Thursday, October 25, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
No expectations = No accountability
The Baraboo School board had the passage of the district's annual budget on last night's agenda. With the media coverage of the school district's position on the state budget on October 6 "Local Officials Clamoring..." this writer expected to see a widely promoted board meeting with the total of how much the district planned to legally extract from our wallets. Seeing as it was important to get the local taxpayer-funded talking head take on state politics, it is not an unreasonable expectation for the school district financial mouthpiece to boast wildly of how big of a cut the district will take from community taxpayers.
As long as the board was to be discussing the budget, one must wonder how much time they spent talking about how the district was going to increase its reading and math scores. Nothing like setting all your expectations at once. For example, with the hundreds of thousands of dollars the district is sinking into a new reading program including six elementary reading specialists and another for the middle school, what is the expectation for reading scores to increase? Maybe a 5% improvement? 10%?
How about setting the expectation that 100% of Baraboo students achieve 100% proficiency in reading and math in the next three years? According to numerous news sources, earlier this month it was reported that Wisconsin's definition of proficient is significantly lower than the national average. Nothing like keeping the bar low to make sure everybody feels good.(everybody: WEAC, administators, board members). If our youth get such a great public education in Baraboo, why aren't they surpassing the state standards instead of meeting them? Should the state lower the bar even more? After all, we wouldn't want to leave anyone behind.
My guess...there were no expectations set for student achievement at the meeting last night, or ever for that matter. Setting such goals would be too confining. The district must continue promoting generalities, else they may actually be held accountable for failing our community and youth - again.
And to think I wondered why so many colleges offer remedial coursework in reading and math.
As long as the board was to be discussing the budget, one must wonder how much time they spent talking about how the district was going to increase its reading and math scores. Nothing like setting all your expectations at once. For example, with the hundreds of thousands of dollars the district is sinking into a new reading program including six elementary reading specialists and another for the middle school, what is the expectation for reading scores to increase? Maybe a 5% improvement? 10%?
How about setting the expectation that 100% of Baraboo students achieve 100% proficiency in reading and math in the next three years? According to numerous news sources, earlier this month it was reported that Wisconsin's definition of proficient is significantly lower than the national average. Nothing like keeping the bar low to make sure everybody feels good.(everybody: WEAC, administators, board members). If our youth get such a great public education in Baraboo, why aren't they surpassing the state standards instead of meeting them? Should the state lower the bar even more? After all, we wouldn't want to leave anyone behind.
My guess...there were no expectations set for student achievement at the meeting last night, or ever for that matter. Setting such goals would be too confining. The district must continue promoting generalities, else they may actually be held accountable for failing our community and youth - again.
And to think I wondered why so many colleges offer remedial coursework in reading and math.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
School Choice candidates
Rudy Giuliani
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson
Click on: “Education”
Duncan Hunter
See item #16 – Education
Any would do a fine job by giving Americans economically feasable alternatives to the woefully inadequate public education system we're strapped with. More money for public education does not mean increased efficiency or productivity. Just look at your tax bill.
With no accountability, it just means public education costs more.
Mitt Romney
Fred Thompson
Click on: “Education”
Duncan Hunter
See item #16 – Education
Any would do a fine job by giving Americans economically feasable alternatives to the woefully inadequate public education system we're strapped with. More money for public education does not mean increased efficiency or productivity. Just look at your tax bill.
With no accountability, it just means public education costs more.
Sometimes union actions can be good for society
The Hollyweird writers guild has announced they'll strike at the end of the month if their contractual demands are not met. Seeing as there hasn't been a decent film produced in Hollyweird since I was a kid, having them strike would only benefit society. Less garbage polluting the airwaves.
Hollyweird writers unite!
Hollyweird writers unite!
Friday, October 19, 2007
Intolerance is closer than you think
UW-LaCrosse. It's okay to be protected by the campus climate, as long as you don't hold conservative views. Unbelievable.
Indoctrinate U
There's a new documentary coming out soon.
It's called: Indoctrinate U. Click here for the trailer.
For those that choose to celebrate diversity, try celebrating (or at least respecting) the diversity of ideas.
HT: Chris - OTB
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Rally at the Capitol
The Americans for Prosperity (AFP) held a rally at the capitol in Madison today. Having never been to a political rally of any sort, I went with an open mind yet expected the worst from an uninvited pro-tax group.
The purpose of the rally was to show support for Republican Assembly members. So far, they have successfully prevented billions from being included in the state's overdue budget. We encourage them to continue the good fight. Citizens are unwilling to cough up more without accountability.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the hypocracy of our governor when I heard his voice utter the following from his 1/30/03 State of the State address, "Going forward, my mind will be open to every solution -- except one. We should not -- we must not -- and I will not -- raise taxes."
AFP rally members were middle-class folks and civil. The hecklers from the pro-tax group looked middle-class too, except they were ignorant and intolerant, yelling profanities and trying to intimidate the couple ahead of me and behind me as I exited the rally area.
As taxes go up, costs for everything go up...including expenditures made by the folks in the green shirts at today's rally.
"Nemo me impune lacesset"
The purpose of the rally was to show support for Republican Assembly members. So far, they have successfully prevented billions from being included in the state's overdue budget. We encourage them to continue the good fight. Citizens are unwilling to cough up more without accountability.
I couldn't help but chuckle at the hypocracy of our governor when I heard his voice utter the following from his 1/30/03 State of the State address, "Going forward, my mind will be open to every solution -- except one. We should not -- we must not -- and I will not -- raise taxes."
AFP rally members were middle-class folks and civil. The hecklers from the pro-tax group looked middle-class too, except they were ignorant and intolerant, yelling profanities and trying to intimidate the couple ahead of me and behind me as I exited the rally area.
As taxes go up, costs for everything go up...including expenditures made by the folks in the green shirts at today's rally.
"Nemo me impune lacesset"
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