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Show i 1 fnMHtlfDrgl2i W) UIEE iSEDD School Superintendent Sees Support for Education LETTER TO JULIE BROWN, EDUCATION EDITOR Dear Mrs. Brown, After attending the hearings on the four-daweek I began to be discouraged. It seemed there was very little support for education. I was not concerned about the four-da- y y week issue. A four-da- y schedule have enclosed a copy of the article for your information. Sincerely yours, Nils G. Bayles, Superintendent Kane County School District 746 South Constitution Drive Kanab, Utah 84741 just one tool among many which might be used to improve educais tion. My concern was that I heard us compared with Japanese, British, European, and third world education and found wanting. Comments were made about the "good old days when things were better than today and disparaging words were heard about how the activity and sports tail was wagging the educational dog. I began to wonder if there w'as anything "good" about our schools and if we could w'ork together to improve education. As I pondered more about the Mutation, 1 began to realize that w'hat I was seeing was support for education. The four-da- y week committee had collected mounds of information. They had the courage to present their information and opinions in public meetings. Parents gathered in large number to hear about the schools and offered constructive criticism and concern. I was witness dto an outpouring of feeling and the desire to help make things better. I was heartened by offers to participate in study groups and to travel to other places to discover ways to improve. Another dimension of our study was offered with the suggestion to study the best schools in our area and compare these shining lights with those using the four-da- y week and make our decision on what we can find that is the very best way to educate our children. Some suggested we limit activities, others that we design and enforce a strong attendance and discipline policy. It was suggested that we lengthen the day, the week, the year and hold our children to higher standards of achievement I believe we have the support of the community to improve education. If we can discover a better way parents will support us. We will be required to break some bad habits. A higher priority needs to be placed on keeping kids in school both by the schools and the parents. Students must make a commitment to study harder, be more responsible in completing work and attending school. Parents must do a better job in insisting on homeworking being completed, offering praise and recognition to their children, and being involved in the education of their children. We all have a role, and we can improve education if we join together in a common purpose. Schools are different today. If you don't believe that, try helping your child with homework. You may find that your children are learning far more than you were required to know. Consider the social problems our children face today. Consider also that we live in the greatest nation on earth. Remember how many things we have accomplished and use in our world. Realize that education has always been the basis for growth, creativity, and invention. Could we be such a great world leader without good schools? Why do most of the people in the world seek to come to the United States to live? We are not perfect, and we do1 need to improve, but we also should not lose sight of what a marvelous opportunity it is to be who we are and where we are. Nellie C. Weil, a school board member from Alabama says "schools aren't what they used to y're better!" I have enclosed an article she wrote, which was distributed by the Utah School Boards Association which points out how different schools are, what different challenges we face in schools today, and how proud we should be of our accomplishments as we strive to be even better. I be-thc- SCHOOLS AREN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE...THEY'RE BETTER by Nellie C. Weil Our public schools are constantly on the defensive because of supposed failure to teach students to read, write and compute. Charges are made that our children aren't learning, can't fill out a job application and can't follow written instructions. Such accusations become imbedded in the public mind when made by prominent business leaders, journalists and commentators, "in the know." The problem is compounded by newspaper readers, television viewers and radio listeners who repeat the same dire news because they read it, saw it or heard it, not because they experienced it. The charges are further reinforced by reams of reports, usually written by persons in higher education, politicians and sometimes the private sector, and always with the same conclusion: Public education is not what it used to be. In truth, public education is not what it used to be. And thank goodness! In the past, almost all teachers were female. In some places, they were even forbidden to be married--b- y state law, no less. We also had racial segregation. It was pervasive in our society-- dc jure in the South and de facto in the North. We had no provisions for special categories of students, especially the handicapped. We had a dropout rate that was biblical in its proportions. And all this was okay with most people. We had few provisions for preschoolers. Only in the last few years have many of our public schools included kindergarten within the regular school day. Vocational programs had no real sophistication. They usually consisted of training for the dropout. We had chicken pox, measles, whooping cough, polio, tuberculosis, influenza epidemics and scarlet fever. There were schools with one teacher for all grades. And the same textbooks were used year after year. Most students walked to school. What DID we have that makes the past sometimes so attractive? We had the "average family- -a working father, a mother at home and two children. The parents expected the children to go to school, to behave and to learn. There was stability in the family and security in the home. People did not have to lock their doors. Teachers, mostly female, were willing to work for almost nothing. Some, at times, were actually paid worthless scrip. They had little paperwork, except what they gave the students as homework, classwork or tests. But they also