European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 1, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Letters the stars and stripes Page 11 Ann Landers Dodds teacher hiring policy clarified can you give me a rationale for excluding professional positions in the Dodds system from the Mili tary spouse hiring preference program i can think of no adequate justification for Dodds to prefer to hire stateside since that requires paying moving expenses As Well As the $6,000 annual housing allowance. In the meantime fully accredited teachers already living on the military installation remain unemployed for the duration of a spouse s two to four year tour of duty. Further stateside recruiting is done in april while local hires Are made in August a few week before school begins. The obvious message sent by these policies is that military spouses Are fit Only Forlow paying non professional jobs except in an emergency. As a teacher accompanying my military spouse in England i deeply resent this exclusion of teacher from spouse preference in hiring. I tried to apply state Side six months before we moved to England but was told that i could Only apply As a local hire after arriving in country. I did so two years ago. Meanwhile the Dodds school at which i applied continues to hire its professional staff from the states. This tour of duty is costing me my hard earned teach ing credential since i have been unable to teach the three years in five required for me to retain my accreditation. This unreasonable and expensive policy affects not Only Dodds but the military As Well damaging tour extensions and retention a fellow teacher recently told me that  Pilot husband is leaving the air Force because she has been unable to continue  teaching career overseas. I will certainly not encourage my spouse to extend his tour Here nor would i encourage him to Volunteer again for an overseas assignment. And yes my career is As important in this family As his my husband knows How hard i worked to earn the teaching credential his overseas assignment is Tak ing away from me. I will be interested in hearing the reasoning behind the policy that deprives teachers married to military spouses from being hired in their profession. Name withheld Raf Lakenheath England editor s note John l. Stremple director department of defense dependents schools replies we share the writer s concern that the proposed legislation . 3424, the overseas teachers act of1987, introduced by rep William d. Ford chairman House committee on Post office and civil service would have established inequitable hiring practices and allocated financial resources in a less Cost effective pen pals i m looking for a few Good pen pals from All Over Europe. I m 24 years old and enjoy sports Art music and dancing. Julie Krivak 704 Rutherford or. Fredericksburg a. 22401 i would like to have pen pals. I am 20 years old. My hobbies Are listening to music dancing and singing. Jessica Fern m. Zerna old Poblacion Escalante Negros Occidental Philippines 6124 i would be honoured if you included my name in your pen pal column. I am 25 and enjoy listening to music Reading collecting orchids and writing letters Judith a. Acab Candig Umon Bais City Negros Oriental Philippines i m 20 years old. I would like to correspond with americans All Over. I m presently in College majoring in dance. I like to dance run jump rope lift weights and listen to Good music. Cristina de Kanter Box 7091 Apo .,  09282 i am looking for pen pals. I m 26 and i like country music and All kinds of sports. Terri Kandiah co 44 Kent Well close Turnham rd., Brockley s.e.4. London England the stars and filpes a a to a european edition col Jeffrey m. Cook Usa commander editor in chief it col Suzanne l. Phillips Usan Deputy commander editor in chief Marie Kominicki Mert Proctor Deane b. Mcdermott production manager managing editor circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of de sense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. Everything advertised in this publication shall be made available for Purchase use or patronage without regard to race color religion sex National origin age marital status physical Handicap political affiliation or any other non Merit Factor of the purchaser user or Patron. Manner. The department of defense did not support the legislation and urged the withdrawal of the Bill. The Bill was  it appeared that the overseas teachers act of 1987 was designed to remedy a perceived problem resulting from the existence of two different categories of Dodds teachers local hires and stateside hires behave found no differences in teacher Quality. Arguments in support of the legislation emphasize the fact that stateside hires Are subject to a More comprehensive screening process. This is True. However the system used to obtain local hires produces teachers who Are equally As Well qualified As those recruited through the stateside system. The fact that there Are differences in the two hiring systems does not necessarily mean that there Are differences in teacher Quality. Indeed Dodds applies the same performance standards tooth local and stateside hires any employee who does not meet these standards does not remain within Odds regardless of the source of recruitment. Dodds has always had a positive program for the recruitment of eligible family members of military and Federal civilian personnel assigned overseas and it sour policy to afford qualified family members a prefer ence in  members Are