tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post4967617902049557123..comments2023-10-23T09:23:22.051-04:00Comments on Your Schools: Raises, race and other budget answersUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-70022576243675914052013-04-11T16:55:57.308-04:002013-04-11T16:55:57.308-04:00fyi...the extra 45 minutes has been filled by vide...fyi...the extra 45 minutes has been filled by video games and extra recess. Those poor teachers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-86273253236011022062013-04-11T08:15:44.340-04:002013-04-11T08:15:44.340-04:00As I always say, the best solution is to move away...As I always say, the best solution is to move away from the problem.<br /><br />That's worked well for my family for the past 50 years or so.<br /><br />It's a tried and true solution to many of our "social" ills.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-44757034439437515272013-04-11T06:12:02.267-04:002013-04-11T06:12:02.267-04:00CMS sucks, plain and simple. I can only hope I can...CMS sucks, plain and simple. I can only hope I can sell my house in 10 years when my kids are done. That is if anyone wants to live in Meck county and send their kids to CMS by that time. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-65231671873746493672013-04-10T22:36:10.082-04:002013-04-10T22:36:10.082-04:00The 9:15 bell is horrible for young children. Whi...The 9:15 bell is horrible for young children. While it may work for your family with middle schoolers, 5 and 6 year old kids are not awake at 8:30pm, much less playing sports at that hour. They naturally wake up at 6:30 or 7:00 and go to bed at 7:30. I agree that the 7:15 for high school makes no sense. Elementary kids should be on the early bell, with middle and high school kids going later. Also, all of gthese comments focus on families. Teachers are very, very unhappy with the bell schedule, especially the extra 45 minutes of free day care that they are providing for their students. Teachers will continue to transfer out of 4:15 schools and elementary teachers will leave for other districts. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-33903453460568983992013-04-10T20:05:42.649-04:002013-04-10T20:05:42.649-04:00Sorry Jeff...
You still don't get it.
Here i...Sorry Jeff...<br /><br />You still don't get it.<br /><br />Here is what you said:<br /><br /><i>Wiley, this country "survived" for 200 years without pre-K because for 150 of those years non-whites weren't allowed to be educated.</i><br /><br />"pre-K" didn't even come into existence until AFTER your 150 years, coincidentally about 1926 - 150 years after 1776. Even then it was private and until Head Start in 1965 it was still a private program. <br /><br />So Federally, pre-K has been only been around a little over 40 years.<br /><br />Taxpayer funded pre-K programs are relatively new so tell me again why all of a sudden we need to put hundreds of thousands of kids into pre-K programs when it is a parental responsibility and have taxpayers pay for it?<br /><br />You're in a catch 22 here because if pre-K is SO great and studies show it's so great, then why has the national graduation rate in the US declined and been below the highest rate of 79% in 1969, 3 years AFTER Head Start?<br /><br />If you want pre-K for a select group, then have philanthorpists or willing corporations pay for it.<br /><br />Bright Beginnings is the poster child for the ultimate pre-K failure.<br /><br />Wiley Coyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16966764080565903720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-69847682524894616362013-04-10T17:49:15.210-04:002013-04-10T17:49:15.210-04:00I am one of those families that has 2 kids at a 9:...I am one of those families that has 2 kids at a 9:15am school. We do not use childcare. It has been great for my family. My kids have time to come home, eat, do homework, play sports (they get home at 8:30-9pm some nights) and they are able to sleep in and have breakfast with dad before he leaves for work. It has provided my family with more family time, for which I am thankful. So, personally it works for our family.<br /><br />I do have a serious problem with the 7:15am bell though. We will contend (and complain) about that in 2 years. It makes no sense academically, physically, socially and mentally to have teenage students be at school at 7am, and there's a lot of research supporting later bell schedules (not one mention about the benefits of early start times for students).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-21645051007482165732013-04-10T17:35:17.300-04:002013-04-10T17:35:17.300-04:00Wiley,
I said blacks were generally not allowed t...Wiley,<br /><br />I said blacks were generally not allowed to be a part of public education for the majority of US history and that women were usually given subpar education too - that's erroneous?<br /><br />You made an inference that I did not. I simply said, as I've said elsewhere, that pre-K should be universal. I never said a single word about race relations and never came close to suggesting that Whites are holding back Blacks. <br /><br />Further, bad parenting is rather subjective. But who are you to tell anyone what bad parenting is? <br /><br />Back in the '50s it was okay for parents to verbally and physically abuse their children. Who's to say that's bad parenting?<br /><br />And yes, lest you think I'm dodging your sagacious line of questions, my child is absolutely my child, I accept that responsibility. During the school day, his teacher has responsibility, I trust that teacher to complement our parenting. <br /><br />That means my child is also part of the larger community, there's nothing wrong with communities contributing to the welfare of our children.<br />Jeff Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-16499995036347367002013-04-10T17:15:54.547-04:002013-04-10T17:15:54.547-04:00Keith,
