Simple question for whoever hires people in my school district (Good ole Hilton Central). When you hire an English teacher to teach the children of the people who pay the taxes that create your paycheck, do you check to see if they actually know how to spell words at or below a high school level, or do you say "you seem like a nice kid, I'm gonna give you a job"? Example; My english teacher, Miss Claire Frye, who teaches Ninth grade English as well as Media Literature, was asked during class how to spell the word 'rabbit'. She did not know how to spell it, nor 'dinosaur' which, I am ashamed to say, she spelled Dinasore. These are not the first ocassions in which she unwittingly embaressed herself, they are some of many. I will admit that as a ninth grader, one should already know how to spell 'rabbit' and 'dinosaur', but you must understand that Hilton's strength is in it's sports teams, not in the high IQs of its students (of which there are very, very few).

Without trying to seem like a know-it-all, I have to mention that several of my classmates have repeatedly told me that I could teach our English class in the stead of our actual teacher. That should be a clue to the people who hired this "intelligent and qualified" woman that they screwed up. Big time. Students should understand the material being taught to them (which means that teachers should generally put in some sort of effort to build a bridge across the age gap so that their students can relate to their examples, references, etc. etc.), and they should be taught by a person whose literacy, grammar, and spelling skills are up to par with those expected of a GOOD English teacher.

Just a thought... y'know?