Re: sharing wealth

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

>  Study
>after study confirms that most students who are held back in elementary
Sue:  I'd like any references you may have on this.  Back in the 
seventies I did some resarch for the U.N. in Paris on international 
practices on "grade repeaters". In Euorpe between 15 -25% of elementary 
level kids were systemically held back until they achieved the official 
standards for advancement. I did not examine the social-psychological 
effects of this, but did find that the vast majority of those pupils 
later attained the required skills for reading, writing, math, science. 
But they were also the ones who did NOT have an option at 9th grade level 
to select an academic (college prep) track of studies. They were the 
"worker ants" for society and they knew it. So be it. Unlike the U.S., 
Europe does not have a variety of later means for getting into 
college-level programs, hence those systems are less egalitarian. In the 
long run, our system tends to be more expensive, but then European 
systems pay more for repetition of grades than do we. I think our 
investments make more sense. As for "catching up" at the lower grades, I 
have always been in favor of early, pre-school preparatory programs 
(Idaho does not require or foster these), teacher aides and community 
volunteers to help those who lag behind, and summer tutor programs -- 
along with parental counseling for child support. These are areas having 
little official policy provision, and school boards usually don't have 
the "expertise" to recognize their needs.  I do feel that promoting 
children who do not achieve the minimum standards does much harm to the 
child and punishes them indiscreetly. I coach reading at Lena Whitmore, 
and when toward the end of the school year a child is simply not 
mastering the basic reading skills, that child needs additional help and 
diagnosis as to what the nature of the problem is. Some of my little 
readers tell me, "mommy and daddy don't have time to help me." This is 
one of the plagues of our today society, and who can pick up the slack 
there? The school can't be expected to do everything. Over the past 30 
years, we've had MANY national appeals for improving radically our 
present system, from the Oval Office, to major Foundations, to local 
citizen initiatives. We know the problems exist, but where is the WILL to 
do something significant? I frankly do not know. Thanks for your remarks. 
Ken M.

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William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com