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PAGE 2A PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS THURSDAY. APRIL 15. 2004
Educational experts need a lesson in sticking with old
fashioned reading, writing and arithmetic
Education in Georgia has been in deep trouble
for a long-time and judging by current efforts to
overhaul the curriculum it’s not going to get better
any time soon.
From the outside looking in, it appears there are
five times too many PhDs, experts, boards, and
“officials” trying to improve our poor performance
by trotting out a bunch of fancy theories, tests, and
programs and grousing over the fact that someone
wants them to change the status quo.
Georgia’s state educators need to face the fact
that when you are a perpetual bottom dweller on
most any indicator, it’s time to change.
Even if you make further adjustments down the
road, if you never try anything different -you’ll
never see different results.
Pickens, it should be noted, is much better off
academically than most schools in the state. Our
SAT and achievement tests are not
too far off the national averages.
Locally, we still need to be con
cerned about the changes taking place
in Atlanta because they will affect us
the same way a good student can be
held back when lumped into a plod
ding class.
One can only hope that the
changes to boost performance else
where don’t hamper our local system
with a lot of superfluous, and class
time wasting, requirements.
The latest problem with improving
education appears to be that the school experts and
some vocal teachers and administrators around
Georgia can’t decide what a “book” is.
The issue arose when the state board proposed
an overhaul of Georgia’s public school curricu
lum. Included in the English and language arts
curriculum is the provision that every student in
Georgia be encouraged to read 25 books a year.
This was never intended as a set in stone rule, but
a suggested program to boost reading by students
in and out of class.
It seems like a good idea. Good ideas, however,
have no place among Georgia’s educational
experts, so it was immediately attacked.
Borrowing a phrase from a former president,
some of the experts and teachers (none in Pickens
thankfully,) retorted essentially “Can you define
book?”
In a perfect world everyone who insisted they
be provided a definition of “book” should have
been shown the door. How can you possibly see
that students under your supervision learn to read,
when you need help figuring out what a book is.
More specifically the education spokesmen said
they weren’t sure teachers could or would be able
to keep track of whether their students had read 25
books.
Ridiculous. If educator can keep grades, track
absences and perform other routine classroom
duties surely they can make a list of every student
in the class and put a check mark by the name
every time they complete a book.
Another complaint thrown up is that the stan
dard of 25 books per student doesn’t account for
differences in reading level, interests or availabili
ty of books — as though all books are the same.
Regardless of what the experts may claim, edu
cation revolves around reading and if you’re not
pushing kids to read, then you aren’t doing much
teaching.
Bear in mind that 25 books per year is not a
wildly ambitious goal. Little kids read little books;
bigger kids read bigger books. It’s the equivalent
of one book every two weeks and can
be part of the regular curriculum
including materials read for any class.
Besides the core assignments, a real
bonus of the reading requirement is
that it can be tailored to any kid’s inter
est and ability level. If the kid is into
hunting, then in addition to his course-
work he might pick up a couple of
books on that subject and if the kid is
into pop music, there would be book
entertaining that hobby.
Whether or not this proposal
becomes state curriculum isn’t, in
itself, the real issue. But the furor it has provoked
illustrates clearly the underlying reason Georgia is
usually dead last any time education is involved
— turf battles.
Whether it’s between the different education
oversight committees, or between Democrats and
Republicans, or bureaucrats and legislators, or
local board versus state agencies, or conservatives
and liberals, nothing is ever simple when it comes
to the schools in this state.
What’s needed is a strong governor or state
school superintendent to take clear control, exer
cise leadership and see that few disgruntled heads
roll.
It’s not that hard to see that our public schools
offer the basic reading, writing and arithmetic with
a little history and RE. thrown in.
According to the latest stats, 41 percent of
Georgia fourth-graders scored “below basic” last
year.
If that doesn’t show that it’s time for change,
then we need to more clearly define “last in the
nation” for every education expert or involved leg
islator in Atlanta.
It’s not that hard
to see that our
public schools
offer the basic
reading, writing
and arithmetic
with a little
history and P.E.
thrown in.
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www.pickensprogress.com
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address and a full name. The name will be published
Reflections
By Elaine Jordan
Earth Day — Every Day
Saturday, April 17 is this area’s
celebration of National Earth Day,
when individuals and groups hold
community cleanups, recycling
events and other get-togethers. This
is all very commendable, but per
haps we need to adopt a new atti
tude and promise ourselves to make
“Earth Day — Every Day!”
One only needs to drive around
our beautiful north Georgia area
and look at all the litter and refuse
in the ditches to realize that we
have become a nation of absolute
slobs. The amount of cans, bottles,
fast-food wrappers and other litter
tossed out of car windows is very
visible and mind-boggling. Doesn’t
anyone feel guilty about littering?
And what does their own property
$tcfeens County |3rogtcss
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look like? Are
they the same
people who
abandon old
cars, appliances
and tires in
their yards or,
worse yet,
dump them
alongside some
back country
roads? Is the
word “responsibility” even in their
vocabulary.
Perhaps if more people realized
how long it takes for our refuse to
biodegrade into nothingness again,
they would think twice before
throwing that can or fast-food
wrapper out their car window.
Paper products will decompose in
about two to six weeks. But alu
minum cans take 400 years to
break down; plastic takes almost
500 years; and glass has no known
decomposition time. Long after the
person is gone, the aluminum can
they threw out will still be there.
What a legacy to leave to future
generations.
