Soapbox

John Stossel and 20/20 did a report Wednesday night on Schools in America. I did not get to see the airing, but read their online synopsis. It's a tad long but worth the time - CLICK HERE if you have a minute. I am pretty even tempered on most topics, but I truly believe in this one. We need vouchers. Period. Equal to that we need parent involvement. It is the truest predictor of a child's success or failure in school. A good parent can out weigh a bad teacher every time.

Which is why this blurb from John Stossel (found in the above link) is a load of hooey:

I talked with 18-year-old Dorian Cain in South Carolina, who was still struggling to read a single sentence in a first-grade level book when I met him. Although his public schools had spent nearly $100,000 on him over 12 years, he still couldn't read.
So "20/20" sent Dorian to a private learning center, Sylvan, to see if teachers there could teach Dorian to read when the South Carolina public schools failed to.
Using computers and workbooks, Dorian's reading went up two grade levels — after just 72 hours of instruction.
His mother, Gena Cain, is thrilled with Dorian's progress but disappointed with his public schools. "With Sylvan, it's a huge improvement. And they're doing what they're supposed to do. They're on point. But I can't say the same for the public schools," she said.

You can't tell me that Mrs. Cain is upset with the school system because her son couldn't read past a first grade level. Sure, be upset with them when he is in second grade and still reading on a first grade level. But as a senior, I think it is time for mom to take notice and start helping the boy read herself. Unless Mrs. Cain is illiterate and ignorant of her son's deficiency, this example flys all over me.

Otherwise, I really belive in this concept and many of the points made in the article. There will be a follow up tonight at 10 est /9 cst