Fair comments and good point.Keith,<br /><br />Fair comments and good point.Jeff Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-10532049356061880922013-04-10T16:59:35.867-04:002013-04-10T16:59:35.867-04:00Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that the manufacture...Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention that the manufacturer to pass Nokia in cell phone production worldwide is Samsung.<br /><br />Yes. From Korea. <br /><br />With all those uncreative, wonky, social misfit genius children they produce...<br /><br />We need to get past the stereotyping of Asians and look at reality.<br /><br />These people are not mindless drones just because they are smart and study harder than we do.<br /><br />Next up to bat is China, folks.<br /><br />I'm not so sure about India as others, but they won't be asleep at the wheel much longer, either.<br /><br />Meanwhile back at the ranch, we are STILL considering "cultural competence" training?<br /><br />Maybe we should be looking at the other "cultures" out there instead of the remnants of our sorry past and their constant whining.<br /><br />Oppa Gangnam Style...<br /><br />(NO ONE would have or could have predicted Psy even three years ago...)<br /><br /><br /><br />Shamashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06886687970259841873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-83547782785657329922013-04-10T16:47:10.536-04:002013-04-10T16:47:10.536-04:00Finland used to have the number one cell phone com...Finland used to have the number one cell phone company, Nokia, with hundreds of thousands of employees.<br /><br />Now they have Rovio (Angry Birds) employing less than a thousand employees in some of Nokia's vacant offices.<br /><br />But, wait, they also have Supercell, another Android app software company with just a few hundred employees.<br /><br />The service economy has taken hold in Finland and taken a big bite out of their economy.<br /><br />And things will probably never be the same there again with Nokia on the ropes.<br /><br />Their economy has already taken a bit of a dip in the last few years and they are starting to show strains in their socialist fabric in that the rich are getting much richer, while the rest are stagnating.<br /><br />They need as much genius as they can muster now.<br /><br />Meanwhile, has anyone heard that latest Korean pop hit by that formerly unknown fella Psy?<br /><br />Gangnam Style?<br /><br />Who would have thought that Asians (and especially those wonky "uncreative" Koreans) would be on the leading edge of a worldwide cultural phenomenon such as that?<br /><br />More coming to a world near you...<br /><br />Shamashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06886687970259841873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-88510250558696840422013-04-10T16:20:18.261-04:002013-04-10T16:20:18.261-04:00There is nothing wrong with little geniuses.
Only...There is nothing wrong with little geniuses.<br /><br />Only in America would someone find anything wrong with being a genius at ANY age.<br /><br />Finland will probably wishes they had a few more, now that Nokia is sucking wind.<br /><br />There are over a billion people in India and China.<br /><br />Each.<br /><br />Their top 10% (a mere 250 million or so people) will probably dictate what the rest of the 21st century is like for the rest of the planet.<br /><br />You can bet THEY won't give a rats patootie about Finland OR the social experiments going on anywhere else in the world.<br /><br />It's already happening.<br /><br />If people thought the British and American "empires" were rough on the little people, just wait until the Chinese run things.<br /><br />Many people and many other cultures (including their particular sensitivities and "enlightened" views and values) just won't be as relevant as they once were.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-20098847746013993742013-04-10T15:53:00.198-04:002013-04-10T15:53:00.198-04:00Finland at least pays attention to child developme...Finland at least pays attention to child development. The US wants little geniuses before they start<br />Kindergarten. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-1733431002275089672013-04-10T15:37:27.551-04:002013-04-10T15:37:27.551-04:00CMS Waste Example # 37869
$1 million for ten(10) p...CMS Waste Example # 37869<br />$1 million for ten(10) public/private coordinators and technology.<br /><br />$99,400 salaries x 10=$994,000<br />$600 x 10=$6,000 i-Pads<br />$0 one volunteer=chumped on the big salary<br /><br />or................<br /><br />30 teachers at frozen pay or........<br /><br />10 retiree volunteers from the business community....<br /><br />$0 <br /><br />CMS logic at its best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-17148745662926744682013-04-10T15:35:57.550-04:002013-04-10T15:35:57.550-04:00Jeff, Previously CMS had different bell schedules....Jeff, Previously CMS had different bell schedules. They worked so why did they change in the first place? Other than to lose top producing students and great teachers I see 0 reason for the change. The only families that I know that seem to like it are out of greed , because it eliminates after school care. Put my shoes on and send 2 kids to school at 7:30 and another at 9:15 then reverse at night. I have to take my middle school out of the cycle next year away from her friends of 12 years. BAD,BAD,BAD and out of CMS GREED. Keith W. HurleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-22102880305704105132013-04-10T15:24:07.047-04:002013-04-10T15:24:07.047-04:00I don't care so much how other kids perform in...I don't care so much how other kids perform in school as I care about how my own kids perform.<br /><br />I want my kids to do better than the average kids everywhere, not just the US.<br /><br />Because I know how low we've set that bar.<br /><br />In fact, I'd like to keep them in the top 5% by anyone's standards.<br /><br />So I do a lot of home schooling in addition to what they teach in the classrooms.<br /><br />All I ask is that the educrats not waste too much of our time and money while they pursue their "other" agendas in school.<br /><br />I know how competitive the rest of the world is and how much tougher it is likely to get.<br /><br />And I'm going to prepare my kids for THAT world, not whatever the latest educational/sociological trend happens to be.<br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-77922615957621770782013-04-10T15:20:33.747-04:002013-04-10T15:20:33.747-04:00Jeff,
Disappointment?
