Clements is a classroom teacher and educational consultant. He spoke this basketball before a conference for school administrators from the Upper Midwest in Canada sponsored by the North Dakota School administrators Association because of his unique and Lively style Clement has been described as a cross between John Dewey Bill Cosby and Billy Graham. His primary concern is the diagnosis of students to determine literacy levels, which enables Educators to effectively individualized instruction that may sound like a dry topic but one and Compass by Clements act it becomes very interesting the official title of common stock is Back to Basics a case of the wrong direction and the wrong Basics. Dr. Zachary Clements.I don't know about a lot of people in this room, but over the years I've been amazed seems that every 10 years or so a new Guru rides out of the west or out of the East rarely. Do they ever right out of the Midwest except for John Manning, of course in white suit What's a ride from various parts of the country and they have the answer they come into town shouting? I've got it. I've got it. I've got it especially if they're from Berkeley they shall Goodell out and I'd like to share with you some of the things they told us over the years and how they worked. I remember a few years back when the heavy word around was if you really want to have your game together in schools and you want to meet the needs of kids brother. You got to have Team teaching everybody rushed to the walls to get 13 teaching organized. You know, how that was supposed to work. We get 90 kids and three concern teachers and we mix and match depending on needs and space and everything was supposed to be beautiful some days. You might work with 10 kids you work with 50 and he'll work with 20 tomorrow. You work with AT&T still work with five each. Well within a very few years, you know what it became you teach you monitor you smoke. Tomorrow we switch it around you minor you smoke you teach. Sometimes they call that the one for the price of 3 message didn't go gang didn't go but that's okay because that hadn't even faded before the new Guru arrived and he announced that if you really want to be heavy. I mean really heavy. You can't even go in the old us anymore. You got to head for Britain because their brother they're opening up to everybody sales. Awaiting a 20 minute before you know, whatever you were saying, you know, I just returned from Britain. Tell us what you found out. Well, they said that if you wanted to be heavy you had to have walls come tumbling down and carpet and pupil Center curriculum and it wasn't long before everybody started knocking the walls down opening up, you know the Mohawk Carpet Sales booms. Interesting thing to know what I go to school to be like that and I'm inevitably met by a second grade teacher who says oh, dr. Clements. I'm so glad you're here. So, how's that? They're well, I'll tell you I teach in the second grade Wing, you know, and we have these three hundred kids. Well, the problem is, you know Madeline over there, you know, she's a lovely lovely young lady. I mean anything against But it seems every time I'm trying to have Matt she's having galloping. It's always say well, I surely you get together and plan and set up your program and you know, so who's going to be in wedding? I went to the one of these open schools pupil Sunny Creek in and they called it. You know the kind of place friends where a teacher walks in in the morning. And you said her where's your lesson plan? And she says why lesson plan man, you got to know where the kids are at before you can teach him. There's a kind of school where teacher walks in the room until I feel a sin coming on. Or that other great message that says kids. I want to teach you something. I want to see if you can figure out what it is. Talk it over. Some of these places are pigsties my friends and we're being shamed and fooled all over the country and all over Canada. I've open cupboards and found kids. Say the kid. What are you doing in there? I don't know who's your teacher? I don't know how long you been in there. I don't know like a lot of these Resource Centers you go to there's a kid whining around. And you say the kid? What are you doing? How long you been here is good to all of these? I'm not trying to make a blanket statement French and if anyone's doing selective listening and hearing what they want to hear and say stay afterward is all a bunch of garbage. Listen again, I'm talking about poor examples, but I'm talking about something even more important my friends. But before I get to that, let me give you the latest Innovation that sweeping the country. It is inevitable that I go to schools in the principal meet me at the front door and says like you're really going to like our school man. O, how's that Mr. High School? Principal Well, everybody's on their own level man. We're really humanizing an individualizing do I go in the room and hears these kids with $4,000 each And some kitty walk up to me and say hello, and mr. Are you here to help out with what the school year? we have all these papers to do, you know and sometimes you know, it's okay, but I wish the teacher could you know like Get up in front of the room, you know, and we can raise your hand, you know, he can talk to us and that he can ride on a board or so. Yeah. I know we call it teaching. Have you got your ticket pewter a computer terminal Outlet yet friends. Have you got all your little Carol's up in the hallways yet? What the hell you don't have that kind of school system you running you mean you are computerized you don't have these terms. You don't have individual ice programs every kid with a pump in his age and sex. Etc and I'll come to program just the time for him. The point I want to make my dear friend is a very simple one with all of the millions of dollars. We spending