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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Education Secretary: ‘Dumbing Down’ Over

Carla K. Johnson Staff writer

A Spokane audience of educators, business leaders and parents heard U.S. Education Secretary Richard Riley declare Wednesday that “the era of dumbing down American education is over.”

Speaking at a suburban St. Louis high school, Riley maintained Congress is out of touch with Americans on education. While record-breaking school enrollments are expected next year, Congress’ latest short-term budget bill cuts almost $3 billion from education.

Riley showed a snapshot of his youngest grandchild and, straying from his written remarks, said: “She’s crying. It’s when I had just talked to her about the budget.”

Riley’s third annual state of American education address was beamed by satellite to 26 cities. At the Spokane School District’s Libby Center, about 100 people discussed the speech.

The invitation-only audience praised Riley’s argument that investing in public education is as important as balancing the budget and that parents can do more to help schools.

The Rev. Ronald Allen of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church liked Riley’s statement that “public schools are not religion-free zones,” but wanted to hear more about how schools can help troubled families.

Freeman School District Superintendent Harry Amend said he was troubled that Riley spoke warmly of charter schools, which Amend fears would skim money and top students from regular schools.

Melinda Archer, member of a parent group at Sheridan Elementary, said she felt more comfortable with the federal Goals 2000 grants program after hearing it explained. She had heard rumors the program prevents parents from disciplining children.

Goals 2000, which grants money for school improvement, is under attack from some conservatives, whom Riley criticized.

“I won’t surrender this good idea to a few people who see ghosts under their beds every night and never roll up their sleeves and make a positive contribution for the sake of children,” he said.

Riley nodded at the issue of local vs. federal control of education policy when he talked about national standards as “useful road maps” for local districts and states.

“Every state is going to have to decide what works best for its students,” he said.

Riley announced a national partnership of 35 groups to spotlight the need for improved reading and writing skills. Citing 1994 national test scores that showed 41 percent of fourth-graders reading below the basic level, he placed part of the burden on parents who aren’t helping their children enough.

“If every parent made it their patriotic duty to find an extra 30 minutes a day it would literally revolutionize American education,” he said.

Riley called on teachers unions to regain public trust by improving the teachers’ performance.

“We need to find ways to keep the best teachers in the classroom, to weed out teachers who just can’t cut it and to have the good sense to counsel teachers to leave the profession when they have lost the excitement and zeal to teach.”

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