All I did was comment on y...Jeff,<br /><br />Disappointment?<br /><br />All I did was comment on your erroneous history lesson about Whites and Blacks and how your comment indicates Whites are still "holding back Blacks" and that we, the taxpayers should be funding pre-K because of that notion of yours.<br /><br />You're still dodging the issue you brought up.<br /><br />Taxpayers should not be responsible for lousy parenting and continue to enable a large segment of our society to keep having more kids knowing that government - aka taxpayers - will take care of their every need.<br /><br />By the way, here's part of Perry's commercial for MSNBC:<br /><br /><i>...We have never invested as much in public education as we should have, because we’ve always had kind of a private notion of children – “Your kid is yours, and totally your responsibility” — we haven’t had a very collective notion of “these are our children,” so part of it is we have to break through our kind of private idea that kids belong to their parents, or kids belong to their families, and recognize that kids belong to whole communities. Once it’s everybody’s responsibility and not just the household’s, then we start making better investments.</i>... Melissa Harris Perry<br /><br />I believe your kid IS your kid and your responsibility. You?<br /><br />She goes on to say in a show Easter morning before her commercial airs about children:<br /><br />HARRIS-PERRY: <i>I'm less worried about them -- in part because they're good socialists, right? </i><br /><br />I'm an unaffiliated voter. I no more want to see the religeous right shaping education policy than I do the socialist left.<br /><br />Wiley Coyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16966764080565903720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-5612501280675217232013-04-10T14:52:01.533-04:002013-04-10T14:52:01.533-04:00Wiley,
When you make assumptions about what I sou...Wiley,<br /><br />When you make assumptions about what I sound like or might, or might not, believe in, you set yourself up for disappointment.<br /><br />I personally believe education should be handled by the states. I think each state should set up its own standards and those states that do it well will attract more business and taxpayers. Those that don't will either continue to be Mississippi or they'll figure out how to change and keep up.<br /><br />I didn't like NCLB and I don't like RttT and am not a big fan of Common Core (to 2:08p, if private schools are adopting Common Core it's on their own volition, they are *not* being forced to, so no, it's still not communism).<br /><br />I do believe most US schools are competitive with other nations, not that I care if US 8th graders read at the same level as Finnish 8th graders - what does that mean anyhow? And I don't care if US 4th graders are better at math than Japanese 4th graders.<br /><br />I do care that US students graduate high school with an ability to solve problems, think creatively, balance their finances, have an appreciation for the arts and find success in the marketplace. I don't see how any of that has anything to do with standardized tests, value-add assessments and blaming teachers. Nor does it have anything to do with being conservative or liberal (or trying to pin labels on people).<br /><br /><br />Jeff Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-20285903909247906632013-04-10T14:21:11.426-04:002013-04-10T14:21:11.426-04:00Actually, the left wing propaganda does not bothe...Actually, the left wing propaganda does not bother me as much as the federal government taking over education does. Constitutionally, they are not allowed. This is going to be expensive and even more of a mess than NCLB. <br />We teach our children at home what is happening in the World. We are also teaching them the tools to make their own decisions based on facts. There is definitely a political agenda being pushed at school. If you have noticed then you are not paying attention.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-25807288680268599052013-04-10T14:08:38.902-04:002013-04-10T14:08:38.902-04:00Jeff, I feel if you actually researched common co...Jeff, I feel if you actually researched common core and did not just google it you would understand the resistance. Many states are not only using<br />Common core in the public schools they are also implementing it in private schools and children that are home schooled. Tell me how that is not classified as communist. Parents can no longer choose where to send their kids to school. Do you really believe that a group of governors decided on their own that we needed the same curriculum in every state. DOE told states they could have Race to the Top money only of they agreed to CC. <br />Open your mind and see past the propaganda. They also plan to track our children's data including how we vote. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-16244521115168340692013-04-10T13:52:10.232-04:002013-04-10T13:52:10.232-04:00Jeff,
No point?
