Former Middletown student defends striking teachers
Open letter to the Middletown Board of Education:

I cannot begin to express my frustration and anger toward your stance with the Middletown Township Education Association (MTEA). As a resident, voter and former Middletown student, I feel I must stand behind the MTEA and its decisions. Your attitudes and choices are not only absurd, but detrimental to the future of the children of Middletown.

Teachers are the most important people in our children’s lives besides their parents. They are a student’s friend, confidante and guide. Parents want only the best to teach their children. Middletown teachers are the best; however, you have chosen to treat them like hardened criminals and refuse to see the contributions and sacrifices they make for our children day and night.

If you insist on making poor decisions, you are ensuring the children will not be given the best of the best. The MTEA has been more than fair in trying to compromise. They have tried to find ways to solve your main issues and have proposed solutions again and again; however, the fact is you have no desire to compromise, just to rule with an iron fist. It is your way or the highway. What message is that sending to the youth of America, more importantly, our town?

Your newest tactic in sending the teachers to jail is causing a further rift and stress in a town already suffering from Sept. 11. If your desire is to build a new faculty and school district, then you will succeed. No teacher will want to return to a tyrant. No new teachers will want to apply to the district for fear of your actions and ridiculous demands. More importantly, no parent will want to send their child to a school whose board can not exhibit morals and values. In effect, you are killing Middletown!

You make the decision, but be prepared to live with the outcome. I would chose the life of a town and future for our children.

Erika L. Bates-Mackey

Middletown