I am in the school of loving woodshop students myself. My son who has
dyslexia and had trouble with the books made his first wood piece in fourth
grade - a file holder - which I still have and use to this day. He went
on to building the clock and other wood items for around the house. He went
off to college as a jock and had lots of trouble still reading and writing
but yet now at 27 he uses all those woodshop skills he learned as a handy
person, carpenter, and installer of solar and wind products and systems. I
received a beautiful shelving system for my bedroom this Mother's Day.
And now he can actually read directions and manuals related to equipment.
Can he read a novel - no - it is still really hard for him. For the student
who had a rough time with the books those woodshop projects gave my son a
future job opportunity. And wasn't it former Governor Arne Carlson who went
over to Germany and came back all jazzed on votech schools starting around
junior high school with the idea that all students must prepare themselves
with job skills for the future and that not everyone is destined for
college prep and university learning.
The one thing I never got though was how my son could read the sports page
and know every statistic of every ball team in baseball and sometimes
football when he couldn't read anything else. I contribute that to the
selective learning/reading powers we have in the brain.
My son came out of the Free School to Montessori and on to Barton OPen
which changed his life - he really had great committed teachers who helped
him through his reading problems with developing other intrests he could
handle. And at South High he was a star but for lots of other reasons
besides academics. I think one of the keys here it that at about junior
high school when these kids are "floating" out there the biggest issues are
finding things that interest them. Once you find that button of interest
and let it turn on they all can make it - that is the key. Look at the
Special Olympics kids who have many, many trials and tribulations in life
and still become champions at something.
With all the magnets and special programs in the public schools most kids
can get a good education. I believe Kathy Thurber's family had some similar
problems to RT's and had to make other choices. I believe those are the
exceptions rather than the rule at our great Minneapolis schools.
I have never believed that everyone should go off to college but I do
believe everyone needs to have a job and hobby that keeps one interested in
life.
Annie Young
www.annieyoung.org (new info as of 5/7/01)
Ward 6 - East Phillips in Minneapolis
Citywide at-large Park Board Commissioner
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