Thanks to reader Ohio Algebra II Teacher, the quote of the year, revising “A Nation at Risk”:
If a foreign country had inflicted upon our public education system what Ed Reform plutocrats and their toadying political sycophants have imposed upon it, we would have considered it an act of war.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Amen!
I think it WAS an act of war because the US is already embroiled in a Civil War between the racist right (almost all of them are easy to identify. They support Trump, wear MAGA hats, threaten media reporters (unless they work for FOX or Sinclair Broadcast Group) and/or shout “Lock her Up” every chance they get … and the rest of us.
If you doubt that the US is not in the early stages of a violent Civil War, read this:
“FBI: reported hate crimes increased by 17 percent in 2017.
“Reported anti-Jewish crimes rose by more than 37 percent, perhaps pointing to an increase in anti-Semitism, which has gotten more and more attention after the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.
“Reported anti–Hispanic and Latino crimes also rose by more than 24 percent, and anti–American Indian or Alaska Native crimes rose by nearly 63 percent — although the number of incidents in these categories was still overall far lower than, for example, anti-black and anti-Jewish incidents.”
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/11/13/18091646/fbi-hate-crimes-2017
I really don’t think we’re embroiled in a civil war between racist rightists & the rest of us.
What’s going in is long-running political instability engendered by rapidly increased rich-poor gap over last 40 yrs. Middle/ wkg classes have been pummeled by automation & globalism. Our fed govt’s pusillanimous response to serious economic challenges was to pull the rug out [dereg/ privatization], letting loose a no-holds-barred fight for biggest pieces of shrinking pie by those w/most clout, landing us in a corrupt, pay-for-play govt where elected reps are beholden to campaign-coffer-stuffers instead of constituents. This happened mostly via Rep policies set ’80-’92, continued in key ways by subsequent admins (incl 16 yrs neolib Dems & 10 yrs Reps).
When “the system” keeps taking food off your plate decade after decade, fear sets in; fear regenerates tribalism in the fight over the scraps. And fear/ tribalism is easily manipulated by the powerful elites (created by above-mentioned policies) so as to maintain supremacy by subterfuge & distraction. Racist-rightism is neither new nor more prevalent. It loses currency & nearly disappears from sight in a healthy thriving economy. “A Nation at Risk” was a signal of the economic downturn underlying the ’80’s economic bubbles created by dereg. It was a dog-whistle.
YES! Now we need a sort of “revolution” or “civil war” to take back the control that was pulled out from under us. It is this exact reason why HRC couldn’t win the election….she is the queen of neolib Dems that have satisfied big business over constituents…..and profited handsomely from big business.
Good analysis, bethree.
Perfect. Share?
Absolutely!
Diane
Agreed!
Agree, but my favorite quote of the year was Andrew Gillum’s during the Florida gubernatorial debate: “I’m not calling Mr. DeSantis a racist, I’m simply saying the racists believe he’s a racist.” “A hit dog will holler” was also golden. Go to 2:17 in this video to savor:
Great quote! Too bad he lost. Now we are stuck with the Trump clone.
Just hope Andrew Gillum doesn’t disappear. It’s only the end for him if he chooses it.
Ouch!
Thank you, public school teachers for helping to keep our young safe, loved, and nourished in body, mind, and soul.
You, our public school teachers, matter.
Absolutely! Public ed has been severely compromised to the point thatvwe’re Worst off than before charterization began. We’ve lost valuable credentialed teachers we will never get back, we’ve lost a generation, maybe more to inane testing instead of critical thinking. We’ve allowed privatization in the form of charters to negatively affect our whole process.
Just read a report about how public school teachers are quitting their profession. Teachers quitting public schools is just what the oligarchs want. Among the 10 ways to destroy a democracy that Noam Chomsky lists in his “Death of the American Dream” is to destroy anything that unites the common people, and public schools unite everyday Americans by giving them a common perspective on our society, especially on how government is supposed to work under the control of We the People. So, the oligarchs have been pushing hard to undermine genuine public schools and replace them with private corporate charter schools that are operated by private management instead of publicly-elected school boards. Charter schools can subtly modify children’s understanding of society and of democratic government to favor an oligarchical government and stratified society. The state supreme courts of New York and Washington have already ruled that charter schools are NOT public schools because they aren’t controlled by publicly-elected school boards, but that hasn’t stopped the spread of these private schools that drain money away from genuine public schools. Charter schools also accomplishment another of the 10 ways to undermine a democracy because they are anti-teachers’ unions. One of the 10 ways to destroy democracy is to rob common people of any organized way to challenge the oligarchs and their corporations, and unions are just about the last remaining way that We the People have of organizing for collective strength.
