SCHOOLS: Show us improvement

Regarding the Jan. 18 feature story on Christa Hazel, trustee president of the Coeur d’Alene schools:

Ms. Hazel, we appreciate your efforts as a Coeur d’Alene school trustee. It is presently made clear by endless reports that one-third of Idaho third-graders are not reading at grade level. In addition, the public has learned that Idaho is on the bottom of the nation’s public school heap as it has to do with “follow on” education. That means Idaho’s 10 percent college graduates does not compare with the 30 percent plus college graduation average throughout America. We have all learned that means our students are intellectually “crippled” for life.

Your article clearly indicated that improvements just happen! Coeur d’Alene children don’t just “arrive” with improvements. “Leadership” and “far” greater expectations from teachers, kids, unions, trustees and superintendent “make” that happen. Presently, a large proportion of Coeur d’Alene kids are being passed from year to year by our public school teachers by the use of social promotion, and, we believe, you know that, or should know that!

As the schools’ “senior” trustee, what do you see being done to address this catastrophic reality? What are the consequences in the Coeur d’Alene schools for passing a child through years of public education when they can’t read? A school district doesn’t just “arrive” with improvements — leadership and “far” greater expectation from teachers, kids, unions and superintendents “make” that happen.

Insinuating that Coeur d’Alene schools are adequate does not make that a reality! Please explain what makes Coeur d’Alene public schools “a leader in academic achievement,” when Idaho public schools are known as a sea of poorly performing public schools? I would suggest you have been fed misinformation by your Coeur d’Alene schools “cast of promoters” — who don’t have kids and their futures first and foremost in their agenda.

Since your union supports teachers regardless of performance, what steps are you taking to improve the academic performance of this district? And, finally, can you explain why voter approval of a bond issue shouldn’t be tied first and foremost to vast improvements in the Coeur d’Alene public schools?

This letter is in support of Coeur d’Alene children and their futures. It is abusive to continue to do near nothing in the Coeur d’Alene School District about a lackadaisical effort to educate kids.

RONALD DEADY

ex-public

school teacher

Coeur d’Alene