To the editor:

I would like to respond to the article in the Dec. 17 Lawrence Journal-World, “Teachers miss 10,000 days of class a year.”

I have been a full-time teacher of education for 18 years. With master’s and bachelor’s degrees in education, I would have to say my skills in teaching are above average. Due to budget cuts in education this year, 2002-2003, I am a substitute teacher. I look forward to coming into a classroom and using my teaching skills. I resented the fact that this article was putting down hard-working teachers, whether they happen to be full-time or substitute teachers. There was no respect given in this article for the amount of time, money, and hard work that teachers spend on their education training to be certified.

It would be very enlightening to read how many of those days missed by teachers are sick or personal compared to days absent for mandated professional meetings. Teachers do not like to be gone from their classroom. It takes many hours of planning and organizing for the full-time teachers to be absent. Teachers do not loathe substitute teachers! They loathe the time it takes to plan to be absent!

Jana L. Werner,

Wellsville