Foundational thoughts

Part I
July 15, 2004
Positive expectations from the separation of church and state education

Separation of the Faith-base and State Education is like the odd and even sides of a street. The neighborhood is stronger when both sides are vibrant and optimizing the positives. Under the microscope, most of us non-clergy effective citizens, either are in the world making, saving and/or spending a living wage or we are concerned that we are not doing enough influencing to make believers in God. Most citizens are not on both sides of the street at once, and when individuals work one-on-one with other individuals; freedom of speech makes separation of church and state a secondary issue. If you are effective, you want to use the positives from both sides of the street in the development of societal values. Church and state should want to recognize common positive societal messages.

Especially Christians (a segment of the Faith-base) should see the separation, as a positive. Separation is very much biblically based and could very easily be the source of more positive USA growth for church and society. Our diversity prevents the state, and those funded by it, from talking about anything but a generic god. Some might think church work is easier with a generic god supported government, but Christ instructed a large segment of the Faith-base to not rely on the government. The government is not critical to an individual’s faith. the Faith-base has no biblical basis to look for help from the government. Rather we have an obligation, in spite of the government, to be in the mix and influence the individual’s belief. It is a common routine to provide worldly comforts and gifts, to gain the momentary attention, for the opportunity to explain one’s faith.

Our USA civil world might have started with the bible used in schools and the 10 commandments used in the city square, and the Fruits of the Spirit (love, compassion, hope, joy, faith and others, see Galatians 5: 22 to 26) being significant reasons for giving. But our civil life, in this world, has morphed into the government playing a more significant role. The bible has told us to expect just that! How simple is the conclusion that the USA society is no longer strictly biblically based and has found alternative foundations; because, in part, it has become more worldly, successful and diverse. Does this not make the Faith-base mission even easier to find and pursue right at home? The Faith-base has an individual obligation to inspire and influence individual souls to a faith in God. The Faith-base justification in Jesus Christ’s death is to be seen as special by the secular society, so why try to mix-up this view. The gift-giving, by the Faith-base, of early literacy skills to age 3-6 children, one-on-one to the poorest of the poor (at-risk segments of society); will be seen by all individuals in the community to be truly special, in today’s world.

Jumping to the very current topics of growth, separation and education. The source of a child’s growth before age 6; is, first- things-first, an individual gift of early reading and language skills. Sharing the fruits of the spirit (giving) has never been an obligation of public education; so effective citizens must look to more than public education to provide the one-on-one gift to 100% of the at-risk children population. We have generally achieved separation in our children purposed neighborhoods. How are we using separation to be right for the child’s future? Let us take a moment to think through several responsibility and authority issues.
1. Diverse people, culture, character, values, opportunity, beliefs, morals, ethics, education, position, knowledge, money etc. all are plentiful, by world standard.
2. Demonstrated unequal opportunity exists for individuals that can be mistaken for unequal opportunity for segments of society because the groupings exist. It is good to know, as an individual, that limits do not have to apply. But they will apply if …one relies too much on the group.
3. Under promoted expert understandings that early literacy education is a key to an individual’s future opportunity. And, promotion is getting more important all the time.
4. Early literacy education of 3-6 year old children is a gift from one individual to another, critical to the child’s potential opportunity and status. This 100% gift giving process is not being addressed at the one-on-one levels for the poorest of the poor. Present and future have and have-not statuses are determined in part by the gift.
· Some at risk children get the gift and do not fall behind and others don’t get the gift and are behind the rest of their life.
· Specific reliance on the private sector (non-government) to provide the gift through families and others. K-6 schools are then asked to fix (provide late) what is missed in the early education.
· When this giving does not occur early, a short circuit might trigger future disengagement by some of the children. The short circuit is increasingly measurable and tied to age 3-6 literacy.
· Additionally, disengagement triggers a high social cost for society, which has become a ROI target in an economic sense.
5. Existing possible and probable specific projections of which individuals are not getting the gift before kindergarten. With more communication technology than ever before to followup.
6. The existing need for giving an early start to the child will always be several years in front of the issues of separation between church and state.
7. Public elementary school principals, already designed into the social system as a stop-gap, must be able to call on the effective citizens earlier (reach into the gift-giving world) to give the gift on an accountable basis to the poorest of the poor age 3-6 children. Only principals are positioned to see and start the actions/rewards behind a 100% goal of ready to read English.
8. Effective citizens expect the messages of civility, morality, societal values, opportunity, early literacy, and sharing be sent by the public domain… What, why, who, when, where and how? In this setting of expectations and requirements a significant public domain burden has been placed on public education that, so far, has highlighted the shortcomings of gift-giving by individuals to whole segments of 3-6 year olds. Poor economic status, diversity and education makes it easy to confuse individual with group problems and solutions. Solutions are best addressed one-on-one with young children.

