Chicago taxpayers shouldn’t pay for more teacher prep time

Regarding Jim Morris’ letter from Oct. 4, “Giving teachers more prep time is good for Chicago’s school kids:” Apparently Mr. Morris, an Evanston resident, thinks it’s okay for Chicago taxpayers to pay Chicago Teachers Union teachers for more prep time and thereby shorten the time for actual instruction.

Teachers are not paid an hourly wage. They are paid an above-average salary to perform their job of teaching Chicago school children.

As in other professions, a salary requires that the person do whatever is necessary to prepare for their work day. If that means working nights and weekends or coming into work early, so be it. No professional (be that person a teacher, lawyer, doctor, etc.) with self-worth and ambition expects to work a 9-5 work day and be successful.

Contrary to Mr. Morris’ statement, Chicago teachers have more than enough prep time; the CTU simply wants to make sure that prep time is contractually limited to their existing work day.

Kevin Garvey, Streeterville

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Longer school day is not a victory for students

As a former Chicago Public Schools teacher (2004-2018), I taught elementary students both before and after the lengthened school day.

I disagree with the Sun-Times Editorial Board’s claim that, “The extra hour adds up to … a substantially greater opportunity for real learning.”

Have you spent time in elementary schools at the end of the day? Here is what you see: tired kids.

Every teacher and administrator knows to schedule standardized tests in the morning only because students are too tired to concentrate after lunch.

What we don’t generally admit out loud is that the same principle is true for learning throughout the year.

I would encourage anyone touting the lengthened school day as, “victory for the kids, the schools and common sense” to observe — or better yet, teach — a class at the end of the day.

You might reconsider your opinion.

Nava Cohen, West Ridge

Trump’s relationship with Putin threatens U.S.

With the rampant coverage of President Donald Trump’s phone call to the Ukraine, we are missing an important point.

Trump admits that he called the Ukraine. He admits that he threatened to withhold military help if he didn’t get help in the upcoming election.

What isn’t being considered is the possibility that the withholding of military help was at the demand of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin is a dictator whom Trump openly admires and who may be putting pressure on Trump to carry out his orders.

The Joe Biden dirt story could be a smokescreen to hide the real reason for the president’s threat to the Ukraine.

The Putin rationale is devastating for our nation. It would mean that our national policy is being dictated by him.

That would be the end of the United State’s experiment in democracy!

Karen Wagner, Rolling Meadows