Teachers want respect but show little for custodians and cafeteria crews in schools

On teachers

Recently Sumter educator Trevor Ivey wrote an op-ed piece in which he labeled teachers as “superheroes.”

I found that statement to be laughable.

Before I start my rant, let me say that my mother is a retired teacher, I went to public schools and I currently work as a custodian for a local school district.

But based on my experiences at work and also on what I read in the news, there are too many teachers who possess “God” complexes. They are the same teachers who always whine and cry about not being respected despite the fact that society in general does respect teachers — and certainly far more than what we are always led to believe.

The people who truly don’t receive any respect or appreciation in public schools are the individuals who work on custodial and cafeteria crews. I know of one teacher, for example, who walked past a piece of paper lying on the floor while trying to find a custodian to pick it up — and it’s not unusual for teachers to demand extra services from custodial staffers who already have many other things to do.

There is no thanks. There is no sense of appreciation.

When it comes to respecting and appreciating school employees, we should remember to show respect and appreciation for the people on custodial and cafeteria crews — they are the ones who are doing the real work in schools.

Earl Pathel, Lexington

On Trump, Truman

I beg to differ with a recent letter writer who tried to favorably compare President Donald Trump to former President Harry Truman.

When Truman was president he famously had a sign on his desk that read “The buck stops here.” The sign was there because Truman understood that presidents are always held responsible for the decisions they make while in office.

Compare that to Trump, who infamously said that he took no responsibility for America’s failure to prepare for the coronavirus pandemic — or for the lack of widespread COVID-19 testing.

There is no comparison between the way Trump behaves and acts as president and how Truman behaved and acted while leading America, and I believe that history will not be kind to Trump.

Lewis Huffman, Columbia

On face masks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone wear a face mask in public to reduce the transmission of coronavirus. Yet a relatively small percentage of South Carolinians are doing this, and not all businesses are requiring their employees to wear masks.

Wake up!

Everyone must pitch in to save lives, make our public spaces safe and get our supply chains and economy working again.

We must all do our part!

Karen Brown, Columbia

On trucks

As I travel on our interstate highways I’m appalled by the number of large trucks tearing up our roads.

Shouldn’t it be possible to have toll roads for trucks?

Peggy Batten, Columbia

On COVID-19

It is important that our businesses and industries return to full operations in South Carolina as soon as they can.

But we must proceed with caution to avoid a second outbreak of COVID-19, and the government and medical leaders in this state must keep this in mind as they look into opening up the economy. I am concerned, however, that our medical officials have not provided us with adequate plans that lay out how we will move forward as a state.

As a resident of Camden, which has one of the highest rates of coronavirus infection — per 1,000 residents — in the country, I am concerned about the apparent lack of adequate testing in this state.

Richard Lackey, Camden

On gun safety

As a responsible gun owner, mother of three and co-lead for Be SMART For Kids, I am concerned about the safety of all kids who are home from school due to COVID-19. That’s why I encourage other gun owners to practice the Be SMART model to keep firearms out of the hands of children.

During this time of isolation children may be experiencing increased anxiety, and we must keep them safe by making sure they don’t have access to firearms.

You can learn about the BeSMART program at www.besmartforkids.org.

Joanne Walker, Fort Mill

This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 5:06 PM.