Adding Time to School Year

I agree with your editorial “Put Time Back in School Year” (March 17) supporting SB 85, which would add eight days to the school year.

I would like to inform the state Legislature and taxpayers that students are excused from classes much more than eight days a year. During my 34 years of teaching, thousands upon thousands of students were repeatedly excused from classes for sports, field trips to Disneyland, talent show rehearsals, band and cheerleading contests, pep rallies, assemblies, etc. When we add the eight days lost because of teacher training to countless days lost because of frills, not to mention the days lost because of illness, truancy and emergencies, is it any wonder our academic achievement is abysmally deficient?

Incidentally, during my teaching career no staff development workshop ever helped my teaching techniques. In my opinion, the instruction time lost and the exorbitant fees paid to consultants were another tragic example of student-taxpayer abuse.

GILBERT A. RUBIO

San Diego