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Letters: July 20, 2006
The best transit system in the country deserves fundingRe: “Don’t give Metro the ‘largest earmark in history’ ” editorial, July 191) True, rich suburban residents benefit from Metro. But if Metro isn’t kept cost-competitive with driving single-occupant vehicles, people won’t take it and the already horrible highway congestion will get worse. 2) True, only about 7 percent of area commuters take Metrorail. However, that’s a critical 7 percent. Imagine the traffic if those riders were driving. 3) True, Metro has had some problems. But it’s the best heavy rail system in the country. Only New York’s subway has more riders. And our stations and cars are air conditioned, clean and relatively quiet. Interim Director Dan Tangherlini is making a lot of progress in fixing the system. Metro is essential to our region. Without dedicated funding now, it will surely fall apart. Let’s ensure continued returns on this great investment! Federal funding for Metro helps reduce trafficMetro is not just for well-heeled commuters. In my 40-plus years of commuting to work by mass transit, I’ve observed a ridership that is primarily hard-working middle- and lower-class taxpayers. We enjoyed riding past all the single-occupant vehicles clogging I-95 on our way to work. The roads in Northern Virginia are gridlocked because too many people were suckered into buying a “home of their dreams” without considering how they would get to work. The rise in gas prices is not making a dent in my budget. How about yours? Emphasis on education courses is great mistakeRe: “Who will speak the truth on D.C. schools?” editorial, July 17One of my duties as a faculty member of the French Department at Georgetown University was to evaluate senior French majors on their teaching performance in DCPS internship programs. At the same time, I had a chance to observe the DCPS teachers that supervised them. As required by DCPS, these teachers all had education degrees, which means they had learned how to teach. Unfortunately, they had not always mastered the subject matter — and it showed. Lack of knowledge confuses students and undermines their confidence in themselves and in their teachers. Knowledge and passion, on the other hand, can be contagious. The teachers I saw at DCPS were less knowledgeable in the subject matter than their counterparts in private schools, who could not be certified in the District for lack of education courses. Last year, I met a taxicab driver from Haiti who spoke perfect French with a pleasant voice and a patient, orderly manner. He seemed like the ideal, well-educated schoolmaster. I asked him why he chose to drive a cab rather than teach. He answered, “I would love to teach, but I cannot afford — and do not have time for — all the education courses they demand.” The emphasis on education courses is a great mistake. I took a few in my Ph.D. curriculum. One course, Psychology of Education, met my expectations in one respect: It confirmed the validity of exams. As for the rest, I found it bizarre to equate the behavior of white mice with that of children and Pavlov’s experiments on dogs did not seem relevant either. Instead of this absurd training, teachers need to deepen their respect for children as human beings with an infinite potential for generosity and creativity. As they say, respect is a two-way street. I saw other ways in which mutual respect was undermined. DCPS administrators must show teachers the respect they would like to see on the part of the students. For example, during class the PA system would suddenly blare out some nonemergency announcement which would create a flurry of noncurriculum activity among students. Respect has to be demonstrated by adults before it can be emulated by children.
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