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READING MONDAY morning’s Journal editorial column, I found for the second day in a row, including Sunday’s front page lead article on public employee/legislator retirement, Sheryl Williams Stapleton’s name as well as a photo inside the cover. This was in addition to several other articles and opinions by the Journal (that) had appeared over the past several weeks dealing with Stapleton’s questionable comments about the governor and about APS salary issues.
While I appreciate the need to hold individuals accountable for their mistakes, I see no sense in the level of persecution the Journal has chosen to direct at Ms. Williams. It has risen to the status of bullying, and I have no tolerance for that from any source.
I have been associated with APS as a teacher and now as a retiree since 1972. I worked with numerous directors of vocational education, but none as tireless and effective as Ms. (Stapleton). During my last 10 years with APS as a vocational teacher at Eldorado High School, Ms. (Stapleton) was instrumental in managing Carl Perkins Grant funding in a way that immeasurably enhanced vocational programs across the city, in providing supply and equipment funding to worthy programs, and in advocating for effective vocational programs at Albuquerque schools. She and her great staff worked tirelessly for the teachers and students of APS both as director of vocational education and as majority whip in the Legislature, and for the Journal to obsess only on negatives through continuous scapegoating tactics is unacceptable to this reader.
Sheryl has flaws, more than some and fewer than most, so please attempt to function as a fair and balanced news organization.
ROBERT A. (ANDY) JOHNSON
Albuquerque