Society relies on the fruits of the spirit to give the children early reading skills, and never totally relied on the faith-base, and never had a goal to reach 100% of the children. BUT, the Faith-base and other effective citizens should especially make this a mission field--- To reach 100% of the children in the neighborhood, especially when the principal asks for the help! Effective citizens know it is the gift of education that is the first-things-first act of self-preservation.
1. This is frankly the Faith-base’s first-things-first opportunity to provide what society and the individual needs. In other parts of the world the gift could include an upfront gift of immunizations against diseases, but that is already wisely provided in the USA.
2. This is also the K-6 principal’s first-things-first opportunity to influence, inspire and provide what the individual needs from the resources already in society. Principals should be asking the faith-base in their community to make early literacy a reality for 100% of the children, at whatever it costs. Principals should not be waiting for the funding to do it later in their schools on a remedial basis. Historians will make the case this is society’s private investment for its public return. Does this have to be different than being certain all the children have been immunized before they enter kindergarten?

Sincerely,

Tom Wolfgram
Executive Director

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://usavalues.blogspot.com
Winona, Minnesota 55987
Part II
July 15, 2004
Positive expectations from principals, clergy and effective citizens

It has become a moral and ethical imperative to not leave age 3-6 children behind before they even get to the K-6 public schools. It is only fair to the concept of equal opportunity and growth, because age 3-6 children never miss the gift on their own accord.

Only the principals can provide the leverage that positively links the Faith-base, nonexclusively of course, and education in the neighborhood to community wide early reading skills growth. School performance measurements, starting in grade 3, demonstrate the importance of early reading skills gained at age 3-6. Principals are very talented highly paid public servants who already are in place for at-risk children. Achieving the 100% goal of ready-to-read in the gift-giving community triggers the growth (ROI), first in the schools and then in the community. Principals and schools have much to gain by becoming influencers-- leading the combined clergy, media, executive directors, business, and effective citizens to use a proven method. Use the separation of church and state to positively call for 100% coverage of basic early language growth before the children enter public school.

We would suggest low cost processes (space, communication, human resources and knowledge) already exist to engage the effective citizen and others in this imperative. There is no reason to wait. Look around and see the demonstrations of individual gift-giving that need to be aggregated to 100% coverage of at-risk children. This aggregation and accountability will benefit public education, our middle class and our democracy. In summary,

What messages need to be sent?
CDP- Character Development Program (see a listing of the messages)
Many other “C’s” fit within CDP and its messages
Community’s literacy gift to children age 3-6
Civility, unity, emotional intelligence
Common sense
Choices in freedoms
Children development
Community collaboration
Customer requirement of one size fits one
Cost analysis of early reading success and failure
Continuous improvement


Who needs to send the messages?
Effective citizens, who are led by principals and the faith-base. We simply should look to one source (the community of families, extended families, faith-base and effective citizens) for an equal start on educated freedoms of speech and religion. There are no significant separations of church and state issues when these are viewed as age 3-6 societal imperatives.


Why do the messages of civility and prosperity need to be sent and received?
We Americans have opened our doors and wallets to the people of the world. Religious and other differences from our original mainstay will continue to change our culture under a basic protection of freedom of speech and religion. If America stands for anything to the world it is that all men and women should have the same basic freedoms, opportunities and responsibilities to prosper and share. America has welcomed people of many languages looking for our basics. Different languages and religions abound but the same freedoms, responsibilities, obligations and limits would exist in the perfect world. English literacy (reading, speaking, listening, comprehension, and writing) is a proven limiting factor in achievement and engagement. Early childhood literacy is absolutely critical to the removal of limitations and the expectation that each will prosper. There would be a return on investment if this were 100% assured in each neighborhood. The messages of growth from civility and opportunity replace the less positive.

Those of us with character who received anything close to the gift of early literacy “owe” it to those who will not get it, by virtue of our human “right” to share and pass it forward. It is an ethical virtue to give what is owed to 100% of the children age 3-6 before the societal accounting calls for it. Confusing the how with the why! This can be done today in the neighborhood; but, will it be done? Giving the gift to your child can be stretched to another. Group together and adopt a few children for this purpose. Take individual responsibility for the freedom of speech and religion that our country’s founders have given to us. Maybe effective citizens need several good friends to help each other see into the past and recognize how our assets and attributes accumulated, and the importance that others have played in our status in life. The start of USA character development includes the gift of early language literacy. Just look back to imagine what life would have been without it. And, realize that at age 3-6 we each had no control over this gift.

