Christian Science Monitor, Letters to the Editor, May 31, 2007
Regarding Roger Hull’s Opinion piece about making college attendance more possible for at-risk youth: Three cheers for Dr. Hull and his third-graders!
How right he is that the time to start interesting at-risk pupils in a possible college education is third grade. Also, how right he is to set up his precollege academies on the college campuses (not in the elementary schools) and to be sure to provide one-on-one mentors for the students and continuous involvement of the parents to keep them open to such a radical activity.
But Hull should not worry about Bill Gates and the millions of dollars he is spending to solve other schooling problems. Mr. Gates spends lavishly, but he tracks every nickel. He devotes other millions to research, especially in those areas he is funding. We need that input. And we also need Hull to interest 100 or so college presidents to follow his lead. Four campuses is a good start.
Cynthia Parsons
Former Monitor education editor
Scottsdale, Ariz.