The American Challenge

I had the opportunity to attend a recent conference/training about "Basic Skills" sponsored by the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office. The Basic Skills initiative is aimed at equipping community colleges in CA with strategies and resources to assist students coming into college who lack the basic skills in reading, writing, and speaking. The irony for me is that in my mind people going to college should already have these skills....but what do I know, I am just a realist.

I am not going to bore anyone with the details of the conference. However, I do want to say that basic skills is not an issue that should be addressed at the college level. It is an issue that should be addressed prior to anyone going to college. If students cannot read, write, or speak at the college level, then they have no business going to college. Rather, they should go back to high school, middle school, or elementary school for that matter and start the process once again. Students should not be allowed to advance onto the next grade level if they cannot meet the grade proficiency levels. We are doing them disservice by allowing them to progress onto the next level. I do not know why we, a tax paying public, are allowing schools to operate in such a manner. It is disappointing to say the least.

Secondly, education is also a parent responsibility. If a child cannot read at grade level, do not let him stand idle and allow the school to advance him to the next grade. Doing so, will only yield heart ache in future years. It is better to correct the issue earlier than later. We are so quick to think that the child's self-esteem will be in jeopardy if he does not advance to the next grade level with his friends. Reality check #1 --- the world will be a much scarier place to be in if one cannot read or write.

There are some startling statistics on the state of basic skills in California and the nation. In CA, the majority of those identified as needing "basic skills" assistance are Hispanic/Latino. The least are Native Americans, Causians, and Asian/Pacific Islanders. While there are some explanations, I cannot help but wonder why this is the case with Hispanic/Latino students. I'll let you make your own conclusions.