were perceived as dedicated and caring, and they were. They had respect and prestige. Their word was law in the classroom and was defended as "gospel" at home. If "teacher said..." it was fact. There was no thought that the assigned school was not as good as any other in the system. It usually contained only the boys and girls from the neighborhood. Everyone knew everyone else. It was homogenous. Discipline was swift, stem and supported by parents, who one-roo- m probably meted out equal or stronger discipline at home for children who misbehaved at school. Boys and girls had imagination and played "let's pretend" after school. Reading was a common pastime. Drugs? They were not a pervasive The Southern Utah News (ISSN No. is published ) every Wednesday at 40 E. Center, Kanab, Utah 84741. The News serves Kane County, Utah, and the Arizona Strip. Address communications to 40 E. Center, Kanab, Utah 84741, or telephone Advertising rates available upon request. Second Class postage paid at Kanab, Utah 84741. Newsstand price 30 cents per copy. Yearly subscriptions rates to Kane County addresses and Fredonia and Moccasin, Arizona, $13; other $20 (out of U.S. $30). The News reserves the right to edit or reject any advertisement or submitted items. 0049-1659- 9. Deadlines; News & Pictures Display Advertising Legal Notices Classified Ads Community Calendar Friday, 10 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. Postmaster: Send Change of Addresses Cards to 40 E. Center, Kanab, UT 84741 problem. Society wa$ stable, though the economy at times was not. There were social agitators, but the school was not their forum. Children were usually seen and not heard. Neighborhoods remained the same for years, and an immobile society contributed to an equally immobile school population. How have things changed? Society is now so complex, so specialized and requires so much information. Information is doubling every 10 years. Computers are a way of life because human capacity cannot keep up with the amount of knowledge. Our world has shrunk. This mornings coup is noon-tim- e news, even if it is halfway around the world. The average family? It's gone. Single parents have emerged in majority in great numbers-t- he we witmany school systems-- as ness an increased divorce rate and the breakup of the traditional family unit. If two parents are living together, chances are that both are working. Many children come home from school to an empty house. The schools now have to provide extended day care to accommodate the schedules of working parents. Many parents today have as much, or more, education than the teacher. There is less respect for the teacher. The teacher's word is no longer law. A higher percentage of children are in school now. More are staying in school longer. And more are graduating and going on to postsecondary training. The faculty is different today and better than years ago. Teachers are better trained and better paid. They are male and female. They are black, white and Hispanic. Teachers may specialize more than in the past. But they also must have a broad education and frequently more than one area of certification. Teachers no longer have an average class. They have the average student, the gifted and the handicapped, and frequently, the speaking. Teachers must provide leadership in academic instruction, as well as in manners, morals and conduct. They must set an example. They must move the student farther in each subject than ever before,, because there is more to leam. The paperwork is monumental, and the exposure to legal liability is out of sight. While the opportunity to be innovative is therefore curtailed, the requirement to be all things to all students is growing. Given these facts, it is a wonder that so much is being accomplished by the public schools. Almost all Americans can now read. All of our children are given an opportunity to leam. We are serving the physically handicapped, the visually impaired, the hearing impaired, the learning disabled, the mentally retarded, the emotionally retarded and the gifted, as well as the "normal child. non-Engli- Requiring innoculations has helped wipe out the threat of measles, diptheria, whooping cough and polio. Vocational programs prepare our youth for more sophisticated learning in the classroom and on the job. The curriculum is far more advanced, offering a comprehensive course of study to satisfy the needs and desires of the student. Schools are involved in technology, using it as a teaching tool and as a curriculum course, even though the state of the art changes almost daily and the cost is high. We have massive fleets of buses that move our integrated school population safely from home to school and back, with door- service for the handicapped student. There is a new seventh period in many schools: extended day care. Schools also are addressing the nutritional needs of the student. Efforts are being made to stem the tide of teen-ag- e drug abuse, pregnancy and crime. No, schools are definitely not what they used to be. But as Will Rogers says, "They never were." They are better. It is entirely appropriate to be defensive about our public schools, because they have, and arc, serving this nation and its people well. Our school recognize the need to pursue excellence vigorously, to prove the worth of public education and to accept the challenges of the critics. Above all, we must never abandon the concept of a free and appropriate education for all our children, one that is both excellent and equitable. We have a call to action: to recto-do- or ognize our weaknesses, institute remedies, enlist help and continue our forward progress. And we must make sure that the public is informed about our progress. The public and the public schools are truly partners in a common cause. Thank You For Sharing Letter To The Editor Dear Editor, Thank you for allowing the use of your paper to make a public expression. To all those who participated in the presentation of "The Messiah": I am grateful for your working to develop your talents, for your fastidious preparation, and for your willingness to extend this beautiful experience to all of us. It was obvious from your performance that the reason for your participation was your love for what you are doing, but I need to say THANK YOU for sharing. The time I spent with