Letters: Rhee, Free Kennel

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MELISSA BLOCK, host:

And now for your letters. On yesterday's program, Claudio Sanchez profiled Michelle Rhee. She's the chancellor of the school system here in Washington, D.C. Rhee has drawn the ire of teachers unions for her proposal to do away with tenure for teachers and introduce merit-based pay.

Ms. MICHELLE RHEE (Chancellor, Washington, D.C., Public Schools): I am not willing to go in front of a group of parents and say that it is worth throwing away a year of that child's life, especially knowing that for poor and minority kids in this country, teacher quality is the number one determinant of student success.

BLOCK: Well, Steven True(ph) of Newark, New York, wrote to disagree with Rhee's assessment. He points to a different barrier to improving education. I have taught for 15 years, 10 in a low-income district, writes Mr. True, and I have found that often the missing determinate is parents. My number one problem is students not doing their homework, which requires parents to get them to do it. Even if I was the best teacher around, it wouldn't matter without the support from parents.

Perhaps, not surprisingly, quite a few of you who wrote to us about this story are educators or former educators, and your letters illustrate just how contentious the question of teacher tenure is. Anne Marie Volke(ph) of Santa Clarita, California, thinks Ms. Rhee's opponents have got it all wrong. She writes, Thank you, Ms. Rhee, for pushing your ideas. What other important profession protects the jobs of those not doing their jobs? Any good teacher will jump at the chance to make more money and have the ability to change school districts at will, instead of being stuck because of tenure.

Finally, we had several of you thank us for our piece on the Canine Corps yesterday. That's the kennel in Perry County, Pennsylvania, that provides a free home to pets of soldiers serving abroad. Jen Schurry(ph) of Miami writes, I can only imagine how gratifying it is for these soldiers to return home to their most loyal companions. Thanks for bringing me this encouraging story during my drive home.

And Pat Summer(ph) of Laguna Beach, California, chimed in with this thought. She writes, Thanks for highlighting the fact that many of us hold self-evident. All family members count - young, old, or four-legged.

And of course, all your letters count to us. So write to us with your compliments or your criticisms. Go to npr.org, and click on "Contact Us" at the top of the page.

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