Some of us at The Somerville News are “life long democrats”, but it boggles our minds that the state Senate recently voted purely via party lines on a bill (S 271 – Allow appeals by teachers who fail certification test) which gives a teacher an appeal process to the Commissioner of Education because they couldn’t pass a certification test three times.

We love teachers, please don’t get us wrong – but how can we impose such a high level of double standard? Do our kids get to appeal when they just miss MCAS scores or fail a class here and there and can’t graduate (whether from high school or just to the next grade)?

There are plenty of us out there who have professional licenses – from doctors to real estate agents – does that mean we can test a number of times and get an automatic appeal because we really do deserve a chance to show what we are worth?

The thought of someone taking our appendix out who got their medical license by appeal because they couldn’t pass the test three times is scary. How about taking it one further – a judge, who was once an attorney, who got his or her license to practice law by appeal because they couldn’t pass the bar three times – now gets the chance to show what they’re worth in the important process of legal interpretation and implementation in our society.

Oh sure, now you’re thinking “oh they’re just being extremists” – and maybe we are – but to those who would dare to say that Рwe ask you one simple question: “how important is your children’s education?”