Where do the messages need to be sent?
In the neighborhoods that exist for children (both sides of the street) that are now leaving children behind before they even get to school. These neighborhoods can be the same that blame public education for not being able to recover 100% of the children at-risk.

When do the messages need to be received?
Repeatedly, with the expectation that children age 3-6 have the assets and attributes required by the public schools when they start kindergarten. Elementary school delivery is too late for many at-risk children. The messages never get old and will always have a fresh audience.

Adapted from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. -“It is now the moment when by common consent we pause to become conscious of our national (interrelated) life and to rejoice in it, to recall what our country (collective citizenship and individualism) has done for each of us and to ask ourselves what we can do for our country in return.” The literacy limitation must be removed from the shoulders of our next generation. It simply disappears with our determined willingness to give a timely individual gift to an at-risk child. A neighborhood captain must exist to marshal the public service. How about a retired part-time principal, a fire chief, a police captain, a pastor, an executive director? Newspapers and radios start and never stop the public service of making certain that 100% of mothers understand how important early English literacy skills are to their children.

Part III will be more about how.

Sincerely,

Tom Wolfgram
Executive Director

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://usavalues.blogspot.com
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)

Part III
July 27, 2004
Outline draft.
Community expectations from properly positioned principals

It has become a moral and ethical imperative to not leave age 3-6 children behind before they even get to the K-6 public schools. It is only fair to the concept of equal opportunity and growth, because age 3-6 children never miss the gift of literacy on their own accord. It is only fair to help the principal meet the expectations of the community, because to do otherwise leaves them holding the neighborhood’s problems they did not create.

Only the principals can provide the leverage that positively links the faith-base, nonexclusively of course, and education in the neighborhood to early reading skills growth. School performance measurements, starting in grade 3, demonstrate the importance of early reading skills gained at age 3-6. Principals are very talented highly paid public servants who already are in place for at-risk children. Achieving the 100% goal of ready-to-read in the gift-giving community triggers the growth (ROI), first in the schools and then in the community. Principals and schools have much to gain by becoming influencers-- leading the combined clergy, media, executive directors, business, and effective citizens to use a proven method.

How would this get done in the poorest of the poor communities?

I. Agree on the first 100 words.
II. Agree on the secular moral and ethical basis for messaging and one-on-one giving to 3-6 year old children. The purpose of the messaging is to be: 1) ready to read English, and 2) having listened to stories encouraging the following personal assets and attributes:
Be Growing, Be Helping, Be Happy, Be Working, Be Polite, Be Listening, Be Humble, Be Thinking, Be Playful, Be Right, Be Fair, Be Sharing, Be Smiling, Be Smart, Be Excited, and Help Yourself.
III. Form a group of at least ten local efforts in the neighborhoods.
IV. Publish a Special purpose magazine annually, Sell advertising and sell the book on the Internet to the effective citizens who must start the understanding of the gift.
V. Establish bottom line permanent neighborhood communication to mothers and families about the importance of the gift.
VI. Prepare the discussion about separation of church and state and the importance of real freedom of speech and religion.
VII. Resource local principals to establish their bottoms up focus on the poorest of the poor age 3-6 children. Adequate materials and engaged citizens are needed to start this step.

1. Read One Size Fit One
2. Read GE Work Out
3. Read the messages of opportunity, achieve, happiness and share
4. Read the purpose driven life summary to a secular focus on the community
5. Engage by asking pastors and other effective citizens in the neighborhood via a simplified GE workout outline (low cost)
6. Engage the public relations professional (low cost)
7. Engage the activity based cost accountant (low cost)
8. Engage the part-time principal for 4 years (high cost)
9. Engage the early literacy social worker (high cost)
10. Publish a periodic newsletter supporting the regional magazine as a part of the local paper (low cost) and a local internet site
11. Plan the crossover from the school budget to the community budget taking full advantage of title I, II, III, IV, V. Start the one-on-one giving in the local community to the children.
A. Select materials for a three-prong attack to achieve 100% literacy coverage in the neighborhood. (See outline)
B. Execute to continuously improve the coverage of the poorest of the poor while strengthening the formal resources already in place.
i. Teach the volunteers to use materials with children (double-up on the children)
ii. Teach the social worker how to link the children to the school and the volunteers using technology as required.
C. Build on the execution of the formal resources already in place to reach 100% of the children based on the ROI expectation and the input of the activity cost advisor for each neighborhood.
D. After 4 years expect 100% of the children at the end of kindergarten to read at first to third grade levels.
i. Level A, age 3-4
ii. Level B, age 4-5
iii. Kindergarten, age 5-6
iv. First grade, age 6-7
v. Second grade, age 7-8
12. Expect the cumulative progress of this improvement to take over the achievement process defined by AYP in the elementary school; and free up resources to work with children earlier.

