* Joel Parkes (Commentary, May 1) is the latest in a long line of LAUSD teachers who lament the fact that their students won't learn, due to factors outside their control. However, I've never heard one LAUSD teacher or union representative explain how a pay increase of any size would ameliorate the poverty, language deficiencies, parental indifference and lack of classroom discipline that thwart Parkes' ability to produce academic achievement commensurate with the pay he seeks.
Maybe we should direct the money for teacher pay increases toward programs that would solve all these supposed obstacles to learning. Or maybe we should offer bonuses to teachers who don't make excuses about learning obstacles and who are willing to be paid according to results. However, we certainly shouldn't be offering pay increases to teachers who make excuses and who don't improve their students' academic achievement.
