I'm a little left behind on this

   "The eensy-weensy spider…" a little girl sings over and over, but stops because she can't remember the rest. A narrator explains that good nutrition is important for brain cell development and gives contact information for free milk, food and medicine through the WIC-Women, Infants and Children-Program to qualifying mothers. 

   I see this ad during the Bloomberg Report at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays. I'm not sure how many mothers who qualify for WIC watch Bloomberg at the crack of dawn, but anyone watching gets the message that parents are responsible for their child's brain development and the government offers free help for those in need. However, healthcare workers tell me that even with vouchers placed in their hands, many mothers still don't bother to cash in on what the government gives them. 

   Next Monday, thousands of children with poorly developed brain cells will walk through the doors of Gwinnett County Public Schools. And teachers must make sure that when test time comes not one of these children is left behind. 
A tall order, maybe, but it's not like teachers have no support. Last year through Title I, the federal government granted $1230 worth of Supplemental Education Services for each child in danger of being left behind. The money would cover about 25 hours of private in-home tutoring for any eligible child whose parents bothered to apply. 

   Last year, in three Gwinnett schools, 2906 children qualified for SES. The schools mailed letters to their parents then sent home follow-up letters with the children. Informational meetings were held at all three schools. Administrators made every effort to get the message out. Of the 2906 who qualified for SES, only 265 applied. Of those who applied, only 228, or eight percent, followed through. And even then, some of that eight percent did not take advantage of the entire $1230 Title I offered them.

   "I hope we have a greater response this year," said Priscilla Sena, Title I Lead Teacher. "The more students we serve, the better the test scores will be in the end." 

   But no matter how generous or well-meaning, SES cannot serve student without parents' cooperation. 

   The Gwinnett Library also offers free online tutoring in English and Spanish at www.gwinnettpl.org to any student who bothers to log on. Tutors are available until 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and computers are available at the library until 9:00 p.m. 

   OK. For those in need, WIC supplies free milk, food and medicine to help build healthy brain cells. Title I and the library provide free tutoring. But if parents don't adequately nurture their kids and the children end up in danger of being left behind, then according to the NCLB Act, it's the school's fault? And the school needs "corrective action?" My brain cells cannot comprehend even an eensy- weensy bit of logic here. Can someone with sharper brain cells than mine please tutor me on this?


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