In fact, all the oligarchs have already achieved all 10 of the ways by which the elite and corporations can destroy democracy that Noam Chomsky lists in his “Death of the American Dream” have become a “fiat accompli”; they are:
Reduce the wide democratic participation by We the People in the making and changing of laws by making voting difficult for them and by distancing people from lawmakers. This effort by corporations and by the wealthy began back in the 1960’s when they were shocked by how young people in particular marched in droves to change laws on racial segregation and the environment that had served corporations and the wealthy very well. Something had to be done to reduce the power of We the People.
Shift the nation’s economy to the financial world of the stock market and banking and away from manufacturing, which provides job opportunities for more of the population. By sending manufacturing jobs overseas, corporations created job insecurity for American workers and makes it possible for corporations to “keep workers in their place” by keeping them insecure about having a job. Secretary of the Treasury Alan Greenspan publicly praised “the benefits of job insecurity.”
Reducing taxes on the wealthy and thereby put more of the tax burden on the middle and lower classes in order to keep them in their place and keep them dependent on the will of the wealthy.
“Deregulation” that allows corporations to charge consumers more and to make products that can be unsafe and more polluting, even while allowing corporations to make higher profits.
Engineer elections by the use of rigged computerized voting machines, by restrictions on voting disguised as fighting “voter fraud”, and by deceptive political advertising campaigns
Destroy the last bit of organized power by ordinary people to challenge corporations and to demand higher wages, better benefits, and job security. Accomplish this by getting anti-union legislation passed and movements created, such as the anti-union charter school movement whose schools are under corporate control and run by private directors instead of by publicly-elected school boards.
Manufacture public opinion by massive political advertising campaigns financed by anonymous Political Action Committees and by the use of “social media” using fake postings and ads by fake “groups” and “organizations” that are labeled with high-sounding and patriotic names.
Divide and conquer the middle and lower classes by splitting them into groups angry at each other and at minority groups rather than angry at corporations and the politicians whom corporations own and control.
Make support from the middle and lower classes unnecessary to politicians: This has been accomplished by the 2010 U.S. Supreme Court decision that corporations are actually “persons” who can give as much money as they want to politicians, and the Court’s 2014 decision that wealthy individuals can also give as much money as they want to as many politicians as they want. The billions and billions of dollars that corporations and billionaires have makes the small contributions from We the People unimportant to politicians. So, it’s no surprise that an analysis of government policy by researchers for Princeton University and Northwestern University found that the U.S. is no longer a democracy because the government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country’s citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful.
Undermine anything that unifies the ordinary people, such as public education that teaches people shared values and how a democracy is supposed to work. Charter schools run by private corporate boards instead of by publicly-elected boards of education allow the private corporate-controlled charter schools to teach whatever they want about how government is supposed to work.
And another thing: After studying more than 20 years of government policy, researchers for Princeton University and Northwestern University concluded already back in 2014 that the U.S. is no longer a democracy because the government does not represent the interests of the majority of the country’s citizens, but is instead ruled by those of the rich and powerful. The researchers analyzed 1,800 US policies enacted over a period of two decades and compared the laws and regulations that were passed to those favored by average Americans and to those favored by wealthy Americans and corporations. The researchers found that the interests of the wealthy and of corporations won out with lawmakers over the interests of the average American. In short, the United States has become an oligarchy.
“Even when a majority of citizens disagrees with economic elites or with organised special interests, ordinary citizens generally lose,” the researchers concluded. “Moreover, because of the strong status quo bias built into the US political system, even when fairly large majorities of Americans favour policy change, they generally do not get it.”
The overwhelming influence of wealthy political donors and corporations has grown greatly following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 “Citizens United” decision and its 2014 “McCutcheon” decision that basically allow the buying of elections and politicians…and that will continue to be the case.
So, what is the detailed strategic plan and supporting tactical plans to dig ourselves out of this hole? I haven’t seen one yet from anyone.
Aside from Sanders or Warren, none of the politicians will even acknowledge that we have a problem of income inequality and out of control corporate power.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also recognizes that but Nancy Peloisi , who represents old guard corporate Democrats, is doing her damnedest to shut Ocasio-Cortez down — and up.