all of the Sham programs. We bought into as a whole with all of the Box. We've spent a Novation. I tell you that in 1976, there are few and far schools in between that I can walk in and ask one simple basic. And that is the walk up to a teacher and say tell me where your kids are at. Tell me where the Trident literacy tell me where there are effectively tell me where they're adding content. In fact in the secondary school to this country. I'm still looked upon as a pariah when I mention the word. diagnosis you want to see him in the auditorium is of America the coaches the union leader the social studies U-Boat commanders and every schools got a few of those. You know, the guy that didn't Wear Ties when it was fashionable to wear them. They sit in the back of a slide down in your chair and you mentioned diagnosis and they look at each other or give me a break will you? Who stands accused of making diagnosis the prerogative of the reading Center the prophet of of the primary teachers, but that's a secondary level forget it you ever heard of diagnosis at that level and yet I submit to you my friends in a school-wide diagnosis and knowing where children are at is not done. I accused the superintendent and I can use the principles and I accuse the practitioners in a malpractice. We shan't we talked about take the children where they are all well, I agree with that. Yet. I walk into school after school and I don't find teachers who know where kids are at and what's even more appalling is when I call it to some teachers attentions. I'm looked upon as The truth hurts my friends the truth hurts. Ask yourself this question. Let's be very honest are your principal? Can you tell me the right now if I walked into your school to any primary classroom, I could say to a teacher tell me about this child and that teacher could whip out of her files a final on that child which would have some informal diagnostic information some formal diagnostic information and some ideas about where they're going with that child. Yes or no, not the kind of like maybe yes or no. And I done well wouldn't even Dare Challenge the junior high and Senior High crowd and asked the same question because you know, and I know what in the main the answer will be. I consider. I would submit to you that my friend if we're ever going to master some of the foolishness that goes on in schools All Over America the up the down staircase isms. If you will, I don't have to go back to some very basic Basics and I don't mean by Basics back to teaching stuff. I mean back to the basic of taking every child where he is. How many times do I walk in the room heard a teacher say? Gateway is not. How many times we going to go by onomatopoeia now, we've been over this thing six times and anybody in here know it put your hand on Frank. I know, you know, you know everything. Louise David Phillips Street and three kids in the back of the room knows each other and stay or come on who the heck even cares about poetry poetry Is For Fools we're winning the battle my friends in many places and losing the war. And you know, why because we really don't know where kids are at. It's a simple as that. There are three categories. I would submit to you that every teacher to know something about concerning children. I'd like to share them with it. It would seem to me that it is perfectly ridiculous. The teacher in a situation in which we didn't know something about children's literacy levels. How much longer are we going to go on giving kids books? They can't read. and then wondering why the family It is so sad when I walk into a school and I find in the room one cable can do the wood speed reading technique and another one who is you know? pepperoni you don't know what either. I don't think so. supportive kitchens turn funk you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. macedonians makedonian What's that when I walk up to a teacher, so, you know the kitchen room the can't read the book. You note to teacher answers. What do you want from me? Very nice. Great James married to know how to read it to take care of this down there. Go on give him and books friends. I can't read and then we wonder why right to read isn't working. You want to change the reading problems in this country friends? I'm going to give you a free answer to the free solution. And I know what some of the heavy General will go out of the room and say. He supposedly knows when we spent millions and haven't got the answer yet. What I do have the answer. If every single teacher in America where to take children each year where they are in literacy and when you got a child, for example who does not know how to pronounce the word work with him on that still. And not assume or say where he solo what can I do? We wouldn't be having the problems we've got. That child needs a book for five levels lower than that. Willie Get It in America 1976. I say to you. My friends are most School dancers categorically. No. And why would we do this the kids? I believe it's not because we're ratfinks. I believe it's because in the main we don't know where the child Zach because I would think if we did we provide them with materials. You can read just one simple point. I'd like to make reading is very much like weightlifting friends. You give a kid a wait. That's too heavy a reading. Wait. That's too heavy you're going to give him a hernia and once she gets a hernia like most people who get hernias. He's not going to listen anymore weight conversely. Give a child a book. He can handle and be supportive of him and he will grow in reading and I'm going to tell you something else why I'm concerned about literacy you graduate a child across your stage who is not up to par and literacy you bring the whole educational structure down and you make us all go to our knees. B2B the accountability rap how much longer are we going to send kids