Reader Responses

I read in the paper a high ranking school official identifying "homework" in our public school system, "Busy Work." (I assume the superintendent of Dallas Independent School District, Dr. Michael Hinojosa would be classified as high ranking.)

I always thought there was little use for homework for a large percentage of students. If you understood what was taught in class there was no practical use for homework. If you didn't, assign the homework with detailed instructions on how the homework would enable the student to grasp the concepts being taught in class.

Referring to the statement roughly 20 percent of freshmen fail to advance to the sophomore class each year, Dr. Hinojosa explained that reading was the major problem. It was stated 80 percent of freshmen scored below the 40th percentile on the Iowa Test of Educational Development. If this is the standard by which students in Texas are graded, why are we graduating 8th graders at a rate of 98 percent? If our native Texas students are not being taught, so the "immigrant" students won't feel left out, a change in our entire school system is sorely needed, starting at the top. If our native students can't read, find out why.

Isn't anybody irate about our schools turning out students at or near the bottom of the nation's list? Instead of "No Child Left Behind," how about, "No Child Passed if They Don't Know the Material?"

Don Hopper
Flint