THE PUBLIC MIND: STUDENTS OFFER THEIR PRAISE AND SUPPORT FOR CENTRAL TEACHER

To the ~Editor:

As students at Central High School, we understand that teachers are the cornerstone of education. Excellent teachers are invaluable; they produce excellent students. Whenever one of these teachers is about to lose the opportunity to use his gift and touch the minds and hearts of students, we feel compelled to act. Just recently, such an event has arisen. Mr. Josue, a history, sociology, and psychology teacher at Central High School, is not being asked to return next year. As concerned students, we are trying to call this to the attention of the public.

Not only have we learned from Mr. Josue, we have been challenged to apply our learning to everyday situations. He has taught us to bring history to life, to get involved in our government, and, most importantly, to think and act independently. By example, he has taught us the importance of integrity and hard work. Real learning takes place when students are challenged. Mr. Josue creates an effective learning environment by demanding high performance. One of the problems with education today is that teacher and student standards have severely dropped. Average performance has become the norm; it is not only accepted, but often encouraged. Mr. Josue preserves the American tradition of excellence in education by expecting a student's best. He brings students to the realization that they can surpass their self-imposed limits.

Mr. Josue is a truly amazing teacher. He uses his phenomenal intelligence to add to the textbook's mere outline of history. By using a variety of techniques, Mr. Josue is able to involve every student in his classroom in the learning experience. He really cares about his students, and he passionately believes in the value of education. He believes that students are the future, and he prepares them to approach the world's problems in an educated manner. As students, we have rarely been so touched by such an outstanding and caring educator.

Prompted by our concern, we have written letters to administrators and personally discussed the situation with them. While they have been sympathetic to our concerns, they seem unable to remedy the situation. We can only accomplish our goal of preserving the position of an inspiring teacher with the support of other concerned citizens. Education is a key to building strong communities, and we feel that it should be the concern of all community members. Because Mr. Josue is not being asked to return next year, the quality of education in our community is being severely jeopardized. Along with many other students, we are doing all we can to support Mr. Josue. We sincerely hope that other concerned citizens will act as we have.

Takara Stanley

Cassandra Krauss

John Cochran IV

Laura Nicholson

Bo Ogborn

Cape Girardeau