Letters

Asthma Advice
As a school nurse, I was pleased to see an article that contained good advice for asthma sufferers (Health & Fitness, March). However, I object to the concept of allowing children "to keep their inhalers with them so that they can control minor asthma symptoms without having to visit a nurse."A visit to the school nurse entails much more than just getting medication. We monitor the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms. When necessary, we refer students for care of acute illness. We also teach students about self-care of their asthma. For many students, a self-medication policy is appropriate. However, this should only occur when the school nurse has evaluated each student's readiness for this medical independence.

Susan Olmstead
Freeville, New York

More KIDS Left Behind?
No Child Left Behind" is certainly a worthy goal, but is it also a setup for failure (March cover story)? The reality is that public schools can never fulfill such a dictum. Not every child would be able to pass the state tests even if we did have all the quality teachers, reasonable student-teacher ratios, energy, time, and resources. Everyone who works in schools is all too aware of this sad truth.

President Bush has repeatedly espoused the "No Child Left Behind" slogan while cutting money for teacher education, pre-school, and after-school programs. He visited a community youth program in Portland, Oregon two months ago, lavished praise on its success, and then returned to Washington and cut the funds for it. What are we to conclude from this kind of leadership?

Despite being faced with classes of 35 and trying to meet the needs of 200 children each day, teachers usually know when a child is "being left behind." We are expected to provide "extra" attention and help to that child. How? When? With what additional resources? I tried, not so long ago, to order a classroom set of paperbacks for my American history class and was told there was not enough money in the textbook budget. I needed the books to bring common knowledge and understanding to a class of students with diverse reading abilities and interests. How many of us have had similar experiences?

Of course, failure of public education to meet the requirements of this lofty slogan establishes the rationale for the change sought by Mr. Bush and his cohorts: the establishment of a voucher system that would largely benefit middle- and upper-class whites and would, in turn, gut efforts to improve the public school system.

"No Child Left Behind" would, in fact, leave many more behind.

Robert Rubinstein
Eugene, Oregon

Focus on 'Provision'
I was so moved by the excerpt from Matthew Miltich's essay (My Turn, March) that I looked up the entire text in Thought and Action. The full essay is profound and needs to be widely read. I loved Miltich's comment that those conducting workshops on assessment methods are rarely assessed, and that teachers are frequently lectured to on the pitfalls of lecturing. The truly radical and profound point that Miltich makes is that rather than "focusing on measurement, data gathering, and quantification," the real focus should be on provision. Educational institutions are virtually starving, as all manner of needs are inadequately provided for. His essay is true at any level of education. I urge all readers to look up the full text of Miltich's essay, "All the Fish in the River: An Essay on Assessment," online at www.nea.org/he/tanda.html.

Suzy Grindrod
Madison, Wisconsin

Teachers Need Support
I have just read Brenda Powers' letter (Letters, March) and I couldn't agree more. I come from the Philip-pines, and this is my second year of teaching in the United States.

I get so irritated when teachers are blamed when student test scores are low! American teachers are very hard working and responsible. The students, however, are another matter. In the Philippines, the poorest students try very hard to succeed in school because, for them, it may be the only way out of poverty. (There are no such things as monthly welfare checks.) Poor parents are considered as educational partners, very much responsible for their child's education.

It is time that we held students and parents accountable for students' behavior and performance. Teachers can only do so much--we cannot physically put the pencils in our students' hands and cause them to write or to think. More power to American teachers, who I believe are actually among the best in the world for the unique challenges they face in their classrooms and schools!

Ginna Barreda
Sacramento, California

Zero Tolerance Debated
I support Mr. Ehret's stand against zero tolerance (Is Zero Tolerance a good idea for school discipline and safety? Debate, February). A couple of years ago in our district, some tough boys caught a quiet boy in the restroom and forced him to take a bomb threat note to the office. They threatened physical harm, which he believed. Under the zero tolerance policy, all the boys were expelled for the year, even the quiet boy. Did this change his life? You bet. My daughter, who has known him since first grade, agonized over his situation; I have only an idea of how he and his parents agonized over it. Just like mandatory sentences, zero tolerance policies are unjustified.

Karen Crain
Winslow, Arizona

As a middle school science teacher in an inner city, I feel that the goal of zero tolerance policies can be addressed by creating a more extensive network of alternative education sites that address the needs of students who don't function in our traditional settings.

The vast majority of these students are great kids who have experienced too many disadvantages. As a result, these students are not receiving a basic education that will allow them to experience success and learn to function as productive citizens. They need settings that provide more structure.

The big push to use public money for private education would further hamper our efforts and ignores the fact that private schools screen out students who may have behavior problems. Further, private schools don't have to address the needs of a large special education population (and raise the money required to offer programs for them). The public schools in Minnesota have a very large population of students who come to us not speaking English. How did I get to this point from zero tolerance? I think we are all able to follow the connections.

