Imagine the End in Mind for 2020 Now with 20/20 Truths Today

USA VALUES - CDP Phone 507-452-2658 or 763-550-0769
Character Development Program Fax 507-452-2202
102 Walnut Street http://www.usavalues-character.org/
Winona, Minnesota 55987 twolfgram@wcprinting.com
(A 501 (c) (3) company)

March 29, 2007

To Representatives and Senators

Let’s imagine it is 2020 and we have a gift that shows us the 20/20 truth about key decisions we make in 2007.

We have made many good decisions, it would seem because, among other issues:
· 100% of our kids graduate from High School
· They are 100% proficient in reading, math and writing
· They understand opportunity and choices in the many fields of life
· They can relate to the issues of secular character, morals and ethics,
because they read, believe in democracy and personal responsibility
· The 9 county metro area is growing at over twice the national average, the focus continues to be on high tech, medical and education
· The “brain power shortage” predicted was avoided. Brain power is no longer lost in ages 3-6 children because among other developments, moms were alerted, funded and supported to deliver Early Reading Skills
· New citizens are joining the community from everywhere because growth demands it
· Property values are reflecting that growth
· The value of growth is questioned, here and around the world. BUT, there is no question that opportunity and growth is part of the USA ethic perceived by the world projected by the state . USA VALUES™ (1)

How did this start? Well it seems like service groups and the American Legion and VFW’s decided, like our most influential citizens (the 911 Commission, page 377), that Literacy Is Freedom and we should teach it at home as we sacrifice lives to teach it overseas. Under all conditions the effective citizens concluded we should teach it at home!

Those with historically sharp 2020 hindsight saw the change when every mother got smart about the age 3-6 sensitive period to learn language (before schools starts) and within 2-3 short years every child arrived from the community to the kindergarten ready to read. This new brain power allowed the public, charter and private school achievements to soar. Drop out rates dwindled, and then dropouts stopped because of all the alternatives.

Hindsight revealed that in 2007-2008; 100% of the moms decided they could not deliver 100% of the children ready to read alone so they asked the principals to help them reach into the community by directly asking those with money (the powerful) to help deliver Early Reading Skills from the bottom of the community up. They made the point that the character network that already existed was adequate to remove the education gap from the school. Mom, drove it out of natural love for the child and children their child went to school with. Only Mom’s love could channel the effort of the most powerful to fix the education gap by working with and for the least powerful. The least powerful realized they could create their child’s opportunity themselves, and learned to ask for specific one-size-fits-one help for their child. Some call it a miracle, the coverage of giving is ongoing. But really, many secular efforts and local Mother and Grandmother Teresas rose to the issue as trained and paid volunteers for 5-10-15 year part time “careers” in the neighborhoods.

The largest Retailers of food and household goods started telling Moms about “HOW IMPORTANT EARLY READING SKILLS ARE TO THEIR CHILD” on their receipts. Many thought this would put much pressure on the public schools but the pressure showed up in the cities and communities instead. As a side note:

An estimate of extra cost to deliver ERS to 100% of age 3-6 children revealed it to be about .1% of trailing Mfg Shipments, Retail Sales, and Government/Education/Non-Profit spending. Substantial money’s came forth as designated gifts for one-on-one deliveries that matched giving with commitment to deliver. This happened in a very simple Give-It-Forward process that was more unconditional giving than not, but met the requirements of the public charities. Rings of Advantage could be sustained with advertising economics that triggered the funding and delivery. (2)

And, Business, households, apartments, trailer parks, and shelters realized the key to real estate values in total was an unstated education index relative to the neighborhood. This actually could mark the market up or down based on the visual current performance status of the schools and the community. This made real for business the concept that a huge ROI exists in the delivery of Early Reading Skills to Age 3-6 children. Especially, when 100% of the children subsequently have a huge impact on the quality of the public, charter and private schools; and the future of the neighborhood, city and county after school.

NCLB was looked at much closer by business and the effective citizen and the Early Reading First Portions of the act exploded from local demand. Early Reading First at schools got funded in spades from all directions as schools reached into the community under the direction of the principals. Schools and community were backed by the mothers love of children and the concepts of leaving no child behind were placed squarely on the back of the delivery of Early Reading Skills to age 3-6 children in proportions that impacted elementary schools. First Things First as Dr. Covey would say. Some would say the leaders decided to really start with an end in mind.

Really effective citizens with deep smarts realized that 100% delivery of Early Reading Skills could set a new stage of development for the community and the schools; and, they controlled it (most powerful and really effective) as they promoted the delivery as a gift. Also, mobility and continuous improvement played to their advantage as they delivered the skills at age 3-6. And, the really effective citizen already knew that giving is at least twice blessed; but, with taxes 1 and 1 rarely added to 2; so, they set out to make the point.
And, when they pealed back the onion layers covering the substance of this education curriculum they found self correcting materials for parent’s or “child parent mentors” already available. They decided there was no downside or extra long term cost to deliver Early Reading Skills in very small groups during a child’s sensitive period to learn language (brain’s reception powers are peaked). Also, they found proficiency demonstrated by some for many years with at least one “branded” process developed in the early 1900’s to help the most at risk in an urban environment. While branded the process was in the public domain and already digested from the classroom for one-on-one parent delivery.

Significant Blossoms emerged in communities with the Centers of Community Economic Development taking a lead role on the streets of the neighborhoods. They focused specifically on business parks, retail centers, and housing to find the children. (3)

The above expressions are copyrighted by USA VALUES, Inc.
It may not be used without permission.
(1) “USA VALUES™
(2) “Early Reading Skills Delivered- Ringing Advantages”©
(3) “Today’s children, Tomorrow’s Future”™

Sincerely,


Thomas D. Wolfgram
Executive Director