Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 188

8 EV The Arizona Republic Wednesday, February 25, 1998 iCoJDteTDSUyroDDDOil 61011 12 Editorial Page Coordinator, Stephinie Robertson 444-7987 e-mail: Stephanie.Robertsonpni.com Read all about it, but House Bill 2130 is bad idea Representative Karen John- son believes that Arizona school children cannot read. Armed with a 21 -year study from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development that claims "45 percent of Arizona's fourth-graders are not literate," she aims to correct the problems with a mountain of new phonics regulations for our public schools and universities. House Bill 2130, Parental Choice for Reading Success, is bad legislation. Rife with educational jargon and euphemisms, the phrase "Research Based Balanced Comprehensive Language Arts Instruction" is repeated several times in the bill before the word "phonics" is even mentioned. Even if one could believe the assertion that nearly half of all our fourth-graders are as illiterate as fence posts a notion that defies common sense we have to question the wisdom of trying to achieve literacy through legis phonics.

Other times, that does not work, so I rely on sight words, like in the old Dick and Jane basal readers. "There are lots of ways to teach children to read. I like to use all of the tools in my toolbox, if you know what I mean." "Phonics. Now we might be getting somewhere. If you can teach phonics, might we assume that you would include 'phonemic 'Wo, ma 'am, I don 't go in for all that politically correct stuff." "What about sequential direct teaching of sound-symbol relationships, decoding and word attack?" "Where are you getting this stuff?" "It's all right here in House Bill 2130.

Rep. Johnson pushed this legislation through last year, and now we must hire teachers who are trained in 'research-based balanced comprehensive language arts which, if you ditch the euphemism, means phonics. We must have at least one such teacher in every school for every grade Proposed solution to school funding short shrifts kids iy'i'--A1iU FIIHICVfllfBB 1 KATHY Special for from kindergarten through third grade." "How much longer is this interview going to last?" "I'm afraid it's over. We need a teacher who is wedded to a single teaching method. Since you like to use, as you so aptly put it, 'all of the tools in your we're afraid you'll be a loose cannon." "You people are in for a long year." "Next!" If House Bill 2130 passes, its effect will be Arizona's universities will have to education curricula to include phonics-only courses.

Our state Board of Education to amend its brand new language arts and develop new assessments. Our districts will have to hire new staff, and will have to endure still more hours tests. really need to expend so much time and writing legislation that mandates a teaching that is already in use in a majority of classrooms? a better idea. Let's draft legislation declaring one-year moratorium on needless education legislation. Our teachers deserve the rest.

So Johnson's pen. lation. Yet, like a nagging rash, House Bill 2130 continues to spread. Rep. Johnson has managed to persuade fellow Republicans like Rep.

Laura Knaperak and Sen. John Huppenthal to abandon the philosophy of less government and support her behemoth phonics bill. Since our East Valley legislators are intent on pushing this madness through (it passed the House Education Committee last week), here's a peek at the future of our East Valley school personnel departments as they struggle to find teachers to fill the phonics positions: "We're looking for someone to teach Research-Based Comprehensive Language Arts Instruction," the personnel officer said. "Hmm. What do you mean by research based? asked the prospective teacher.

"1 have the legislation right in my hands. Here it is, A.R.S. 15-718, Section E-2. Research based means that lesson content and teaching practices are based on objective and longitudinal scientific studies that include rigorously defined samples of subjects that are sufficiently large and representative to support the general conclusions drawn and that rely on measurements that meet established standards of reliability and validity." "Could you repeat that? "I don't think so." "I'm certified in elementary education and have taken courses in teaching language arts. Does that count? "Maybe.

