Published: April 1, 2000

Letters

I read your article about teachers leaving the profession for high-tech jobs with great interest [ "If I Were A Rich Man," March]. I, too, am considering leaving teaching. Money, however, is not the primary source of my dissatisfaction. Although I love teaching, this year at our high school has been one terror after another. The problems range from a community that shows little support for education to a scarcity of resources for chemistry or integrated-science labs.

Still, the worst part of my job is the classroom climate. Most students won't put in the effort that it takes to learn chemistry, and they belittle others who do. The few good students are depressed and angered by this, making my job all the harder.

Recently, my youngest daughter said that she wanted to become a teacher. I told her, without realizing exactly what I was saying, that I would not help her with college expenses if she chose to...