Aug. 14, 2003 - 19:14 MDT

THE WONDERING JEW

Fundamentals

Clarence Page, a writer of the Chicago Tribune is an African American and often has much to say. Recently he had a column which gained comment. To which he replys today.

He says, "Although your article addressed the African-American community, what was written holds true despite the race, a Dallas private school teacher wrote," 'after my recent sermonette on closing achievement gaps between black and white students.' "Most of the children I teach come from affluent homes, but I have experienced a lack of guidance from parents when it comes to developing a work ethic. Notes from home that my colleagues and I receive concerning the homework load typically read like this: 'Johnny didn't get home from baseball and soccer practice until 9p.m., and by the time he ate dinner and showered it was too late to finish his homework. Please excuse these assignments.' "

In the column is somthing that strikes home I think. William A. Sampson, a black associate professor of public policy at De Paul University in Chicago said, "His conclusion: for all the fuss that is made about other reforms like vouchers, increased spending, smaller classrooms and standardized tests, 'The family is more important in improving schools than the schools themselves.'" Then, "Rich or poor, Samson found, student performance depends directly on how well parents promote the old fashioned virtues that schools prize: discipline, delayed gratification, responsilbility, self-control, self-esteem and cooperation."

He said further, "Public schools are middle-class institutions," he told me," quoting Dr. James P. Comer, a famous black child psychiatrist at Yale University. "As such, they work best for students from families that stress traditional middle-class values regardless of the income level of those families." Mr. Page goes on to say, "Poor parents with middle-class values ? Sampson and I quickly found that each of us was raised by such parents poor in income but rich in hope, love and effort for their offspring."

And then Mr. Page says something I applaud, loud and clear. "Experts spend a lot of time studying families that have failed. We need to spend more time figuring out why some families succeed."

And I think that is the secret, investigate why some families succeed in bringing up their kids and more important yet is to teach young parents the values and ethics they need to instill in their progeny along with making the parents understand that teaching by example is one of the best ways to inspire youth to emulate them.

I guess it all goes back to the basic, nitty gritty, down to earth Fundamentals . . . . . . . . . .

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