Countdown to our 35th Anniversary in May
A Skip Through the Years
By Allen A. Raymond, Publisher

In our very first issue in May 1971, Dr. James E. Allen, Jr., chairman of our editorial board, wrote: "It was while I was serving as United States Commissioner of Education that I initiated, and President Nixon endorsed, the nationwide 'Right to Read' effort – that by the end of the 1970s, no child shall be leaving school without the skill and the desire to read to the limits of his capability."

"Parents and teachers alike," he added, "will be seeking new sources of guidance and practical help. To provide such help is the goal of this magazine."

In our November 1971 issue, the Director of the Right to Read program, Dr. Ruth Love Holloway, wrote that the right to read "is as fundamental in this technological society as is the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. We believe," she continued, "that every individual is entitled to this right, and the U.S. Office of Education is dedicated to the proposition that every American shall have it by 1980."

Thirty-five years later the tendency is to say, "So? What else is new?"

The implied answer, of course: "Not much."

But that's not true. Today we're teaching reading in ways that are exciting and effective. Textbooks have turned into sophisticated, multifaceted "programs," technology is everywhere and kids who are intellectually challenged receive the help they need.

Even the much-maligned "No Child Left Behind" keeps everyone's attention focused on education, and that's good.

So, what was this magazine up to in, say…1973-74? Wilbur J. Cohen, former Secretary of Education and Dean of the University of Michigan's School of Education, commenting in our October 1973 issue about a so-called teacher surplus, stated "there would be no surplus if we reallocated our nation's financial resources to meet the educational needs of every child."

Sounds like one of us, doesn't he?

In our September 1976 issue I wrote of my experiences celebrating our country's bicentennial in New York City on July 4, 1976. "While we were waiting for the evening's fireworks," I wrote, "a large group of young people led us in singing, time after time, America The Beautiful and God Bless America. Kate Smith would have been proud."

"Finally, late in the day, and on cue from portable radios scattered throughout the crowd, millions of New Yorkers, with the rockets' red glare lighting the sky, sang The Star Spangled Banner. What a wonderful learning experience for those kids."

Teaching K-8 became a part of the Highlights for Children family of companies on November 1, 1985, and I announced the merger in our January 1986 issue, closing my Memo with this comment to all of you:

"Our magazine, I like to believe, is a gentle wind blowing through your classroom bringing warmth, hope, courage, inspiration and excitement to you and the children you teach."

And then, in the May 1986 issue, I wrote that the summer "is a time when we plan for the next school year. We set our hopes high and polish our ideals for the new year – knowing our goals are probably loftier than we can hope to attain."

Thirty-five years later, we continue to set our hopes high and polish our ideals.

Allen Raymond is the Editor/Publisher for Teaching Pre K-8.