Letters To The Editor

Tue., June 17, 1997

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION

Better challenge ablest students

The problem of having too many valedictorians is not a result grade inflation. It comes from not having enough difficult classes.

I graduated in 1994, a valedictorian, from University High School. I took advanced-placement or honors courses in math, English, chemistry, history and biology a total of seven in my three years there.

Even with the proposed changes in valedictorian requirements, more than one student will meet the tougher standards. Potential straight-“A” students in each class are the top students. Unless a curriculum is designed to challenge these students to their potential, multiple valedictorians will be the result.

The only way now that top students can get challenging material is by taking advanced-placement classes and risking their 4.0 grade-point average. To most top students, even taking many advanced-placement and honors courses is hardly a risk. These courses may be more engaging than other classes, but they are still not truly difficult.

The challenge is for teachers and curriculum planners to provide truly rigorous, challenging courses and for students to not let fear of getting a “B” stand in the way of benefiting from a great learning opportunity. Luke R. Bakken Spokane

Retention - I am a survivor

I flunked the third grade. The teacher said she didn’t know if I was learning anything because she couldn’t read my writing.

I knew that some people called flunking “retention,” but I didn’t know, until reading The Spokesman-Review’s June 8 feature on the subject, what a devastating experience flunking must have been for me.

I had no idea that I feared flunking more than blindness or the death of a parent. We had an eighth grader named Wesley Johnson who shaved. I never knew that teachers feared hairy students like Wesley. They certainly didn’t let on.

Somehow, my handwriting improved and my grades went up the following year. Later, I went on to finish high school and earn AA, BA and MBA degrees - all with decent grades. I also married a fine wife, raised five kids, have a good income and a successful business.

Still, the troubling question remains. What was my real potential? What greatness was stolen from me by this deplorable and unforgivable action taken by my third grade teacher? Imagine how successful I could have been if my self-esteem hadn’t been destroyed by retention (flunking). It boggles the mind!

Think I should sue the school? L. Jim Shamp Cheney

Photo undermines series

Regarding the recent series, “Held back”: In many cases, being held back is very beneficial.

Often, it’s a case of immaturity and has nothing to do with a child’s potential. Automatically passing a child so they can graduate with their classmates, even though they can’t read, write or do basic math, is a disservice to the child and makes a mockery of the American education system.

However, printing a picture of a young child with a large “F” on his sweater is inexcusable. An “F” has always been associated with failure. Is it any wonder that being held back has such a stigma attached? You have taken what could have been a positive article and turned it into a demoralizing one. I grade The Spokesman-Review with and “F.” Shame on you. Sharon L. Byers Spokane

Editorial wrong; Award a farce

John Webster’s editorial of June 8 (“Four examples of what is right”) is a perfect example of the lack of factual knowledge that results in an uninformed opinion. Grass fields are burning so the grass will produce seed the following year.

In the last two months, The Spokesman-Review has printed numerous articles about children learning in “real” life situations, all of which have carried a distinct environmental theme: students planting trees, replanting wetlands and addressing grass field burning. This is all in the context of classrooms being used as a place where students become aware of and address social or life-related issues.

As so aptly shown by this “innovation” to eliminate the “need” to burn grass fields by turning straw into paper, social or life-related issues are not being addressed on a factual basis but rather from the standpoint of a political agenda.

If the girls wanted the facts about why farmers burn their fields, why didn’t they ask the farmers instead of interviewing scientists? And, as so aptly shown by the editorial, this “innovation” sounds good to someone devoid of the factual reason why the farmers burn their grass fields.

Idealistically, this so-called innovation sounds quite plausible. Realistically, it misses the mark by a mile.

These students received a $25,000 award for a project built on a false premise? Have we, as adults, become so devoid of common sense that we reward pseudoscience? Lynn M. Stuter Nine Mile Falls

PEOPLE IN SOCIETY

Native Americans deserve respect

White supremacy is an American institution founded on twisted Christian ideals about man’s dominion over nature - with natives, the indigenous of the Americas, it was argued by Christian economists, that “Indians” are a commodity. Everything “Indian” then fell prey to becoming the possession of English-speakers (Re: “Mascots,” Region section, June 14).

An effort was made to destroy native language and religious practices through various Christian religious ideals, followed immediately by public policy: slavery, land theft and mass murder to stop religious practices of which whites felt threatened. The threat was that native culture would thrive.

Healing of white supremacists and natives is now required social policy. The oppressed need healing to reclaim their language and religious practices. Healing also needs to come to natives to stop the family and societal dysfunction that prevail today because of generations of oppression.

Indians who seek to stop the enabling of the oppressors are seen as uppity. The dysfunctional fort-missionary politics of some Indians and pioneers who doled out beans, blankets and iron goods is still a disabling impediment to native empowerment. Likewise, white supremacists referred to uppity Negroes in the past - resisters of plantation slaveholding politics.

Stopping the use of such mascot names as Indians, Savages, Braves and such derogatory words as “squaw” by White America is a process of healing.

Natives are culturally challenged to stop enabling the white supremacist to blame the victim for racial tensions and reclaim our culture. H. Lou Stone Inchelium, Wash.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Dump concerns won’t be buried

Re: James Malm’s response (“Disposal facility meets standards,” May 25) to the article on the Graham Road dump.