across the state you had 12 years of onomatopoeia 12 years of dangling participle 12 years of parallel Construction. You don't know what it means to be an American who can't read up the basic literacy levels and you can't write a simple paragraph. The second concerns use me that I have is a concern about the effective. I admit we going too far with this one. There's no question. I've met teachers in college and preparation who said, you know. The Clements Unit. I want to go out, you know and work with kids man. I mean because you know, these kids need somebody that they can rap to you know what I mean? Any somebody who cares? I don't care about reading right man rhapsodies kids. Are going to school to my friends where the kids have a good time. And you go in there and they're doing macrame and they're doing play and it having fun singing. Wonderful. I'm all for all. There's a place for it. But for heaven's sakes my friend is a place for reading and writing. But on the other hand. The effective is critical. How many of you know right now of kids in your school that are doing pulling up because they don't have it up here or not because they don't have their game together in terms of some of the basic skills. They're suffering from a problem at home. They're suffering from a problem socially their supper suffering from an intrapersonal problem. And yet what do I hear from a lot of teachers and I must be very candid with you to higher up in the education structure we go the worse it gets I here what do you want from me? I mean, I noticed you're having trouble but I can't do anything about it. That's where the home to take care of. Well, my friends the quote Harry S Truman if you can't stand the heat you don't belong in the kitchen as far as I'm concerned that's part of our job when we come in education. All of us have had those heartaches were seeing some poor kid standing outside in December in the same jacket he had on in September and giving them a jacket from your own pocket money that you spend out of your own pocket and then having the jacket come back the next day with a lousy note attached to it saying it mind your own damn business if I want to buy my kid a jacket, I'll buy it from we don't need charity. How many times did we all suffer to see your kid standing there wearing her sister's dress or a kid with his brother sneakers on? We will all know no tardik what to say. What do you want from me is no concern of mine. I can't help it is to me. My friends are cop out of the highest order. I agree with the high school teach you when they say what was that man? I got 280 different kids. I teach 64 I agree. That's a problem. But my friends the fact of the matter remains we've got to do better than we've been doing in this particular area. And a third category that would seem to me to make some sense is the content area category. How many times have I seen people teaching kids? stuff if you will that they are absolutely out to luncheon. I was in a situation not long ago in the teacher was all upset about the kids. Not remember who won the Battle of Antietam when I got out in the hall I said to some kids. Why was there a Civil War? I know I mean Abraham Lincoln, I think we should reason you know, he didn't like the stuff you might have some idea. Why was in his classroom one time where the teachers are going to talk about the Constitution the kids that I'm not talking about the Constitution and I said to my naughty or nice to me and I should know that's a different word that's constipation. Then you got the amazing and it's going to happen your school's right. Now. People are teaching triangular trade for going Planet 1777 onomatopoeia personification iambic pentameter Diamond Card, Party Support Interactive declarative. Prepositional phrases when you got kids you can't write a simple sentence. You don't know what it is to be an American and who really don't understand the joy of being. You and I know it. Well my friends the only answer I can give you is as they say in the great play. tradition Fiddler on the Roof because that's the way it is when you teach up here. Content is critical. HP Fair It sounds like I'm giving educational black guy. It sounds like I'm coming down on education my friends. There's no greater Champion for the public schools of America in Canada than yours truly and I'll take my place with anybody. I tell it like I feel it in my heart and in my show and now let me be fair to teachers. Why do many teachers not diagnose. Let me roll play if I'm a what it's like and by the way, show me your principles. Well, maybe a green with me or to get in there and do a first grade or second grade and tried doing a little of this teachers and find out what it's like to diagnose. Let me roll play for you what it's like for primary teacher who's trying to diagnose in these three areas. I'd like to be a first grade teacher the kids have been here for two weeks. We're finally ready to begin our diagnostic work. I'm a Believer in what that Clements says and what the superintendent of XYZ District says. I know that I should be diagnosing finding out where kids are. And so I'm ready to start so we just come in from recess and I say to the boys and girls boys and girls. What are we supposed to do today? What did mr. Clements say we're going to do we come in and close up to your dad's going at a time and it show us some stuff right? And what are the rest of us supposed to do class? Splash well before that hour Work can we have that? What are we supposed to crash? How we supposed to do it? What's the matter show me people who want to participate it's alright, we're going to make fun of you joining. It's just nice to feel participating show David. Why don't you come up first? So David staggers up the rest of the class supposedly as hard at it and David begins David. Look at this paper, please and tell me what you