The following letters were received in response to our question of the month in the April 3 edition: Should the Board of Education and County Council grant school employees a raise?

NO RAISE DURING RECESSION

From: Juliana W. Miller

Bel Air

I understand that one only gets what one pays for, but in a time as this, when there is rampant economic strife, maybe teachers could choose not to receive any increases at this time and have a clause in their contract that would allow for a review of salaries once a year. (Or at least until we're out of this recession.)

Times are very difficult, and everyone needs to realize this. I personally have heard "professionals" sit and talk one week about how they don't understand why others are complaining about hard times, and that these people who are unemployed are a bunchof flunkies. The very next week, those same "professionals" are pounding the pavement looking for work.

Persons can squeeze themselvesout of a job. Just like death, no one ever expects it to happen to them.

GIVE TEACHERS THEIR RAISE

From: Peggy Schaeffer

Aberdeen

The Board of Education should honor the contract granting school employees an 8 percent raise this year. Perhaps the County Council would do well in constructively utilizing a portion of the anticipated surplus to fund this instead of trimming the education budget further.