‘I was a teacher for 17 years, but I couldn’t read or write’
When I was a child I was told by my parents that I was a winner, and for the first six years of my life I believed what my parents had told me.
I was late in talking, but I went off to school with high hopes of learning to read like my sisters, and for the first year things were fine because there weren't many demands on us other than standing in the right line, sitting down, keeping our mouths shut and going to the bathroom on time.
And then in the second grade we were supposed to learn to read. But for me it was like opening a Chinese newspaper and looking at it - I didn't understand what those lines were, and as a child of six, seven, eight years old I didn't know how to articulate the problem....
Natalie Johnson wrote: One of Barbara Bush's enduring legacies is her commitment to books and reading. Motivated by her son Neil's dyslexia, she chose family literacy as her main cause while first lady. In 1991 she helped pass the National Literacy Act, which focused on teaching millions of American adults to read....
Jason Reed wrote: Barbara Bush, the 37th first lady of the United States, is being remembered by her family as a "woman unlike any other" who brought "levity, love and literacy to millions".
A family statement announced Mrs Bush had died at the age of 92. She had recently been in and out of hospital but in recent days announced she would instead return home to "focus on comfort care"....
Though this was reported on the British BBC, this was a case in the United States.
I am not sure that this guy could have got away with this in Britain.
However, I have heard that US universities are always looking out for brilliant American football / baseball / basketball players etc., to give them sports scholarships, and these students don't actually have to be particularly academic or bright, as long as they do very well in the requisite university sports or athletic team!!!
Back in Britain, things like dyslexia and other learning difficulties were not widely recognised in schools and colleges until the 1990's, and regrettably students with such difficulties were often punished by ill-informed teachers and lecturers instead of being helped. That thankfully is generally a thing of the past, and students receive much more help, special tuition, and extra allowances for exams and assignments.
Frank, this is the second article I have read about this man. All through school he was ingenious at cheating . He came over as plausible, however it does seem incredulous that he got away with this for 17 years... But the evidence sais he did.
I didn't read the article, but my opinion is if someone is claiming they were a teacher for any amount of time and couldn't read or write, then they are lying.
John Y., the article was about the man, not about Barbara Bush who as the First Lady, was an advocate for adult literacy. It just confirm more so, my knowledge of college social fraternities, as not being conducive to academic excellence.
It's an informative article. I would suspect for those who can't read, the article not being a much use, they should be directed to their public library for help.
Adult literacy was one of Barbara Bush's projects. I'm sorry to hear that she is in seriously declining health.
BBC wrote: If you know someone who needs help
• John Corcoran set up a foundation in his name to help adults and children with literacy skills - in California and online • In the UK the National Literacy Trust website lists organisations that promote adult literacy • These include Read Easy and the Reading Agency
The above article is a good one. The local public library could probably give help to people that have this problem. For you who can read see the links in the article. It's somewhat shows bad influence College social fraternities also. 👎
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