all im going to say.if schools are testing the students why is it so many cant read that well?peace

The liberal dems own this-maybe you should ask them

Literacy isn't really a "liberal" or "conservative" issue. It's actually one of the areas on which there's complete agreement. If you can't read well, it's very difficult to make a good living.

Some factual points: one, anyone who's 37 would have finished school about 1984, which is prior to any widespread state or national testing. Students were given aptitude tests but not achievement tests unless they were college bound That's not to say that the school shouldn't have realized there was an issue and addressed it, but it's just incorrect to assume that a student in this era would have been given the kinds of assessment tests in use today.

Two, this story illustrates something every teacher knows or should know: one of the most accurate predictors of school failure is transience. If children move around a lot, for whatever reason, they tend not to do as well in school. This is not an excuse for schools, but it is a fact of which parents particularly should be aware.

Three, literacy starts at home. What Mr. Scalese is doing in reading to his son is the single most important step toward literacy. If you want your kids to have better reading skills, you don't need to depend on the school. Read yourself, read aloud to them and have them read aloud to you. That's not politics; that's reality.

franco34's view of facts and reality are a stretch. Consider the following: transient "military brats have lower deliquency rates, higher achievement scores on standardized tests and higher median IQ than their civilian counterparts. They are also more likely to have a college degree and possess an advanced degree." Check out Wikipedia for much more information and resources. My own two sons will tell you that 20 years of "transience" gave them a distinct advantage over their classmates. They both earned Master's Degrees. I'm US Army retired.

I am in agreement with groundpounder. I am a 28 year veteran of the army still on active duty. My two children grew up changing schools and both graduated with honors and have great jobs. This article makes it sound like just because this individual was a military brat he couldn't read. There are more factors involved as to why a person can't read well. From parenting, to schools, to individual intelligence and study habits. I do applaud Bangor for having such a great program available for people to improve themselves.

I am an Air Force vet and my husband is still active duty. We have children in 3rd and 2nd grade who have already had one move with many more to come, I would guess. I agree with johnsod27330--this article suggests it is because of his "brat" status, he cannot read. That is false as groundpounder states. Thank you grounpounder for your time served and congrats Mr. Scalese on your success.

Congratulations to Steve Scalese. That's taking the bull by the horns. I don't know what makes you different from others. All of us know there are things we could change about ourselves. It's the rare person who actually does something about it. Respect, Man.

Outstanding job Steve!! What a great example you have set for your own children.

franco34: Literacy most certainly is a Liberal issue. The teachers unions are an extension of the Democratic party. You must be in the education field because you say nothing about the possibility of teachers as the cause of this man's problems but rather throw the blame on transience, lack of state or national testing and learning to read at home.

What about testing in the classroom? Wouldn't that be the FIRST indicator?? Testing in the classromm that is done weekly instead of national or state testing done once a year or every two years that tells you where you stand in the percentile? I hope you are not saying that this type of annual testing is a better indicator that soemone an't can't read as opposed to weekly classroom testing results? Wouldn't the students teacher know a little better than some mechanically scord annual test?

What bunk your statement is blaming transience for poor school performance! Millions and millions of children had/have one or more parents in the military. How many millions and millions of parents move around due to corporate transfers, parents looking for a better job, a better house, a better place to live? You say teachers are aware of your so called "transience" issue and yet it is STILL an accurate predictor of school failure? That sounds to me like that the educational system is complicit in that failure if they are aware of it and do nothing about it.....if it even exists.

Then you say basically that if your parents don't read to you at home it will result in you not being able to learn to read in school.

These are but lame excuses you have tried to foist upon us, always blaming the student but NEVER blaming the teacher or the educational system.

This guy GRADUATES high school with a fifth grade reading level? Just how many tenured teachers had a hand in that? How many speclal education teachers and child study teams helped this guy? How many guidance counselors guided him along? How can you read a history book or do a book report on a novel or biography you just supposedly read? This poor guy was just shuffled along with the rest of his class and done a tremendous disservice.

This is the story of but one man, like so many million and millions of others that was pushed through the educational system to meet a quota.

Johnny can't read and it is not because Johnny is not capable of reading and failed.

The reality is its because he had teachers that failed him.

