Letters to the Editor
Hybrid has great potential for kids
9/15/2013The new partnership between Toledo Public Schools and the YMCA and JCC of Greater Toledo has the potential to offer a powerful learning opportunity for preschoolers (“Hybrid program aids children; TPS, YMCA partnership combines preschool, day care,” Sept. 5).
The partnership also has the potential to promote readiness for kindergarten education in phonics, writing and recognizing the alphabet, letters and numbers, and socialization skills.
This partnership represents continual learning, which is built on sharing the best of community resource planning.
However, one all-important aspect is not mentioned: the role of adult caregivers. For these powerful learning programs to succeed, each child must eat a nutritious breakfast, be clean in body and clothing, be safe mentally and physically, and most important, possess a warm feeling of knowing that people care.
Parents must not use these wonderful learning programs simply as child-sitting services. TPS and the YMCA/JCC, at their best, are temporary educational caregivers for a portion of each weekday. Parenting is a 24/7 responsibility.
KURT VAN METER
Liberty Center, Ohio
Editor’s note: The writer is a retired TPS teacher.
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Responsibility lies with student
If the goal of a statewide grading system for school districts is to put pressure on districts to increase student success, when did the responsibility for learning switch from the individual student to the school (“Ohio releases letter grades for schools; A-F system like one for students,” Aug. 25)?
When did the motivation for good teaching become more about making sure a school received high marks, and less about the student reaching his or her full potential?
All students are not going to attend school regularly or care about learning. All students are not going to have the ability to learn all the material. All students do not do well in testing situations. All parents do not encourage or help their children.
Instead of relying on subjective and complicated grading or rating systems for school districts, it is time to focus on what is possible and realistic. There need to be other avenues through which young people who do not succeed in school can enter adult society.
They can learn on the job what they need for an independent life. There also need to be ways to re-enter high school whenever a student is ready.
This is what happened in the early 20th century. Not all students were expected to graduate, and the student was responsible for achieving the level needed to enter high school.
A book and a student who was willing and able were all that was needed for learning and success in school then. It is all that is required today.
NANCY MYERHOLTZ
Waterville