Sincerely,

Tom Wolfgram
Executive Director

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://usavalues.blogspot.com
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)
Part IV
August 27, 2004
The Money

A region needs two levels of effort to make this development permanent, described in six steps.
1. High Level Communication Campaign—Create Educated Consumers of Urban Elementary Education from the wide base target of effective citizens.
2. On the Ground Effort by the influencers and the educated effective citizens.

A region undertakes a longer-term effort to transition itself:
1. Community knows it role regarding 100% of the children
2. Parents know about how important Early Reading is to them and the children
3. The poorest of the poor are targeted and served
4. Effective citizens see it as a gift with a public ROI
5. Children arrive in kindergarten ready to read in English
6. Third grade tests confirm the importance of a 100% even literacy start
7. Schools make the continuous improvement, Children stay in school, public education takes its rightful role in the community as the value developer for the future.

The following discussion is working with the maximum amounts possible, every region will have a one-size-fits-one program. Steps one through four are not as sensitive to the actual number of at risk children as steps five and six.

Step One
The Special Purpose Magazine of Consumer Education will sell sponsorships in the publication that in turn is sold for $14.95 each. The target for the magazine is effective citizens. This magazine is designed to educate groups of effective citizens. The magazine is economically structured to raise funds for the region to take detailed action steps (steps two-four) to be certain 100% of the children start kindergarten ready to read in English.

The magazine is published in the first two years as a volunteer effort by an agency of the Regional University. Only direct costs are incurred by the agency. Each year the net revenue is generated as follows:

Net for the purpose:
2005 $250,000
2006 $250,000
2007 $150,000
2008 $150,000
2009 $150,000

Advertising, net $200,000
10,000 Copies sold, net $125,000
Other revenues $ 15,000
Total Income $340,000

Cost of the magazine:
Print $ 30,000
Design $ 30,000
Web support $ 15,000
Other costs $ 15,000
Total marginal cost $ 90,000

Step Two –
A regional university or a national university acting regionally and the states education service cooperative and the school districts in the area of the cooperative apply to the Federal Office of Innovation. A regional design must be created between the communities and schools to take advantage of the principal’s unique position in the community during the child’s sensitive period to learn language. This design is a large innovative crossover in authority and responsibility for society. On the ground, it will require (step6) the use of Title I Supplemental Education Services for children age 31/2 to 51/2. These funds are for districts and community schools that qualify for serving the poorest of the poor. Title V provides unsolicited authority to ask for the money. Only Education efforts tied into effective citizens have the presence to obtain this money for innovation. Important business, financial, church, and local government effective citizens will need to support this request and the step 3 request. The project must be presented as
research; must be replicatable; must fill gaps in the network to
make it possible that 100% of the children are
ready to read going into kindergarten. This effort is to patch
and not duplicate the capacity. The value of the goal is
undisputed by Education and with resources, will create the
links of effort needed to reach 100% of the poorest of the poor.
Especially with the effective citizen and principals
combined focus on the accountability designed into NCLB.

Net for the purpose:
2005 $500,000
2006 $500,000
2007 $500,000
2008 $500,000
2009 $500,000

Step Three
Net for the purpose:
Obtain the equal to an Early Reading First Grant, Teacher-Effective Citizen Education Grant (not defined), Bilingual English as the 2nd Language Education Grant (not defined) – Focused on a preschool delivery without the school building in support. See the use of churches and libraries (step 6) to deliver one-on-one education services. This money is to build the effective citizen capacity to make it possible for public education to require that 100% of the children are ready to read English going into kindergarten. It is very likely that these funds would also come from Title V because the children are age 3-6, not in grades K-3.

But Title V is not the only source of these funds once
the effective citizens realize this is as much a one-on-one
ethical community issue as it is an education
accountability issue.

The faith-base is uniquely positioned to deliver these
language gifts to the children using funds highlighted
by the faith-based community initiatives to fill the gap.

