Gift to third graders ignores reality

Arizona Daily Wildcat Judy Schultz

The article cites C. E. Rose Elementary as being a school with probable potential dropouts and a number of children at risk for failure. So where is the logic to choosing only one grade on which to put all of this attention? From the sound of the article, the children who attend this school are already in fairly tough living situations - a lot of them are "have-nots" in comparison to other geographical areas. Now, within their own school, there is another group of "have-nots" - the kids in grades K-2 and grades 4 and 5. No one is offering them such a "gift."

I certainly acknowledge that UA President Peter Likins and the Rotary Club have the best and purest of intentions. Perhaps they hope that some altruistic group will surface to sponsor other grades and other schools in similar fashion. Reality? Probably not. Corporate partnerships with schools are just beginning to take hold and it will probably be some years before something similar will arise in any major way.

Instead, why not put their efforts and money into programs that are school-wide or, better yet, district-wide? Teachers are doing without supplies. Some schools do without teachers in this district for lack of enough substitutes. Many schools do without enough technical support such as computers and software. This is a much bigger problem than 101 third-graders.

In my opinion, all kids are at risk. We have gotten to such a point of labeling in this society that we even break down the relative chances of success our kids may or may not have given their present circumstances into nice, neat little statistics. The inherent danger in this numbers game is that we are so sure that one group is "okay" or "safe" that we ignore them and set out to save the ones "at risk." Then we are shocked when the ones who apparently had no risk factors commit crimes or take their own lives. We cannot continue to place "at risk" only those youngsters who live in lower socioeconomic settings. Categorizing our children in this, or any other way, leaves open the door for one group of kids to slip through the cracks because our attention is focused elsewhere. We are creating separate and unequal standards of education, even if the intent is philanthropic.

I want to see every one of those 101 3rd graders from C. E. Rose Elementary come to the university in ten years. Who wouldn't? But I'd like to see all of their peers and the kids from the other grades at that school, too. I'd like to see every 3rd grader in this country treated equally. But will it happen? Probably not - at least not as long as we continue to play with numbers and statistics instead of educating all children in a manner which enables them to be successful.

The reputation of the principal at C. E. Rose Elementary, Avelina Trujillo, is outstanding. She has created innovative programs at her school and is well respected among her colleagues. It would seem so much more beneficial to fund expansions of her programs in a way that would immediately impact the Tucson community and school district. Perhaps the money is better spent to document and distribute her work so it can be utilized by a large number of educators. Trujillo will see thousands of kids pass through her corridors in the next ten years. I have no doubt that she would like all, not just 101 of them, to be ready for college after 12th grade.

These kids don't need a "gift of free UA education" - they need a school system that doesn't have to seek out or accept such a gift. They need a school system that accepts nothing less than a standard which prepares all of their kids for university-level education. They certainly don't need a system that believes, as Rotary President Regina Murphy-Darling said, that 3rd grade "is our last chance to keep them away from drugs and crime." Gee, then why even have grades 4-12? Those teachers and parents must feel pretty unimportant.

Seriously, the job of schools is to educate, not to "keep kids away from drugs and crime." Put the money into education now for these and all other kids. The harsh reality is that we will lose a few kids along the way. I'm sure everyone would agree that the goal is to reduce that sad number to the lowest possible figure.

Invest in them now - don't open accounts for book purchases that are ten years away. If we give these kids a reason to feel successful and important every day for the next ten years, and I guarantee that they will be in the freshman class at the UA in the year 2008. If we support these kids, and outstanding educators like Trujillo, now and we won't have to give them anything in the year 2008.

They will be unstoppable in their goals and dreams.

Judy Schultz is a senior majoring in Media Arts. She is also the parent of four children, ages 15 though 22.