Dear Abby: Teachers have enough to do without having to do it all

DEAR ABBY

: "Chaplin, Conn., Reader" suggested that teachers should be sharing life lessons with children. Unfortunately, many people in our society believe it - including parents. Students come to us with deficits in many non-curricular areas. But it is NOT the job of public educators to teach them the importance of families, helping grandparents, caring for household pets, etc.

If these things come up in the course of the day and there is a need to address them, we try to clarify any misconceptions. The demands placed on teachers today are vast and complex. Just getting parents to follow through at home on school responsibilities is a job in itself. Many of them don't seem to think they need to help their kids be successful in school.

- Seen It All in Michigan

DEAR SEEN IT ALL: Thank you for your comments. The letter from "Chaplin, Conn. Reader" brought a HUGE number of responses on this issue, primarily from teachers:

DEAR ABBY: I am a retired physical- education teacher, One day during a health class, a mother of one of my students came to school and told me I should teach "morals and manners" to her daughter. My response: "Ma'am, if you couldn't do that in 14 years, I can't do it in 40 minutes a day."

- Remembers It Well