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Show Saturday. October Report says 13 percent of teens held back in school I I where are involved in a long-tercampaign to quell environmental in instruction. Wilke is past president of the North American Association for By DEB RIECHMANN AP Education Writer Environmental Education, which will release new environmental Third-gradeWASHINGTON standards within two teaching at Mason Elementary weeks. Reviewed by .000 educaSchool in Texas thought selling tors and experts, the standards are to help save the rain forest to teachers choose materials was a neat extracurricular project, freehelp of bias, scientifically accurate but it irked a parent, Bruce Lehm-berand with balanced iew points. Next spring, the association is Like other critics, he thought releasing guidelines on what students were being made unwitfourth-- , eighth- - and ting pawns of the environmental need to know to be "environmenleft. He said materials accompanytally literate." Ed McCrea. the ing the project group's executive director, said. d views about deforgave In Washington, a conservative estation, global warming and research science and public-polic- y depletion of the oone layer. the George C. Marshall group, "This did not give a balanced Institute, has appointed an indeapproach," Lehmberg said. "I'm commission to examine pendent not down on the school, but I don't materials and determine leaching want our teachers or students used whether environmental issues are as pawns." Conservative organizations are presented objectively. What leading environmental convinced that some environmeneducators know and practice often tal education materials being used differs from w hat goes on ir. many in the nation's schools are attempts schixjl classrooms, w here teachers to turn students into of the science sometimes aren't They want lessons on ecology, even trained in it. said Jo Kwong. forestry, waste management and environmental researcher at the like based on science, not emoMason University. tional environmental campaigns George teachers Busy, budget-straine- d urging political action. often grab whatever educational "I don't mind saving the rain materials are available, some of forests or endangered species." which present a single viewpoint said political scientist Michael Pupils might be taught that Sanera. a leading critic of env ironis morally correct, lor mental education. "I want the kids instance. to have their facts straight." "They just say "Save things.'"' He cites textbooks that he says II grader Tiffanie Cherry said ;il distort population growth and Wilson Hiyh Washington's d global warming or give School. "It's like if we don't do accounts of managing w aste accuthis, or don't do that, then the mulation or protecting threatened Earth is going to explode." species of plants and animals. Last year. Lavic Env ironmental educators admit Woolen and her friends at Stone to isolated cases of teachers using Ridge High School in BethesJ;.. poor materials or urging students Md.. McDonald's boycotted to promote pet causes. But they told a after teacher restaurants insist that most materials used in them the hamburger chain decischools are balanced. mated rain forests to make grazin;: g "There are proland for cattle. all the said over grams country," Wooten, who now goes to Rick Wilke, associate dean and in London, admitted that school professor of environmental educanobody thought to call McDontion at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. "Recent attacks ald's, which issued this statement: on environmental education are "We do not. have not and will not purchase beef from rain forests or overstated and politically motivatrecently deforested rain forest ed." Critics are demanding balance. land. Any supplier that is found to deviate from this policy, or that From Wilke's perspective, however, some conservative groups that cannot prove compliance with it. will be immediately discontinfailed to weaken environmental in and else ued." . Congress regulation schools 1 til rr 'A g. it l2th-grado- is one-side- AP Photo Political pumpkins exhibit at Washington's Union Station this week. Pumpkin specialists from Pumpkin Masters of for the Denver carved the exhibit. Carved pumpkins featuring President Clinton, presidential candidate Bob Dole, Vice President Al Gore, vice presidential candidate Jack Kemp and a carved "Vote" pumpkin are shown in an Frustrated college cuts, federal ties By JEFFREY BAIR Associated Press Writer Uncle Sam s PITTSBURGH money is no longer welcome at Grove City College. The western Pennsylvania private college is sick of all the regulations involved with federal student loans, so it has decided to refuse the money and start its own loan program. "They want to know the size of our faculty, the salary of our faculty, the number of women on our athletic department." Lee W ishing, a college spokesman, said this week. "These things have nothing to do with student loans whatsoev er." Grove City joins Hillsdale College in Michigan in its refusal to comply with the more than 7.