George Malone
St. Paul, Minnesota

Richard Ehret offered the opinion that school officials, like judges, must be free to judge students by their motives, circumstances, and other factors that influenced their behavior. Well, if we hadn't taken prayer out of schools and eliminated discussion of the Ten Command-ments and the consequences, the fear of God would still be instilled in our children today. Mr. Ehret comments that his morning prayer is, "God save us from the righteous." Sorry, but I am under the impression that we are supposed to be righteous and a light unto others.

The Columbine shootings and the attacks on September 11 illustrate that we reap what we sow. By not supporting zero tolerance in the family, schools and political realms, our society has become blinded by fear. Zero tolerance is a good moral idea for school discipline and safety as well as in the home and any city.

Melanie Jarrell
Catlettsburg, Kentucky

Social Security
Thanks for the good article, Retiring on Next to Nothing (News, February). I'm glad that Junita Drisko has launched a campaign to end the unjust and unfair Government Pension Offset/Windfall Elimination Provision. Inspired by the article, I have written to our two U.S. Senators from Illinois urging them to co-sponsor S. 1523, and to my U.S. Congressman Philip Crane to co-sponsor H.R. 2638. Please keep us informed.

Brigitte Kaiske
Zion, Illinois

Let's Invite All
In the article, More Minority Teachers, Sharon Robinson discussed ways to attract "students of color" into teaching by having internships targeted for minority students (Innovation, February). Let us broaden that to encourage all students regardless of background.

We need to look beyond racial classifications, which simply do not exist. According to Shirley Haizlip in The Sweeter the Juice, she states, "Some geneticists have said that 95 percent of 'white' Americans have widely varying degrees of black heritage." She also cites The Source: A Guidebook to American Genealogy, which states "75 percent of all African Americans have at least one white ancestor and 15 percent have predominantly white blood lines."

All students are of color; none are transparent. Youngsters just come in different shades. We need to avoid labels that divide us and instead work to increase success in the classroom for all.

Mary Qualler
Elm Grove, Illinois

Climate Control
The discussion on teacher dress codes failed to address classroom climate (Debate, November). My classroom does not have a window, has no air-conditioning and generally lacks any fresh air. If I were to wear more than a polo shirt, I would be a sweaty mess. Working in several schools, I have never had a classroom where wearing a jacket or tie would be bearable.

Dave Marks
Grants Pass, Oregon

Junk Food Debate
Neither participant in your debate on junk food presented what leading studies in the health field demonstrate to be healthy diets (Should schools allow the sale of junk food? Debate, March). I'm a bit disturbed that an adult working in the field of education would freely state that filling the kids up with refined sugar is in any way benefiting the child. Has Margaret Johnson ever heard of type 2 diabetes or even adolescent obesity? These two afflictions are on the rise amongst teens today, and both are, for the most part, controllable through diet. Banning the sale of junk food from school lunchrooms would protect children from themselves and provide them with the structure of a healthy diet for a lifetime.

Also, although I agreed in principle with Judy Stewart's position against junk food, I have a major issue with her support of milk as a healthy beverage. We have been lulled into thinking that milk does a body good, but studies have shown that dairy products are a leading contributor to types of cancer and forms of heart disease. In fact, countries that have very low per-capita consumption of dairy also have much lower rates of cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

David Hyman
Highland Park, New Jersey

I don't think schools should allow the sale of junk food. I'm a lunch lady; I dish up all the food to the kids in third to fifth grade. Too many students pick unhealthy foods--chips, Slim Jims, Fruit Roll Ups, etc. It would be one thing if the students were older, but I'm worried that the younger ones make the wrong choices. We can't force them to eat the good food first, so most of them eat the junk and throw out their lunches.

We shouldn't give the younger students these choices. We only allow them two snacks, but these kids will have a friend buy more for them. That's when I tell them I overheard what they said and won't allow it! But that puts us lunch ladies as the mean ones. If they didn't sell the junk food, we wouldn't have to step in.

Teachers don't like the junk food either. We have one of those sports drink machines in the school. How are we supposed to make students take milk or juice when they say they've already had their sports drink?

Michele Scott
Waterloo, New York

I don't believe we should encourage junk food in schools. How can we preach about proper nutrition and good character if those in charge don't set examples of healthy choices and self-discipline. We are building minds and bodies. Make careful selections about what snack foods are available in schools, and the industry will respond with better products.

Mary Tolmie
Stockton, New Jersey

Poor nutrition is a long-term health concern. Obesity and diabetes are epidemic. Do we just cave in to the detrimental pop culture of kids today? There are plenty of healthy drinks and snacks. Schools should model the best behaviors. Caffeine is physically addictive. What's next, a Starbucks coffee bar in the cafe? I remember teaching at a high school where kids were allowed to smoke in a smoking area. We closed them down due to the health problems. Considering the unhealthiness of junk food, I think it irresponsible for schools to sell it.

Gary Wilson
North East, Maryland