"The long - run beneficiary of all this is Japan"


Adapted from ABC News Correspondent Bob Zelnick's book, Backfire, chapter 13, pages 259 - 260.

We learn that in a certain New York state high school, located in Ithaca, to be exact, there was a move in the summer of 1995 "to discontinue the honors program for academically gifted students."

Since not all students are honors material in the first place, however, there was also "a substantially less difficult series of academic courses offered for students planning to attend less selective colleges, while those unlikely to pursue higher education usually enroll in local level courses.

"The school's superintendent, Dr. James E. Lothridge, described by the New York Times as a black educator who grew up in the segregated South and has a strong interest in promoting diversity, sought to end the honors program as a first step in what he hoped would be the total elimination of all forms of tracking."

In Dr. Lothridge's view...when Daddy's car rattles...



"In Dr. Lothridge's view, putting high schools seniors capable of understanding college - level science in the same class as those who would have a hard time explaining why Newton's apple didn't fall up, has its charm.

"As the Times explained, students would be exposed to a richer spectrum of humanity and those with, say, good mechnaical intuition could help those more adept at abstract theory and vice versa.

"In other words, Joey - talented in the sciences -- may now come home from physics class knowing less about the theory of relativity than had the class been composed of uniformily good science students, but when Daddy's car rattles, the good mechanical intuition Joey developed by associating with Herb -- a future Exxon station proprietor - may lead him to suggest a visit to the Midas shop.

"The long - run beneficiary of all this, of course, is neither Joey nor Herb, but Japan.

"Shortly after initiating the controversy at Ithaca High School, Dr. Lothridge moved to Long Island and another superintendent's job.

"Ithaca retained its tracking system."

That's a good point, professor! If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Yet, as a Donna High School Redskin's fan and graduate of the Donna Legendary Class of 1966, myself, I'm afraid that the bad 'ole Green Eyed Monster of Envy still sometimes catches me unaware when I recall those fine mechanics and do - it - your - selfers we had among our fellow students!

Guys like Wheaties, Van Hutchins, Ronnie Gelker, etc... Ronnie really could talk both cars and girls, if I remember correctly.