To The Editor: \'Blanket of Blame\' covers more than just teachers

By Daryn J. Hamilton

To the Editor:

I would like an opportunity to respond to the Opinion: VS top 25 ranking is nothing to be happy about

Mr. Tilson, the problem you’ve identified in your opinion piece, as I read it, is to be laid squarely upon the shoulders of the teachers and administrators of the Vinton-Shellsburg Community School District?

Where are the responsibility, accountability and obligation of the parents in this?

You’ve recognized the problems that your son was having and taken extraordinary steps to provide guidance and support to improve his situation. As a parent I applaud you for your effort.

As a graduate and son of a former teacher of the Vinton Community School District I was lacking a solid foundation in reading fundamentals at the same age as your son. That was 1972-73 and it doesn’t appear the problem is any different today! My parents and the school district recognized from the former Iowa Tests of Basic Skills that I needed help. During that time the district employed a dedicated remedial reading teacher. Is this the case today? One is not available in the Fairfield Community School District where I’m a resident and I’m assuming this to be true with the VSCSD.

My wife and I have taken an active role in the educational development of both our children. Our oldest, a 2011 graduate and current student at UNI, was very active in extracurricular activities. From her involvement in T-ball, softball, cheerleading for football and wrestling, and from band, jazz band, choir, show choir and many other activities her priority was expected, by us, to be academics. Our son, who will graduate in 2015 and not as deeply involved in extracurricular activities, has his priorities set on academics. We’ve supported this by being involved with their teachers and administrators. We’ve done this because we want our children to be successful in life.

Without this type of involvement your community will experience, as you stated, “This drop-out problem today is our public safety and public welfare problem for the next generation in this community.” Your statement is true of any community. Without involvement, support, and guidance of parents and just relying on the school district this problem will never be solved in your community, my community, or anyone else’s.

Before the blanket of blame is tossed upon VSCSD, or FCSD, maybe a community assessment could be made to find out if simple mentoring of students would improve this situation. Not all parents are as involved and passionate in their children’s education as we’ve been. Unfortunately not all parents care to be involved in their children’s education. Talk with your school’s administrators and teachers again but this time ask what you could do to help this situation instead of being accusatorial as to why they’ve done nothing. After all they’re your neighbors and friends aren’t they? Here they’re mine.

A community must work together to improve their lot today, not just lament that someone else has failed it. Someone else is also you Mr. Tilson.

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PS January 31, 2013, 2:52 pm Mary Coots makes a very good point. Not every child learns the same way especially if they\'re autistic. Vinton needs differential teaching and other teaching strategies. In Tilson\'s case, when a child gets to 7th grade and no one knows there\'s a problem then the school failed. I don\'t expect the school to be solely responsible for a childs learning and success. Blame does belong to the school when they can\'t even identify problems.

MC January 29, 2013, 6:28 am Ooops! I meant sight reading instead if \"site\" reading. The proofreader missed that one. Yet another quirk in the English language as in two words that sound the same but spelled differently.

MC January 28, 2013, 8:02 pm I have listened to Judy Hintz share her success stories for many years as a guest on the Jan Mikelson program. If I remember correctly, she uses a very different approach to teaching children as opposed to the method currently being used in many public schools. In my opinion, not all students respond to the same method of teaching. She does emphasize intensive systematic phonics which was used prior to the 1950s. It was replaced by the whole language or site reading concept. I believe somewhere in my personal research I learned site reading was originally developed to teach deaf children to read. Someone thought it was such a good idea it was implemented in public schools.

DW January 28, 2013, 4:42 pm Excellent points, Tom, but my question remains the same.........why can\'t we accomplish in Vinton, what ERC accomplishes? Certainly there are differences, but maybe we should spend as much time on why we can vs. why we can\'t. Not meant to be caustic, just trying to move forward in the best interest of our community.....as we all are.

JZ January 28, 2013, 1:31 pm Lots of food for thought in these posts, but one might want to wait for the next school-administered basic skills test to ascertain gains, comparing apples to apples on the same instrument. Hopefully the student can maintain and use the gains made, going forward, but so far all we can gauge success on is the report from the business in Des Moines. I am not doubting that an individualized program could achieve gains, but I would be interested in an objective measure over time. RE: no child left behind. hard to use this as a measure, in that the bar for each school district is set higher for those already performing well - meaning if you are good you have to be \"gooder\" by a certain percentage or you are labeled \"in need of assistance.\" Arkansas schools, for example, can escape that label by simply coming a little closer to what Iowa schools already provide. Iowa schools in general still compare favorably to many other states (even though we aren\'t #1 any more) and improving on the status quo in that situation may involve going beyond the school day into the outside/family environment, as many have written already in this discussion. I would also be interested in hearing more about the outcomes of district\'s alternative high school, a fairly new program that better accomodates a wider range of learning styles.

TB January 28, 2013, 12:08 pm I appreciate Dave Wessling\'s comments. I\'d offer that there is a difference in the education at a private learning center for a variety of reasons which are not possible at a public school. Among them are the parent\'s vested interest not only financially but in their time. Further, they have identified a problem and are acting on it. Second, the student is given one-on-one opportunities which certainly enhance education and is not available in the public schools. Third, a plan specific for the child is established so learning is tailored for that student. Fourth, at a private learning center, the focus is on academic education and not focused on raising the child as is often necessitated in the public school. My wife and I were blessed with two children who excelled academically and both have always enjoyed reading which served them well through college and now law school and employment. I do not proclaim to know the frustrations of parents dealing with the these issues but can say, with fair certainty, that the school, and educators in particular, are not solely responsible for these problems. It is shared with parents and society in general.

dw January 28, 2013, 9:40 am How then does Educational Resource get the job done so quickly and efficiently? As I undertand it, Mr. Tilson\'s son went from grade 4 to grade 9. Maybe that\'s where the focus needs to be.

TB January 27, 2013, 5:55 pm Well said. Being a parent takes some responsibility. School personnel should not be expected to educate and raise our children. Parents need to take an active role in the education of their children thereby alleviating the surprise of a problem when it is nearly too late. It takes a family not a village to raise a child. It takes parenting to educate and reinforce that which is taught in schools. Maybe that would reduce the number of droputs, too!

Opinion : To The Editor: \'Blanket of Blame\' covers more than just teachers

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