\doc\web\99\01\tqm.txt
Date sent:      	Tue, 19 Jan 1999 13:47:39
To:             	arthurhu@halcyon.com
From:           	"Lynn M Stuter" <lmstuter@icehouse.net>
Subject:        	Re: No Genital Exams for Preschoolers = platform agenda item?


Not when you know how they define "ready to learn."  In state documents,
that term is defined as "arriving at school on the first day and every day
thereafter ready to learn."  Anything that might inhibit that readiness to
learn, places the child at risk.  Inhibiting facts are any of a number of
things that might "stress" the child, such as failure to make friends, an
argument with a parent or sibling, not having the "right" clothes to wear,
being sexually molested.  To this end, the state contends that it has a
compelling interest in making sure that the raw material it receives is of
good quality (ie, is ready to learn).  Consider these quotes from Total
Quality For Schools by Joseph C Fields, 


"Parents supply a resource to which educators apply a variety of processes.
 These processes include a thirteen-year sequence of assessments to match
quality standards to develop a graduate who meets customer requirements."  


"The organization receiving the student is the customer.  The organization
will be the community and may be a university, a business, the military, a
government service, or a marriage.  ...  This changes the role of parent to
be one of a "vendor" of precious, incomparable resources to teachers."


"Parents learn that they must provide the best ready-to-learn student
possible."


"Parents and students behave to please the teacher and to meet the
teacher's requirements."


"Building quality into the product in the first place in the field of
education begins at home and continues into the design of the school's
instructional environment.  It may take collaborative effort between
legislatures, local boards of education, and school administrators to
design programs for parents who send their children to public schools.
Building quality in at home is a personal social responsibility of
pro-creating persons to all other Americans."


Consider too the parent as "vendor of a precious resource, the child.  In
the internal customer concept, the parent is serving the teacher.  Teachers

could identify reasonable specifications for parents relative to the home
learning environment and certify parents who will cooperate.  Guardians and
agencies would be included in the assurance of a well-prepared student to
inquire, acquire, and require."


"Citizens would no more be allowed to put obstacles in the way of public
educators than to interfere with public medical, police, or fire protection
personnel who are doing their duty."


LynnS


At 01:15 PM 1/19/99 -0800, you wrote:
>It's a pretty big stretch from this language to routine gential exams!
>
>PART IX: READINESS TO LEARN
>
>NEW SECTION. Sec. 901. A new section is added to chapter 70.190 RCW to
read as follows:
>
>     (l) The legislature finds that helping children to arrive at school
ready to learn is an important part of improving student learning.
>
>     (2) To the extent funds are appropriated, the family policy council
shall award grants to community-based consortiums that
>     submit comprehensive plans that include strategies to improve
readiness to learn.
>
>