Was your training balanced?" What do you mean "It says right here that 'balanced comprehensive language arts instruction' means a program of instruction in listening, speaking, reading and writing that incorporates the research-based content and practices prescribed in this section." "Well, I might not be balanced." "I'm beginning to see that." "Let me describe what I've been doing. Maybe it will help. I teach kids to read in a variety of ways. Since children are all different, no single method works for all of them. Sometimes, I teach of Phoenix is a certified teacher, appears every other Wednesday.

options, it is difficult to understand why the proposal doesn't allow the districts the flexibility to do either, or both. Developer impact fees are another method that would add to reasonable local options. In any case, these local options will be more of a burden than ever on average taxpayers, since the proposal brings business down from the 25 percent tax assessment ratio to a 10 percent ratio for all property classes. This would cause the bond capacity to drop from a current $137 million to $103 million in Gilbert, a consideration for general obligation bonds, and according to bond analysts, would raise homeowner taxes from future school construction elections by 33 percent. So, it possible that our community could be hit once with less dollars to build schools with and then with higher taxes to boot.

It's unclear whether legislative leaders have the votes to get the plan they have dubbed "students first" into law, so it's still possible that a decent solution could arise from the ashes of the initial proposal. Credit must be given to Sen. Tom Freestone who is one of the key Republican senators who have raised important issues. If the current concepts stay in the final version, lawmakers need to nail down standards to a definable quantity, allow enough funding to allow all districts to get to those standards, and provide flexibility in local control efforts to go beyond standards without using the entire effort as a smoke screen to allow business to get tax breaks. An idea that has the support of many would equalize the capital funding system by having the state pitch in when local efforts can't cover growth or school maintenance.

The current state proposal does the opposite, as big brother will provide the minimum and than local options are radically cut to get the rest done. Local control over building schools may almost entirely be a thing of the past. East Valley school district residents and voters should be heard clearly asking state lawmakers such as Gov. Jane Hull, Superintendent of Instruction Lisa Graham Keegan, and Speaker Jeff Groscost, to come up with a reasonable solution that is geared toward preservation of local control, to benefit our districts in getting desperately needed schools built in a timely fashion. We need to ask them to build a new framework for a plan that can work.

The clock is ticking. Myrna Sheppard is a member of the Gilbert School Board. By Myrna Sheppard The clock ticks louder toward the June deadline ordered by the courts to fix the school funding mess, but instead of placing students first, the new school funding proposal from Arizona lawmakers puts business first. If school districts use a local option offered in the proposal to help build schools, there could be a property tax shift that would eventually raise property taxes in the Gilbert School District by one-third for homeowners. It could be much higher in districts that have a larger business community.

This part of the plan unveiled last week is just one piece of the proposal that makes vague promises aimed at answering the court mandate to fix the school funding crisis, and it appears that state leaders went through the same routine from the past few years by deciding how much they want to spend and then figuring out a plan to match. So far, they seem open to taking further input before slam-dunking the plan through the Legislature. Elements of the plan include undefined adequacy standards, a small per-student allotment for technology, a school building-maintenance fund, a new facilities fund, and a local option for capital override elections for facilities needed beyond state standards. Gilbert construction needs alone will amount to at least $25 million a year for the foreseeable future. Schools throughout the state spend an estimated $500 million yearly, excluding interest, on construction.

The distribution of the inadequate amount that has been proposed will depend on a complicated application process through a state board. Districts will have to get in line to beg for approval for schools that were needed yesterday and that may be funded who knows when. This proposal is brought forward during the best of economic times, which raises the question of what safety net will be there to get schools built if the economy goes south. At that point, we may have to rely on slim local options allowed in the new proposal. This leads us to the local options, according to the proposal, that schools will have to turn to if the district chooses to go beyond the unknown standards.

Capital overrides are possible, but in the new plan, general obligation bonds are out. It must be pointed out that the Supreme Court did not ban general obligation bonds for districts that want to turn to local voters for options beyond the standard. And since they are a more stable funding mechanism when compared with the red tape and higher costs of leasepurchase override QUOTE RENOLDS The Republic what I consider to be very divisive and non-productive discussions in his role as president of the Chamber of Commerce. During his tenure, the relationship between the city and the chamber reached an all-time low, highlighted by his personal bickering with council members. I served with Mr.

