A reader comments on the behavior of Donald Trump. As we have seen in the debates, he taunts and ridicules his adversaries. The word “civility” is not part of his vocabulary. His demeanor is abrasive and abusive. He can be vulgar and crude in a way not seen in presidential campaigns in my lifetime. In debating, he loudly disagrees with others, sometimes speaking over them so they can’t be heard. He is crass; he scowls; he refers to his rivals’ physical appearance with regularity. He would not be held up as a model for American youth, although he might be the bogeyman who comes to get you when you misbehave.
The reader writes:
“If Donald Trump was a student in a public school he would be labeled a bully. He would be in counseling. He wouldn’t have friends, unless he could buy them off. Parents would be outraged at his behavior, his language, his entitled sense of self. He would be smart in class, but not the smartest by far-but he would tease the smart kids with no mercy. This is the adult version of that child we are seeing and it isn’t pretty. In fact, it’s shocking and scary…”
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Would have been possible to stop Hitler or any dictator before they picked up steam. It’s only too late if we let him be sworn in.
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I have been joking that if Donald Trump were a current NYC public school student, he would have an IEP for behavior, a one-on-one crisis paraprofessional, and an FBA/BIP. But our country keeps reinforcing his behavior, so he is rewarded for his maladaptive behavior.
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DIGRESSION with Breaking News.
Do you remember when John Oliver did his piece on the grotesque over-emphasis on testing and test prep? Early in the video, he does a montage of school-made music videos and pep rallies to celebrate the upcoming standardized tests: (i.e. the Monkey)
Well, the latest incident of test prep promotion backFIRING (pun) is not so funny. At a standardized test pep rally in Florida, the principal incredibly hired pyrotechnic fire-breathers. Well, you can guess where this is going … when one of the firebreather’s faces and three students caught fire, inciting a screaming pandemonium only seen in a movie like INDEPENDENCE DAY, or WAR OF THE WORLDS as they watched a man’s face and three of their fellow students blazing away:
That principal has some ‘splaining to do. Those kids watching this will all be traumatized for life… not just the injured students.
The WASHPOST’s Valerie Strauss focuses on the fact that they even have pep rallies for these tests:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/03/19/fire-breathing-stunt-goes-wrong-at-pep-rally-for-standardized-testing-yes-a-testing-pep-rally/
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The best critique of Trump I’ve yet seen.
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there are also signs that Trump has a serious mental illness. He would definitely be in the textbook “Abnormal Psycology”. We may think of the eccentric behaviors of a Howard Hughes who was also wealthy and powerful but as far as I can tell Howard Hughes did less harm and damage (yet there were probably many in his inner circles who were harmed). The destruction that a Trump could cause in a governmental position is dangerous. He already has a “semi-” governmental job because he goes all over the world setting up companies and interacting with foreign corporations (Carly also claimed that this was her major attribute and being able to interact with foreign dignitaries); however, they are totally outside the boundaries of the “foreign service” and they don’t abide by the rules of a “nation” when they are making their deals because they are vested in self-interest. Globalization permits more of these “eccentric” entrepreneurs (to use a polite term) to wield their powers outside the “rule of law” ; I hope there are people in international law who know the kinds of foreign policy intrigues that are being established by the “wheeling and dealing”. When Trump goes around the world I would want to say “not in my name” so I am certainly saying that he shouldn’t hold a significant position in government of any kind.
To get back to the mental illness, we tend to use “conduct disorder” for the youth but as a student matures they often can fall into the “Antisocial Personality Disorder” and that is where I would place Trump. Now as an adult, he has a full blown mental illness. I don’t think that the personality disorder of narcissism fits him and I think that was even removed from the latest version of DSM V.
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YES. It takes a crazy man to lead crazy people. Who would argue that the leaders/citizens most drawn to Hitler weren’t sociopathic?
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A British research organization ranks the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency as one of the top 10 risks facing the world. The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked a Trump presidency as just as much of a global threat as the possibility that jihadi terrorism could destabilize the global economy.
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“Economist Intelligence Unit”??
Is that one of those Oxford morons?
Ha ha ha ha ha
I needed a good laugh.
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Reblogged this on Politicians Are Poody Heads.
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Here you go on bullying and more.
The following are called “Major behavior problems” in the “positive behavioral interventions and supports “(PBIS) system, approved as a way for schools to stop bad behavior and to encourage good behavior under IDEA and (20 U.S.C. §1454(a)(3)(B)(iii)(I)).
