LETTERS: Stop placating non-English speakers
August 17, 2014 - 11:01 pm
To the editor:
In response to Donald E. Schmiedel’s letter (“Spoiling Spanish,” Tuesday Review-Journal): Very simply, Mr. Schmiedel, this is the United States of America. We speak English in this country. I, for one, am tired of our government trying to placate every nationality on earth with multilingual signs everywhere.
If you want to live in this country, learn English, as my German ancestors and millions of other immigrants did decades ago. I am tired of our government giving away health care, housing, education, food and goodness knows what else to people who do not even work to support our wonderful country, while millions of our citizens do without. It is time to pack up and go back to where you came from.
DAVID G. LAWRENCE
LAS VEGAS
English-speaking country
To the editor:
One can only assume letter writer Donald E. Schmiedel has not had the pleasure of traveling to Spanish-speaking countries and observing the hilarious interpretations of the English language (“Spoiling Spanish,” Tuesday Review-Journal).
Mr. Schmiedel complains of misspelled Spanish words and misused Spanish phrases in ads and on signage in Clark County. But I question why anything is in Spanish. This is supposed to be an English-speaking country.
VI GRAHAM
LAS VEGAS
Medical residencies
To the editor:
Glenn Cook is absolutely right about the need for Nevada to both increase its medical residencies and to get UNLV’s medical school off the ground (“To get doctors, improve residencies,” Aug. 10 Review-Journal). However, this will require a considerable increase in tax dollars. Is Mr. Cook in favor of this? If so, he needs to come right out and say it, something he has yet to do.
RICHARD L. STRICKLAND
LAS VEGAS
Teacher shortage
To the editor:
Recent Review-Journal articles addressed the Clark County School District’s difficulties in finding enough teachers. Also noted were downward trends in teacher licensure applications and alarmingly high new-teacher attrition rates.
Why is there such a teacher shortage? Simply, there is a culture of disrespect for the profession. Disrespect is evidenced not only by poor overall educational funding and inadequate wages, but is seen in nearly every aspect of the profession. Disrespect is in the media, such as Review-Journal editorials, and is easily identified within schools from students and parents. It appears teachers can rarely do enough. It’s difficult to find a problem that is not blamed, at some point, on those teachers who don’t care, aren’t well-trained, have summers off, and enjoy premium retirement and health insurance benefits.
People tend to think because they went to school, they understand teaching. It’s not true. The schools most adults attended don’t exist anymore. The education system constantly transforms to reflect societal changes, and teaching grows more complex each year. Most teachers are bright, capable and extraordinarily dedicated. Teachers in at-risk schools (where most of the vacancies exist) are faced with extreme challenges, such as high levels of transiency, poverty, English language learners and student behavioral problems.
All dedicated teachers deserve great respect, but teachers in at-risk schools are often heroes to the children they serve and should be treated as such. Until this culture of disrespect changes, the teacher shortage will continue, and it will only become more difficult to attract the types of high-quality teachers needed to face the increasing demands of this important profession.
SUZANNE MATHEWS
NORTH LAS VEGAS