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For want of an informed response
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Posted on Nov 03 2005
This is in response to Jeffrey Turbitt of Saipan Southern High School. It seems that you are a conscientious teacher. You’re a champion of your students and have a strong understanding of their abilities. That’s great. However, I’m wondering if, when you are instructing your students on how to write sentences, paragraphs, papers, or sonnets, do you teach them to properly and thoroughly research their subjects before writing? Did you attend the gubernatorial debate? Did you watch the broadcasts on MCV? Have you ever heard Heinz speak? Have you spoken to him? Do you know who Roman Benavente is? Do you know whom he is politically affiliated with? Do you know whom Roman Benavente is related to? Do you really know what his motives are? And why was this statement from Roman Benavente released three days prior to the election and not immediately following the debate last week? Do you know what a pawn is?
I employ several students from SSHS and in fact from all three public high schools. They are all intelligent, capable, responsible young adults. They told me that SSHS was in an uproar over this newspaper article. As a leader of these students I asked them if they had any other information than just a fragment of a sentence quoted by someone else? Of course the response was negative, in fact they had very little understanding of this situation other than Heinz said this and our teachers are upset by it. I was at the debate; and being informed, was able to dispel these concerns by my employees. I had hoped that our children in public schools would have teachers who help them to understand the whole picture before making a judgment.
I will now suggest to you what I suggested to my employees: Talk to Heinz. Ask him what he really said. Ask him how he really feels. He’s not afraid to answer tough questions; and he genuinely cares about the future of our children. After you have done this, perhaps then, as an informed person you can offer your advice to students.
Melia Johnson
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