Merrifield dangerous
He's baaa-a-ack! Rep. Michael Merrifield of the Colorado House Education Committee, that is ("Merrifield raising Hell again," Oct. 26).
He's still at it - fighting a bill proposing to upgrade high school graduation
standards to include more math, science, etc.
No wonder we are sinking ever lower from the economic power we once were. Our
nation must have more, not fewer, scientists and engineers or we will continue
to fall behind.
It is dangerous that we have people like Merrifield in our education system.
Evelyn Ferguson, Denver
oh but he is in full support of the teachers unions and the dumming down of education. he wants no competition anywhere for his beloved teachers unions. just more money will fix the problems today and not accountabiliy.
Posted by on November 9, 2007 06:20 AMYou don't mean to tell me that this Merrifield is in favor of allowing teachers to organize!! Good God. I think it's fine for corporations, plumbers, illegal immigrants, racists, activists and others to organize, but I certainly oppose treating teachers as though they are human beings.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 06:59 AMYou don't mean to tell me that this Merrifield is in favor of allowing teachers to organize!! Good God. I think it's fine for corporations, plumbers, illegal immigrants, racists, activists and others to organize, but I certainly oppose treating teachers as though they are human beings.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 07:00 AMTruth,
Why then don't they organize to have tougher and not weaker standards in math science and english for our graduating high school seniors? Organizing for their pay is not the issue (although there is a direct link to the quality as all they care about is more money) The issue is why the so called educators are so against making sure the kids are ready for college.
What in the world is wrong with having smart kids rather than kids that get through?
07:04AM
Don't confuse poor Mr. Truth with the facts. He would rather skew what was said about teachers unions into being something other than what was said or inferred in order to attack a straw man than recognize the the main criticism of the teachers union is not the money issue, but the stranglehold they exert over the quality of education provided.
By protecting the weakest teachers from being either released or forced to improve, they (the unions) drag down the entire profession.
I for one don't believe most teachers are paid enough. I work daily as a volunteer at our local neighborhood school - have for eleven years. I see a lot of hard working, dedicated teachers actually being throttled back because it makes the lazy or incompetent teachers look bad.
Just like the dumbing down of the classrooms in order to "protect the self esteem" of the slower, or lazy, students, the teachers are "dumbed down" to an average or less performance so no one stands out as an underachiever.
Truth would rather spin his socialist spin about the right to organize and be treated equal regardless of effort and ability than admit that the quality of education by some diminishes the many.
Posted by on November 9, 2007 07:37 AM07:04AM, thanks for giving us an incite into your IQ:
"(although there is a direct link to the quality as all they care about is more money) "
The claim that all that all teachers care about is more money should be grounds for a mental examination.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 09:46 AM07:04AM, thanks for giving us an incite into your IQ:
"The issue is why the so called educators are so against making sure the kids are ready for college. "
The claim that all educators are against making sure that kids are ready for college should be grounds for a mental examination.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 09:49 AM07:37AM: "the quality of education by some diminishes the many."
I expect you had in mind saying something intelligible but just didn't get around to it.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 09:52 AM07:37AM: "Don't confuse poor Mr. Truth with the facts."
I presume that the reason you refrained from stating any facts is that you didn't want to confuse me. Thanks.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 09:55 AMI realize that I should be taking a nap but this is too much fun.
Posted by Truth on November 9, 2007 09:57 AMLove the irony of the anonymous Repuke coward at 6:20 and their "the dumming down of education". This serial poster is so stupid they were probably home-schooled by Ms. Ferguson.
Posted by on November 9, 2007 10:26 AMTHE DUMBING DOWN OF AMERICA!
Vouchers and choice ...America's only escape from the asylum/Cukoo's Nest of failed public education!
Posted by Hank on November 9, 2007 12:31 PMTruth, Why didn't you answer the poster at 7:04?
I know, because you obviously don't believe our children should be better educated and have higher standards for graduating. Lets just give all them a gold star and send them on their way with a pat on the head.
I'll ask a similar question and then you can attack my intelligence as it seems that is one of your standard replies.
Why if these unions are so strong for the teachers to organize around do they not pull those same people together to enact tougher standards for graduating from high school and thus better preparing our kids for college?
