To the editor:

Take heart, USD 497. As the baby boomers age out of the work force, huge turnover is inevitable. This year, more teachers will retire from USD 497 than ever before and although it isn’t a happy occasion for many, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are many enthusiastic young teachers in this town just waiting for their big opportunity.

A starting teaching salary is more than these recent graduates have ever made, and health care benefits are all but nonexistent in the jobs they have been forced to take, as they wait for their big chance to teach. Maybe the district will see a residual financial benefit as the 50K experienced teacher salary is replaced by the lower, starting teacher salary.

Certainly, we miss an experienced teacher, but the young teachers have experience with the hottest technology. They literally drool when they talk about Web design. As a parent of school-age children, I am excited about the prospects of fresh young blood in our school district. I’m excited about the hopeful attitudes they bring with them and their eagerness to experiment and try new things.

If morale is low for the older teachers right now, maybe it is time for them to move on. This is the natural progression of life. Bring the life back into the schools by giving the next generation of teachers a chance to make their mark.

Megan Helm,

Lawrence