The message, “Keep Georgia
Peachy Clean,” doesn’t seem to be
getting across to some people.
Maybe it should be replaced with
slogans I’ve seen in other states. A
cut-out of a smiling pig admonish
es: “Don’t be a pig, and litter.”
Maybe our more rural population
would understand that message
better.
Countless groups and individu
als deserve a huge pat on their
backs for their generosity of time
and spirit to go out and pick up
other people’s litter so everyone
can enjoy and be proud of the
beauty of our highways and
byways.
Citizens for a Clean Communi
ty, residents who Adopt-A-Road,
the Community of Pride volunteers
and others who selflessly donate
their time and efforts to make a
difference, deserve all the praise
we can give them. And we can
help by recycling our newspapers,
cans and bottles, and ensure that
enough of the earth’s natural
resources will still be available for
our grandchildren too. Even if you
start small by putting a litter bag in
your car and using it, you can
begin to make a difference.
Taking care of the earth all year
long is healthy; both for us and our
planet. So get involved, help clean
up the mess others have made and
don’t you litter.
Let’s make every day “Earth
Day.” It’s the very least we can do.
“Change for Change” fundraising drive underway
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
In Georgia in 2002, there were
nearly 85,464 reports of child
abuse and neglect (432 reports in
Pickens County) and every 30 min
utes a child in Georgia is the victim
of confirmed abuse or neglect.
Across the nation, the number of
children reported as abused or neg
lected in the United States grew by
33 percent - to 3.2 million a year.
“At this rate, we will need new
and/or larger emergency shelters
and Hope Houses every three
years, if not sooner,” says Margy
Lohman, executive director of Pre
vent Child Abuse PICKENS
(PCAP). “And to add fuel to the
fire, for every federal dollar spent
on treating child abuse, one penny
is spent on prevention.”
Georgia currently spends 99
percent of its child protective serv
ices funding on intervention and
treatment AFTER abuse has
occurred, and less than 1 percent
on trying to PREVENT the abuse
from occurring in the first place.
Georgia currently spends $12,000
per year for a child in foster care,
$35,000 per year for a child in
juvenile detention, and $1.1 million
per year for a young adult criminal.
Most child abuse victims fall into
one or all of these categories dur
ing their life.
Healthy Families Georgia, the
state's most successful prevention
model, costs $3,500 per year. Pre
vention is reaching families early
and teaching them how to be a
family. There is currently no
statewide prevention effort in place
that is philosophically supported by
the state of Georgia's Department
of Human Resources. At our cur
rent rate of investment into Depart
ment of Family and Children Ser
vices (DFCS) intervention and
treatment, we will never catch up
with the increasing rates of child
abuse and neglect. The only solu
tion is PREVENTION.
PCAP relies on individual
donors, corporate sponsors and
foundations to exist.
This week, “Change for
Change” fundraising drive begins,
with buckets being placed in ele
mentary and middle school class
rooms in Pickens County. The
challenge is to raise awareness and
monies in support of child abuse
prevention.
Children will be competing with
other classes to collect the most
change. The winning class will
receive a pizza party and be fea
tured in the newspaper. There will
also be a prize for the winning
teacher. Together, we can make a
difference.
“Last year, we raised nearly
$3,000. That is almost enough
money to support one entire family
in our Healthy Families program,”
explains Lohman. “This is a great
opportunity for children to become
involved and make an impact in
other children’s lives. In this drive,
every penny counts.”
For more information on
“Change for Change,” or child
abuse and how to stop it, contact
Prevent Child Abuse PICKENS at
(770) 737-6484 or call 1-800-
CHILDREN. More information is
also available at www.preventchild-
abusega.org.
PCAP is a chartered council of
Prevent Child Abuse Georgia; a
statewide private nonprofit organi
zation dedicated to child abuse pre
vention. By valuing children,
strengthening families and engag
ing communities, Prevent Child
Abuse Georgia works to prevent
child abuse and neglect before it
starts. PC A Georgia relies on com
munity support and volunteers to
assist with its efforts to end child
abuse in Georgia.
“10 Tips for Keeping Your
Child Safe
April is Child Abuse Prevention
Month. Here are some tips from
Prevent Child Abuse PICKENS
(PCAP) to help keep your child
safe:
1. Make sure your child always
knows how to reach you or another
responsible adult.
2. Teach your child his name,
address, telephone number and
those of his school, relatives, and
family friends.
3. Know the adults and children
your child spends time with, and
know your child’s whereabouts and
activities.
4. Interview all potential
babysitters and ask for references.
5. Assure that your child’s
schools and activities always pro
vide adequate adult supervision.
6. If your child baby-sits,
arrange for transportation and know
the families for whom he sits.
7. Don’t display your child’s
first name in highly visible places
such as on his/her clothing.
8. Limit the time your child
spends on a computer and keep
computers with Internet access in
common areas.
9. Keep guns out of your home.
10. Listen to your child. Believe
him/her if he/she tells you the
words or actions of another individ
ual have made him/her uncomfort
able.
If you suspect a child is being
abused, call the Pickens County
Department of Family and Children
Services (DFCS) at 706.692.4701
or the local police. For information
on child safety issues, call the PCA
Georgia Helpline at 1-800-CHIL-
DREN (1-800-244-5373) or visit
www.preventchildabusega .org.
Pedal Bone Farm
Jasper, Georgia
706-337-5029
Boarding
Training
Shift Managers,
All Hours,
Flexible Hours.
Apply within.
Pizza Hut,
Jasper