LETTERS: SCHOOLS HAVE GOOD TEACHERS, STUDENTS

To the editor:

Recently KFVS-TV did a two-part series about how much our public high school seniors have learned and how their parents compare. It made me furious.

What was the purpose of this survey? Perhaps it was to prove the point that students who are innocently flattered by the opportunity to appear on TV can also be made to look like poorly educated fools when placed in front of a camera and bright lights and asked to recall seldom-used facts. I also believe, however, that this was an attempt by KFVS to jump on the currently popular bandwagon called "Let's bash the public schools."

The Cape Girardeau public schools are blessed with well-educated and capable teachers who do an excellent job of teaching the curriculum. The majority of their students are concerned about learning and maintaining high grade-point averages. One-third of Central High School's student body consistently makes the honor roll, a minimum of 70 to 75 percent of our graduating seniors go on to a two- or four-year college or university, and these seniors annually qualify for approximately $250,000 in scholarships for their college freshman year. Jerry Witvoet, a counselor at Central High School, and Julia Jorgensen, a Central teacher and faculty sponsor of the Renaissance program, shared with me many, many more impressive statistics about the academic achievements of Central High School's student body. The picture painted by KFVS of our high school seniors was woefully inaccurate.

I am only on of hundreds of parents who exercise school choice every day by choosing the Cape Girardeau public schools.

BRENDA DOHOGNE, PTA President

Central Junior High School

Cape Girardeau