To the Editor:
Re “National
School Standards, at Last” (editorial, March 14):
It is good that at last we are likely to have national school
standards. But we have to face the reality that at least 10 to 20
percent of students will be left behind. Not all young people are
equipped to meet a good standard of accomplishment in academic subjects.
The fantasy, however, continues that all students can be made
college-ready; that no child should be left behind. President Obama
wants all the states to adopt “college- and career-ready” standards.
“Career” is a word that is usually associated with what college
graduates embark on. If not all young people are college material, then
the word that should be used is “work.”
Let those who are able to truly benefit from college be prepared for
college. Let those who are more comfortable working with their hands
take a secondary-school curriculum that gets them ready for the world of
work. Let’s get real about this.
Paul Marx
Towson, Md., March 14, 2010
The writer is professor emeritus of English at
the University of New Haven.
Keith Burgess-Jackson, J.D., Ph.D. 