I have been a substitute teacher in the Durango 9-R School District for the last seven years. This has given me an opportunity to see many different schools in the district. About 75 percent of my time is at Escalante Middle School.
My experiences there belie the letter from Erin Hansen (Herald, May 26). I feel a cohesiveness of the staff, great leadership from both Amy Kendziorski and Tim Arnold as well as the fine counselors. The teachers are top-notch.
Yes, there are the occasional "girl fights" as well as "boy fights." They can and do happen in any school. At Escalante, the participants are dealt with quickly and appropriately. Things that are tolerated today would not have been tolerated when I was a student. We knew if our parents got a call from the school, there would be you know what to pay when we got home. Perhaps more home training is needed in teaching children that fighting and inappropriate behavior, as well as foul language, are not tolerated anywhere. Parents, you would be appalled at the words your children use.
As for the movie choice, it is parents' choice to opt out of the movie. They cannot sign the permission form and keep their children home on the last day of school. But, of course, they run the risk of having their children angry at them because, you know, "Everybody else's parents let them go."
Today's kids are not the kids we grew up with. We have to deal with a whole new set of rules that are as different as night and day. The leadership at Escalante does deal with the problems of what teenagers face in today's world and is doing a great job.
Judy Lacey, Durango
