I refuse to give up on any child, and that is why I argue so passionately against social promotion. First things first. Every child must learn to read. Our children must also be educated in the values of our civil society. We must teach them that there are right choices in life and wrong choices in life.
Some people think it's inappropriate to make moral judgments anymore.
Wrong choices cause harm, heartache and poverty. We must be willing to draw a clear line between right and wrong. Those clear lines are drawn by families, by neighbors, by churches and synagogues, by charities, all of which teach character and principle along with discipline and devotion. Those clear lines must be supported by political leaders, public schools and our public institutions. A healthy democracy depends upon the character of its citizens.