In the PBIS system the following are called “Major behavior problems.”
Bullying: The delivery of direct or technology-based messages that involve intimidation, teasing, taunting, threats, or name calling.
Defiance, insubordination, non-compliance: Student engages in refusal to follow directions or talks back.
Disrespect: Student delivers socially rude or dismissive messages to adults or students.
Disruption: Student engages in behavior causing an interruption in a class or activity.
Disruption includes sustained loud talk, yelling, or screaming; noise with materials; horseplay or roughhousing; and/or sustained out of seat behavior.
Dress: Student wears clothing that does not fit within the dress code guidelines practiced by the school district.
Fight: Student is involved in mutual participation of an incident involving physical violence.
Theft, forgery, plagiarism: Student is involved by being in possession of, having passed on, or being responsible for removing someone’s property; or the student has signed a person’s name without that person’s permission, or claims some one else’s work as their own.
Gang Display: Student uses gesture, dress, and/or speech to display affiliation with a gang.
Harass: The delivery of disrespectful messages in any format related to gender, ethnicity, sex, race, religion, disability, physical features, or other protected class.
The following are called “Minor behavior problems”
Defiance/insubordination non-compliance. The student engages in brief or low-intensity failure to follow direction or talks back.
Disrespect: The student engages in low-intensity socially rude or dismissive messages to adults or students.
Disruption: The student engages in low-intensity, but inappropriate disruption.
Dress code violation. Student wears clothing that is near, but not within the dress code guidelines defined by the school district.
Inappropriate language: The student engages in low-intensity of inappropriate language.
Physical contact/aggression: The student engages in non-serious, but inappropriate physical contact.
Property misuse: The student engages in low-intensity misuse of property.
Tardy: The student arrives at class after the bell or signal that the class has started.
Technology violation: The student engages in non-serious, but inappropriate (as defined by school) use of cell phone, pager, music video players, camera and/or computer.
Other: The student engages in other minor problem behaviors that do not fall within the above categories.
Now, I do not agree with the degree of compliance set forth in all of these stipulations, and some of the vague boilerplate language totally disconnected from contexts (e.g., learning English, learning “how to go to school” in Kindergarten or as an immigrant) but teachers and principals in many schools are introduced to checklists like this to justify “interventions,” including expulsion and suspensions.
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I don’t agree. His behavior is typical for many teenagers I meet. His popularity is in part based on this. He says and does whatever he wants and respects only himself – and he’s rich. Sounds like a typical rap song to me.
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Yes, the original post is wrong in stating that Trump wouldn’t have friends. Bullies often gain friends by being bullies –that’s one reason they do it. The old myth about bullies being secretly insecure and psychologically damaged is false. Many of them are supremely secure and psychologically robust.
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I think the “school to prison” pipeline would be a tremendous option in this case!
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If he is ever elected, we must force congress in a suitable persuasive manner to force him to undergo an independent psychiatric evaluation. If he is deemed emotionally disturbed, he has a disability rendering him unfit to be president. Therefore, under the 25th Amendment, he can be removed by congress until it is determined he is mentally fit.
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Trump is empty headed on policy and uses his all-too-familiar bullying strategies to deflect the crux of his problem – lack of suitability for presidency! Narcissism would definitely be on his “psych evaluation” . I cannot believe that the other republicans did not hammer him and question him relentlessly for refusing to participate in the last of the debates recently (not that we haven’t seen enough already), When he stopped with all the bullying, chest-beating and school yard antics in his last debate, he came across as empty-headed on substantiative talk on issues. So of course he would not want to engage in another debate. In addition to being psychologically damaged, plain and simple HE JUST DOES NOT HAVE A GROUNDING IN POLICY requisite for any presidential candidate! He has to keep up behavior befitting of a silverback alpha male gorilla so nobody can ask him REAL policy questions.
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I would like to say that Donald Trump is an @$$hole but that would be insulting to the @$$hole.
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Ms. Cartwheel…Librarian:
Thank you for keeping it real.
Not rheeal.
😎
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KrazyTA,
Not my proudest moment:0) I have never cared for DT but when he called John McCain a loser for being captured in Vietnam I just lost it. DT has no redeeming qualities that I can see but this is the United States of America so we may be stuck with him if the majority chooses stupidity. (Sorry I can’t help myself or I rather I choose not to help myself.)
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I read that Trump got numerous draft deferment (while John McCain served honorably).