considered before recruitment is initiated for a candidate from the United states. Be cause these family members compete on the basis of Quality the Quality of education is not diminished. We remain committed to the local hire program not Only because it is a Cost effective staffing program but also because it is a valuable recruitment source. Spouses of military members and of other Federal employees Are Well acquainted and Well suited to teach in the overseas schools. They Are concerned citizens of the military communities of which the Dodds schools Are a part. Their children attend these schools and the care about the Quality of education in a very special Way. The overweight school recently a lady wrote that  husband had been chartered out of the army due to his Over weight problem that it did t matter at that time that there were Bills to pay and what a hardship it placed upon the family due to his dismissal from the service. She also stated that  husband had now lost the excess weight and was returning to Active duty. She mentioned that there is now a school in the army for overweight soldiers. Please republish  letter so that All concerned will know More about this school. If he letter did not give that information please see if that information can be gotten and published in the stars and stripes. Name and location withheld editor s note the program is limited As to whom it May accept but the address is flex program 34th general Hospital Apo 09178 camera owner sought on july 11 at 1 58 p.m., i took a train from the Frankfurt Haupt Bohnhof to Weinheim. In my compartment was an american couple who were leaving for the United states on july 12. In Darmstadt we said our goodbyes and they got off the train. When the train left the station i discovered that they had left an expensive camera behind. I did not remember their names nor the names of their friends in Darmstadt. If the friends of this Lovely couple could get in touch with me i will personally ensure that the camera and film get to rightful owners. I can be reached at the following address and Telephone number or. Terry Fobbs hic Usma Mainz Box 339 apon.y.,  09185 Telephone 334-7259/8506 dear Ann Landers with swimming season upon us i la ask something i be been wondering about for quite some time. How old should a boy be before he s too old for the ladies locker room i swim two or three times a week and have patronized Public private and University pools in doors and out. Fairly often i see women bringing Young sons some As old As 5 or 6, into the dressing room. Many of them stare openly at the women in various stages of undress and even More so at Little girls their own age. This makes me uncomfortable and i wonder about its effect on the children. I think that if a boy cannot dry and dress himself or does not want to go in the men s locker room alone he should be dressed in the car or taken Home. It s unfair to the women who use the facilities to have Little boys ogling them. Do you or any of your experts have any comment wondering in Washington . Dear . I d say no male child Over 5 years of age should be taken into a women s locker room. Many locker rooms for women have curtained cubicles that allow for privacy. If that convenience is not available the Mother should put  bathing suit on at Home under  dress or shorts and shirt and see that  son has his swim trunks on under his Street Wear As Well. After the swim Towel dry and get dressed. I do not recommend sending 5 and 6-year-old boys into the men s locker room alone. Dear Ann Landers i m tired of Reading the warnings to Young girls about teen age pregnancy. Aren t there any teen age boys out there where Are their parents anyway Don t they know that girls Don t go to bed with boys jus because it s fun those poor things believe they Are being loved. Nobody tells the boys about the problems that result or the guilt they will feel when they abandon a girl and  baby. Somewhere along the line boys have come to think that pregnancy is the girl s problem and if Seweren t so careless or stupid it would t have happened. My parents never talked to us kids about sex. It s a Miracle none of us got into trouble. Believe me Ann our sons Are being educated and taught to respect  husband and i Are doing everything we can to make sure they have plenty of information and that it sinks in so their Heads will Rule when the urge become Strong As it most surely will when they hit 16 or 17. Thanks for helping by printing letters like this one in your column. D.h., Edmonton Alberta dear de and thank you for a letter that will teach Young  ple something. They need help in putting things in proper perspective. Peer pressure is heavy and temptation is everywhere. The Best safeguard against trouble is Good information and a sense of responsibility and personal Worth. It would be wonderful if All parents were Able to provide this but unfortunately such is not the Case. Hooray for you and your husband. Your children Are very Lucky. Dear readers remember that Fine poem forget it although the woman who sent it claimed authorship 1 now know that the real author is Judd Mortimer Lewis. He was the first poet laureate of Texas. His daughter mar Jorie Lewis Perry of Falls of rough ky., has produced proof. Thanks Marjorie. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09211. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 14 37, d-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany. 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