Recommended Reading

Daniela and I have a little routine we enjoy. Well, I do, anyway. Question: What's the deal baby-ooo? Answer: Today's the deal, daddy-ooo. Indeed, today is the deal. (Thanks, Jim.) Sometimes it's hard to stay focused on the present, but as I get older and short term memory becomes more of a challenge, this gets a little easier. Not serious: I don't think I have age-related memory problems. Yet. Recommended reading: read the debate on bilingual education in the Times "Education Watch" section. This debate has been going on for decades now. To me, the issue is not really English Immersion vs. Bilingual Education. Either can work. It's quite simple: you need quality, motivated teachers. Kids will succeed, or fail, regardless of the educational philosophy guiding the instruction, as long as they have good teachers and involved parents. Yes, we do need more money for education. But even more than money, we need a cultural and political shift. Education has to be at the top of the agenda. Always. More recommended reading: Fortunata y Jacinta, by Benito Perez Galdos. It's a biggie, but well worth the effort. We just read this in our book group and everyone loved it. It's available in English (Fortunata and Jacinta).