Usually my letters stir up controversy but I cannot see how anyone will be able to say that about this one! I hope that its content will be read by all students at all levels of education by teachers and school administrators as well as parents and yes even us "older citizens!"

No one can deny that every year students have problems learning and keeping abreast of school assignments and requirements. Partly as a result of this, too many students drop out never to complete their education. Many more just barely get by and end up with a poor learning experience.

In the remainder of this missile I want to tell you about something that might make a great difference. If you visit "khanacademy.org" you will find a site which offers serious, simple help in math, history, art and perhaps other disciplines of learning. This source was established by a brilliant young man, Sal Khan, who has three degrees from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The degrees are a B.S. in mathematics, an M.S. in electrical engineering, and another M.S. in electrical engineering and computer science. He also has an MBA from Harvard Business School.

You can read about him in the World Magazine, Aug. 27, 2011. Khan was a teacher and, seeing the problems students were having, he had an idea to help more people than those just in one school. He applied for, and received, a grant to set up a website which is free to anyone who wishes to use it. It has a full list of math courses from early elementary to as high as you can go. In the article it tells of one girl who completed 5 1/2 years of math in one year! Schools (public and private) and home schoolers use the site regularly, but it is available to anyone, student or not.

I would encourage you to do a Google search and read for yourself and perhaps you will get the World Magazine and learn for yourself what this young man has been able to do to help others. Considering that America ranks 25th in the world in math scores, there is hope that this kind of approach will be of great benefit. I have lived up to my promise - nothing controversial this time! But don't give up on me!

GEORGE W. RODKEY, M.D.

Post Falls