Sunday
April 28, 2024 
I taught students English at Cheltenham High School from 1966 to 2001. My former students agree that they received an excellent education in our school district. There was proper oversight and accountability between the school board and the administration and between the administration and the teachers.
But there was also a high level of trust. We were given the freedom to do our job without someone constantly looking over our shoulders and questioning our decisions. If we hired a curriculum specialist, we trusted that person’s judgment.
Being trusted meant our school officials believed in us and were counting on us. This was very motivational for both teachers and students. School districts make a huge mistake when they elect school board members who have a political agenda and who are suspicious of administrators, teachers, and the curriculum.
If a certain level of trust is missing, this will have a terrible impact on the morale of the entire staff.
No wonder administrators and teachers are leaving our profession in droves.
Tom Sexton, Philadelphia
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