So what's YOUR point? That n...Jeff,<br /><br />No point?<br /><br />So what's YOUR point? That non-Whites for the past 40+ years still don't get it or is Whitey still to blame for 72% of Black children born to single mothers?<br /><br />So what about all those White kids who were born into poverty and couldn't afford to go to school back then, which was reserved for the wealthy? Yet we still beat the "achievement gap" drum incessantly today.<br /><br />It sounds as if you subscribe to the Melissa Harris-Perry mantra of raising and educating kids.Wiley Coyotehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16966764080565903720noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-81623300805150372812013-04-10T13:50:34.855-04:002013-04-10T13:50:34.855-04:00Missouri,
Head Start is not considered a high-qua...Missouri,<br /><br />Head Start is not considered a high-quality pre-K program, this is well documented. Those currently advocating for pre-K correctly talk about running high quality programs, not Head Start.<br /><br />Those pushing for more Head Start money are either (correctly) wanting to improve and standardize its program to a higher quality, or to partially agree with you, there are those who don't understand that Head Start needs overhauling.<br /><br />The bottom line is a solid pre-K program has merit and is a solid investment.<br /><br />Jeff Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-51221501710122061052013-04-10T13:46:51.704-04:002013-04-10T13:46:51.704-04:00Keith,
I won't disagree that the bell changes...Keith,<br /><br />I won't disagree that the bell changes have adversely affected some families, but I'm saying my family isn't one of them, I'd pretty much say it's made our daily routines easier. That could easily change once we have a child in high school.<br /><br />My overall point is what about the other side of that story? If only 20% of families are saying this is really bad, what do the other 80% say? What are they doing different?<br /><br />I understand the cost savings that were trumpeted a few years back probably aren't there, but has anyone from the side protesting the current bell schedule looked and understand the impact of changing the schedules to where they were?<br /><br />What if that change affects my family? What if it adversely affects the 80% we're not hearing from right now?<br /><br />Sometimes unpopular decisions really are what's best for the entire system - that may or may not be the case here, since we only hear from the aggrieved side, we only know one side of the story.<br /><br /><br />Jeff<br /><br />Jeff Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-81587083084271024512013-04-10T13:41:05.887-04:002013-04-10T13:41:05.887-04:00Wiley, as usual you are right about that!
When DH...Wiley, as usual you are right about that!<br /><br />When DHHS says Head Start is a waste and even a detriment to some children, you'd think some people would sit up and take notice. But instead, black Congressmen and women are coming out of the woodwork to tack amendments onto various bills to give it more money. Sends a signal doesn't it?Missourinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-4804651345307037032013-04-10T13:39:11.606-04:002013-04-10T13:39:11.606-04:00First off Common Core is not a left or right issue...First off Common Core is not a left or right issue. Those who argue their petty partisan politics within these comments do nothing but show ignorance of the overall education issue.<br /><br />A simple Google search shows scores of results of people from the left and right supporting and protesting Common Core - by calling it a socialist, communistic program is to show your ignorance of the subject.<br /><br />Wiley, this country "survived" for 200 years without pre-K because for 150 of those years non-whites weren't allowed to be educated. For 100-some of those years women were only allowed certain types of education.<br /><br />There's no point to your question.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Jeff Wisenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4020455191286536580.post-92021996251051778922013-04-10T13:35:00.011-04:002013-04-10T13:35:00.011-04:00Jeff , On late bell schedule its terrible for stud...Jeff , On late bell schedule its terrible for students and families (late). Fact is CMS is not going to change it. Its easier for them just to lose families like me. I still have to pay state/county tax even though I wont use their services next year. I will however lobby the state very hard for vouchers and potentially move to Ft. Mill SC home of the free. They have awesome schools and provide a great education. Its CMS way to say "we dont care about your child" and thats a insult. They dont save any money with the late bell program everyone knows that. The late bell actually helps CMS in its population numbers as many families have left. It does hurt another number and that is GPA. Keith W. HurleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com