I am 84 years old and reside in Bennington. I have lived here since 1963. Upon graduating from Ithaca College, I took a job teaching general science, a job I held for two years. Then I took a job teaching physical education in Bennington, a job I held for three years.
It was about that time that the supervisory union came into being and a new high school was built. Not liking what I saw, I took a job as a probation officer for the state of Vermont, stationed in Bennington.
I spent 34 years on the job and, following my retirement, tried my hand at substitute teaching. What a surprise. My first day as a sub, I was the only person in the entire school with a shirt and tie.
What was going on in the classroom was hard for me to swallow. There was a total lack of discipline and respect. Kids did pretty much what they wanted to do and, when the entire class got out of hand, they took the kids outside for a break.
Mr. Gentile was dead on with his observations of today’s education in Vermont. My fear is it will get worse before it gets better.
Robert Poblocki
Bennington
