Time for some growing up at Lew-Port

by Terry Duffy
Lewiston Porter Sentinel, June 18, 2005

It seems that just as great summer weather is again taking hold, the ugly emotions over teachers union/financial issues concerning the Lewiston Porter School District are also kicking into higher gear.

The latest involved a May 25 session of the Lewiston Porter School Board where again, citizen outrage was vented to the School Board concerning pre-election propaganda, district spending cuts, staff dismissals, the approaching teachers’ contract issue, etc., etc.

That session, which came following the May 17 school district budget/board vote, was one that was intended to be merely where routine planning matters concerning the district -- staff assignments and other issues for the 2005-06 school year -- were supposed to be addressed by the board.

To say that that session did not turn out as planned is an understatement. In fact what transpired that night from many accounts we heard could only be described as disgusting.

The Sentinel refuses to take sides on the matters which transpired that night, but we’re not going to let it pass without comment.

We feel it is way, way, way overdue for the both Lewiston Porter School Board and the Lewiston Porter United Teachers Union -- who as far as we gather are all grown adults -- to start acting as such and begin focusing on what matters most, that is Lewiston Porter students. Start by doing your respective jobs. And stop the political mudslinging and nonsense. The community has grown very sick of it.

For the School Board, get on with the multitude of tasks involved with running this school district -- the job you campaigned for and were elected to do. Work with the district administration, the teachers union, and cool it with the politics and negativity. Stop the “this for that” approach to issues and personalities with the LPUT that you don’t like or agree to. Recent dismissals of quality Lew-Port coaches, individuals who are all well respected and very much looked up to by Lewiston Porter students -- in many cases much more than yourselves -- are a glaring case in point. On this issue, all of you blew it big time in the eyes of the students, their taxpaying parents, and the community.

For the Lewiston Porter United Teachers -- focus on your job you’re generously paid by taxpayers to do -- that is instructing and effectively preparing our leaders of tomorrow. There is no reason -- and it serves no purpose -- to bring dirty laundry on school board-union/personnel matters into the classroom and crusade it before students. An old ploy with LPUT, this was again blatantly obvious with the dire tales broadcast to students of staff and program cuts in the weeks leading to the May 17 vote.

District property owners as well as parents -- who by the way bear the very heavy cost of paying your salaries -- do not appreciate hearing how teachers bring these matters before students. Teachers are in the classroom to teach and prepare, not to harp political, self-serving propaganda to young susceptible minds.

Bear in mind LPUT as you continue your campaign for a new teachers contract, you’re all here at Lew-Port as district employees to serve the students, and the taxpaying members of this community. It’s not the other way around.

As both of you are keenly aware, performance speaks volumes. And if the most recent session was any indicator, both the Lew-Port School Board and LPUT are beginning to turn off the Lewiston Porter community almost as much as Joel Giambra and the Erie County Legislature have already done to Erie County taxpayers.

It’s time for both of you to clean up your act and start working on issues like adults.