Senate Bill 5 ignores that there is good reason to limit class size

Senate Bill 5 ignores that there is good reason to limit class size

Senate Bill 5 greatly trou- bles me.

The current case load numbers set by law are there to provide an environment in which the special education teacher can give students with severe deficiencies the individual attention necessary to increase their skills. SB 5 eliminates case load limitations. Teachers’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.

A continuing contract does not make it impossible for the administration to fire poor teachers. There is a procedure for the principal to follow to improve or remove those teachers. My continuing contract and union provide me the security to advocate for my special needs students.

I believe the quality of education in Ohio will diminish if SB5 becomes law because it will be difficult for Ohio schools to attract and retain quality teachers, especially in the urban districts.

Governor Kasich claims that I have a larger salary and better benefits than those who work in the private sector. I am sure that many businessmen make much more than $60,000 per year. My health benefits were negotiated in lieu of a higher salary.

Collective bargaining is the humane way to make changes that are in the best interest of all involved. Without collective bargaining, we go back to the employer making all the decisions. This can only have a negative effect on society, specifically our children.

Salary and benefits of nonunion citizens will be reduced even further because the union negotiated benefits set the bar for nonunion benefits. If mine are reduced, I guarantee theirs will be, too.

We working class Americans, both public and nonpublic, must stand together to maintain the rights we have. Communism begins with the elimination of people’s rights.

Please fight to keep our American rights.

Janet Biedenbach, Youngstown

The writer is a former secondary special education teacher and is a National Board Certified Intervention Specialist.

A little music goes a long way

I went up and down the radio dial. All I heard was news, sports, advertising and talk radio.

Rush Limbaugh, Michael Savage and all the people who call in. They reinvent the wheel. Over and over again.

There’s a country song, “Stop the World (and Let Me Off).” I’m right with it.

I tossed my radio in the garbage can and got a satellite radio. Now there is peace in the valley. And away we go. A little traveling music, Sam.

Paul R. Lawson, McDonald