December 2003
Volume 21 No. 3 November 27 & 28 Office Closed Thanksgiving Holiday December 10 CBC/Presidents Meeting 6 PM at KMUC December 15 KMUC Board Meeting 6 PM Courthouse Pub Manitowoc December 24-26 Office Closed Christmas Holiday December 31 & January 1 Office Closed New Year’s Holiday January 9 & 10 Northeast Bargaining School Green Bay Ramada Plaza January 14 CBC/Presidents Meeting 6 PM at KMUC January 19 & 26 ESP Training Learning Styles & Multiple Intelligences 6 PM at KMUC January 22 & 23 WEAC Staff Meeting Madison	Out of the Mouths of Babes by Linda Helf, KMUC President Just imagine this scene: We’re in the audience at a talk show interview. On the stage are two chairs, one a wingback chair with the Presidential Seal on the back of the dark blue upholstery, the other a beanbag chair. Except for a large American flag, the rest of the stage is bare. Out from the sides of the stage come the two participants. One is immediately recognizable – President George W. Bush. The other is a child, no particular race, no particular gender, no particular economic level – just a child. Both sit in their respective chairs (you can figure out which goes where). As soon as they are seated, a conversation between them begins. The President: Well, I am delighted to be here to have this conversation with you. Children are very important to me. Child: That is what I have heard, sir. But, I must tell you that I am not convinced. Let’s start with you wanting to be known as the education president. The President: What a great idea! I think that you will be convinced when I tell you about my No Child Left Behind legislation. You know, little one, I proposed that so we could make sure that every child is at grade level by 2014. This is a guarantee that no other President has made and one that I am very proud of. Child: I have heard about this legislation, sir. I must admit though, I am a bit confused by it. I am wondering how the President will be able to make all children reach grade level by 2014. The President: That is simple, little buddy. I am going to make sure they can pass a test. Because I think this is so important, I am going to tie their school’s funding to how well those tests turn out. And, I am going to make sure that all the little children have a qualified teacher in their classrooms to help them get ready to pass those tests. Child: I want to make sure I have heard this correctly, sir. You are going to make sure that we all learn by having us pass tests. And, you are going to decide if our teachers are highly qualified. And, you are going to do all of this by, maybe, keeping some federal funds from our schools. That sounds like punishment to me and not like help. Are there some other things you are going to do to “help”? Continued on next page…
The President: Oh, no, no – we aren’t talking punishments here. We are talking about taking responsibility for making sure every child can learn. That is why there are some opportunities built into this legislation. If your public school isn’t making the progress it should, you can choose to go to another school. And, you can even go to an outside group for some tutoring if you are in a public school that doesn’t do well enough. Child: Oh, sir, I think things are clearing up for me now. It sounds to me like you are making sure that I can go to a private agency or school with the money that my public school would normally get for me. Will those agencies and schools have the same rules? The President: Oh, no. Federal money only goes to the public schools so only they have these rules. We need to be fair. Child: Fair – that is an interesting word. I think it would be fair to ask if you allocated enough money to pay for the testing that this new law would require. The President: Well, friend, you know this is a tough time for the American economy. We are helping put together a new way of life for the people of Iraq, we are making sure America is safe, we are… Child: Sorry to interrupt, sir, but I am taking that to be a “no”. If you wouldn’t mind a little advice, it would be nice to know that you are also concerned about taking care of the schools that can really help me and my friends learn. I would like to know that this is really about children and learning and not about money for private agencies and businesses that want to get some of the money that goes to my school. Can you assure me of that? The President: Your school will have to assure you of that by making sure you can pass our tests. I am sure the business people that are making the tests, making the materials to help you read, and running the private agencies for tutoring are really nice people. And, to prove it, come with me and meet my friend, Charles McGraw. We have to leave this interview now. The child on the stage is shaking the President’s hand while the President is still trying to convince him that he is interested in education. In the next issue, we will draw the Charles McGraw connection so that you can decide for yourself if this is about children or about money for private business. For now, let this child be your guide. PDA Certified Training January 19 and 26, 2004 6-8:30 PM at the KMUC Office Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences Core Curriculum Category IV Growth and Development There’s still time to RSVP Call the KMUC Office at 1-800-834-7076 by December 19 $25 per person charge for KMUC ESP Members All other participants $40
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