Editor’s note: This letter is in response to a Clarion editorial that ran on March 2.

Have you ever taught in a low performing inner city school?

I have been a public school teacher for 11 years, hold National Board of Professional Teaching Standard certification and two graduate degrees, one earned at DU. I worked in both inner city schools with demographics like Central Falls High School and in less diverse upper middle class suburbs.

You write truthfully about what teachers owe their students. However, administrators, students, and their parents owe teachers compliance with basic philosophies.

Disrespecting adults and fellow students will not be tolerated, getting to the next grade requires demonstrations of content proficiency, education is the way out and the way up, and failure is not an option. Parents need to support their children by getting involved in their child’s education. This is hard for many parents who work two jobs just to make ends meet, but remains essential for student success.

When teaching in a school similar to Central Falls High School I was constantly frustrated by administrators who would not expel students who physically hit teachers, stole teacher’s personal property, and verbally abused staff.

The same students were rewarded with promotion to higher grades without mastering content skills despite tedious, documented interventions to families and administrators by dedicated teachers.

Many districts justify social promotion policies claiming retention damages student self-esteem. Think of the self-esteem damage awaiting students who are not held accountable, and wonder why they can not get a job or into college!

We must end social promotion, hold students, parents and administrators accountable as much as teachers. Firing all the teachers is not the answer. I encourage you to visit a low performing school and talk to teachers in the trenches.