LETTERS: SCHOOL TO WORK WARNING

To the editor:

Thanks for Peter Kinder's July 21 column about School to Work. School to Work is closely tied to Outcome Based Education. School to Work should not be confused with vocational education. Furthermore, it should not be necessary to change our entire system of education to achieve a smooth transition from school to the workplace.

The incompetence of some people entering the job market today is a legitimate problem. The interest of business in education is logical. It is imperative, however, that this interest be properly directed. We must remember that while the goals of education and business are compatible, they are not synonymous.

Unfortunately, the "reform" which is spreading through American schools today is designed for increased government control. Our schools have become a laboratory for implementing every socialist tenet big government can concoct.

School to Work requires students to make career decisions at an early age. The social and economic mobility of individuals is hampered, and, ultimately, government control is increased. School to Work, combined with the dumbed-down generation of OBE, is indeed a frightening scenario

I agree with Kinder's position on this issue. My only suggestion is that he detail in future articles the specifics of School to Work and exactly why it is so damaging. I believe that many people are not familiar with this concept and that many have been misinformed about education reform.

Please know that there are countless school boards, administrators and teachers providing sound policy and quality education. However, every "new" policy set in motion by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education takes valuable time and energy away from those individuals who stand to gain or lose the most: our students.

MARY BETH HELDERMAN

Whitewater