A Legislative Success Story

In the midst of a national political scene that’s devolved into an undignified reality show, we educators are hard-pressed to find public servants who model the thoughtful, civil discourse that’s expected of children in our schools. Success stories involving bi-partisan policy making are even harder to offer up as examples of democracy in action.

With that it mind, I applaud the recent passage of New Hampshire House Bill 1644, the “dyslexia bill.” Parents seeking effective public education for children with this high-incidence learning disability were the initial driving force behind the bill. In particular, the New Hampshire chapter of Decoding Dyslexia has worked tirelessly to share the latest research, debunk common myths and highlight successful instructional practices for dyslexic children. Last August, a handful of these parents, along with special educators and Department of Education officials met with Reps. David Kidder, R-New London, Karen Ebel, D-New London, and John Balcom, R-Merrimack, to begin crafting a bill that would spell out the best practices for addressing the needs of our dyslexic students. More than 15 states have already adopted such dyslexia bills, and several have extensive online handbooks to guide educators and inform parents.

For those of us who testified before the House Education Committee, it initially seemed an uphill battle to simply define dyslexia and explain why early screening and targeted intervention are so important. Beyond that, when we agreed that the bill must include hiring a new reading/dyslexia specialist at the Department of Education, we anticipated serious opposition from fiscal conservatives. Perhaps, in the end, HB 1644 passed because so many legislators have known someone affected by dyslexia. The support of local representatives Sharon Nordgren, Martha Hennessey and Patricia Higgins was gratifying as well. Especially in these times, it’s wonderful to have met so many elected officials willing to listen, learn and come together to support good education policy. 

Andrea Harris

Etna

Root of the Mideast Problem

 France has initiated a conference to look at the Israeli-Palestinian troubles and to look at what a peace proposal might be. Israel is totally opposed to such a conference, and the U.S. had indicated it would stay away also. However, it was reported by CNS News recently that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry may join with the 20 other countries invited to participate.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reiterated his opposition. He reportedly told his Cabinet, “They (the Palestinians) simply avoid negotiating with us as part of their desire to avoid resolving the root of the conflict, which is recognizing the national state of the Jewish people, that is, the state of Israel.”

But it seems to me that the root of the conflict is the exact opposite of what Netanyahu is claiming. The root of the conflict is the insertion and establishment of a Jewish country right in the middle of a non-Jewish population, and expecting that the Palestinians should accept it without resisting. The accepted premise of the conflict by the mainstream Americans, as I understand it, is that the project of Israel, a state in which Jews will dominate the Palestinians, is the correct and proper situation. It then follows that any desire of the Palestinians is judged as being subject to this premise. Under this premise the Palestinians, to have peace, can only accede to Israeli demands. That does not seem fair to me. Hopefully the French conference will begin to put the issue in a different, more equitable, perspective.

Neil Richardson

Randolph

Socialism in Practice

 

I would like to respond to the May 22 letter by Terri Macomber in which she blames the current administration for all the ills this country is currently experiencing. She asks the question: Can you tell me one place where socialism has worked?

Why, yes, I can. Look at the Scandinavian countries to start. Then look at Germany. I worked there for a great number of years. My rights where not violated, I earned a very good salary, I had excellent health insurance and superb vacation time. None of it was free, nor is it one-size-fits-all. I had a choice of health insurance — the more I paid, the better the benefits.

Socialism may not be for everyone, and we must respect other people’s opinions. But I would very much appreciate it if people did their homework before expressing an opinion. 

Angela Hall

Enfield

After-School Programs Work

Back in February, Steve Nelson wrote a piece titled, “The Big Lie and Education Reform,” criticizing the wasteful attempts at reform since the 1990s. He contends that legislation such as “No Child Left Behind Act” have been driven by the use of deceiving statistics, painting an inaccurate picture of society’s issues. America’s “shameful problems,” he argues, “are racism, poverty and inequality. Not education.”

Although the education system is far from perfect, academic underachievement can be attributed to a society that sets up so many students to fail. Throwing billions of dollars at standardized tests solves nothing. Instead, we need to turn to programs that have consistently improved academic and social outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students.

 After-school programs, such as federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC), represent a much more targeted approach to addressing the educational inequities that exist today. These 21st CCLCs, which work with schools with at least 40 percent of their students living below the poverty line, were designed to support underprivileged students through school and beyond. Along with providing students with a space to study and socialize, after-school programs also produce myriad benefits that drastically improve outcomes.

A 2014 report on 21st CCLCs by the U.S. Department of Education revealed that 37 percent of participants reported improved math and English grades, while 50 percent reported improved homework completion. Moreover, research finds that participation in after-school programs is correlated with graduation rates, future wages and occupational attainment.

In addition, after-school programs are cost-effective, especially when compared with other recent educational campaigns, allowing access to students who stand to benefit the most. Some programs like Google’s CS First provide lesson plans and online materials, requiring only volunteers and access to a computer lab. Despite their relatively low operating costs, many programs struggle with funding as they rely heavily on volunteers and teachers while taking in minimal revenue. Given the proven efficacy of after-school programs in providing low-income, minority students with the resources necessary to succeed, parents, community leaders and legislators should all take a closer look to find a way to keep them running.

 Andrew Jeon

Hanover

A Bear in the Night

In the early morning, as I walked up my driveway, I opened the Valley News to your front-page story about bear sightings. On this very pleasant spring morning, I looked over to our beehive, which had been knocked over and tossed behind our electric bear fence.

There is good to the story. The beehive was mostly intact, as our dog had made a ruckus the night before.

We have decided to keep feeding our dog.

Harvey Bazarian

Hartford