Lindemulder on a committee and saw him in public meetings. I saw him offer a suggestion that was adopted and then later he criticized the body for adopting his suggestion. I would like to see a more honest, objective approach from a potential member of our council. Wouldn't Steve Pass Chandler Honesty in politics As I browsed through Ben Arre-dondo's campaign literature, 4. became irate at his claim "Ben listens neighborhoods' efforts on behalf of the PriceMcClintock neighborhood regarding freeway problerns." As an active member of the Price Road Neighborhood Association since its inception, Ben did not support our efforts to enforce the July 1986 agreement between Tem-pe and ADOT to build tunnel ramps at the US60Loop 101 freeway interchange.

The president of our neighborhood association went before the JOHN F. OPPEDAHL President, Publisher, CEO far-reaching. revise their will have standards school our students of standardized Do we money method Arizona I have a does Rep. Kathy Renolds column Her council and asked for a public vote to support the agreement. The mayor and council refused.

For the record, only Joseph Lewis stood up at a pre-session and said the council and mayor are making a mistake and should be supporting us. I have a videotape of the pre-session council meeting and our scheduled appearances. The 2,000 homeowners in the four quadrants, three of which are in Tempe (and not Mesa which Carol Smith stated in the Feb. 16 debate) were "sold out." The council and mayor turned their backs on us when the lawsuit between Tempe and Chandler over the Arizona Mills mall became of greater importance and concessions were made to settle the suit. Where is the honesty and integrity in Tempe government? I know of a number of neighborhoods who could not get the mayor and council to support their efforts against businessdevelopment interests destroying their quality of life: Earnhardt, Duskfire, North Tempe (regarding airport traffic), the neighborhood near Arizona Mills mall (regarding additional parking) and Price Road.

If you think this mayor and council are supportive of your concerns and care about your quality of life, think again! Rick Schuster Tempe LOUIS A. WEIL III Chairman created by them as they journey into our neighborhoods to do their shopping? Sorry folks, if you want castles and moats you must sulfer a few of the "less desirables" on your side of the drawbridge. We don't want your increased traffic, even if they are Lexus', up here either. Brooke Cabaniss Chandler Sad commentary Some editorial writers probably view ill-advised remarks by a politician to be on the same level, or worse, than the adultery of a president. How sad for our civilization.

Roger R. Davis Phoenix Via e-mail Lindemulder concern I'm extremely concerned about a candidate in the upcoming election: Art Lindemulder. He would have a very negative influence on this city, based on his previous actions and positions on issues concerning Chandler. Lindemulder believed that the city should subsidize major league baseball with millions of our hard-earned tax dollars, and he did not want us to vote on it. Should it not be the right of every citizen to vote on subsidizing professional sports? Lindemulder was involved in LETTERS A Wal-Mart for Sun Lakes? Oh, the shame! All bedroom communities, re gardless of affluence and self- perceived social status, need the basic infrastructure and access to the civilized necessities.

In short, they, too, need toilet paper, groceries and a lot of the other mundane things that aren't supplied by the "upscale" department stores they seem to prefer. Many of the relatively new resi dents in Ocotillo and Sun Lakes do not want to see a lowly Wal-Mart built in their midst. Many express dissatisfaction with the stores that already are there, quoting increased traffic and congestion. Sadly, many (too many) see themselves as too socially superior to suffer such a lowly indignation. Tough! Economics and common sense dictate that merchants will not be building stores in isolated areas simply to avoid offending the deli cate sensibilities of our neighbors to the south.

What then? Are the protesters suggesting that their less affluent neighbors to the north accommodate the increased traffic Drop us a line We welcome letters of up to 200 words on topics of general interest to readers in the East Valley. Send your letter to: Letters to the Editor, East Valley, The Arizona Republic, 106 E. Baseline Road, Mesa, AZ 85210 Fax: 444-7978 or 444-7977 Or by electronic mail: All letters are subject to editing and must include your name, address, and a daytime phone number for verification. The Arizona Republic Incorporating The Phoenix Gazette 200 E. Van Buren, Phoenix AZ 85004 Founded in 1890 We want all drivers to be careful, but when you have upwards of 45 people on a bus, you 've got 45 lives in your hands.

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