It was on Fox, I think that Bush senior commented about his son, George, that he "passed the test". What test is he talking about? I will take your answers or comments. If you ask me, he failed pretty much every imaginable test he ever took. most of all, for his presidency he got an "F".
I beg the White House to respond and to capitalize on every opportunity to point out attempts at excusing Bush's excesses.
Thank you.
Those who oppose anything that Obama is trying to do and who display racism and bigotry, make me think it is the Civil War all over again. The Revenge of the South, if you will. I coined a new label for them. They are the NEOCONFEDERATES. If you read this, know that it is written by an old white lady who is more than sick of this kind of behavior. They offend, instigate, agitate and ultimately ruin everything for everyone.
I hope you use this word and spread it around. I hope that soon there will be some stats on them. i would like to know how many are there.
Maria (Mary) Kenez
Somewhere on AOL news I read that Barack Obama said, he "screwed up" on the Tom Dashle nomination. What I like is that he admited it easily and honestly. Bush screwed up regularely, but he never admitted it. Occasionally he made general statements like "mistakes were made", but totally avoided any specifics.
Something though does not make sense here. People the caliber of Dashle know that they may be nominated for cabinet posts. They know very well the scrutiny involved. Why in the world would a (likely) well to do legislator choose to trick the IRS? And by what non-tempting amount! Is there a remote chance that someone he was trusting tricked him? Or, if he did his own return he could have made an honest mistake? (I found out today that my tax preparer mistakently entered over $700 in income on my return last year. As a result, I overpaid the IRS. Now I am told that to ammend it, would cost nearly as much as the difference it would have made to my return.)
But really who in their right mind would blow up bridges that they intend to go across? I simply don't understand this. But there is something that could be made simpler, and that is the system of taxation. The reason every attempt to make it more simple fails, is because a cumbersome system lends itself to a host of mistakes and misinterpretations. It keeps large numbers of accountants and lawyers busy with paper work hunting for loopholes. Not sure why, but some are benefiting, unfortunately it is not me.
Thank you Barack Obama for being honest.
There is plenty of it. I would not write this, if I were still working as a teacher. It is a TABU or TABOO-both are right...
I have nearly 30 years of experience teaching mathematics and physics. Three of those were in Europe. I worked as a certified teacher in Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Retired at last, I am able to talk. That's because schools and school districts have their own "political machines" and I had to protect my meeger exisence.
The good thing about public schools in America is that they indeed are trying to educate every kid. The problem is, they are not really going about it in the most efficient way. As a result, public school education is mediocre at best and extremely expensive.
There are two areas that I would like to focus on, that have the potential to save money and effort. The first is the way textbooks are used, the second is the way administrators work.
The textbook industry has become extremely sophisticated. Since the 90s their offers include many added "goodies", mostly in the form of software. The software intends to help with planning, evaluation, tutoring, pacing, teaching, you name it. It sounds good, until you want to implement it. Inevitably you will find that in order to match the book with your needs, your students level and the tests that are mandated in the end, it is more work than if you just did all that on your own from scratch.
There are other problems with the beautiful, expensive, thick and heavy hardbacks. They are frightening. They look like Moutn Everest to the climber. They are also heavy to carry. When damaged or vandalized, more if lost. And finally, the students cannot keep them for later reference. If they lose a book, it cost them about $50 and I think that is susidized too.
At the center of this problem stand the lucrative contracts that the big publishers secure from school districts. Money! Money! Money! The thing we have less and less of.
If the students and teachers best interests were really at the center, we would have 1 cm thick paperbacks with simple but good material for a semester. And the book should be given to the students to use even after the course is finished, because the next course is usually built upon the previous one.
Less to carry, much cheaper to obtain, even if the student buys it. Less frightening to study and if damaged, easier to replace. Not the stuff big publishers like, but they are not the important ones. The students and the teachers are.
The savings would be astronomical! The benefits would be great. Why not try? It is not a new idea, it is done all the time in other countries. Our huge and fancy hardbacks are a luxury we can no longer afford. Cut this pork out!
The second issue that I want to discuss is a very touchy one. That's because it questions the very usefulness of a large number of school district employees. But don't worry, it is not about them losing their jobs, it is more like finding a better division of labor that takes some burdens off teachers and improves the student/teacher ratio.
School sites and central administrations employ quite a number of administrators. My estimate is that for every 10-15 teachers there is an administrator. I have serious reservations about those who "abandoned" the classroom for better and more comfi desk jobs. In most states one only takes a few grad level courses and maybe some internship. This is the group of people that inevitably produces and pushes more and more work upon teachers. On paper they are helping teachers, but in reality they are not. They fill the teachers mailboxes with memos, requests, instructions, advice (unsolicited) and they fill the teachers calendars with meetings, workshops and observations. Teaching is already a burnout job, without this added stress. The sheer paper waste is phenomenal.
There are much better uses for these people.( This idea is neither mine, nor new. It works in Europe and I have seen it in small school districts right here in the US.) All administrators, including principals, assistant principals and others who are qualified, must teach classes part of the time. My principal was also my math teacher in the 8th grade. (The school was a large K-12.) In Banquete, Texas, my principal also substituted and drove the school bus once a week. That was a small district, true, but he saved money this way.
Here is how the idea I propose would impact education: 1. Administrators who pretend to support teachers, whould actually roll up their sleves and improve the student/teacher ratio. That would be very helpful. 2. The administratos who must teach part of their time, would remain in touch with reality. Very important, because otherwise they keep trying to impose their outdated theories. In my experience professional development is OK, but it is always too drawn out. You could get from it what you can use in 1/3 time. No need to put on a big show and to "look important".
In these two areas there is a lot of pork. I am sure individual districts may have other pork issues, but if only these are addressed, we could save money and improve education simultaneously.
There are some people (CEOs mostly), who are directly responsible for the financial and economic melt-down. These individuals can be identified and held responsible. I am not sure about the dent it would make in resolving the problems, but it would send a message. Here is what I propose: Appoint a commission that determines what rules and laws they violated and what penalties apply. I am thinking of fines in particular. The fines would have to be proportional to the losses they have caused to their firms. In plain English, hit them in the pocket, where it hurts.
How this money should be used to benefit the public, is a matter of another brainstorming. I know, some might say, oh, take it from the rich and give it to the poor, sounds like redistribution of wealth. Except that the wealth I am talking about was acquired fraudulently. So this is not a case of redistribution, but restitution. Big difference. If nothing else, this money should be included in the bailout packages, so that it would ease the burden somewhat on the taxpayers.
There is very little talk about this, but anger is building up as we get occasional glimpses at the plush lifestyles that most CEOs enjoy. Why would they be rewarded when they ran their ships aground? The "bad apples" need to be weeded out.
Liberation
It crumbled paradigms
And came with a roar!
In the form of a man
Shook us to the core.
Brothers and sisters
Of the Human Race,
Celebrating in awe,
Thanking in grace.
Tears on their faces,
Of myriads of shades
A gathering so huge
Obama to embrace.
Nov. 5, 2008
By Mary Kenez