Malm may blow his own horn all he wants about how well his regional office of the state Department of Ecology is protecting local people, but he’ll have to answer some hard questions sooner or later.

1. Why was the dump sited at the highest elevation in the area, on top of and into the aquifer recharge area for more than 500 wells that are the only source of drinking water for nearby residents?

2. Why do we now have a 40-acre dump without ever having had an environmental impact study?

3. Why is the dump allowed unlimited use of water from the aquifer for irrigation, dust control and gradient control? Why are they allowed to dispose more than 56,000 gallons of water a day to the waste treatment plant when the ground is frozen, and all the above without water rights?

4. Why has Ecology allowed cancer-causing PCBs to be buried at the site, in direct violation of federal TSCA regulations?

5. Why has Ecology allowed large volumes of lead to be buried there?

6. How about the thousands of tons of shredded tires put there when these are known to spontaneously ignite and give off cyanide gas and other toxins? Blair Elementary School is only a few hundred yards downwind.

I could go on and on but you get the picture.I hope Malm does. Cheryl L. Kenneck West Plain Neighborhood Association

Welcome help for diabetics

On May 7, Gov. Gary Locke signed into law the Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (Senate Bill 5178), which guarantees health insurance coverage for diabetes-related equipment, supplies and self-management education. The law takes effect Jan. 1, 1998, and Washington State becomes the 16th state to pass similar legislation.

Diabetes supplies and equipment will now be accessible to anyone who has private health insurance that includes a pharmacy benefit. The Legislature clearly recognized the benefit of providing education for people with diabetes as the return in cost savings is almost immediate once a person is taught how to manage their diabetes through blood sugar monitoring, diet, exercise and medication.

Many thanks to Sen. Jeanette Wood, R-Woodway, prime sponsor of the bill, the American Diabetes Association, Washington affiliate, and the three regional offices of the ADA for all their work on this bill.

I appreciate all the letters that were signed and sent to our senators and representatives from the local Lions Clubs, VFW Horton-Strength Post and the many volunteers of the ADA and their families. It would not have passed without your support. We appreciate the great response to our letter to the editor in February asking for help.

I know the passage of this bill will help our family in dealing with diabetes. I hope it helps yours. Jim and Kris Desmond Airway Heights

Extend diabetes help to all

The Diabetes Cost Reduction Act passed the Washington state Legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Gary Locke on May 7. Washington is the 12th state to pass such a bill.

This law will provide a tremendous boost to every one of the 110,000 people in the Inland Northwest who has diabetes. Diabetes supplies are expensive, and having private insurance cover those costs will lessen the need for more-expensive catastrophic surgery or treatment.

Thanks to everyone who supported this massive effort. However, our job is not done. The need for a similar bill in Idaho and extension of the benefits included in TDCRA to those on Washington Basic Health and other publicly subsidized programs is paramount.

Every day, people with diabetes face the cost of complications that could have been avoided through education programs and supplies for daily maintenance. As a person living with diabetes, I have been lucky enough to avoid serious complications because I’ve had education and supplies for daily maintenance at my side.

Let’s extend these benefits to all who need them and save our state and insurance companies a great deal of money.

If you have questions about TDCRA, please call the American Diabetes Association at 624-7478 or 1-800-464-4372. Mike D. Ferguson Spokane

Many contribute to home care

I applaud your recent article highlighting the home health care industry. But I am compelled to remind the public that while nurses are indeed a huge, important part of home health care, there are other disciplines that form the rest of the home health care team of people who work together to maintain a person’s ability to remain in their own home and receive necessary care there.

These disciplines include social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, home health aides, pharmacists and dietitians, as well as vital office and support staff. All these people are caring and committed professionals who work closely together for the good of the homebound patient. They should not be overlooked in a discussion of home health care. Annette K. Barfield, social worker Family Home Care Home Health Agency, Spokane

SURVIVING LOSS

Novaks’ story sad, inspiring

Terry and Barbara Novak shared a sad and inspiring story with readers of The Spokesman-Review on June 10, and the community is lifted to a new level of caring because of it.

In 1984, newly elected to the Spokane City Council, I got to know Steve Novak as he would literally bounce into the offices of his father, City Manager Terry Novak.

Steve was bright, full of curiosity and enthusiasm, and so much like his father. No matter how the problems of the day were surfacing, when Steve came through the door, Terry’s eyes lit up and everything got better. We could all feel it.

During these past two years, I’ve thought of Steve many times and my heart has ached for the Novak family. I have pondered how people face one of the saddest and most challenging of life’s experiences, losing a beloved child.

Now, I begin to understand their story and it helps me as well as the many hundreds of others who knew and loved Steve and his family.

The Novaks’ sharing also will inspire and help the many others who have experienced the tragedy of losing a child.

To keep Steve’s memory alive by continuing his dream in Nepal is a healing process and a global gift. Sheri S. Barnard Spokane

Stories helpful to grieving parents

I want to thank this newspaper for the three recent articles dealing with the pain and devastation of losing a child.

On March 24, 1996, we lost our 18-year-old daughter, KaLee, in an alcohol-related car accident. We wake up each morning with the painful knowledge that we will never see her again. Being able to talk with other grieving parents, caring relatives, friends and neighbors helps us cope with our loss, but nothing ever erases the pain of losing a child.

Reading your articles can possibly help enlighten the public and lets grieving parents know we are not alone in our suffering. Vonzel K. Role Spokane

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