see on the paper. So he begins Turkey country just a minute David. Some of us are not being good citizens. Go ahead David. Just a minute David, you know, there are three words and education that don't make any sense anymore. I don't know why we keep them in one of them is tardy two brothers that live in a ghetto standing on a street corner and one of them comes walking up a few minutes late. The other ones at a job site. Where you been you tardy? Well the cloakroom how many times you ever seen a Coke in the cloakroom, you know, I know cloakrooms. Well, cuz I spent years there. I remember times when the teacher would say go to Cocoa might say I know you don't have to even tell me 14 pointed I go in and you know to this day I spend so much time with a comb that when my wife when I go to a party if it's been raining and it does Hostess says put your coats in the bedroom and we get in there in the wetness of the coach comes to my nose. I immediately get on all fours. Because that's how I spent my time, you know looking out the looking out that little hole you don't adore. I'm going to write a book one day how I became educated working out the whole. Cloakroom the other word that gets me is visiting I said, I didn't want any visiting that stalking you no chatting. And way back to other example. Now I'm getting a headache and I want it quiet or I David go ahead sign. Just a minute. Alright, everybody back to their she put the clay awake put the Clay Away Michael. Come on quick me. That's it. The I don't want to speak to this group again get off the windowsill Madeline. Go ahead David Horst tree. No questions Jake it is wind it up. No question. So finally he says, all right. No question. Is American chow mein because his question was can I go to the bathroom to throw up? Now, let me ask you a question. Here's a quiz how many kids does a teacher tested so far class? None, how many more they got to go 29 now, you know, why most preferred primary teachers have hemorrhoids. I'll just varicose veins and flat fee. I talked kindergarten for exactly two weeks by the end of that time. I had hemorrhoids and a twitch. You laugh you laugh. And if you ever live with a first grade teacher you been married the one you know what it's like. My wife got affected. She was a first grade teacher. We have guests over for dinner. She come out of the kitchen and Shay. She got acting like a oh, I'm done. It was bad news. Many a night. I called her from the bedroom money coming up or what. You know, it's 11:00 and I'm Italian you fill in the rest. Gigi about the stairs. I've got to cut out two more pumpkins. So I had to learn how to cut or join among Curry. I'm call the fastest sisters in the east. in all honesty friends It Ain't Easy So one thing that certainly is affecting us here is numbers. And I love it when people say well within optimum number of children in the room who can answer what research has ever been done. If you ever been on the firing line when you make such an asinine statement. Because I can tell you we're not teachers got 29 more to do that's a hell of a lot of kids to diagnose. There's a second problem like it. A lot of teachers won't diagnose friends and I'm even embarrassed to stand up here and tell you this one. I've had teachers walk up to me and say why don't you get out of here, and I shouldn't be saying that to me for You told me to take kids where they are. Well, I can tell you this. My principal doesn't know the first time thing about diagnosis. Sounds to me like The Gauntlet has been dropped. And I'm not even asking anybody in this room, but I would ask you to ask your own heart. Do you know what a good diagnosis is? Can you do what? Are we back to do as I say and not as I can do and if you can't do one, do you have somebody in your building who can do it and who can teach the teachers how to do it? the third reason is the hot rod who comes up to me and says listen fella you guys from the University burn my can you come in here and you suggested to let me tell you something. I've diagnosed. I do everything you said literacy and you know what I get for it. I don't even get a thank you. There's a teacher in my building who leads every day promptly at 3 never stays a minute over wouldn't dare diagnose and you know what? She calls me the family room with stupid ass. That's what you think. I am for doing this extra work for you. Don't get anyting you get the same amount of money no matter what. Do you take the time to bring these teachers in who are doing the diagnosis to even know it? The superintendent said to me one day was supposed to find out whether they're doing or not. I said to him. Let me give you the Clement system. It's hard, but see if you can Master it you start out by calling each teacher into your office. And you say show me what diagnosis you've done on children. Heck of a system remind it takes a lot of preparation to do that. One person tell me well, I think it's against the Union contract. You could be called up on charges may be so friends. But I would ask each and every one of you in this room. Do you know what a good diagnostic program is? Do you really know? What number to do? You see that it carried out. Are you still letting the the freeloaders in America go on getting the same money that the people doing? I'm suggesting to year in and year out and let me tell you something game. The original one of your ears work yourself. You couldn't pick out a piece of paper right now. And if I said you put down the name of the three gifts in your school, but when you go back and repeat what I said today, we'll do the you know the look game. We got it down with science in our business this one. all the notes you give me a g g g g or the nuts or better yet. We'll get up and walk out because it's 3:10 and the contract says we don't have to stay until after 3:10 doesn't happen in North Dakota doesn't happen