Marion Joseph

Regarding your June 18 interview with Marion Joseph: Let me get this straight. One woman, a grandmother with no formal background in education, yet with an extensive network of contacts in Sacramento, is changing how California and the nation teach reading. Is that right?

And the new Academic Performance Index rating system, which she espouses and which affects all schools in California, is based on a test that isn’t even aligned with the state standards? And educational publishers seeking to do business in California “make a pilgrimage” to her door? Who said education wasn’t political? One last question: Who elected Joseph?

MARY CAPPELLINI

Newport Beach