I read the June 15 editorial, “Maine should take fresh look at teacher tenure,” and found myself agreeing with the Sun Journal, for once, on the topic of education. I agree that there is “a long list of dedicated teachers and counselors who inspired their children to do well in school.”

I am inspired by the Sun Journal’s novel suggestion that administrators “constructively improve teacher performance through training and other assistance.” More meaningful professional development for our educators would be welcome; the vast majority of teachers crave opportunities to improve their practice.

However, I take issue with the implication that continuing contracts for educators have anything to do with the quality of education in our public classrooms, or that teachers alone are responsible for students who have “fallen behind.”

As any superintendent will tell you, strong leaders can remove teachers who are not doing their job at any time, even when they hold a continuing contract. Yet, using “student growth” over a number of years to measure whether teachers are “doing their job” flies in the face of everything we know about education. Educators are increasingly expected to “add value” to children, who naturally learn at different rates. Also, for many students, parents are not involved in their “school lives.”

Local communities also shave money from education budgets, sacrificing educational opportunities for short-term property tax relief — a shortsighted decision if ever one existed.

Any suggestion that teachers alone bear responsibility for educating children is unfair.

Jarrod Dumas, Mexico