Response to Bangor Daily
News Editorial Calling for Teachers
to forgive and forget
To the editor - Bangor Daily News:
4/29/00
Dear Sir:
Please tell me that your editorial in the weekend paper,
Getting back to class, was a tongue-in cheek piece, calculated to
refuel the debate over the fingerprint law. If so, it succeeds well,
but if you meant it to be taken literally and are suggesting that
those who declared themselves "refusers" might now reconsider their
position, then you are rivaling Governor King for missing the point.
We chose our position quite some time ago, based on our
principles and convictions. Why would you presume that they have
changed? - or that we would put our principles behind us in order to
"continue with our professions"?
Don't beg us not to "leave" now. We're not quitting. We
have been disqualified from our jobs by a piece of legislation, and
refuse on principle to go through the process of re-qualifying, which
you characterize as an "unnecessary hassle", Governor King considers
a "minor inconvenience", and we feel is considerably worse than that.
You don't have to tell us we are needed, we know that all too
well. But you don't know why we are so needed if you ask us to stay.
If we changed our minds, now that our little protest didn't work, we
would be worthless as teachers. What is desperately needed - and we
will invoke the "sake of the children" just once more - is more
teachers with the courage of their convictions, who will provide
examples to their students of the importance of acting on what you
believe and not just talking about it.
What is really needed is about 25,000 more teachers like us
to come to their senses and refuse to go to the ink-pad. It is not
too late. If schools couldn't open in September, the senselessness
of the fingerprint requirement would suddenly become clearer to a lot
of people. Ultimately the children would benefit by having teachers
they could respect.
Carl A. Chase
Brooksville, ME
To Governor Angus King following veto
April 29, 2000
Governor Angus King
Dear Governor King:
Your veto of LD 2540 marks the end of my 7-year experience in
public education. I have been a teacher all my adult life (some 35
years) in many schools and programs in many states, but I had stayed
away from public education. Sometime around 1992, however, I
returned to Maine with an idea of teaching kids to play steel drums,
and soon found a home at George Stevens Academy. From that base, as
a very part-time teacher, I have taught classes to kids and adults
in this area and have also inspired and started close to 20 other
steelband programs in other schools and communities throughout the
state - a number which is growing as I write. One of these groups -
from Stratton, trained by a person I taught to play, and playing on
instruments made by me - played at your inauguration, at your request.
This has been almost entirely a labor of love, it would be
silly to compare the hours I put into this and the pay I receive for
it. Try, therefore, to put yourself in my shoes as I opened the
packet of papers in my school mailbox this fall which ordered me to
report for fingerprinting a few days hence, bringing $49 with me.
Tell me that was not an insult. It was a matter of only seconds
until I said to myself and everyone else within earshot that I
refused.
Now I am not thin-skinned, and I can stand being insulted if
there is justification for it. But as I began to find out about the
law in question, I found no justification. And to this day I still
have not heard any. The question I try to answer is WHY? Why was
this brought down on teachers?
My experiences over the last few months have given me no
answers but some insight into the plight of teachers in particular
and democracy in general. Someone said that democracy has less to
fear from outside forces than from apathy within. How often have I
heard teachers in the faculty room complaining that they get no
respect. Well certainly you get what you deserve, and I have just
witnessed a tremendous display of apathy in response to an
unjustified insult. Only some 50 educators out of 50,000 were
willing to take action on their beliefs. A teacher will not get
respect from above or below unless he has the courage of his
convictions. Without the respect of his students, he cannot teach
anything of value.... Public education is in serious trouble - being
the finest K-12 system in America doesn't mean Maine's system is good
either. If my school is typical I am appalled to think of the wasted
time and money that I observe every day multiplied to a statewide
basis, and the teaching is uninspired-to-mediocre with an occasional
outstanding exception.
You were right to veto LD 2540, because as you say in your
4/27 letter, if you object to fingerprinting and record checks on
principle you must object to it for everyone.
Therefore I don't blame you for allowing the law to stand.
The teachers really brought this on themselves by stupidly supporting
a union which bypassed their interests, and then by failing to stand
up and be counted in time to force the repeal of the whole thing.
I do blame you very much as captain of the ship of state for
not exercising good leadership. It takes a bit of courage, and a
slightly deeper look into your conscience than what you call your
"most compelling argument". Two, five, or ten years from now we will
awaken to news of a horrendous case, because bad things happen no
matter what lengths we go to to prevent them. The statistics say
that it will not have been preventable by the law. But at least you
will all be able to look at each other and feel you did all you could
and it was the FBI that let you down. It is so easy to pass the buck.
A scenario too late now to consider would have had a more
courageous and thoughtful governor look at the original fingerprint
bill and say: "what is the point of this? There is no single group
of workers in this state more dedicated to the welfare of kids, who
protect their interests and safety on a daily basis and who deserve
our thanks and respect than our teachers. Where is the evidence that
suggests we need legislation like this? Veto."
Can't turn back the clock. What is lost is lost. Captain,
you have lost the respect of a vital part of your crew by passing up
an opportunity to give them the consideration and respect they
deserve.
Sincerely,
Carl A. Chase