Letters

In the Feb. 22 Free Lance regarding the Pinnacles National Park, page A5’s headline says, “Pinnacles – national and local officials recently held ceremony”. The article begins on A3 with the headline “Soledad rebrands itself as the “Gateway to the Pinnacles”.

As a decedent of the Arthur and Schuyler Hain family, I was fortunate to be part of the historic event when Pinnacles National Monument became Pinnacles National Park.

“When you win you're reborn, when you lose you die a little bit.” This is a quote from George Allen, a former football coach who never had a losing season. I picked this quote because after reading about the state of California deciding to go back on its requirement for 8th graders to take Algebra. I have felt for many years that the educational system is literally and figuratively killing our children. From the hopelessness of some kids in the inner cities, to the honor students in Palo Alto jumping in front of trains. Although I don't have any hard data to prove it, my gut tells me that most of the people who have walked into schools and shot innocent students, teachers, administrators and others have been students who didn't “fit in” or may have been bullied. What I am trying to say is that in the educational systems rush to “leave no child behind”, they are leaving more behind than ever.  The message is clear from the first day that you attend school that you have to go to college, (not just a community college), but a 4 year college, and that everything you do must in some way set you on a path towards a 4 year university.  The A to G requirements.  The message is also very clear that if you don't accomplish these goals you are a “loser”, and that you can never be part of “successful society” if you don't go to college.