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Editor:
I am tired of politicians, bureaucrats and journalists comparing test scores of U.S. schools to foreign schools. This comparison is not only inaccurate, but destructive. Comparing foreign schools with U.S. schools is like comparing the test scores of Harvard University and Pima Community College.
Foreign countries send their children through a selection process before schooling begins. This selection process eliminates (segregates) a segment of the population the country feels is not worth education. So foreign schools eliminate a percentage of children who will potentially lower the nation's standardized test scores. This policy is like that of Harvard University.
In the United States, the Supreme Court has ruled all children deserve an equal educational opportunity. Every child, regardless of their disabilities or aptitude, is legally provided an opportunity to attend school through the age of 18. This policy is like that of Pima Community College.
Since Harvard University and foreign countries are selective of their student base and only educate the gifted, it is silly to compare their test scores to Pima Community College and the U.S. public schools, who have an open enrollment policy and attempt to provide an equal educational opportunity for all children regardless of aptitude.
Chris Walden-Jones
secondary education junior and
chairman, American Student Association of Community Colleges
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