LETTERS: SCHOOLS ARE EASY TARGETS FOR POLITICIANS

To the editor:

I wish to express my disgust at President Bush's recent criticism's of our country's education system. I heard an excerpt from a speech Bush made recently at what was noted by the newscaster as a "predominately black" elementary school. With obvious motives, Bush assured parents and other listeners as he spoke with tones of frustration and determination, "Our children are simply not learning." He stated very matter-of-factly that our boys and girls are not even getting the basic skills they need to survive in our country.

I want to blow the whistle on President Bush. He is lying to the American people, and no one is doing anything but listening. His words were blatant propaganda techniques and, to my knowledge, are going unchallenged. Cries for change and reform have been around since the beginning of public education. Nothing is likely to change the fact that this is a trendy topic for politicians.

The truth is, our children are learning. Even in economically distressed districts, they are learning much more than previous generations. Politicians like Bush are brainwashing the public into doubting themselves and school officials. How can schools count on parents for support and how can students respect their teachers and studies after hearing time and time again from significant figures such as Bush that their time and efforts are only in vain?

There is room for improvement in education, but we don't hear about reforms for the real source of our problems in education. Schools cannot control negligent parents and ignorant, corrupt parents, but they will continue to catch the rap for it all.

I ask readers to consider their own children. Bush says your son or daughter is an idiot. If you agree, you need to phone your child's principal and make an appointment today. If you think Bush is wrong, you should be proud and confident to trust your own concrete evidence and instincts about our school system. Please tune out the lies. Do something that will actually help your child and education: Realize it's cool to like your school.

C.D. ULERY

Cape Girardeau