Student Responds

Student Responds

To the editor:

I’m a student at Rappahannock County High School, and I’m responding to the interview of May 23 with Nelson Lane. When I read the article I was outraged and disgusted at Mr. Lane’s misrepresentations and his general comments.

Mr. Lane said that students looked at him with “blank expressions” when he told them that teachers had received a 12 percent raise. Mr. Lane must have misread their expressions. The students weren’t shocked and surprised at hearing that fact; they already knew it. I know they knew because as spokesman at the demonstration, I told them in a report on the school board’s action of the night before. Our position was that the $120,000 cut from the proposed school budget might as well have been taken directly from salaries. What’s the difference in a paycheck less each month due to a reduced raise and a paycheck that’s smaller because you have to pay for health insurance, an item that would have been covered before the budget was cut?

There is no difference. Both will hurt teachers and quality education. That’s why we walked out.

If Mr. Lane saw blank expressions, perhaps those expressions came because students didn’t understand Mr. Lane’s answers. Or maybe the blank expressions came in response to Mr. Lane’s foul and abusive language. I ask Mr. Lane if he thinks a proper response to give 12 and 13 year olds, when confronted with facts and figures, is “That’s a bunch of bull_t”

I see now why parents could have a reason for not wanting their children to participate in the demonstration. They may not have wanted their children subjected to Supervisor Lane’s choice of vocabulary.

Asked why he sends his children to a private school, Mr. Lane said it’s because he wants his children to get the same kind of discipline they receive at home. Does he think that four letter expletives are an aid to better discipline in the public schools?