Why is that such a problem and if it is for you, please explain why rather than attacking myine or other posters IQ.
You remarks make you look like you have no argument and apparently are made only to make you feel really proud of yourself.
Jack,
Truth does believe in good education but he disagrees with the means of providing it. It is up to those of us who want to make a change to provide the reason for it as well as the means.
I would prefer that every parent get to choose the school that is best for the child. Not going to happen under any system because there are people who don't think it is necessary to do anything about education other than drop Johnny at the curb or school bus stop.
Our 8 year old has homework every night almost and each page is accompanied by a note or instruction page for parents. Two of our neighbors have children in that class. One of them just gave up because she doesn't read well, a legal immigrant who is trying to learn English, while the other complained that it's the teacher's job and she's not going to waste her time doing it. So I have 3 kids here every afternoon doing math and reading. Makes me happy to do it and sad for the kids who have parents not able to help, or not willing to do so. Teachers face this daily.
Few are as interested in education as any poster here, no matter what side they've taken on this subject.
Any solution will have to help these kids without holding back kids whose parents are helping. It will also have to give back to the classroom teacher the right to discipline. Our granddaughter was horribly neglected by her mother. She is still behind the other students and in special education classes. My husband and I both wrote and spoke in person with her teachers. We asked that she be held to the same behavior standards as the rest of the kids. The teacher agreed but said one of her discipline methods was to use the old "checkbook on the board" with one checkmark being a notice, a second being a warning and a third one meaning a note to the parents explaining the problem. She had to back off. One parent complained that it made her little darling sad to have his name on the board for bad behavior. So now she sends notes home for the kids and hopes the parents will do something. Give this woman the ability to run her classroom and I'll guarantee every kid in the class with the ability to learn will do so. Those who need help will get it. We live close to the school and her car is the last one in the parking lot almost every day.
So how about we stop sneering at one another and start thinking?
Truth, what would you do to make it better in the schools? Don't mention the roadblocks just imagine you have the ability and the authority.
Posted by momma y on November 9, 2007 01:31 PMThe reason that the Democrats do not want to improve education is because stupid people vote Democrat.Remember if there were no stupid people there would be no Democrat party!!!
Posted by An American on November 9, 2007 01:45 PMMomma,
We are very involved with our sons education and would be no matter if he went to public school or the private school we send him to now.
I realize teachers deal with this fault of parents and have no answer for that. We do however need a different way of providing education, because as you now - our system is broken and needs new direction. We have way too many adminstrators, and the teachers (even though I've been critical of the unions) deserve better pay and classroom conditions.
Why do the people that are directly involved (teachers) not fighting tooth and nail to make corrections to the system? It seems they are frozen with fear of change.
I definitely do not have the answers but would like for the school boards and teachers unions to open up to new ideas in education because it is obvious this problem is the biggest detriment to our society now and more so in the future.
I think Un-American has been sharing Keith and Hank's Koolaid. I sometimes think that the three of them are really just one person whose verbal creativity is quite challenged. The blather is more or less identical.
Posted by Keith and Hank sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G on November 10, 2007 12:06 AMJack Bauer has another of those "have you stopped beating your wife" questions: "Why do the people that are directly involved (teachers) not fighting tooth and nail to make corrections to the system?"
Does Jack mean they should follow his example and post letters here on the forum?
The administrators and the teachers are often at odds with each other. Guess who wins?
If the teachers had a stronger union, they might be able to exert more pressure.
Many teachers want to make changes. But doing that is not unlike trying to get President Bush to see things your way.
Posted by Truth on November 10, 2007 09:36 AMWhat an asinine statement, momma y: "Truth does believe in good education but he disagrees with the means of providing it."
What means are you talking about and in what post of mine did I disagree with that means? Please try to make some sense when you post.
A major change I think should be made is to greatly reduce the number and power and funding of the administrators.
I certainly would want to see the teachers much better paid.
