Raising the bar

What a major surprise the headline of Feb. 22 was. You might as well have printed something like, "Gold -- found to be a precious metal!" Sitting right next to it is a minor headline, "Census: Well-off kids do better." The first word that comes to mind (and I'm not even sure it's a word) is duh!

Every major study of school success has had only one consistent correlation: Children living in poverty experience higher degrees of school failure. But having known that for many, many years, our political leaders still don't know how to deal with it other than raise the stakes or as it is often known raising the bar, or taking away the services that support children, such as the proposed social worker cuts in Idaho. Whatever you call it, it rests solidly on the backs of children.

Who speaks for the children?

BOB DeBUHR

Clarkston