Coonridge Digest: Kids being left behind

Dear President Bush,

Greetin’s from the Ridge.

I know that there’s nothing more embarrassing than coming up with a great idea, touting to the high heavens as the best thing since Bacon Bits, then watching the darned thing crumble around your feet.

You’ve had some experience with this in your chasing Saddam and Osama through the bushes, the tax cut, and getting mired in the quags of Iraq. With all due respect, I’m not sure you can afford another Edsel in your garage so I’ll give you a chance to back this one out before it blows up in your face.

It’s this little matter of No Child Left Behind.

I don’t know whether your advisors have clued you in on the state of American education but you’re about to blow another tire.

I’ll admit that the very sound of the phrase "No child left behind," has a certain ring of electability to it. Who could vote against such a concept? Maybe it’s a genetic defect. Anything with "no" in the title seems to be a problem for your bloodline (see "No new taxes.")

You see, Mr. President, we’ve got this problem. There will be children left behind and there’s little in your plan to do anything about it. Ask any teacher about the mood on test-taking day. Some students choose to be left behind because the problem is not in what they’re taught but in what they choose to learn.

Little Johnny gets up and fixes his own breakfast, chooses to go to school that day or not, then has no one caring enough to inquire about his day when he gets home. Giving him the option to change schools will not improve his attitude. Fact is, if he attends school that day at all it’ll be because he wants to see his friends. Send Johnny to a new school and he won’t go at all. Johnny’s gonna be left behind.

Katherine needs all the time in school she can get. She’s a nice enough little gal but concepts creep up on her slowly and when her friends can do an assignment in ten minutes, it takes her thirty. An Indiana principal estimated that your No Child Left Behind has already taken the average teacher out of the classroom for over 40 hours and they’re just beginning to implement the plan. Katherine’s about to get left behind-er.

And did anyone ever mention Kevin to you? Kevin goes to a school where they’ve had to cut the teachers’ aides this year. Kevin is behind because he can’t read well and in order for him to even pretend to keep his head above water, he’s had an aide with him to read him his assignments. Oh I know, many of your major campaign contributors send their kids to private schools where aides are plentiful, but Kevin’s single mother won’t be found on your contribution list.

And Drew is crushed. He’s in one of those districts that’ve cut out all music and foreign language. His teachers will tell you that his trumpet and not a federal mandate is what have kept his math and English grades up.

Elisabeth attends an school in Storm Lake, Iowa, where the annual volcano-building project is the highlight of the third-grade science class’s year. This year for the first time this hands-on project has been scrubbed. Her teacher, Miss Cole, said that the constant rounds of testing have completely rearranged her curriculum and that there’s no longer any time for longer lessons that make the lasting impact on kids.

The volcano is gone. In the teacher’s lounge last week, a veteran teacher told Miss Cole the old story about education being like a cow. If you spend all your time weighing it, you’ll have no time to feed it.

Richard goes to school in New Hampshire where No Child Left Behind will give the state $77 for every student. The plan will cost $575 per student to implement. Richard’s been an artist since his grandmother bought him his first box of crayons. Richard’s school no longer teaches art. It’s canceled this part of his education so he won’t be left behind.

Mr. Bush, I know your plate is overflowing this season but I’ll bet you’d give anything to have had the benefit of hindsight on your last few international problems. And I’d further bet you’d do anything for a little positive news. Please reconsider this next crisis looming on the horizon. It only involves kids’ education and therefore it won’t get much play on CNN, so I thought I’d give you the view from the Ridge.

You ever in Coonridge, stop by. We may not answer the door but you’ll enjoy the trip.