I sometimes find the comments about the stories almost more interesting than the stories themselves. For this story I really wish that some of you people would take it for what it really is, "a success story." I would like to commend Mr. Scalese for all his hard work and dedication in learning how to read and all the volunteers at the center that have helped numerous people to better themselves. I have a few friends that even though they have graduated from high school they still can't read very well at all. I have seen some of them struggle when attempting to help their children do their homework. They unlike Mr. Scalese never have done anything about it and sometimes it seems that they regret it everyday. I would again like to commend Mr. Scalese for having the courage and the heart to do what he did and tell his children that they are very lucky to have a father that cares enough about them that he would spend the time to learn something that will someday build a life long bond between them. Congratulations and Good Luck in all your future ventures.

Franco34 wrote: Some factual points: one, anyone who's 37 would have finished school about 1984, which is prior to any widespread state or national testing.-----------Actually anyone who is 37 would have graduated highschool between 1990-1992.

Great job Mr. Scalese! Get your story out there so that other men will understand how important this is!!!

I think some of you are defensive about the military end because what I got was that he moved around a lot and his education slipped through the cracks a bit. My stepson moved a lot and so did his. Drop the defense and say congrats to the guy, good golly....

You guys are ridiclous! Way to go Scalese!! Nothing better than seeing someone put the extra effort into their education!! I was reading at a 4th/5th grade level before 1st grade. But i was read to regularly and taught how to read by, well, reading. Newspapers, books, anything i saw i would read. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if i didn't have that ability! Steve must feel like a new man! Congrats!!! Ignore the haters!

Franco34.... I suppose your inability to correctly calculate a simple mathematic problem is because you were a transient youth.

Congratulations to an honest and brave soul who has successfully joined the literate world. Please don't blame teachers for problem readers. Look at society. How many of you turn your tv on as soon as you get home? Or if you don't work - you have the tv on all the time? Our children sit in front of the television or video games or whatever the latest technology is -- which leads to their deficits in reading and thinking. How many of you read serious newspapers like the New York Times? How many of you read real literature? How many of you can do a NY Times crossword puzzle? Or read Shakespeare's plays or even the King James Bible? A fifth grade reading level will allow you the read the Bangor Daily News and basically get through the rudiments of life here in Maine. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the parent(s) to reinforce literacy in the household. Watching Dr. Phil does not count.

Correction to the above: "allow you "to" read the Bangor Daily news... Typo - not illiteracy.

The special education law wasn't passed until 1974 either so before that, no special ed classes. I've taught men in their 50's who would have learned to read if there had been reading recovery and other classes early on. Classes way back when were large and there were no ed techs to help out. I agree with both franco34 and Karrula but might add that now there are migrant classes for people who move around a lot and those classes help kids catch up now. Things have improved over the years but parents stlll need to turn off the TV and get out the books. Congrats to the father who saw the need and stood up and got help.

Karruka:

Good points. Way too much television viewing and video games today. There are just so many hours in a day, so the time spent watching tv,etc., takes time away from reading. A lot of it begins in the home.....the foundation..... then, good and caring teachers and a good school system are also an important part of literacy.

By the way, why not volunteer as a literacy volunteer and pass on your own reading skills? There's training and it's fulfilling.

Way to go Steve!! You set a fantastic example for your children and for the rest of us as well. Congratulations on your success!

Hey, as a Navy "Brat" we moved around every 2-3 years or less at times. It was difficult at times going to schools with different curricular agendas but I and my brother and sister managed to get through it successfully. Reading was actually one of those things that got me through all the traveling and the loneliness of making new friends.

I commend this man for taking the steps necessary to advance himself in a very tough employment world.

One of the other commenters focused on the steps to encourage reading to our youths and I would agree with them that reading to our kids and being well read foster the desire to read and learn in our children.

I agree with all of you commending Steve for correcting his deficiency - reading is essential to everything - as far as the political liberal vs conservative - that is what is wrong both sides think they are right and the children -students suffer from lack of dedication - stop the finger-pointing and support reading programs!! Great job Steve!!

Wolf55 your 9:51 a.m. post is right on! I think the finger pointing is a tactic used by those who dont' know what they are doing but want to look important, whereby contributing to the standstill in education. Make the kids your top priority, teach them to read and forget about who is right and who is wrong... you're wasting precious time.