Schools, Society, And `The Bell Curve'

The editorial ``The Bellicose Curve,'' Oct. 28, fails to address the central thesis of Charles Murray and Richard Herrnstein, which is that black children cannot learn as well or as much as white children in academic subjects because they were born with less intelligence.

The real question in this debate is: Can we as a society provide resources and leadership for the all-black schools to overcome the deficiencies that the students have as a result of their environment, upbringing, and societal expectations?

My experience as a teacher and an administrator in the school district of Philadelphia convinces me that Mr. Murray and Mr. Herrnstein, like most folks in our society, believe that black children have less intelligence, and then find evidence to prove their thesis.

Schools must have a mandate to help all students learn to a level of mastery in their academic subjects, not to sort students out along some preconceived curve. Henry Kopple, Arthur, W. Va.

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