To the editor:

I am a resident of and practicing attorney in Lee County and a Florida resident since 1952. I am writing this letter in the hope that it will be read and acted upon by the Lee County School Board which is considering a drastic new effort to prevent our teachers to express any individual thought in their classrooms, including expressions of their “personal ethics.”

I have read with interest the recent backpedaling by our Governor who, after working in concert with the Legislature to enact vague and extreme educational policies, realizes that these measures are unworkable, wasteful and, frankly, an embarrassment.

I would add laughable were it remotely funny, but it is not.

Sadly, the Lee County School Board is on the same course and it appears that the goal is to turn our wonderful educators into automatons who cannot be trusted to think for themselves or to pass on their individual wisdom to their students.

Perhaps they are fearful of crossing vague red lines observable only to those who see a communist under every rock, or perhaps some of the School Board members actually are those people?

Either way, they and other Florida school boards will drive away the best educators who will not return when the pendulum swings back to normal.

Trust your educators. You are the ones who hired them, remember?

Would any School Board member want to work in the environment they are creating? I doubt that very much.

My sincere message to all Florida school boards is get off this destructive train before you do more damage. Instead of attacking good and hardworking educators, call your representatives and tell them to dial back the political performance art and then do the same yourselves!

It is hurting your employees AND the children.

Just stop it!

Louis X. Amato

Bonita Springs