Pam Aister was terminated from her Fountain Hills teaching position after 24 years of excellence in the classroom. The School Board was determined to remove Pam.

She rightfully defended a minority-race student from bullying last semester. The children who did the bullying stand to be rewarded by the firing of one of the best teachers in Unified School District 98. When bullying wins...no one wins.

As the grandparent of three Black, special needs children who have been in Fountain Hills schools since preschool, I can testify that bullying exists to the extent of great harm. Innocent children suffer while adult educators ignore their pain.

Pam Aister is one of the few teachers who really showed love to all children. She should be commended and rewarded, not fired.

As a college teacher myself, if I had school-age children in this town, I’d be checking into private schools, charter schools, on-line schools, or home school. Three of my grandchildren moved out of this district; unfortunately for Fountain Hills, moving away is another option. The best solution, however, is for this School District to step up and do the right thing: put into practice high standards of conduct and retain Pam Aister.

Fountain Hills deserves better than this. That’s why I also commend School Board member C.T. Wright and support Edith Stock and Judy Rutkowski for the November School Board election. Give them your vote.