The juxtaposition of Tommy Carroll's commentary ("Teachers can't fix societal ills," Aug. 30) and Scott Waldman's column ("What is twerking? Bet your child knows," Aug. 30) made for an interesting comparison.
While Mr. Carroll's point is self-evident from the headline of his piece, Mr. Waldman noted two middle school teachers in making the case that teachers are the best defense against twerking of the kind in Miley Cyrus' crude MTV Video Music Awards performance. In the "battle for children's hearts and minds," I side with Mr. Carroll.
As the parent of five children in various stages of their educational careers, my observation is that they've all had some excellent teachers: Teachers who motivated and cared and maybe even inspired. However, I shouldn't expect those teachers to bolster my children's moral compass nor rely on them to inoculate against the deleterious effects of Ms. Cyrus or MTV.
While Mr. Waldman's basic premise seems uplifting, even tenable, it perpetuates the misguided belief that schools should be the primary institution to confront society's greatest challenges. Mr. Carroll, who is more practical if less idealistic, correctly identifies that, while teachers hope to have a positive impact on children, they are only a fraction of the solution.
Parenting is an enormous challenge and I view schools as an integral part of my children's lives. I appreciate and respect their teachers' efforts and I hope their teachers have a positive influence. I rely on them to teach the things I cannot: How to read, do algebra, understand the complexities of history. To count on a teacher's influence for much more, or worse expect it, is unreasonable.
Steve Morse
Albany