To the editor:

I read with disgust the ranting from Mr. Carl Lane in

about the “greedy and petty” teachers in the Mehlville School District.

This “greedy and petty” 20-year Mehlville teacher, as well as most of my colleagues, arrives at school well before the “required” start time, attending meetings and preparing for the day.

We stay well past the “required” departure time, with no additional compensation. The five-minute “compensation” Mr. Lane refers to is a moot point. I spend at least half of my lunch time tutoring or helping students with homework they couldn’t do at home.

Our workday doesn’t end when we leave school. We continue working at home to grade papers, contact parents, plan creative lessons and research best practices for teaching. Many of us work on curriculum and/or attend conferences over summer break — all with no additional compensation.

“We do it for the kids.” We do it because we take pride in our profession and want to ensure great schools for our students and our community. I ask Mr. Lane and my fellow Mehlville taxpayers to also take pride in our schools and consider supporting the Mehlville School District.