you was the most enjoyable experience I've had in a long time. It's exciting to realize that with talent and dedication of our communities working together, there is nothing beyond our ability to accomplish. With appreciation, Steve Cottam Dedicated to Quality Education Editor: I have been following this question of the four day school week and listening to a lot of criticism about our Kane County School District and our local schools. I am an elementary school teacher and I will admit that I don't do the best job I could. Kanab Elementary is involved in a process of school improvement. We arc working hard to develop better curriculums, better delivery systems, better ways to meet the needs of our students. We are three'years into that process and there have been visible changes and measurable growth in student achievements. This kind of change requires time, money, lots of group effort, and community support. But this growth is taking place. I fear that the four day week is merely a placebo. I think it will make a lot of surfacevisible change, but will make the process of school improvement much more difficult. I cant see that it will make the job of leaching our children any easier or more effective. I think in the end it will destroy our efforts to improve our schools. It seems to be contrary to all of the evidence presented in A Nation At Moose Not Damaging Crops LETTER Editor, Recently, the Dixie National Forest and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources has proposed introduction of some moose from Northern Utah onto some of the forested areas of Southern Utah. Hugh Thompson, Dixie Forest Supervisor in Cedar City, has solicited comments from forest users and others regarding this proposed in- troduction. Unfortunately, some negative responses regarding this proposed introduction are surlac ing, including opposition from the Garfield County Coni mission. It is perplexing to me, when at a time that our officials are pushing so hard to increase tourism by WOULD LIKE NEWS Brad MacDonald would like very much to hear from his friends in Kanab. His address is P.O. Box 250, 15733 Oquirrh, Draper, Utah 84020. Concerns have been raised regarding the moose's impact on other established uses, specifically livestock. Questions of the moose impact on riparian (wetland) zones along streams, lakes, and springs have arisen. Since moose are not historically native to southern Utah, the wisdom of introducing something exotic has been expressed. All of these are valid concern?, but are largely without merit Moose are not a herding animal. It is rare to see more than 2 or 3 together at any one time. They do not tolerate each other very well. The approximately 2,000 moose in Utah are scattered over many millions of acres and even in prime moose habitat are not concentrated but are widely scattered. Moose are building new highways and new facilities, that the benefits of moose and wildlife in general in our area are not more apparent. It is a proven fact that a variety of wildlife The is about the most effective way to t naturally browsers not grazers. interest visitation to an 'outdoor "Shiras variety that are found in area,.. especially . if the visitor ,isiQ., ...Utah, are. adapted to a mountainrepeat his or her visit more than brush habitat. Their preferred diet includes mahogany, oak, and aspen. once. Of what value is the paving I would expect to see them make of a Burr Trail and the new motel construction if visitors don't have a only very limited use of the wetland variety of interesting things to do vegetation. and see while they are here. To my knowledge, no moose have ever been reported damaging The geologic attractions are fantastic, but are limiting in their cultivated agricultural crops in ability to draw the same person Utah. However, 1 or 2 young bulls back to the area time after time. each year do become confused and Most of our visitors come from arwander into someone's back yard eas where wildlife is scarce. They along the Wasatch Front. They incrave the opportunity of seeing and variably make the evening news as enviin its natural wildlife wildlife officials tranquilize them using ronment. Most visitors to Southern and transport them back to their Utah have never observed a wild home in the mountains. moose in an outdoor setting. The It is usually man's decision to proposed moose introduction in our manipulate animals to suit his own needs or desires. Several species of area would make it the southernwildlife once native and common in most established herd in the world. Wildlife values using 1983 data our area are no longer found here. Animals such as wolves and grizzly showed that Garfield County genermillion bears conflict with mans desires ated approximately 5-- dollars in economic benefits. Of course, not all of this was spent in Garfield County, but certainly significant effects were and are felt. The economic value of wildlife photography and will probably never be here again. On the other hand, all varieties of domestic animals are introduced and are not native to our area. See Moose", pg. 8 and general sightsee- - Travelers Inn Restaurant NEW YEAR'S EVE Risk. I am certain that it is possible to have all the things we want at the same time. I think we can have strong athletic programs, and music, art, drama, speech, and other programs such as assemblies and activities. And I think at the same time we can make academic programs better and more effective. It won't come about by putting less lime on the academic tasks and pulling less and less money into education. We can achieve all we want but it will require dedication to quality education. We must become involved as a community and quit paying lip service to school improvement. We can develop a school system that teaches all students well and meets the educational needs of all students. The only way I would accept the four day week would be if we continue to teach a minimum of 180 days a year. James M. Potter Kanab ing were not included. What, then, is a moose worth standing alongside the Boulder Mountain Highway or on a hillside near Panguitch Lake? SPECIAL Prime Rib and Shrimp Dinner $12.95' Champagne by the Glass Limit: .50 three per customer Make Reservations Early 2 Phone Open at 5 p.m. New Year's Eve 643-740- V Traveler's Inn Restaurant & Lounge Highway 89A - Fredonia J |