Primarily because of my own experience, I would want the school systems to show a greater interest in encouraging parents to participate in their children's education, instead of just paying lip service to that as some school systems do in my opinion. For one thing, there be much less of this business of not allowing the children to bring home various books and other educational materials. There would be a much greater effort to provide parents with the information they need to help their kids. An example: when the child brings home homework calling for the child to use the "partial products" method, the parent would have the material ahead of time about how that method works. For another thing, again based on my own experience, teachers would do a much better job of keeping the parents informed about what their kids are studying. Oftentimes the only homework the kids bring home is math homework, so that the parents have no idea of what the children are studying in science, history, or whatever. Of course, there are a lot of other things that need to be done, but I do have this other life I like to spend some time living. One thing I wouldn't do is to mention a situation in which a parent showed no interest in her children's education and then make such hyperbolic statements as momma y made: "Few are as interested in education as any poster here". No one, not even momma y, has the information to make such a broad statement.
Posted by Truth on November 10, 2007 09:59 AM7:37 hit the nail right on the head.
In his following multiple posts,Truth refutes absolutely zero points made by the writer and instead chooses to insult rather than provide a rational counter argument. It is what it is.
Merrifield has a mind to do things that prove he is not worthy to hold public office more than anyone else with the possible excemptions of Bitter Betty Boyd and Joan Fitz hyphen Gerald.. They always seem to say one thing then do another especially Fitz hyphen Gerald who did not support the taking away of casinos excemption to the smoking ban until Fitzgerald's casino in Blackhawk cut off her donations, then she was all for it. She would not allow any bills that would amend the ban until tobacco control's Bitter Betty Boyd entered in with her attempt to take away the exemption from cigar bars and then Fitz Hyphen said ok, go for it. Well with some excemptions being a sacred cow and others not it's no wonder.
Posted by Allen Campbell on November 10, 2007 01:44 PMTruth,
You have shown that you believe the solution is in the unions and the schools working together. I think the solution is in the parents being able to choose any school.
The people in this forum are passionate about schools and education. Ask the average man on the street and education won't make most to 10 lists of things needing change. That is why I said that.
You are trying to find solutions instead of just attacking those who disagree. That makes you one of those who will eventually be part of the solution.
Parents often don't get involved. It isn't easy for me, a homebound person now, to be really interested every day in what goes on in her school and with her. I do enjoy helping her but need help in listening and understanding. Were I a single mother or father working one or more jobs and taking care of one (or even more) child, I might not be able to pay the attention necessary to get my child the best education.
As you seem to agree, the teachers are NOT the problem. The problem is that the teachers are held back and pushed down by the administrators. They are the ones stuck in the middle.
I advocate vouchers but even more than that I advocate giving the teachers back their classrooms. Make it possible for teachers to teach and not have to do ten reports before sending a child to the office. Make it possible for the teacher I mentioned to use her "name on the board/checkmark" system without one mother being able to go around her child's bad behavior and change the system instead of disciplining the child. Sometimes you will find a bad teacher but in balance I'd say that profession has fewer bad apples than any other. My beginning solution would be to give the teachers blanket immunity for anything non-physical that happens in a class. You know that there are problems. WE agree that one of them is top heavy, politically guided administration. If we ever got our act together, the pro-voucher people like me, and the make it better people like you no force would stand against us.
For the ones asking why the teachers don't fight the union. I can only give the answer I saw when I was in college. The very first education class I attended was all about the teachers' union. There were union representatives telling us how the union would be our friend and protect us from the parents, make it easier to get tenure and keep a job. I had never known a union nor had any ideas about them. It really sounded strange though that I would need to have someone protect me in a job. From what I have seen, and heard, the teachers have no real choice. They are members of the union if they want to get and keep a job. One person told me that the union in Kansas was "taken over" by the teachers and the national organization just plain ignored them. I think it would be possible to keep a union but it should be the teachers who make that decision.
That is why I support you in this area Truth. You are a person who cares. Not just a little bit, you care with a lot of passion. Just because we disagree doesn't mean I don't want to hear your side. I just want to argue with you about it.
I would take my voucher to my local public school. In a later post I'll repost the outline of a fair voucher system. I hope you'll critique it. Yes, we don't usually agree, but I prefer an honest opponent to those who pick their side by counting noses.
Now we have to find a way to make the changes we agree on take place. We can fight later.
Posted by momma y on November 10, 2007 02:09 PM