On Sept. 6, while driving to the Manhasset train station great job by MPD by the way) we were embarrassed to learn that Manhasset teachers have still not received a fair contract.

It has taken years of dedication by many people, and yes, money, to create a school system that makes all Manhasset residents proud. It has been an equation for excellence that benefits everyone of us. What parent doesn't want to move to a community that contains a secondary school with a national reputation for superiority; a middle school for which people pull their children out of private school; and two exceptional elementary schools?

Let us now not fool ourselves. The creation of this nationally-recognized school system was a result of our community's willingness to pay for a superior teaching staff. We attracted dedicated, intelligent individuals who wanted to work in a school district that valued excellence and appreciated their effort. Our educators have lived up to their end of the bargain. Through their devotion to the education of our children, Manhasset's students are academically coveted by the finest colleges and universities in the country. Manhasset High placed students from the Class of 2005 into Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Dartmouth, Penn, Brown, Cornell, etc. "Average" Manhasset High students consistently get accepted to universities Barron categorized as the "most competitive." Obviously, a child educated in Manhasset High is not considered "average" by these selective schools. This wonderful reputation will be a thing of the past if we are not careful.

Manhasset teachers have worked hard to educate our children. These dedicated professionals are the reason we have a school district with an outstanding reputation. The times in which we live have placed greater demands on our children to succeed academically. It is not the time to shortchange them by short-changing our educators.

For our children to succeed, we need teachers to give that extra - extra time, thought and perseverance in educating their students. We have seen countless examples of this selfless giving by our children's teachers. This deserves our recognition, thanks and support.

Paul and Nathy Yakaitis

Brian and Carol Dunning