Education Report Card

You printed a story about a report card on the schools of America (Jan. 17). The results showed that over the past 15 years, and after much effort, there has been little improvement. To me this was not surprising. One can alter a house in countless ways, but if the foundation is weak, the house will still fall down. The foundation of America’s educational system is the home. It is responsible for every day of the first four years, and for almost all of every day for the next 13 years in the education of its young.

During the 34 years that I taught in the Los Angeles schools new superintendents or legislators were forever going to change the curriculum, upgrade the teachers, lower the class size, install some magnificent new technique, and, of course, spend more money in order to improve education; but, as the report card indicated, they failed.

They failed because they were dealing only with that over which they had control, the school, and not with the home, where they had no control. If we really desire to improve the education of our young, we need to build a better foundation. To simply reinvent the school is a waste of time and money.

JAMES GOBBLE

Simi Valley

The United States of America: the first great civilization in history to place its teachers in a lower category than professional entertainers and athletes. The United States: a nation that greatly values competition, except in education. The U.S.: a nation that teaches its youth the importance of making money, first; and only somewhere along the line, the gaining of wisdom. Uncle Sam’s baby sitters: its public school teachers.

REV. THEODORE C. LEY, SM

Gardena