Want academic progress? Push kids hard

In response to your coverage on the standards of the No Child Left Behind Act:

I was recently tagged in a photo of a 10-year-old paper depicting the requirements for a fifth-grade program called the Great American Awards. On Facebook, my former students recalled all the requirements: writing the Pledge of Allegiance and reciting “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution, the complete Gettysburg Address, the states and their capitals in alphabetical order and the U.S. presidents in order of service.

I can’t tell you how I had to fight to get approval for this program, as so many teachers thought it was a waste of time. Each year, my class had at least 30 out of 35 kids achieve the award: special education kids, English as a Second Language students, students from low- and middle-income families. The kids who didn’t complete the requirements were normally the lazy smart kids.

On Facebook, these 21-year-olds posted thoughts about how scared they were to recite in front of their peers, and all said that the award holds a prominent place on their family award shelf. I believe that they are all as confident as they are today because they were pushed as 10-year-olds. They may not remember the things they memorized now, but what they have is the confidence that they can do something hard in front of others, which is something “adequate yearly progress” and teaching to the tests mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act will never do.

We need to quit teaching down to “adequate yearly progress” and strive to teach all kids to the top of their uncomfortableness. It’s time to put the emphasis on looking at learning as a challenge, something you can’t wait to discover.

Let’s get back to studying science, teaching cursive writing, the stock market, great literature and history, and a remarkable thing will happen: Teachers will love to teach again and students will be a bit uncomfortable. They will stretch, be nervous and learn determination. Then, ten years later, they will still remember the requirements of an assignment that changed their lives and share it with their aging teacher.

Tish Carroll

Las Vegas

Sickening severance

To the editor:

It absolutely sickened me when I found out about Hendeson City Attorney Elizabeth Quillin’s resignation settlement (Tuesday Review-Journal).

Here’s a person who was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving while she was working on the taxpayer dime. Then she gets put on paid administrative leave (vacation) — more taxpayer money gone.

She now resigns, and they reward her with even more taxpayer money, to the tune of $100,000.

If you’re caught committing a crime, you should forfeit any severence pay. No wonder the state is going broke. Anybody who believes an average person would get away with this also believes in the tooth fairy.

Pat Scranton

North Las Vegas

Third term

To the editor:

I want to file a lawsuit against former President George W. Bush for violation of term limits. President Bush served two full terms of four years each, from 2001 to 2009, and according to the U.S. Constitution he is not allowed to remain as president beyond those two terms.

However, it has been documented by Barack Obama that Mr. Bush is responsible for all the country’s failed policies and decisions, the ongoing economic downturn, the loss of jobs, the death of servicemen overseas, the inefficiency of government, the downgrading of U.S. long-term debt and many more failures of government that continue to this day.

It is abhorrent that Mr. Obama, who was overwhelmingly elected by the American people to reverse President Bush’s failed policies and rebuild America, has not been able to govern, make decisions, institute policies and reverse the bad decisions of the previous administration. It is a disgrace that Mr. Bush has relegated President Obama to playing basketball, posing for photos, going on dinner dates with the first lady, having beer with Boston cops, bowing to Arab rulers, seeking his Irish roots in Ireland and other activities. Mr. Bush has made Mr. Obama do everything else but lead the government. Meanwhile, Mr. Bush continues to make policy decisions for the United States three years beyond the end of his tenure.

I call for all truth-loving citizens of the world (not just Americans) to help us eject Mr. Bush from the White House. Dear fellow Americans, let us finally bring Mr. Obama into the Oval Office he won in 2008 so that he can make his own decisions, instead of Mr. Bush ruining Mr. Obama’s administration.

If we fail now in stopping Mr. Bush from taking President Obama’s term, we will have to prevent Mr. Bush from governing another four years in 2012 by not re-electing poor Mr. Obama. 

Shame on you, Mr. Bush. Shame. God bless you, President Obama. One day, we sincerely hope things will change and that you finally become president of this great nation.

One day, Mr. Obama, one day.

ANGEL GENER

Las Vegas

Give it back

To the editor:

The politicians in Washington do not know the definition of “borrow.” Let me explain it for them.

When you borrow something, that means you have to give it back. And that would be in a reasonable amount of time.

My question is, when are they going to pay back the so-called borrowed money they got from Social Security funds years ago? And you politicians have the guts to think about cutting benefits.

Since they are on their summer break, I sure hope they don’t get Alzheimer’s and can’t find their way back to Washington.

PAT TAYLOR

LAS VEGAS