As a couple, Pelosi and her husband have a combined net worth between $58.7 million and $72.1 million. She won’t work for Medicare for All and supported Trump’s increase in military funding.
Do you really think that someone that wealthy will work to help average people? She is powerful but, as you say, she is old guard.
Hi Scisne:
I salute your question with all my heart, mind and soul.
Recently, my neuron-transmitters synapses are intermittent. This means that my thinking cannot be continuity regardless of being strong will, sharp thinking and witty.
The only basic belief in my mind is that each individual human being needs to dig himself or herself out of their own problem from self-control of all physical wants, material desires, emotional needs beyond their own reasonable knowledge, experience, and abilities.
If a toad wants to be a cow physically, how can it happen!
If a well manner, educated GULLIBLE student wants to lead the street-wise malice homeless person, How can it be successful?
Likewise, if some inexperienced politician like Trump wants to deal with veteran Chinese Communist leaders, then what do Americans expect the outcome for America? – Success or failure?
If TFAs try to replace true, honest, dedicated veteran Public educators, can Americans imagine their young generation’s future career? Slave or leader ? Living in a peace or a war environment? Back2basic.
According to reader Ohio Algebra II Teacher, the quote of the year, revising “A Nation at Risk”:
“If a foreign country had inflicted upon our public education system what Ed Reform plutocrats and their toadying political sycophants have imposed upon it, we would have considered it an act of war.”
Most importantly, all voters of all races in America MUST have a parallel thinking in order to recognize the current USA president and his cabinet, and some current senators, newspapers reporters, radio shows’ hosts who have applied and imposed the above the quote of the year, “A Nation at Risk”, upon the American public education system.
So, I hope that all conscientious teachers will advise their students of all ages to communicate with each other and with their own parents the above the quote of the year, “A Nation at Risk”.
As a result, the peace and the best of American Public Education System is in the minds, the determination and souls of all VOTERS in 2020. Back2basic
Ohio teacher’s quote is great.
This week a commenter on the internet pegged people like Gates/John Arnold/Koch’s/ Waltons- “Wealthy elites willing to trade the rights and lives of others for their own safety and economic prosperity.”
To learn about the elites and their pursuit of power via philanthropy (villainthropy), read Anand Giridharadas’ brilliant book: Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World.
Here is another NW Indiana school district that is having financial problems. It would be great if Indiana started funding public schools so that districts don’t have to depend upon local taxes. The ‘plan’ is to fire personnel, close schools and make teachers pay more for health insurance. Public education just isn’t high on the list of something important in this state. Of course, there is money for vouchers and charter schools.
…………………
[NWI Times] Hammond schools report warns of district deficit, calls for consolidations and staff reductions
Carley Lanich carleylanich@nwi.com, 219-852-4328 Jan 1, 2019 Updated 4 hrs ago
…The report, compiled by Indianapolis-based MTW Consulting, was requested this fall by the Hammond School Board, outgoing board member Cindy Murphy said.
The board wanted to evaluate the district’s preparedness for the 2020 tax cap deadline and the likelihood of being placed on a new watch list issued by the Indiana Distressed Unit Appeal Board, the same agency responsible for the state’s takeover of Gary and Muncie schools.
“In simple terms, we have a serious cash flow problem,” Murphy said…
Ward’s report recommended Hammond schools create a reduction task force to consider school closures and consolidations…The district also is working to transition more employees to a high-deductible health plan, which Ward said could save the school tens of thousands of dollars, …
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/hammond-schools-report-warns-of-district-deficit-calls-for-consolidations/article_cd95248a-1187-539d-b0d4-2db6d1b93ae5.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share
The Civil Rights Data Collection (CRDC) initiated in 1968 as a tool for checking on school desegregation has been expanded since the Nation at Risk and even more in this century. It is now designed to track enrollments, by grade levels, in specific courses during middle and high school–as if a curriculum prescribed by the data is a “civil rights” matter. The CRDC fails to treat the absence of education in civics, history, social studies as a problem.
On the other hand it treats Algebra 1 and 2 as if “civil rights” and this year will consider enrollments in computer science courses as if a matter of “civil rights.” Many of the categories in this collection have been shaped by the non-governmental project of Bill Gates, the Data Quality Campaign, vintage 2006. The following publication is a “resource” listed at the CRDC website.
