Posted 3:05 PM by Susan Darst Williams

WHOA! WUZZUP, WESTSIDE?

Omaha's Westside High School has produced three National Merit Semifinalists this year, a rather pale reflection of its former glory when you consider that Creighton Prep has 14, tiny little Duchesne has four, and so on.

As a proud Westside graduate, Class of 1973, I turned to my musty yearbook and saw on p. 162 that we had TEN National Merit Semifinalists and 19 . . . count 'em . . . 19 more kids recognized as National Merit Commended Students.

The last girl on the right . . . the really, really gorgeous one . . . NOT!!! . . . is, voila, moi. That's how I knew the numbers of nationally top-ranked scholars at Westside used to be much, much bigger, even when spending per pupil was much, much less than it is today.

So now you know that I'm OLD. You already probably know that I have serious problems with the Whole Language curriculum and instruction in District 66. I believe it has nuked itself, academically. These stats suggest that's true.

So will you join me in asking . . . wuzzup with DIS, Westside?