will, in the future, respect us. Frankly, I hope that she will offer the public schools an apology. I do not anticipate one.