Letter of the day: Stop criticizing teachers and invest in more early education

This week I read the online story "Minnesota leads ACT scores, again" (Aug. 18). That must mean that our teachers are doing a pretty darn good job of educating students. Then I read an article in the Aug. 23 issue of Newsweek that stated that "your chances of success in school and life depend more on your family circumstances than on any other factor" and that "high-quality preschooling does more for a child's chances in school and life than any other educational intervention." So maybe we should quit bashing our teachers, demanding that they be judged on test scores and be held accountable for society's failings. And maybe we should take some of that time, energy and money and put it into better preschool interventions, education and parenting. GAYLE COLLINS, NORTHFIELD