Some parents in Staten Island, N.Y., are unhappy with a middle school there. That sounds typical, but here's why they are upset: A letter from a dean contains numerous errors in spelling and grammar.

As the parent of a first-grader, I see such errors in teacher notes, homework assignments and other prepared material that my son brings home from school. I am willing to accept some level of error — we all make mistakes, and a school doesn't have the luxury of having a copy editor on the staff. The level of error in the Staten Island example, however, does undermine the dean's message and makes one question his ability to teach.