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Francisco Alvarado asked many teachers and administrators at Allapattah and Miami-Dade County Public Schools to comment for "The F-School Bomb," and they all refused. What does that tell you? If they had any real interest in defending Allapattah, they were given a chance. They chose to make this article one-sided by refusing to get involved and hiding in their ivory towers because administrators in MDCPS and at Allapattah do not care about children in the ghetto. They care about money and power.

As only normal, intelligent human beings would be able to infer, this article was not about every student at Allapattah. It was about my horrific experience and the fact that MDCPS and Mr. Costa and his incompetent administration couldn't care less about their teachers and students. The chaos they perpetuate with their "let's look at the positive and ignore the problems" attitude is the problem.

I had intended to stay to help my students succeed, as many were doing, against insurmountable odds. Instead Costa decided to put a first-year, uncertified, untrained teacher in that classroom as my replacement. It was a blessing in disguise, because I am in a much safer, better environment teaching children who go to Ivy League schools. It's no utopia, because all schools have issues; however, I am safe and very much appreciated. And I am really teaching, instead of acting as a behavior monitor/social worker.

I understand that many teachers and staff in MDCPS don't have the freedom I have to stand up and fight. Many people are justifiably worried about losing their jobs. I understand. However, the frightening fact still remains that until most teachers in MDCPS stand up and say, "We're not going to be abused like this anymore," the corruption will exist.

Erika Selig

Via Web Commentary