Letter: Legislature should fund schools, let teachers teach

Re Paul Rolly's column, "Legislators, bureaucrats don't trust teachers," Opinion, March 28:

I spent almost 20 years as a substitute teacher, mostly in high school.

I spent two years in Vietnam; I was a crew member on a helicopter that crashed in the Pacific Ocean; and I retired after 24 years as a firefighter. I have to say that nothing scared me more than the first time I walked into a high school class to take over for the absent teacher.

Unlike Mr. Rolly, I did not have the luxury of having the regular teacher on hand for assistance.

I have to agree that the Utah Legislature has a paranoid view of Utah teachers. Why else would they try to strangle them year after year with idiotic legislation that promotes private interests, private schools, excessive testing, vouchers, etc.

If the Legislature would actually represent the citizens of Utah, there would be plenty of money available to bring this state up from the bottom of the barrel in spending per pupil, to reduce classroom sizes and everything else the school system needs.

Then it might not be so frightening when Mr. Rolly next goes into a classroom.

Kevin Greer

West Jordan