Letters

To the Editor:

While space in Education Week is always limited, the late Sen. Paul Wellstone of Minnesota was more courageous and complex than the person described in your recent story ( "Wellstone Recalled as Friend of Public Education," Nov. 6, 2002). Here are three quick examples from the many stories I could tell, having admired and worked with this 5-foot-5 dynamo since 1969:

1. When the National Collegiate Athletic Association began using bizarre standards to tell high schools which courses were and were not acceptable preparation for college, Sen. Wellstone objected vigorously, publicly, and constantly.The NCAA rejected interdisciplinary courses, or youth/community- service courses, or courses helping youngsters understand current issues. He urged that Congress hold a hearing, and asked others...