Dear Editor,
So two teachers were forcibly transferred from Mamie P. Whitesides Elementary in Mount Pleasant to stop their complaints about the possible harmful levels of toxic air in the building.
Whose “bright idea” was the transfers? Someone who didn’t want to spend necessary money to correct possible problems, or someone whose “go-to solution” is transfer for similar situations? At what level of administration was this decided? Was it the principal of that school, or perhaps an Elementary District Administrator, or maybe even the District Superintendent or the Charleston County School Board?
How disruptive are those transfers to the individuals involved? Two teachers who have developed a routine with that school’s system and personnel are forced to “begin again,” with mere weeks until summer vacation. What happens to the students with whom those teachers had positive relationships? It’s a disservice to both teachers we supposedly respect, and to students we claim to serve.
How many other uncomfortable situations have been supposedly resolved by teacher transfers, with resultant harm to teachers and students? Easy, quick solutions that do not correct basic problems simply come back in more volatile form. CCSD needs to deal with actual problems at their beginning, even if solutions are inconvenient and expensive!
Joan Chard
Mount Pleasant
