LI teacher misconduct, school taxes, kids' books and AirTrain

Teacher misconduct rare on Long Island

Your investigative story highlights more than 100 teachers out of “the Island’s 35,000 public school teachers” over 10 years who forfeited their due process rights by settling without a formal hearing [“LI teacher misconduct: More than 100 educators resigned after allegations,” News, April 2]. The piece glosses over that these 100-plus teachers represent less than half of 1% of Long Island’s public school teachers.

Your headlines and story tone sensationalize rare occurrences in a profession that is simultaneously revered and questioned like no other. The data suggest these 100-plus are an anomaly, not a trend.

We need to look back only two months to find another splashy headline supported with its own view of data [“$100G+ for more than 31,000 educators on LI,” News, Jan. 29]. Contrary to Newsday’s portrayal and according to NewYorkFed.org, six of the 10 college majors that garner the lowest wages mid-career in New York State are in education.

Yes, after 15-plus years and two college degrees, many teachers do earn six-figure salaries. And yes, our due process, like the “real” legal system, at times crawls to frustrating conclusions.

Certainly, one example of misconduct by an educator is disturbing. We should also agree that headlines would better serve the public in these polarized and hostile times if the data indeed supported the banners.

 — Vincent Ambrosio, East Islip

The writer is a teacher at Harborfields High School in Greenlawn.

One item has me puzzled [“10 LI teachers accused of misconduct,” News, April 3].

A Brentwood teacher arrested for sexual contact with a 16-year-old former student waived his contractual entitlement to $35,420 in retirement incentive payment. Retirement incentive?

I retired four years ago. My incentive? To not have to get up at 4 a.m. to go to work anymore.

I think it is high time that school districts start posting teachers’ contracts on their websites so taxpayers can get a glimpse of the many perks that go with the job.

It’s no wonder why my school taxes are more than double what I pay for the rest of town and county taxes, which support police, sanitation, fire, roads, etc.

 — Joe Kennedy, Syosset

Asking me to pay this doesn’t make cents

Maybe people wouldn’t complain as much about school taxes if they weren’t so high and school districts were run in a more financially responsible way [“School taxes do more than you might think,” Letters, March 26].

I recently received a letter from my child’s previous school district informing me that she “currently has a negative balance of -$0.15.” And to “please remit this amount.” I have two issues with this letter.

First, it indicates that it is a negative balance, which means they owe us the money.

Second, and of greater note, even if we did owe this amount, it cost them 60 cents to send me the letter.

Just mark it as paid and move on. I realize this is a small amount, but it just begs the question, are they really using my tax dollars wisely?

 — Bill Schenck, Farmingdale

Parents should have say about kids’ books

It’s ironic how the left is against book banning when it promotes their ideology [“Group should learn what ‘censorship’ is,” Letters, March  29].

While not specifically supporting Moms for Liberty, most parents should still have a say in what their children have access to.

Label me a bigot, racist, homophobic person if you like. I’m terrified why anyone would push questionable graphic material on children.

 — Anthony Bordano, Middle Village

Bus is a better way to go than AirTrain

I disagree with Randi F. Marshall’s opinion on the AirTrain to LaGuardia Airport [“AirTrain derailed by small thinking,” Opinion, March 29].

Marshall seems to believe the AirTrain should be built from Willets Point to the airport at enormous cost and damage to the environment surrounding the airport.

Has she ever tried the Q70 bus from Woodside to LaGuardia? All Long Island Rail Road branches have frequent service to Woodside, where an elevator goes to the mezzanine and another to street level.

Around the corner, you’ll find the free bus to LaGuardia. If you get confused, many people can direct you. In around 20 minutes, you are dropped off at Terminal A or B. I find this free service convenient.

If the AirTrain were to be built, Long Islanders (except for the Port Washington branch) would have to double back to Willets Point from Woodside, then make another connection to the AirTrain.

The AirTrain would likely be costly (it’s $8.25 each way on the Jamaica to Kennedy Airport AirTrain). For most Long Islanders, this proposal made no sense. I’m relieved that common sense has taken over and the project was shelved.

 — Glenn Aldridge, Garden City