A Letter to the Editor in today's Houston Chronicle captures the sentiments of this teacher and every other teacher I know.

Tired of being scapegoat

The March 29 editorial article "Back to school" is another example of placing the blame for failing students entirely on teachers instead of dealing with the social issues that are the actual cause. I was highly insulted by the statement that "all students will benefit when educators drop the racial, ethnic and class biases" that we supposedly have, thus causing us to lower our expectations for students. That is utter nonsense. I have been teaching disadvantaged students of various races and ethnicity for six years, and I have never expected less of them than I would of students who are Anglo or more affluent. The same is true of my colleagues.

I am tired of being the scapegoat for those who do not have the fortitude to take on the real issues! The only students I, and other teachers, fail are those who choose to fail. The real truth is that many students are not motivated to learn and do not value education. Teachers continually offer after-school tutorials for failing students, but few attend. Also, teachers spend a fair amount of time waking up students and attempting to get them back on task. When I question students about their sleepiness, the usual response is that they stayed up until 1 a.m. or later. Is that my fault?

Teachers are evaluated on the basis of the TAKS scores and failure rates of their students, so it is absurd to believe that teachers would allow students to fail simply because of their race or ethnicity. The statement that teachers have class biases is even more ridiculous. If checked, the editorial board would find that many teachers, because of their low pay, are economically disadvantaged as well! All of the teachers I know, or have ever known, want their students to be successful in school.

Our tax dollars would be better spent on programs that help students realize how valuable education is, that deal with the teen drug problem and help struggling parents with their children. Teachers are caring, giving people who want the best for all children.

SHERRY LLOYD
Houston

I might quibble about some of the policy suggestions at the end, but not much. The rest of the letter, though reflects my attitude on the matter exactly.