How to matriculate 100 percent literate graduates
Mr. Gissel, your Dec. 30 article on literacy hit the ball out of the park. You've outlined the problem in District 271 beautifully. Now, how do we get SD 271 to do their job? There isn't a single teacher in SD 271 who doesn't know well which of their students can't read leaving first, second, or third grades. Then, why can't we get literacy of 100 percent for kids leaving third grade? Here is an example of why, and a solution.
My wife taught first grade for many years. She knew well which child was not prepared to move on to second grade. She would advise her district with a list. About half of the parents of those children on the list would realize that they can 'help' their child by holding them back. The other parents would go to district personnel, override the teachers’ advice, and insist their child be promoted. Of course it took weak district administrators to pull such a stunt!
The same routine was played at the end of second and third grade. The proceeds needed to turn non-readers into readers was seldom focused adequately on the kids who couldn't read! Why, it's your guess and mine. I'd suggest lethargy and indifference.
Presently, there are no consequences for District 271 producing non-reading kids as they leave third grade! It takes a level of incompetence seldom found in our culture to allow this to continue to be the case. Fabulous movies have been made about teachers who expect greatness out of students. Some students will perform poorly — yet, with superb 'expectations,' they achieve academic greatness. I.E. Mr. Jaime Escalante in Los Angeles.
Essential steps:
1. Early on in first grade identify kids who are having trouble reading.
2. Care enough to focus the time and energy needed to catch them up. A. Buy a bus (and hire a driver) to take kids home late who are having difficulty learning to read. B. Bring in many retired citizens to work with those kids after school. Lavish great attention on volunteers' efforts. Also, bring in concerned parents to teach them how to support their kids reading. C. Grade parents effectiveness in supporting their kids in school. Score 1-5; 1 is insufficient, 5 superb. Make this part of the report card. D. Board — Insist administrators, superintendents, and staff stay out of the issues having to do with holding students back. If not, be prepared to remove the superintendent or/and staff.
3. With 1 and 2 above, be prepared to hold kids back if by the end of first grade they are not handling reading.
4. Do the same in second and third grade.
Note: If the teachers' recommendations are not to be accepted, they shouldn't be teaching.
Note: I'd suggest that 100 percent literacy is a goal 'never' met. There are kids who truly can't. They, however, should be in special programs. Their statistics should not be part of main stream class statistics.
Note: Test (would be) teachers to determine that they have the grit to address this very difficult job. Select only those with grit to teach kids, and pay them 50 percent more than the present going rate. Without such a necessary adjustment, we will continue to pay untold billions of dollars on prisons, crime, and welfare every year. Our nation is known now for its inability to solve this issue.
Mr. Gissel, we now should 'expect' the 'leadership' of District 271 to do their job. You've elegantly outlined the problem and I have walked through some steps on how. Presently, does the district do the essential job of guaranteeing kids 'graduate' from third grade knowing how to read? No they don't, and approximately 130 students per year are launched out of District 271 destined to fail.
Easily done? No, but, District 271 'professionals' will proudly take on the challenge.
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Ron Deady is a resident of Coeur d'Alene.