2005 0
2006 $500,000
2007 $500,000
2008 $500,000
2009 $500,000
2010 $500,000

Step Four
Character Education Grant for the service cooperative
to facilitate the use of character and choice
development messages in the schools and
community. This program is on a pitch-it forward
basis. Funding for the materials is partially paid
for by the effective community citizens. The importance
of character, civility and good choices is equal to the
importance of an achievement attitude in the local school.

Net for the purpose:
2005 0
2006 $100,000
2007 $100,000
2008 $100,000
2009 $100,000
2010 $100,000

Step Five
Secure school change money for the Early Reading Elementary School Change Design. $100,000 per year per 100 children starting in kindergarten, for 5 years. 200 children are serviced per year at ages 31/2 to 51/2 under the oversight of the elementary school principal prior to start. This is a one-size-fits-one analysis of the community so the number of $500,000 grants to schools is variable given that schools will naturally team to cover the community. The 200 children being sighted break down into:
80 require extra outside the family services (see step six)
60 require home family services applicable to the children by the family
60 require no extra services, with an encouragement of the family to help other children.
Today’s communication technology facilitates this type of coverage and effective action. There is a payback of savings expected from this and step 6 investments. After 5 years the capacity to handle the oversight of 200 children will need to be funded by the community. This activity will not go away. However, the school will be able to operate (expected) with one less behavior specialist and one less reading specialist. These are two positions in a school of 600 children. Savings would be used to pay back the Federal Government one-half of the school change funding of $500,000 or ($250,000). There are many alternatives to the funding of the 500,000 at 100,000 per year for 5 years.

Part V of this discussion will suggest the expected detail ROI of this spending.

Step Six
Supplemental Education Services at the rate of $2,000 per child per year (for 2 years) for those children deemed to require extra outside the home services in step 5, will be required. The innovation is to apply these funds; using early reading savvy effective citizens; to age 31/2-51/2 age children before kindergarten. These Title I funds are administered at the state level, they are new funds from the NCLB act; if they are not initially available (because NCLB fundes are dedicated to grade 4-6 children); then the federal government must fill the gap through more Title I funds or the faith base and other effective citizens must fill the gap. It is important to expect this one-on-one giving to the poorest of the poor. The ethics of this, in the United States cannot be ignored. These funds will ultimately be available from savings if the community is successful with 100% of the children being ready to read in kindergarten, but our present societal systems have the cart before the horse in the short-term. (We do not believe all day kindergarten fills the gap for 100% of the children.) The application for these funds would be made by the community elementary school in need and other organizations (not districts) and the flow of funds would be ongoing to age 3-6 children education services. Point blank- the principal must be able to direct theses funds.

Alternatives to steps 5 and 6
A principal who believes in the engagement of the community might proceed with the faith that the Faith-base will rise to the call to stop leaving children behind. 100% of the children are identified early and improvements in the neighborhood and the school are anticipated. The principal, via partners, directs the community to patch the gaps for the poorest of the poor. We estimate this would cost $75,000 annually, and only the innovative will find the funds without steps 5 and 6 above.
1. Part time Early Reading Collaborator working in the community
for the school principal, asking for focused assistance from citizens $25,000
2. Retired Principal, and partners in activity cost analysis and public relations $27,500
3. Materials for early literacy and parent / children incentives for three levels of
service to 100% of the preschool population $22,500 4. Services by the faith-base to the children $2,000 per child per year gifted in some manner to the poorest of the poor.

Positioning to be the innovator that directs the partnership to fill the gap without reinventing the wheel to benefit the poorest of the poor is a natural position for the strongest urban elementary school principal. He or she is accountable (whether fair or not) and can see the result measurements in 5 years; results that would be projectable after just 3 years. However, talking 5 or even 3 years requires a stability that is not often assumed. Such stability will ultimately require firm demand/support from the educated effective citizen consumer, targeted in steps one through four of the regional design.

Conclusions
See Secretary of Education Paige releases dated July 22nd and 23rd , 2004. See http://www.ed.gov/news. This is a call to the Principal Leadership in the community to be the engine and the driver of change. And, there is a solid understanding that the racial divide starts with the achievement gap in education called “the soft bigotry of low expectations”. We add to his comments that the gap does not exist at age 3; but is created by the age of 6; before first grade even starts. There is sensitivity to learning language that diminishes after age 6, so early action in combination with the community is critical. On top of that, there is a proven private and public sector return on investment for early childhood education. On top of that, every effectiveness book in the world says to do first things first. Are we savvy consumers of the 500 billion dollars spent annually in public education if we don’t do first things first?

