What is "wrong" with our schools gets the emphasis, but there seems little chance of agreement on what needs to be done.

There is no harder working nor more idealistic group of professionals than teachers, bless them, and by giving teachers the tools and freedom to do their jobs, students will thrive.

For a look at what works, see the article, "A+ for Finland" in the current issue of Smithsonian magazine. While struggling under great debt of three wars, "the Finish Parliament made the decision to choose public education as its best shot at economic recovery." Now 93 percent of their students graduating from high school, compared with our 75.5 percent.

In Finland, the gap between the strongest and weakest students is the smallest in the world and yet the Finns spend 30 percent less per student than the U.S. Based on 2009 international standardized tests, Finland ranks second in science. The U.S. ranks 23rd. Finland ranks third in reading. The U.S. ranks 15th. Finland ranks sixth in math. The U.S. ranks 31st!

Let's learn from success. Let's be practical and do what works. Let's take good ideas wherever we find them.

Joyce McClanahan, Richland