f:\doc\web\2000\10\readkorp.txt At 11:39 AM 10/31/2000 -0800, you wrote: David Blomstrom: "Can you post whatever you were going to say about the reading corps, I've not yet heard a good attack of the program other than it's probably a waste of money. Some republicans like this program." I don't know what you mean by "whatever I was going to say about" it. I've taken potshots at the program before, but it's hard for me to mount a good attack, simply because I don't know enough specifics about the program and its results (if any). Nor have I ever considered it worth my time investigating; to put it another way, intuition and logic alone tell me the program is too big a joke to even merit much attention. The irony is that we have some astounding personnel problems, largely in the realm of teacher abuse, that have culminated in a teachers shortage that renders virtually all of Locke's plans a joke. Good luck cutting class size when there aren't enough teachers to handle the classes he have at present. Good luck moving to a longer school day and year when we're already stretched so thin. But instead of dealing with major systemic problems, Locke comes up with some screwball volunteer "Reading Corps." An analogy would be the Russian military allowing its personnel to fall victim to chronically low pay and low morale, then rounding up some volunteers to man some of its nuclear submarines. It's just plain stupid. Obviously, Locke picked a simple, feelgood theme, virtually identical to the late John Stanford's unforgettable "Read!" program. It makes good soundbytes, period. I'd be interested in knowing how many schools have been served by Reading Corps volunteers. I was at Mr. Mak's place some time ago when I asked, and several teachers said they'd never seen any in their schools. Of course, volunteers float in and out of Seattle's public schools, but they don't wear uniforms, so I can't tell which of them, if any, are part of Governor GridLocke's academic militia. I do remember a young man popping into a class at Sacajawea last year. I think the teacher announced him as an ambassador from the business community who was there to read to the kids. As I recall, he spent 15-20 minutes reading a book to the kids, then left. I found it somewhat bizarre and incredibly insulting. Does the business community now think teachers are so incompetent they have to send Costco bookkeepers to read to students? Could they send a few volunteers over to tie shoes and wipe some kids' noses, too? How about an Education Peace Corps, which could teach me how to sharpen pencils? Of course, this guy probably wasn't a Reading Corps guy, as he was reading to the whole class, rather than tutoring one-on-one, but it's a similar principle. I also recall Dearborn Park Elementary being inundated with volunteer tutors a few years ago. I don't know if they were part of the Reading Corps, but I heard that many of them didn't pan out, due to incompetence, tardiness, etc. Yet I heard my supervisor (the "evil computer room lady," Romana Crilly) complaining that if they retained me, they wouldn't be able to afford a flotilla of volunteers. (Crilly also got rid of another teacher that the whole school loved so she could replace her with her buddy, who she knew was mentally unstable. The ultimate insult was when the new hire had a nervous breakdown, and I had to assume some of her duties!) And what does Locke mean by an "independent study" done by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory? I saw a piece of literature from NREL at school a few days ago plugging George Lucas and Danny Glover. Lucas has some connection to that weird Seattle education group Dickerson (and I think David Marshak) is associated with, while Glover was a special guest at John Stanford's last back-to-school rally. I WISH I could trade places with John Carlson. Though I'm not nearlry as smooth a talker, I would have hammered Locke mercilessly in debates, ripping his education charades to shreds, reminding voters over and over about the election Paul Allen bought, and suggesting jail time for Locke's role in the Wenatchee witchhunt. "How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think." Adolf Hitler -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> eGroups eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9698/16/_/8573/_/973029368/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> For those of you who have been talking about picketing, here is an opportunity for you. --------- Forwarded message ---------- >From: "Ziedman, Brandyn" >Subject: PRESS CONFERENCE ON READING CORPS TEST RESULTS >To: GOVERNOR-LOCKE-NEWS@listserv.wa.gov > >OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR > >FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - OCTOBER 31, 2000 > > >MEDIA ADVISORY > > > OLYMPIA - Gov. Gary Locke, along with State Superintendent >of Public Instruction Terry Bergeson will announce the results of a new >study that shows how much the Washington Reading Corps has helped improve >students' reading levels in all grades. > > Locke will visit with WRC participants and their tutors at >10:30 a.m. tomorrow (Nov. 1) in the library at Thurgood Marshall Elementary >School in Seattle. Locke will then release the results of the independent >study done by Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. > > Locke proposed the Washington Reading Corps more than two >years ago to bring together community volunteers for one-on-one tutoring >with struggling readers. > > Who: Gov. Gary Locke > State Superintendent of Public Instruction Terry >Bergeson > > What: Announce results of Washington Reading Corps >study > > Where: Thurgood Marshall Elementary School > Library > 2401 South Irving > Seattle > > When: Wednesday, November 1, 10:30 a.m. > >### > >Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136 ________________________________________________________________ YOU'RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today - there's no risk! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. -------------------------- eGroups Sponsor -------------------------~-~> eLerts It's Easy. It's Fun. Best of All, it's Free! http://click.egroups.com/1/9699/16/_/8573/_/973017325/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------_->