Development days

Regarding the Nov. 24 article “Wake revisits early dismissals,” a few comments left me dumbfounded: “The goal here is to do what’s best for professional development,” and “We thought on Wednesdays people (teachers) are fresher and more focused.”

Is the school system set up for the students or is it set up to make sure that teachers get the best possible setting for professional development? Teachers should be seen as professionals in education. Their development should be self-initiated and should be continuous (not simply on the six designated early release days). Any teacher worth his salt will take worthy ideas and best practices into the classroom regardless of whether the county’s professional days are Wednesdays or Fridays. The day becomes important only when it interferes with student learning and family culture.

I can see benefits and challenges to both options for early release professional development days, but to shape the decision around the teacher is not treating that teacher as a professional; it is putting the focus in the wrong place, not on the children.

Zane G. Porter

Wake Forest