Sincerely,

Tom Wolfgram
Executive Director

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://usavalues.blogspot.com
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)

Part V
September 3, 2004
The Internal Rate of Return, Return on Investment, and Payback

The word is out via the work of Minnesota Federal Reserve Bank that Early Childhood Education gives future society a cost effective edge against just repeating the past demonstration of results. Expect a return for your spending on early childhood education, most directly defined by school districts as ready to read. See the December 2003 supplement- The ABCs of EDC. http://minneapolisfed.org/research/studies/earlychild/ABC-Part2.pdf

With a 16% internal rate of return and a study of when and where the savings would apply to this type of commitment one must conclude to start now with the innovation within the present funding streams. The NCLB Act is a work in progress, and the money is in the system to execute the innovation. Steps Five and Six of Part IV can be cost justified as investments giving rise to short term savings by application of this study. The actual costs incurred to make the change and maintain the change could create benefits with an actual cash flow payback. This means bond financing for the change would be a viable alternative.

The question for the urban public school principal is can he or she generate this savings, when 100% of the children starting school are ready to read, and what does it look like in a planned reduction of the budget for the school. Less special education; less behavior specialists; less remedial reading instruction; fewer failures to progress; less English as a second language; larger class sizes; can all be expected? Principals of a K-5 school with a demographic of 100 children in each class (of which 40 received the very extra special assistance for two years at age 31/2-51/2) could be encouraged to understand that they only need to save $90,000 to $120,000 of remedial effort cost, per year, (no more than 2 positions, most likely less) to fund the benefits creation needed to payback the capacity that delivers ready to read children.

Needless to say “full savings” in the community, 10-15 years after elementary school, depends on 100% of age 3-6 children having knowledge and ability to stay in the game. The larger benefits do not happen in the schools; the community should be prompting the principals to make the effort; and helping principals succeed. The principal now has a very large “measurable weight of fate” facing them each day in the community. Police and fire captains have ordinances passed to mitigate their at-risk situations. Principal’s issues have not been elevated to the same level of concern, yet!.

This is true and more effective citizens must believe, but there is no reason to wait. The principal and the school could start tomorrow and the costs should be fronted, funded and state or federally guaranteed. Our consultant points to utility savings bonds issued by schools in the past when the energy waste was excessive and known to be eliminated.

Sincerely,
Thomas D. Wolfgram
USA VALUES-CDP
Executive Director

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://usavalues.blogspot.com
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)

Part VI
September 4, 2004
Special Purpose Consumer Education

There is a need for special purpose consumer education surrounding early reading and learning. So many ills in society are because of what is not done. Not seeing comparable opportunity as early as 3-4th grade can cause poor children in dysfunctional settings to give up at that early stage because something was not done early in life. Colin Powell made this point in his effort with America’s Promise. We face a future where life is more complicated, and the need for all citizens to be effective cannot be understated, knowing the roots of lost opportunity. The same gift that stops children from falling behind; is the gift needed to fight poverty; is the same gift needed to fight racism and terrorism. Going backwards - the gift of opportunity is boiled down to the gift to stay in the learning game to find the opportunity; is in large portion the skill to read with comprehension; is based on the vocabulary; is based on ability to read; is based on ability to write; and is based on starting kindergarten ready-to-read. If we keep it this simple we can fix every community in 5 short years (from start of giving--to proof that our efforts are paying off).

The skills to be ready to read English transfers to all age 3-6 children, rich or poor, directly because of a gift of care, compassion, love, and friendship. There is no indirect method to learn this for age 3-6 children. Direct effort earlier is better than later. Many receive it; too many miss it; in each individual case, at that age, a child has no control over survival, or becoming a victim. So the effective citizen with the character, civility, intelligence and ethical foundation knows he/she must innovate to do first things first. Is it different than inoculation? There is a proven societal payback! Why just hold the schools to the requirement to fix those who are left behind? To reach 100% of the children will require “Anticipating Social Work” by health, education and other volunteer citizens. Over half of the at-risk children just need timely focus from family members. The rest of the children (mostly the poorest of the poor who are at the bottom of the bottom half) will require the help of citizens and the faith-base most comfortable with the dysfunction that must be overcome. Society has created the requirement to enter kindergarten with ready to read skills. Principals could gain control with a network of caring citizens in the neighborhood with the focus of giving the gift. There is no need to upset the service structure already in place; there is a need to fill in the gaps, now, not after third grade failure.

