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I am disappointed with Time for publishing Making The Grade by MichaelBloomberg and Joel Klein. Regardless of what Bloomberg and Klein think,
the more experienced teachers are the best. It is the experienced
teachers who are asked to mentor the new teachers. Teachers hired 20
years ago were the top-of-the-class then and remain so today. Cutbacks
in schools will be made in the gifted and talented classes, the at-risk
programs, the Special Education programs, and any other program that
can be seen as fluff. Reductions-in-force plans are already established
by school systems and have little to do with "unions." Older teachers
who can afford to retire will consider such an offer by the school
system. RIF policies are difficult for school systems, and it is sad to
read such off-base opinion in your magazine and shame on Bloomberg and
Klein for submitting it.



