Education means more than 3 Rs

Editor: The problem with too many critics of and apologists for public education ("The Chicago school mess," April, pp. 12-15) is that they mistakenly think academic achievement alone determines educational progress. When we are talking about the education of our children, we cannot measure progress solely by intellectual achievement. We also must consider whether our educators are helping young people develop those moral and spiritual qualities of mind and character that will help them become virtuous human beings, good citizens and neighbors and productive members of society.

In this regard, public education has been a glaring failure. For example, during a two-week period in Chicago's public schools, three students were shot, two were stabbed and one teacher was raped. Alarmingly, as a 1984 U.S. government study revealed, crime, disorder, violence, vandalism, gang warfare, drug pushing and allegations of sexual abuse seem to permeate this nation's public schools.

Certainly a correlation exists between the lack of moral education and the alarming crime, violence and disorder. Consequently, if our schools are to achieve true progress — that is, moral and spiritual as well as intellectual progress — our families, churches, schools and social organizations (e.g., Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, YMCA, etc.) once again must emphasize the teaching and learning of moral values like courtesy and kindness, honesty and decency, racial tolerance, moral courage, fair play, self-respect and respect for others.

By so doing, we can help create a moral, social and educational climate conducive to teaching and learning such basics as reading, writing and arithmetic.

      Haven Bradford Gow
      American Federation of Police
      Arlington Heights

When will we do the usual but necessary?

Editor: Ironically, most of the "education reform" that Ben Joravsky mentions (April 1988, pp. 12-15) doesn't reform education at all, only the way that the school system is governed.

Any improvement in the classrooms requires three changes. First, the community must treat learning, knowledge and thinking as priorities and celebrate excellence in them. Second, the school authorities must measure whether the teacher is accomplishing education rather than whether he is acting in the way they guess might possibly accomplish education. Third, teachers whose students do learn must be encouraged, rewarded, applauded and freed from red tape.

The present school board could do these things. So could a new board or 20 new boards for splintered districts. The important question isn't who will do the usual running of the school system. The important question is when will we do the unusual but necessary.

      Frank Palmer
      Secretary
      48th Ward Progressive Network
      Chicago

Mandeville on Bowman — one last time

Editor: I do not want to engage in a point-counterpoint series of articles and letters with Rep. Woods Bowman on whether his proposals are worthwhile or whether they will work (see January, pp. 36-38, February, pp. 22-24, and April, p. 11). As I have stated before, I believe they are worthwhile, but they will only work if the legislators want them to work, and if they want them to work, we don't need Rep. Bowman's constitutional or statutory changes. Legislators already have all the constitutional and statutory authority they need to implement most of his proposals.

I do want to point out a few specific clarifications of Rep. Bowman's statements, some of which are incomplete.

• I do agree that supplemental appropriations should be held to the absolute minimum, and it is true that the administration requests supplementals. It is also true (and Rep. Bowman neglects to mention this fact) that only the General Assembly can appropriate supplemental.
• My inclusion of a cash flow balance as an indication of "surplus" was meant to illustrate that there are different ways to identify the fiscal status of a government entity. The state's general funds available balance at the end of a fiscal year is the most accepted way of assessing the fiscal health of the state.
• Rep. Bowman asked how I reconcile the General Assembly's failure to comply with the constitutional provision in Article 8, Sec. 2(b) and positive cash balances. My comment was that the General Assembly has consistently appropriated more than its estimate of funds available. How does this square with a positive available balance at the end of a fiscal year? A look at the governor's veto action supplies the answer. In each of the last two years the governor has cut more than $350 million from the appropriations sent to him by the General Assembly.
• I agree with Rep. Bowman that we should get our fiscal house in order, and the way to do that is to constrain appropriations which only the General Assembly can pass, or, if we are unwilling to do that, to enact additional revenues so that we can support the appropriations passed by the General Assembly.
• Last, in regard to Illinois' bond ratings, the state will maintain its good ratings because this administration has made the hard choices of cutting spending when necessary to maintain a balanced budget and will continue to do so.

Robert L. Mandeville
Director
Bureau of the Budget

June 1988 | Illinois Issues | 13