Ranking the Schools

Re “Tale of 2 Schools--and 1 Chasm,” Jan. 27.

If you carefully read this article, something becomes painfully clear: All of our children do not begin at the same starting line. Yet we have the same expectations for all of them.

It’s not that they are not all capable. They are. But it is as if you are taking one child who is set three yards back from the starting line (no English language, parents working in fields full time at very low wages, moving often to follow the harvest, schools at which there is no parental involvement or financial support) and another who is starting three yards in front of the starting line (parents of financial means, professional and educated and English-fluent, well prepared to start school, schools heavily supported financially and voluntarily by parents) and telling them to take off at the same time and expecting them to reach the same place at the same time.

The fact is, they can all get there--but how in the world can they get there at the same time?

No matter how hard teachers work, no matter what kinds of programs are put in place, no matter how bright and eager each of these youngsters is, they are not all on a level playing field and it is unfair to act as if they are.

It is equally unfair to hold these children up to each other and point fingers at those who are low on the list and laud those who are high up. Come on!

Read that article and tell me how in the world and why in the world we are doing this. The California Department of Education is making lots of work for itself with all of this listing and ranking business and has forgotten exactly whom it is supposed to be serving.

Beating up on those children who are struggling to get to the starting line is not the way to level the playing field. Can we look at this some other way?

JAN RICHMAN

Oxnard