As a high school guidance counselor for many years, the "senior slump" was always a topic of great concern ("Do college policies foster senior slump?" Campus Clips, October). I do not believe college policies foster this problem. I felt colleges encouraged students to stay in the upper level math, science and language courses. Our problem was the parents, who subscribed to the philosophy, "It's the kids' senior year, and they should have fun." It was a constant battle to try to keep even the top students in the more challenging classes. Even though I consistently advised students to maintain a challenging program to remain competitive for the best colleges, I was continually pressured by students, supported by parents, to provide schedules dominated by business and home economics courses and as many study halls as possible. As you would expect, a high percentage of our students were unsuccessful in four-year colleges and ended up attending the less academically demanding two-year community colleges or dropping out altogether.

--Leslie Penfold
Nyack, NY
 

Protesting buffoonery

I am a part-time teacher who was fortunate enough to retire very early from private business. I have been teaching business for about 10 years and "stumbled" over the pay inequity situation about six years ago when I found out that our school, Pierce College, had the lowest pay rate in Washington state. To make a long story short, I along with one other instructor raised hell, and we are now above average. At the same time our faculty joined the Washington Federation of Teachers, and it was a great help, thanks to Wendy Radar-Konofalski [WFT field representative].

During this task, I discovered why the college system, politicians and the public in general are apathetic to the dishonest, exploitative, unprofessional and degrading treatment of part-time teachers. You don't have to look any further than that truly stupid photo (of the Freeway Flyer Mascot) at the top of the article, "Strength in Numbers" (October feature article). How degrading to the profession of teaching. I am one of these people who believes that teaching is the highest calling, even though I was a successful engineer and business owner. But when I see this buffoonery, I feel embarrassed and cheap.

Until the AFT realizes that taking a tougher position is the only way to get our word out then for many, many years we'll be reading articles every month about pay inequity. Walking off the campus for just one day will show that without part-time teachers the system will not work.

--Vincent P. Troccoli
Lakewood, WA
 

The shoe's on the other foot

As a long-time professor of history and political science, I was amazed to learn of the liberal's indignation about politics intruding on college campuses ("Politicizing the academy," November feature article). For several decades, liberal instructors have been politicizing their classrooms, turning them into leftist indoctrination centers, ridiculing any libertarian or conservative issues, even using examinations and grades to reward the obedient students. Colleges routinely chase away non-liberal speakers, and faculty meetings turn into liberal chat sessions. It was only a matter of time before the public and conservative politicians responded.

In my field of teaching, academic freedom is vital for a free exchange of ideas, but liberal teachers will have to clean up their own act before [academic freedom] is fully restored to the college campus. The faculty will either have to be more balanced in classroom presentations of controversial issues, or truly carry out the commitment to "diversity" and hire many conservative scholars.

--Don Schmidt
Cumming, GA