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Why Johnny can’t read
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Why Johnny can’t read
 Who could ever imagine education lobbyists would oppose teaching phonics and grammar? Well, that’s what this State Board of Education member confronted while attempting to rectify complaints from state colleges and universities that too many freshmen require remedial English. Yes, taxpayers are paying over and over again to teach students at the college level what they should have learned in grade school.  In March, the Board was about to finish its three-year rewrite of English curriculum guidelines when a “coalition” of consultants objected. These consultants peddle their wares and services to your school district and 1100 others in Texas, “interpreting” standards and training teachers. The coalition does NOT support emphasizing phonics, spelling, sentence structure or punctuation. Instead, they insisted 11-year-olds be prepared for “jobs which do not currently exist.” I call that “gobbledegook.” Teachers will now be teaching grammar as its own subject for the first time in decades. Just one year prior, education specialists defended a second grade math book that did not require memorization of multiplication facts. They wanted 7-year-olds to use calculators. I, together with a slim majority of the Board, rejected the book and sent the publisher packing.  Last month, the Board adopted Bible curriculum standards which teach perspectives in history and literature, not religion. The opposition would have your children reading the Koran. I voted with the majority of the Board to halt liberal attempts to sidestep legislative intent. When we adopted the new “Recommended Diploma” standards, which include four years of math and science, administrators and education lobbyists cried foul and wanted to water down the requirements. Those students will now be exposed to a fourth math and science of their choosing.  The Board is now embarking on a two-year process of updating the 1997 science curriculum. Input from educators, parents and business people will ensure that we have the most comprehensive and accurate standards for our classrooms. Of utmost importance is that all students be provided the opportunity to meet the same high standards. Students speaking languages other than English should not be handicapped by being taught in foreign languages. My goal will be to have English the only language used for instruction in the classroom. Immersing students in English will enable them to succeed in our free-market economy and to partake of the privileges of citizenship, which require English proficiency.  I also wholeheartedly support the accurate teaching of American History and the fostering of patriotism as specified in the Texas Education Code. And I will continue to resist recent attempts to require Islamic studies and sensitivity training of our students. This nonpaying position demands hundreds of hours of study and evaluation so the best policy decisions can be made. Having a married daughter, who enjoys a nursing career, and a son attending the U.S. Air Force Academy, I consider it an honor and privilege to be able to dedicate the time required. Respectfully, David Bradley, Vice Chairman  |
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