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Yeah, we are served so much better by the PC speaking, polite to your face, cerebral politicians we currently have to serve the interests of the American people. I’m so glad we can be lied to with complete confidence and civility: “You can keep your doctor.” “What difference does it make!” “Charter schools are public schools.” et al.
Yes I do find Trump more appealing than ALL the PC, polite, professional fakes. I would rather have a person call me a loser to my face than to have some phony act like they care about me then treat me like a loser. That’s what the President, your unions, and every other politician, plutocrat, educrat, or parent does when they support the false reform movement. Bernie Sanders may not be that kind of person, but Hillary Clinton is absolutely that person.
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The reality from a public policy view is that if Trump should be elected President of the US, and after his agreeing with the other mental case candidate, Ted Cruz, that the Middle East should be carpet bombed, it is reasonable to assume that the despotic leaders in the Middle East are planning their similar assaults on the US….so where do we hide from the carpet bombing???
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This is my recommendation. “When they carpet bomb us, just bring the Persian carpets in to the house and then send a thank you note to them.”
Besides we will have more serious problems to deal with than disposal of Persian carpets.
Thank God we do have the Congress to rein in an insane future president if the need arises.
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Under the carpet? 🙂
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What would happen to Donald Trump if he were a student in a Success Academy and he behaved the same way?
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They will probably “EXPEL” him.
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Imagine D.T. with his cheeks puffed out obediently following the lines in the hallways from class to class without making a sound. I think Donald has extreme attention deficit disorder with violent tendencies.
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Trump attacked a woman news journalist who wrote about his manipulation of “deals” when he was building golf courses in Scotland/Ireland. He also attacked these two men before he went on to Megyn Kelly. “In a July interview with NBC news, Trump lashed out at columnists Jonah Goldberg and Charles Krauthammer after the latter called the candidate a “rodeo clown.”
“I get called by a guy that can’t buy a pair of pants, I get called names?” Trump said at the time.
Critics speculated that Trump had intentionally mocked Krauthammer, who is paralyzed from the waist down, while others said the comments were about Goldberg. Krauthammer contacted The Washington Post on Thursday to say that Trump’s comments were about Goldberg, not himself.”
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“Newspapers and online news organizations got a click-worthy story line tailor-made for a fast read on the iPhone. And, finally, there were the viewers and the readers, who are benefiting from a transitioning media industry’s desire to give them what they want, where they want it, as fast as possible. As the people have made clear, they want Trump” Bill Moyers March 21 (2016)
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relative to the “fast read” society, Maryann Wolf writes about our “jumpy, waterbug on the pond style of reading. [With] the relatively effortless internet access [students[ may not yet know how to think for themselves. Their sights are narrowed to what they see and hear quickly and easily.” [Because] “there is no sustained immersion in a text, the deep-reading processes [are not developed] “the circuits will not be there”. Wolf describes her growing fear that it is alarming about incessant on-line reading in child is equivalent to a kind of lead paint poisoning.
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This brings to mind a few things (a) Bob Shepherd’s description of the “new Lite criticism” which Coleman et al are purveying; the (b) “Close reading ” that is supposedly measured by higher level thinking skills on the PARCC or SBAC (which is totally fraud) and © the mis-match or “mush ” of curriculum that is not valid or subantiated with decades of research on reading comprehension (d) person (including our youngest voters who have been through two decades of “mishmash” who are now voters choosing Trump as Bill Moyers describes…
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Maryann Wolf says she doesn’t (yet) have longitudinal research but this would fit with the validation of experience of the cohort of reading teachers that were trained with Durrell , Chall and others. If teachers are described as “facilitators” or “coaches” then what are we facilitating and coaching?
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The “You’ve Been Trumped” documentary about his building a golf course in Scotland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fACFeqRisXY
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I cannot get so exercised against DTrump the candidate. Despite his faux pas, he has rallied around him, admirably, those mainstream-Rep voters who for decades have been voting against their own economic interests, perennially voting for the candidate who claimed to represent their [socially-backward] cultural mores while screwing them economically once elected. He has brought them onboard by appealing to their previously-un acknowledged understanding that their status of unemployment or underemployment has been foisted on them by a kind of crony-capitalism as prevalent in their Rep party as among ‘the liberals’.
As a pres tho I am concerned by his lack of impulse-control, as a longtime NYCobserver, I understand him to be a middle-of-the-reader, as liberal as he is conservative. I suspect he would surround himself with the best minds available; my main concern is that due to his lack of govtl expertise he could too easily be influenced by the ‘experts’ he chose as trustees.
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