in Minnesota. What happens in, Arizona? Let's move on up the line. What does a Junior High Senior High people say they think they've got me when I talk about diagnosis there just waiting to line me up because their responses and needing to know these things about kids cuz they've got the kids all day in heaven knows they should know that or else they're incompetent or how can I do it at my level? We've got a hundred eighty different kids meme. But I got two things. I want to suggest to your friend's number one. I'm giving up coming secondary teachers to diagnose. I think it's a it's a it's a role where we're going to go down that road going to burn ourselves out and we're not going to make many head ways. I've been through the whole thing the clothes procedure. Let's give them a standardized test. Let's do a once over lightly, irr. You know we go round to the round-robin reading and get an Insight on how they are. We can give a local content inventory. But let me tell you something that you can do in your school tomorrow. If you got the courage of your convictions and you believe in what you say you believe in the joy of teaching and the hope of children I submit you can go back to your school tomorrow and began instituting a multi text program in every classroom. When is this tyranny going to end this nonsense of one book per child 30 copies of one and what are we going to become throughout the school and multi-tech approach to learning? Some you say well, that's what that's no news yet. We got that in our building. Yeah, but for every building where you have it, I'll find you 20 where it's not existing. I'm looking to the day my dear friends when a kid can walk into a room and instead of being given a book. The teacher will say there are 12 books. You can choose from here choose the one that's most appropriate for your needs and your level you choose it son, or young lady know, why doesn't this happen? I have racked my brain to try to find out why it doesn't happen. I do know what I finally concluded. It's a very very interesting thing that occurred. How much role play it for you? As near as I can figure. Once Upon a Time Manny many millenniums ago the prophet of Education lay or bed and as he lay Abed in the midst of a windstorm and I need some wind. A boy's speak unto him and said Bruce Lee come to the top of a mountain rising from his bed of straw and taking up his attache case. He began to win this way up the mountain amid the wind wind. History does not record when history does not record how long he tricked but finally one night. He arrived at the summit and fell into a deep swoon. How long he slept we do not know. What one's moonlit night a voice set on to him henceforth? This will be educational law. Remember this to each child be on 6th grade. You will give him a bookmark with six Pegasuses or stars and that book will be the selfsame book given unto each child in the room. So it will be in 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th and 12th a Haswell. Remember this he took the title and hurried down into the valley and they're ended promulgate this among all and secondary education and even unto this day. The ceremony is repeated in classroom after classroom. No, sir. My friends won't wash it would seem to me that if we recognize one of the most essential educational truth of all time, which is simply this in an American or Canadian public high school. There are normally as many levels of readers and writers and thinkers as the grade level number. Hence. If you teach 9th, there are nine levels up your teeth 10. There are 10 levels if you teach 11, there are 11 level and I submit are there 11 level text. Or have truth and right become lies and wrong. I was in a school not long ago and a good teacher. You know what he said to me. Let me quote it is that you know, I agree with everything you said but you know what? I mean? I got a lot of kids initial quite frankly can hardly read it all I mean first second grade level. I don't know what level but that way down and believe me. I don't even get home strips, you know, and we have speakers and I'll worry about the reading All I can say to you my friends is what a sad sad State of Affairs because you graduate a child who leaves us incapable of basic literacy and you have graduated a handicap citizen who will soon find its way to the welfare rolls will find its way to the unenlightened voters who will find his way to unhappiness and to say we can find nothing for him to read is a cop out of monumental proportions. Let me try to put it into perspective quickly for you. I am saying to you tonight my friends that when I come to your school and you want to talk about accountability. I say to you ask yourself the Nickel Dime questions, never mind showing me or anyone else the large group instruction area. Don't show me the library and don't show me the resource center rather. What I would like to hear you say to me is in this school. We Endeavor to take every child where he is and we do so by finding out where he is at least in three categories where he's at and literacy where he's at in content and where he's at effectively and we do the best we can for him. I believe with all my heart and soul that when the day comes when we can walk into the high schools and Junior High's in Elementary's of America and Canada and find such diagnosis going we will have made one gigantic step forward to really making educational meaningful for all children. I say to you my friends. It is a sin when I go to the room and I see a life card that says John is having trouble in first grade with his letter sounds second grade John's having trouble with vocabulary where I suspect phonics 3rd grade John is still having trouble with the short files in file digraphs and consonant Blends 5th grade. John has become a reluctant reader and doesn't read anymore. I think he needs