To the editor:

The suggestion in the Dec. 17 issue of the Lawrence Journal-World that the teaching skills of a substitute teacher can’t match that of a regular teacher is a gross overgeneralization. A large majority of the substitute teachers in Lawrence are fully certified. Many are successful ex-USD 497 teachers who have retired or prefer to teach part-time. The statement that having a substitute take over a classroom for a day necessarily results in a “missed day” that threatens the quality of education is not true in a majority of instances. Substitutes are capable of coming in and continuing the curriculum plan.

The fact that teachers average 10 days absence out of a 186-day contract is no more than what the rates of other professionals might be. Does the district really want teachers who are ill or beset by problems at home to report to work? That policy would truly result in a “weakening” of the quality of education.

Robert Hohn,

Lawrence