EDITORIAL: Address reading problems earlier than third grade

Journal & Courier

Gov. Mitch Daniels and state Superintendent Tony Bennett proposed an end to schools' social promotion at the third grade for students who were deficient in reading skills.

A state Senate committee eliminated the social promotion issue in a bill last week because it was estimated to cost $49 million each year to retain students in the third grade, and the state can't afford the expense.

But ending social promotion is likely to come up again next year during the crafting of the biennial budget because it is politically popular. After all, schools are supposed to teach students how to read. And if the students are not learning, advancing them to the fourth grade only sets them up for more failure.