work on his phonics. We served a plate after plate after plate of fun. If you would think of somebody diagnosed they say he's getting sick on Phonics best price site. But no. Often times people don't even realize that the diagnosis is review for five years in a row. He can't hack it with phonics and we should be into something else. This is the same school my friends where they might have the best AV program you ever saw where they might have assistant superintendents for the rooms. But we've yet to Institute a sound diagnosis program at this point. I hate to say it and I apologize to my colleagues from the University and college level for present in the audience. I'm sure your class is just doesn't apply to I'm sure of it. Put in a hell of a lot of teachers colleges We Stand Accused. Do we train teachers who can come out and who can do this kind of diagnosis or our hands clean not by a long shot friends not by a long shot. Do you realize that it's taken me six years at the University of Vermont to At Last get a required course and secondary Literacy for our content. Let's have an old one that one please. And still the bio department is going nuts. My favorite see why we should give up one of our requirements. some of these teachers in training scene They want lots of math message lots of Bayou message and who thinks we need literacy We Stand Accused at the college level of turning out teachers very often who do not know how to do this kind of diagnosis. What is that cause for us to sit and stay? Well, therefore they trade him right we would have to Let's not fall into that trap friends. We had it in America with that one. How many times have I gone to a school and had this little Adolf Eichmann syndrome portrayed? I go to school. Talk about love I talk about hope I talk about positive self-image and I passed the faculty room with somebody come downstairs and maybe see the doctor Clements sure. I walk in and it's spokesman said dr. Clements, you know all the teachers in his district agree with you, right? Let's have a right. What the problem Jack is at the teachers write the problem isn't a point to the principal's office or I say I got it all you can count on me time blower shocks, or should I walk over the principal's office? I get to the principal's office who's there, but the principal the board president even and mrs. Davis head of the parents committee for better education. Roller shade of myself there or here I can have them all at once before I even start to speak to principal says Zach the superintendent in the board person everybody agrees with everything you're doing, right? What's the problem isn't at this level the problem is? Poetry teachers room I just came from there. The parents say I will pay any amount of money, but I feel were throwing good after that. If that's cool, don't you love it when a mother says just to give me an example of what I mean? What am I going to get disciplined squared away at that school in my day. We never had this problem. The school's got to work on discipline. Don't you love it when the parents tell you at the church supper or what's going on with these problems in my day shoot. I'd like to talk to your parents and have laid out when I me and my day. My day, I don't want to get into that. I've talked long enough. Let me summarize. Very very simply my friends I am it is my honest considered belief that if I ran a school or I was a superintendent or I went to State superintendent or I was a principal or I was a board of education Member One damn thing that everyone here can doing it doesn't cost you a dime. Don't park your time, except the run some of these instruments off and if you want to pack it to start with I'll give a pack of to your state chairman and take a look at what I've got. You lost a whole will this is nothing we got better than this which is beautiful because that's why I give it out because that's exactly what people say. But what do you got better and whether its use is another story? It won't cost you a dime going to take a hell of a lot of work and hell of a lot of dedication and some house cleaning in your schools to get in there and say the teachers you will diagnose and diagnose effectively. And if you don't know how that's okay. We'll teach you through in service. And to come to a day when anybody could walk into a school and say tell me where this child is and a well-informed teacher will whip out some information which reeks of accountability which reeks of professionalism which reeks of humanism and which says I stand squarely on the principal tle of taking every child where he is indeed. Maybe then my friends the day will come Where when we know that a child doesn't understand what it is to be an American that's where we'll begin instruction. And when we meet a child who cannot spell his name, that's where we'll begin in language arts. And when we meet a child who cannot read a simple sentence that is where we will begin in literacy. When does day Dawns I believe the school system's the public schools of this country will indeed be a much more humanistic and better place for children to grow in. one last note Forgive me from the bottom of my heart forgive me. For sounding so brittle and so hostile but the fact of the matter is my dear friends. Rome is burning. Rome is burning and people are standing around with their finger than are two finger in here else we're saying Maybe it's time to look at Basics friends. but the real basics like the one I just need just maybe it's time. Thank you, and God bless you. Dr. Zachary Clements educational consultant and professor of reading education at the University of Vermont. He was speaking at a conference for school administrators from the Upper Midwest in Canada held this past fall in Fargo North Dakota Conference was sponsored by the North Dakota School administrators Association. I'm John St.