I am going through some old papers and found these letters from students:

[Contrary1]

Dear Mrs. _____,

I'm glad you helped me, because I learned a lot from you. I hope you like this story, and I hope you like the party. (The class threw a party for me at the end of the school year.)

From,
Alvernett


Dear Mrs. _____,

I had fun this year. Thank you for helping me with my work. I will miss you next year.


Dear Mrs. _____,

You have been so nice to me! I like you so much. What are you going to do this summer? I am really going to miss you when I leave.

Love,
Jennie

These are kids I tutored as a Title 1 Aide, some years ago. A job that is pretty much obsolete now, due to cuts in education.

One of the children I worked with stands out. He was described as "environmentally deprived". I was told that this child had not been exposed to much of anything. The principal explained it to me like this: When he looked at his parents and asked "What's that?", there would be no answer.

I was pretty much given free reign with this little boy. We went outside, laid in the grass, and talked about cloud formations. We looked at leaves, picked up bugs, and even tasted flowers. Anything he or I wanted to explore was ok.

So, when the state governments in Wisconsin, Tennessee, Indiana, and several others take over education, and deny school districts of a voice in what is needed...what becomes of these children? There will be no funding provided for jobs like mine.

Those that control the wealth in this country also want to control the education of our children. If that doesn't scare the hell out of you, what will?

We cannot allow this to happen.

[pacalo]

1. Their attack on public education scares me, too. They clearly want to control the instruction.

Charter schools & home-schooling by fundie parents who barely made it out of high school (my cousin's daughter).

They're tearing this country down to third-world status, sector by sector. Isn't that the very definition of treason?

[Possumpoint]

2. The Attacks Used

by the Republican party and Tea Party are against the soft targets. Education being one of them. I condemn the actions being taken to cut costs by cutting back on education, family assistance, etc. They protect their rich and corporate sponsors instead. Where are the appropriate cuts in defense and increase in income taxes?

[Overseas]

3. K&R and Many Thanks ! //nt

[Angry Dragon]

4. I feel it is more about the money

I have not seen any numbers for the amount of monies that changes hands each year
for the education of the children of this country but I would guess that it is in the billions.
These greedy people see this huge sum of money and sit down to figure out how to get their
greedy little hands on it.

Children being left behind is just a bi-product of the take over of education

[gkhouston]

5. It's not just a by-product. They wanted us trained just enough to do our jobs

but not enough to question anything.

[Javaman]

6. you know what happens....

the repukes take us back to the days when anyone "different" was thrown into an asylum.