There would be a whole new commitment to public funding by effective citizens if the funded service structures first delivered to the bottom of the bottom half, then, up to the level needed. This will never happen for age 3-6 children. This effort, to cover 100%, is best created by a one-size-fits-one effective citizen focus in the neighborhood of the elementary school. Who should lead it? Who will fail without this effort? Certainly any intervention to be ready to read is not a faith-based movement, but expect the faith-base to rise to the challenge when the principal asks.

Sincerely,
Thomas D. Wolfgram
USA VALUES-CDP
Executive Director

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://usavalues.blogspot.com
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)

Part VII
August 13, 2004
Why partner in innovation with USA VALUES-CDP?

We facilitate the special purpose consumer education to start the innovations that will truly no longer leave children behind. Additionally, each school and every child at risk needs the gift that is focused from the Early Reading School Change Program designed to actually innovate on the ground, in the streets around the schoolhouse. This CDP program is uniquely designed to hit high in the air and low to the ground. The real gift to the poorest of the poor in time to make the difference must work around the dysfunctional in a way that is one-size-fits one. It is best that an effective citizen makes this point. It seems like the point needs to be made from outside the “education box”; but, only the inside of the “box” will innovate public education so the outside must proceed with honesty, friendship, partnership and respect.

Let me explain outside by reference to several known stories.

Sea Biscuit (please watch the video)--Real progress starts with the positives remaining from the last growth cycle. It is un-American to throw away positives because they have blemishes. USA VALUES believes strong positive forces are often just under the skin and momentum forces work against the new good called innovation. This makes issues more complicated as the momentum gets older, but simpler when addressed earlier. The United States of America because of democracy and the middle class has always, in our lifetime, had the market (consumer) to foster economic expansion given the right national attitude. And, this gift (freedom of the human spirit –most evidenced as freedom of speech and a market built on a middle class) that our fathers and mothers have given to us initially cost them greatly with only faith being the justification; and we should care more about the gift we leave our children; and the faith in that "market and freedoms" that we demonstrate. The markets (consumer buying power) have been so strong we can afford to globally share them with our defeated antagonists. How important is sharing the market and true freedom of speech to the ethical presentation we make to our children, recognizing what was given to us; and how can it be true freedom of speech when it is not gifted to our neighborhood’s most at risk who need exactly that freedom to make the market? What do we have to lose? This is America, with real economic gains expected in the schools and markets when all the children (100%) are ready to read starting in kindergarten.

Pass it Forward (please watch the video)-- How many effective citizens can watch this movie without reflecting into the past to define the gifts that made us effective. Now think privately, where would you be without the gift of early literacy? How has not having it or having it incompletely held you back? Remember, you at age 3-6 had no control over whether this gift was given to you or not. For a child at-risk, age 3-6 is the time economic risk and educational risk starts. But our risks also start there because our security and predictability is increasingly based on a more diverse population and culture that increasingly depends on the collective second, third and fourth generation to complete the cycle of earning, saving, security, safety, retirement and death . We have to trust that this unknown will do a better job of building a better world if they all received the literacy gift (true freedom of speech) early in life.

The collection of resources, rules, laws, risks, power, status, education that hold us back from confidently giving a gift to pass forward is worldly and powerful. The pulls to first take care of our family, and ourselves, are powerful. But issues are now aligned so that the gift to 100% of the age 3-6 children is the right first thing first action. Reviewing Romans 12, leading into Romans 13:8 to10, and spirited with Galatians 5:22 to 26, comforts many to give the gift of love and peace without being in the loops of worldly power. This capacity to give can be called forth as a solution; by the powers in charge of every community. It is the only way 100% of at risk children will be covered. Mother Teresa was proof positive that love is stronger than worldly power. See page 189-192 of ALL I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN, by Robert Fulghum.

Back to the neighborhood, our pitch is to innovate and cause delivery of that gift for $2,000 per child per year for two years before kindergarten, in a way that it is ultimately funded within the present resources. There are many one-size-fits-one showings and tellings as to how to pass the gift forward in a way our neighborhoods get it right (write) when right (write) matters the most. (Tongue in cheek, many experts teach writing as the first step to reading because it is logical to the child.) Before that, they know that listening in English is really the first step to writing and it starts even before age 3. Solutions are simple. More individuals helping in a one-size-fits-one process, because the powers in charge have asked; and the process is less complex when working with age 3-6 children. It is true that some children are already behind at age 3 because they have not heard English spoken regularly, however, English sound recognition can generally be recovered after age 3 with the most simple care and patience of reading simple stories to children.

