As a retiree of the Vicksburg Warren School District, it breaks my heart to read the articles in your paper regarding Tillman Whitley’s dilemmas concerning his job status.

I had the opportunity of working with Mr. Whitley for a number of years at Warren Central. Mr. Whitley was a dedicated, knowledgeable, caring and professional educator. It is so sad to read about a teacher who has given 30 years of service in educating our children and all the sudden he becomes an outcast.

School board members, we elected you to represent our children, teachers and communities. I am proud to say I taught senior English at Warren Central for 26 years and I can say our children received a quality education.

Our students’ test scores were at the top. Our students could go on to college and compete in society. When there is a growing need for dedicated teachers like Mr. Whitley, how can we afford to sit back and harass him on his job by firing him, and before that incident, his classroom was taken away? Can the VWSD afford this type of image?

We already have a problem with little Johnny not being able to read and we are trying to send a “master teacher” to the rocking chair? We have enough pseudo-teachers in our schools.

I am elated that I retired and had the experience of working under leaders such as Sharp Banks, Jim Stirgus, Robert Pickett and Donald Oakes. All were educators who were interested in teachers, students and parents first. Thanks to all those men.

School board members: I hope the plugs are out of your ears and you will take a stand for what is right. As a taxpayer, I need an answer: Who is in charge of our schools? Does the superintendent work for you or do you work for the superintendent? We, the citizens of Vicksburg, need some interpretations.

Mr. Whitley, don’t give up. We have your back. Dr. King is gone, but we continue to march.

I hope the person who worked so hard to take your job receives his or her brownie points. We are blocking real teachers from teaching and the pseudos don’t know how or what to teach.

Please don’t create a little Atlanta in Vicksburg.

Nancy Johnson

Vicksburg