[EDEQUITY]Reading initiative and how it is taught in public

From: Ward Dorrity (w.dorrity@f5.com)
Date: Wed Aug 08 2001 - 16:57:06 EDT


schools
Sender: owner-edequity@mail.edc.org
Precedence: bulk
Reply-To: edequity@mail.edc.org

Former Representative Patricia Schroeder was a supporter of the program at
the press conference, stating "We know statistically that there is a clear
relationship between illiteracy and the current high rate of crime, poverty
and school dropouts we are experiencing. So strong is the link between
literacy and being a useful member of society, that some states use grade
level reading statistics as a factor in projecting future prison
construction. Literacy proficiency therefore is the all important gateway
to the prevention of these terrible issues that are plaguing our country."

Very good. Now take the next step and connect the statement quoted above to
what is taught and how it is taught in the public school system and you
might have the beginnings of an epiphany. As long as public 'education'
serves as a venue for social engineering by leftist ideologues, it will
fail. Small wonder that an ever-increasing number of parents are seceding
from the system in order to home-school their kids.

We are fortunate enough to have a local school that does not indoctrinate
children in the politics of victimization and self-loathing. Our kids are
not taught American history as a litany of oppression and class warfare.
They are high academic achievers and both recently received Presidential
Scholar awards.

My daughter is an accomplished webmaster, and earns between $300 and $1200
a month designing and maintaining websites. Frankly, she doesn't have a
moment to waste on those who might try to convince her that she's being
somehow shortchanged because she's a girl. She's so busy achieving that she
hasn't given much thought to being oppressed.

Her brother is an excellent writer and shows every sign of becoming a fine
essayist. Both are becoming excellent riders and have learned to care for
and develop a relationship with their horses. The entire family is skilled
in one of the most venerable martial arts, and all of us handle firearms
with expertise. My son handles his National Match M1 Garand with a skill
that belies his years.

Our 14 year old fraternal twins know that true self esteem comes from an
embrace of the values of love, comprehension, achievement and individual
freedom. We are in fact training them to be philosophers, warriors, and
sovereign individuals - in command of their own minds, hearts and
destinies.

We are so proud of both of them, and we are so relieved that they have some
to understand and cherish our values. In that wise, they will be well
prepared for the 'animated contest' to come. I'll close with this quote
from G. Warran Nutter, the late, great University of Virginia economist"

"We live in an age of inversions. A liberal used to be somebody who
believed in individualism, in a society of free men organized as far as
possible through mutual consent. Now a liberal is somebody who believes in
the opposite, in paternalism, in a society organized primarily through
coercion where the individual is looked after by his state. The greatness
of a society does not come from its monuments but from the kind of people
it produces. Justice, responsibility, and humanity - these are the
qualities of greatness in a people. Only the humane can remain free, and
only the free can remain humane.

Ward Dorrity
<w.dorrity@f5.com>

-----Original Message-----
From:Stephanie Barlow <Sabwestvir@aol.com>
Subject: [EDEQUITY]Reading Initiatives

Hello,
An update on equity in reading activities this summer:
This summer has seen two new initiatives designed to address gender gaps in
reading. The first, the Village Foundations Give a Boy a Book Day (June
17th), was announced at a Washington, DC Press Conference.

( http://www.villagefoundation.org/Press/viewArticle.cfm?id=7 <
http://www.villagefoundation.org/Press/viewArticle.cfm?id=7> )



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Fri Apr 12 2002 - 15:16:52 EDT