USA VALUES-CDP is innovative and uses consumer education and flip over innovative thinking. The flip over thinking is:
1. Elementary school principals focus on age 3-6 children “first”
2. Gifts needed, not more government spending
3. Active private investments to save future public spending.
4. Faith-based needed by public schools
5. Public school principals willing to direct the faith-based and others
6. Leap forward progress with the least resourced
7. Poverty learning issues, not Black, Indian, and Hispanic learners
8. Urban schools becoming the lighthouse for the community
9. Civility presented as sound bite messages, opportunities actually solve race prejudices
10. Bonding source for improvement because the process starts with IRR and ROI expected.
11. Urban market values racing ahead because of the value of a diversified education
12. Communication critical, not facility critical

Our ground zero freedom in the USA and the one we project to the world is freedom of speech and it is just not true in our world of plenty unless everyone has it.

Thomas D. Wolfgram
Executive Director
USA VALUES-CDP

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)

Part VIII
September 22, 2004
The Powerful Effective Citizen

The effective citizens with the power are being asked to share it. It starts by sending the message that opportunity is there for the taking if the child does not fall behind in the acquisition of literacy skills.
· One-on-one gift required, is not government work.
· Education science defines the literacy gap that needs to be filled.
· Who (which institutions (powerful) and human beings (the powerless)) will ask for the gift? There are actually three levels of request and requirement!
· Who (which human beings) will deliver the gift?
· One-size-fits-one means early literacy is achieved one child at a time, but the prescription for its achievement is varied to meet the requirement by the initiative of the giver. This will be unique at three levels.

Freedom of speech (the power) is based on literacy, and all the other messages of civility make sense in the context of this freedom. When the powerful give this in the USA, they are doing it with an expectation of undefined growth, but expected peace and security. Under the banner of being ready to read English going into kindergarten there are:
· Sounds recognition of the English letters
· Writing skills
· Three letter word reading skills
· Listening skills (comprehension) to understand the words of a 6 year old (in English).
· Four sets of messages are appropriate for children age 3-6; that they receive by listening to stories that adults read or tell them.

Honesty, Friendship, Work, Respect

Be positive, Be playing, Be smart, Be growing
Be playful, Be positive, Be growing, Be helping
Be honest, Be sharing, Be excited, Be happy
Be fair, Be listening, Be working, Be working
Be happy, Be helping, Be humble, Be polite
Be trusted, Be smiling, Help yourself, Be listening

The very powerful effective citizens who influence the institutions that make up the community quality of life are going to state for the record that this banner of messaging must be delivered to children age 3-6. This has already been said by the federal government laws created for the recovery of at-risk children starting in kindergarten (NCLB). Having been said by the federal government as it relates to K-12 education does no justice to the real true gap created before kindergarten. This clarity and focus (that kindergarten is too late) prompts the principal, who is now responsible for those children who start behind, to somewhat formally and conclusively ask the community for help when and if needed. Many citizens are already helping so the principal will ask for the help required to find and fill the gaps for the most at-risk. The faith-base and the health institutions already know the human side of the gaps.

The principal is primarily concerned that the most at-risk already have the least safety net so they are appealing for attention to the bottom of the bottom half of the population of at-risk children. The principal and school district realize only one-on-one giving will make the difference and sees to it that the community builds the capacity to give these gifts into the future. The capacity building must be permanent and sized to the need. Resources will flow out of the schools to be delivered earlier to the children over time. This is a dance that the principal MUST LEARN once the community accepts it’s own accountability and opens to the principal’s request and appeal.

Clearly, the above points out the most powerful effective citizens are being asked to give room and opportunity to the weakest. This is now defined as cost effective, growth orientated, and ethical. It even has a return on investment. It is only a matter of time and society will come from above and below to help the principal. This action collaboration prompts the principal to anticipate this help and ask for it sooner verse later. And, effective citizens to give the gift for their own good sooner verses later.

So what does it take to start? We suggest it takes a regional effort of consumer education by the most powerful in the region. The government will not solve this problem for the community. This giving requires the elements of faith, love and hope to achieve… It is an area of service especially fruitful to the faith-base…

On the world stage this focus of need is the same (very similar). Worldwide action to create literacy is being suggested by a very powerful body of volunteers. -- The 9-11 Commission Report, on page 377, defines “the agenda of opportunity for the world to be literacy as freedom.” The Most powerful in the USA should make good on this promise to age 3-6 children, in the USA, as a demonstration to the world stage. If this were done, world leadership would be assured, because our middle class would grow and provide the markets for the world. We are so close, the powers just need to make an earnest request of those in position to manage and give the gift. Watch the gaps be filled with the innovative efforts.

Thomas D. Wolfgram
Executive Director USA VALUES-CDP