DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Ernest Rodriguez' "Impressions," 1960s-1980s | Talk given to the Davenport School Board by John Terronez Page 2

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Ernest Rodriguez' "Impressions," 1960s-1980s

Talk given to the Davenport School Board by John Terronez Page 2

system which perpetuates a low achievement ratio among disadvantaged children and by the time they squeeze through high school they are poorly equipped to meet college entrance exams based on the higher achievement ratio of middle class students. It is apparent to me that if we are to find answers to these complex educational problems we must abandon outmoded teaching methods and seek new approaches and adopt revolutionary concepts in teaching. Of course this will cost more money but better to spend 50c more now than to have to spend 10 times that much in rehabilitating wasted lives in later adult years. I think the return of our investment will be productive citizens who will not have to sign up for unemployment checks or have to rely on costly welfare programs. If you put a nickel of tax dollar into education you expect your child  to receive a nickel of my tax dollar into education. I expect my child to receive to receive a nickel's worth of education not 2c worth. In closing I would like to offer to you a philosophical exhortation which I hope you would pass on to our school teachers. It is this. Lift the veil of whatever obsures your vision and look beyond the purely superficial appearances, look into our hearts, look into our minds, read about us, know us, understand us. You can learn a lot from us and we can learn from you and both of us will be richer for it. I thank you. 

Ernest Rodriguez 
1337 W. Seventh Street

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system which perpetuates a low achievement ratio among disadvantaged children and by the time they squeeze through high school they are poorly equipped to meet college entrance exams based on the higher achievement ratio of middle class students. It is apparent to me that if we are to find answers to these complex educational problems we must abandon outmoded teaching methods and seek new approaches and adopt revolutionary concepts in teaching. Of course this will cost more money but better to spend 50c more now than to have to spend 10 times that much in rehabilitating wasted lives in later adult years. I think the return of our investment will be productive citizens who will not have to sign up for unemployment checks or have to rely on costly welfare programs. If you put a nickel of tax dollar into education you expect your child to receive a nickel of my tax dollar into education. I expect my child to receive to receive a nickel's worth of education not 2c worth. In closing I would like to offer to you a philosophical exhortation which I hope you would pass on to our school teachers. It is this. Lift the veil of whatever obsures your vision and look beyond the purely superficial appearances, look into our hearts, look into our minds, read about us, know us, understand us. You can learn a lot from us and we can learn from you and both of us will be richer for it. I thank you. Ernest Rodriguez 1337 W. Seventh Street