As a parent of two young children in the district I have been very concerned with the slogan that the Glen Cove Teacher's Association has chosen to unify them and demand a fair contract from the district. "Teaching without a contract" is written on the front of a black T-shirt. "Takes the Joy out of teaching" is on the back. It is worn every Wednesday, during school.

Imagine being a first-time parent in the district, sending your child off all day to be taught by those who have had their "joy" taken away, or, imagine being that student reading this in their classroom. Scary isn't it? The teachers, children and parents are stuck in the middle of this dispute. This slogan has not moved the GCTA any closer to getting a contract but is instead making parents upset that their kids are being exposed to such harsh words.

Despite their attire, I know that the teachers in the Glen Cove district have not lost their joy and are most likely not even on that path. They are hardworking and have always been caring and loving to my children, regardless of their contract status. My conclusion is that this slogan is merely a nasty scare tactic designed by the GCTA to get people talking.

Are you, teachers, really behind what your GCTA has told you to wear and really feel that this situation takes the joy out of teaching? You have the next generation of leaders in your hands, the ability to mold and ignite passion in the youth and yet you are saying that a delay in contract agreement takes away that joy. If in fact there is truly a teacher in the district who has lost their joy in teaching here in Glen Cove, or is genuinely on that path, you should seriously consider how this lack of joy affects your performance and your students. More likely, the opinion shared by the majority of teachers is that this slogan is a bunch of garbage, and you all know that there are better ways to get your point across.

For example, this past week, I noticed several teachers from Deasy School who have gone to extreme lengths to cover up the nasty phrase "takes the joy out of teaching." Their integrity is moving and inspirational. The new and improved T-shirts are simple and to the point, without being offensive. Teachers are still unified for their cause and yet are letting it be known that this slogan is extreme and inappropriate, especially in the classroom. I applaud each teacher in the district who has shown this integrity and urge others to join them.

GCTA, I believe you should fight for what you think is fair. That being said, if you feel so strongly about getting your message out, then you should reconsider your tactics and your audience. Keep nasty slogans out of the schools! The children should not be your audience. Stop the "negative attention" tactics. Instead, remind the parents of the wonderful things teachers do for our children, families and community. You should be protecting our children from politics, making us proud to live in Glen Cove and proud of our teachers.

I implore the board of education and the GCTA to quickly come to an agreement. This has taken way too long and is extremely distracting to our schools and detrimental to this community and to our children. Please keep perspective, have integrity and protect them during your dispute.

Janice LaRocca