Letter: Invest in teachers, not the front office

I was distressed to read of the Concord School District proposal to add $900,000 to the budget for administrative positions. I strongly oppose this. Having worked in public education for 25 years, I know that what benefits students is what goes on in the classroom, not in the front office. A more productive response to concerns about class sizes would be to add a second teacher or paraprofessional to those classrooms.

Budget negotiations always stress that spending decisions are for the children, but in my experience the children will gain marginal benefit from the proposed positions. Extensive research confirms that our schoolchildren get the biggest bang for our buck from regular classroom interaction with teachers who are qualified and engaged.

DEBBIE CARLEY

Concord