(XX) regulations of the federal student loan program. Others are considering doing the same thing, according to the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. "There is a substantial amount of sympathy out there for what Grove City has done." said Dav id L. Warren, president of the association. Stephanie Babyak, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Education Department, made no apologies er M for its regulations. "We have to ensure that the institutions are viable. In the past we've had situations where you schools that get these exist entirely on financial aid. and that's risky for the taxpayer," she said. ht Bucking the federal government is not new to Grove City. The college, about 50 miles north of Pittsburgh, was founded in 1867 by Isaac Conrad Ketler. w ho ran aw ay from home at age 16 to get an education and stressed the need for unfettered schooling. In 1984. Grove City lost a Supreme Court case over its refusal to sign an agreement not to discriminate against women. The college said it was not biased but objected to federal After the ruling the school no longer offered federal Pell grants to its students, but continued with the Stafford loan program. Grove City plans to replace the government money with bank pay back the loans, compared with 10 years generally for the Stafford loans. Interest rates will be the same as the Stafford rate, which now stands at 8.25 percent. Freshmen and sophomores will be able to borrow more as well. The school plans to lend freshmen up to $7,500 per year, compared with S2.625 for freshmen and S3.50O for sophomcies under the federal program. n UULiv on Quaker State' Motor Oil SAVE mm si $4 STOP BY ANY RICK WARNER ri J on 4x4" Synthetic Blend Motor Oil mm SECOND QUAKER STATE -- one-side- Had enough dirty air? Do something about it. SAVE DEALERSHIP AND GET A SERVICE recv-clin- award-winnin- pr FOR SAVINGS ONA loans that are guaranteed to be repaid by the college, rather than the government, should a student default. The school claims its loan program will be a better deal for students. Students will have 15 vears to "There is a substantial amount of sympathy out there for what Grove City has done." David L. Warren, president uJUu In. OTBCXGGB OIL CHANGE traffic congestion making you sick? Is budget to accomplish the needed improvements. The projects arc too big and the urgency is too great. With bond funds, the proposed improvements can be made within the next Every minute your vehicle stays stuck in traffic, it generates pollution SAVE dirty air you and your family then breathe. It's enough to make you sick. What can you do? on Synquest' JOOf Svnthetic' Motor Oil J Hfu.y.sit Official RICK 17ARHER MOTOR OIL S I motor oil ) twlthl( $3$4$5 Jf jldflltf ,'JfTKf iHl Service Certificate available at: BOIM (Orem) DICK 17ARIIER TOYOTA (Orem) RICK VABKER LIIICOLIIUERCURYIflSSAII (Orem) BICK 17ARHER fllSSAFl RICK 17ARHER POIiTlACnAZDA RICK HARDER DOVIIITOVf II USED CARS SATORII OF SALT LAKE SATURN OF OREM SPARTA!! CnRYSLERFLYMOOTHJEEPEAGLE Refund Available thru November 10, 1996 L Pag A7 rs 1 1 mnvm'ii U.I. Proo, I tan Students learning to be balance 1 CERTIFICATE THE DULY HER Critics demanding WASHINGTON Thirteen stupercent of 15- - to dents in the nation in 1994 had been held back in school at least a about the same percentage year as in 1980, the Census Bureau said Thursday. The report said 31 percent of these students were enrolled at lower than the normal grades for their ages, but 18 percent of them were older than their peers when they started school. Therefore, the remaining 13 percent were retained at some time between the first and 12th grades, according to the report on the social and economic characteristics of students. The 3 percent w as not statistically different than the percent of 15- - to the Census Bureau reported as being held back in 1980. The report said most of the retentions occurred early in elementary school, and more than 28 percent of the students were enrolled below their norma! grade by the time they had reached the sixth grade. Recent efforts to raise academic standards have led educators to discuss grade retention and giving students tests before promoting them to the next grade. At a national education summit in New York earlier this year. President Clinton said: "No more social promotions. No more free passes." Yet researchers say holding students back does not necessarily promote learning, and in some and cases lowers their increases their chances of dropping out. Teachers say the question should not be whether to hold a student back, but how to help those who aren't making the grade. Richard Kouri. an official with the National Education Association in Texas, says he's flunked and passed students with 69 percent averages, and students don't h develop equally in school years. "This shouldn't been about 'You didn't make it punishment so we're going to make you do it again,'" Kouri said. "This should be 'you need help and we're going to find out how to give it to you.'" Albert Shanker, president of the American Federation of Teachers, says it's expensive to offer remedial courses and personal tutors, but costs to society are greater if students are sent into the adult world without basic skills. nine-mont- I'm eco-activis- ts By DEB RIECHHANN AP Education Writer self-estee- m 2A. When traffic flows smoothly and quickly, vehicles get to their destinations in less time. Less time on the road means less time a vehicle's engine needs to run. That cuts down on fuel consumption, engine wear, and particulates in the air. To reduce pollution, we must reduce traffic congestion. To do that, we must unplug key arteries, widen roads, add more traffic lanes and improve traffic control at Orem's busiest intersections. Why do we need a bond? There simply isn't enough money in Orem's current "Vol FOR two years. What will it cost? The estimated cost to unplug Orem's arteries and make the other recommended improvements is $10,650,000. To cover the costs, the city of Orem proposes the issuance of a general obligation road bond to be repaid over the next 20 years. For a taxpayer with a $100,000 home, it will cost about $2.78 per month. Cleaner air is only one of the benefits. Vote FOR the Orem Road Bond. You'll be voting for cleaner air, fewer traffic delays, and safer neighborhoods all for about the cost of a hamburger. the Orem Road Bond. Paid for by the Citizens' Bond Committee |