Letters to the Editor

Of Rabbits and Genies

January 16, 2010

To the Editor:

Gather around folks and watch the education genie pull the magic rabbit out of the hat! It would seem that the citizens in Blythe have seen so many magicians come to town with the magic education act that they would be leery of these sideshow entertainments because the APY/API scores always take a nose dive. What ever happened to the phrase, “solve your own problems ". I'm sure that there are enough intelligent people in the area who can think mathematics, reading, and writing. I'll bet that if the teachers were given the option to teach nothing but these three basics for a year the scores would be astounding.

I guess I forgot that it is more important to teach politically correct activities in social studies which you may or may not be tested on rather than the important major core subjects. One might question why and how did all these lesser subjects get forced into a curriculum when it is evident that the time could be used more effectively elsewhere. When will we ever get wise and stop teaching how the fire hose is manufactured while the house is burning to the ground?

Then again the district has been invaded by outsiders that have no life interest in Blythe other than money. One individual that wasn't even given the consideration for superintendent was Dr. Ron Corona; I guess he was too local for some of the leaders of the time. Instead Blythe marched on to the sound of yet another “carpetbagger” that had all the answers to Palo Verde Unified School Districts problems, yet the APY/API scores took another dip.

Let us all fall down on our knees and embrace the savior of them all, The Race to the Top - as if No Child Left Behind didn't do enough damage to education. In the past thirty five years I have never heard of any politician running for office from the President down the chain who didn't insist they were the EDUCATION person. Yet the scores keep falling and the new deals keep springing up that are going to revolutionize education like fertilizer on crabgrass. Now we have another out of towner that had iffy credentials to begin with signing the district into yet another rabbit in the hat trick. How does one magically come into the district as a personnel officer with a record of diminishing the quality and quantity of teachers, acquire so many lawsuits, and get promoted to Superintendent? Now there is the Rabbit Out of The Hat!

Just my opinion.

Bill H. Coram
M.Ed Special Ed. Teacher Ret.

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