7
students one year and five years out about how well
prepared they were for college.
While Cross is all for a movement to regain local
control over public education, he’s not an advocate
for mutiny.
“I would never steer my district away from
complying with the law,” he said. “I just think the law
needs to be changed and the over-reach needs to
be stopped. We will jump through all of the hoops,
and we will administer the tests -- and then we will
put it aside and focus on the kids and what’s
important: a well-rounded education for children in a
warm, caring and nurturing environment. All of the
talk about education reform and there’s no mention
of music, art and physical education.”
Cross is in his 23
rd
year as an educator, including
four years as a special education teacher, six as a
high school principal, one year as an assistant
regional
superintendent,
two
years
as
superintendent of the Spring Valley School District
and 10 years as the schools chief in Peru.
The genesis of Cross’ letter dates back to last
spring when he met with his building principals to
discuss the school year that was ending and to look
at ways to improve going forward.
“The principals and I had an in-depth discussion
about all of the distractions and the need to refocus
on the kids,” Cross recalled. The letter more or less
captured and framed that discussion for parents. He
sent it out on August 20. A school board meeting
was scheduled that night and by the time Cross
headed to that meeting the letter already was
hurtling through cyberspace.
“I told the Board that I had sent a back-to-school
letter to parents and I gave them a copy of it. I’m not
sure any of us realized how far and wide it would
spread, but by the next day I was getting responses
from all over the place,” Cross said.
Based on the response he has received,
Cross said he thinks it’s just a matter of time before
there is a “revolution” by parents and educators who
believe in strong local control of public education. He
chuckled when he recalled a reporter asking him
about his “controversial” letter.
“I told her that there was no controversy,” he
said. “The response I’ve gotten has been 100
percent supportive of a common sense approach to
educating children. If nothing else, the response to
the letter proves that parents do not want their
children attending a test factory.”
“I would never steer my
district away from complying
with the law. I just think the law
needs to be changed and the
over-reach needs to be
stopped. We will jump through
all of the hoops, and we will
administer the tests -- and then
we will put it aside and focus
on the kids and what’s
important: a well-rounded
education for children in a
warm, caring and nurturing
environment. All of the talk
about education reform and
there’s no mention of music, art
and physical education.”
Read responses to the letter from across the country on the next two pages.
