Letter to a Senator – Fill in The Blanks

Dear Senator _______,

                My name is ____________. I am an _____ year old boy, residing in _______. I am currently attending ___________ School. For the past two years I have attended ______________, located in ___________. Prior to that, I attended _________ in _________. I maintain a __ grade point average, participate in the school _______, play ______, am active in my Scout troop, and attend church _____. I try to be active in my community by participating in community service projects, helping my neighbors, and encourage people to get out and vote.

                I am writing to you regarding the education of the children in America. I am concerned about the apparent decrease in acquired knowledge reflected in the lowering test scores of graduating high school students in America, not to mention in relation to other nations’ scores. The United States of America is the world’s strongest nation. As citizens, we have been blessed with abundance the rest of the world has never known. As a nation, we consume more than any other country. We have access to resources and luxuries that many other countries don’t have, yet we seem to be falling behind the rest of the world in educating our youth.

                As we are in a global economy, to stay competitive, we need to be producing highly educated and skilled workers for the future. If we continue to fail to meet the mark educationally, we will fall short of filling the need for highly educated workers in vital economic areas such as science and technology. This cannot be accomplished merely at the collegiate level, but rather by starting at the elementary level. Our children must be given the opportunity to gain the educational superiority necessary to allow entry into the highly technological fields required in the world today.

                The problem, contrary to popular belief, is not a lack of funds allocated for educational purposes. I believe there are sufficient funds to educate our youth. The problem is using the funds allocated in an effective and efficient manner. Money is being wasted at the administrative level that could be put to better use in the classroom. Teachers need to be trained to be more effective and be held accountable for the success or failure of their students. Their pay should reflect their success rate. Teachers’ retention should be based upon their effectiveness, not their seniority. Curriculums need to be expanded to include subjects such as music, art, and even vocational skills, not cut back to provide more funds to pay salaries of high level administrators.