Editor, The News:
Re: Teacher used sick days for vacations (The News, Jan. 9).
I was saddened and disappointed to read the recent article titled “Teacher used sick days for vacations.”
I had the privilege of learning from many talented and dedicated public school teachers at Whonnock elementary and Garibaldi secondary.
I know from my own experience and stories I’ve heard from others over the years that Zdena Novy is one of the best.
She is a teacher who encourages and challenges young people to think broadly and critically.
I was only seven, but I remember that she didn’t treat me like a child, and encouraged me to believe that my ideas and questions deserved to be heard.
From the story as printed, I learned that it is someone’s job at the newspaper to search websites for disciplinary hearings.
I learned that it’s someone’s job at the school district to second-guess teacher’s sick days.
Over about a week’s worth of sick time over a handful of years?
Granted, sickness is required to take a sick day, and to that end, she has accepted the consequence.
From my point of view, the reality here is that our public school teachers are overworked and under-supported, face extraordinarily high expectations for what they should be able to achieve in the classroom, and get little credit.
Which leads me to question, at the end of a decades-long career in which she has dedicated herself to the young people in our community, is this really the story you want to run?
Ms. Novy has gone above and beyond in her service to our children, and we are a better community for it.
Margo Foster
Victoria
