John E. Smith Jr., Dayton
To the editor:
I find School Board President Dr. Matthew Speesler’s remark about teachers caring “more about themselves than they do about the students” in a recently published report highly inflammatory and improper.
It is exactly this kind of rhetoric that fosters bitterness and animosity between all concerned parties.
It is not the role of a school board president to antagonize, but rather to lead with acuity and diplomacy.
This comment displays neither of these traits, but instead reveals Dr. Speesler’s disdain and disrespect for our school staff.
As long as the staff perceives this disrespect, relations will be strained and progress will be slow and painful.
These are difficult days for everyone and incendiary comments only serve to heighten the strain.
Our school employees should not be vilified.
Individuals pursue careers in education because they care about the children. Therefore, comments such as Dr. Speesler’s are unwarranted.
I fear that this sentiment of contempt expressed by Dr. Speesler is another indicator of the board shifting toward a more adversarial relationship with it’s collective bargaining units.
I would caution the board against such a shift, for if the recent political up-swell against public sector unions and the bullying tactics employed take hold in South Brunswick they will have disastrous effects and our educational system will suffer immeasurably.
It is disturbing that public officials have cast union workers as the culprits in an economic crisis that has many causes.
I urge the board, and Dr. Speesler in particular, to be cognizant of all factors and circumstances and to carefully consider the effects of their words and actions.