No offence to Ohio Algebra 11 teacher for his brilliant quote.
https://dataqualitycampaign.org/resource/ shining-a-light-on-equity-opportunities-to-use-data-to-serve-all-students/.
Ohio Algebra ii teacher always has some very astute things to say.
Of all the thesis that described the reasons for the fall of the Roman Empire, I can think of not one that did not emphasize the general internal decay that permeated Roman culture in the wake of the onset of empire, which replaced the republic. Like Rome, our greatest enemies arise from individuals who stand to benefit from policies that are not good for the body politic. We have met the enemy and he is us, or some of us.
RT, I vaguely recollect a college lecture citing “bread and circuses.” Is the 21st century US equivalent “fast food and DJT rallies”?
It is always painful to observe the profound philosophical error exhibited by so many of the great hearted, hard working, and well intentioned teachers here. This country will not accept socialist practices or theory if it can help it. That’s why the support for charters and choice. Capitalist America sees its children being taught socialist ideology and will do away with public education to prevent that. Whether socialist societies would be better or not is a different question. I think not, and Venezuela is my example. In capitalist societies there will always be economic inequities, but in general capitalism, especially mixed capitalism as in the USA, provides more wealth for more people than any other system. Yes, the schools deserve twice the money they are getting, but the capitalists will not provide it to schools teaching authoritarian socialism. Capitalism provides ALL the money spent on education. Many here forget that. Algebra I and II are a civil right, sort of, but math can’t be politicized. I know I am despised here as a troll, and will be ignored, but what I tell you is well intentioned, and possibly true.
I just posted on a different article site what Bernie Sanders stands for. There is nothing bad and everything good. He works to help the average and poor, and says the oligarchs need to be reigned in. Check out my recent comment on “Thomas Friedman, time for the GOP to threaten to Fire Trump”. It’s time for a real change if the US democracy is to survive.
Oligarchs spread fear to keep the masses as servants. It is ignorance that keeps us from having Medicare for All so that millions of currently uncovered people can have health insurance. We need to have a minimal income of $15 per hour so that people can survive when they work full time. Citizens United needs to be repealed so that no longer only the wealthy can decide legislation that helps them. The wealthy need to start paying their fair share of taxes and the Trump tax cuts need to be eliminated. We need to get away from using fossil fuels and develop green jobs to save the environment. We need a funded infrastructure plan because of our failing and crumbling roads and bridges. Public schools need to be funded properly. We cannot afford support a dual educational system of charters and vouchers with taxpayer money. Social Security needs to be expanded so that seniors can live without having to decide whether to pay the rent or eat.
I’ll repeat: It is ignorance that keeps this country from progressing.
Even Mitt Romney is saying Trump is a looser.
……………
The Washington Post
Democracy Dies in Darkness
News Alert Jan 1, 8:09 PM
Trump’s character falls short, incoming senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) writes in an op-ed. ‘A president should unite us.’
“A president should unite us and inspire us to follow ‘our better angels,'” Romney, the Republican Party’s 2012 nominee for president, writes in The Post.
“A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect. As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.”
Flake-ish empty rhetoric. He’ll fall in line real soon, just keep an eye on his voting record.
GregB: I agree. Once in office the rhetoric previously spoken doesn’t matter. However, at least he is saying something useful. Are any Repubs listening?
Carol, only the ones who aren’t self-interested or with nothing to lose. So I guess the answer is a big fat “No.”
I wonder if Brad Parscale has a functioning brain. Anyone who believes Trump has courage needs to read what this creature has achieved. Lies are good and truth is bad. Income tax cuts for the wealthy is good and healthcare for all Americans is bad. Immigrants are all rapists and drug dealers. There is no collusion because Trump says so. [Grammatically he should have said “Jealousy” and not “Jealously”. ]
………………….
Hours after Sen.-elect Mitt Romney (R-Utah) dropped a scathing op-ed calling President Donald Trump’s tenure a total disappointment, the commander in chief’s 2020 campaign manager, Brad Parscale, came out swinging in the president’s defense.
Brad Parscale
✔
@parscale
The truth is @MittRomney lacked the ability to save this nation. @realDonaldTrump has saved it. Jealously is a drink best served warm and Romney just proved it. So sad, I wish everyone had the courage @realDonaldTrump had. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/mitt-romney-the-president-shapes-the-public-character-of-the-nation-trumps-character-falls-short/2019/01/01/37a3c8c2-0d1a-11e9-8938-5898adc28fa2_story.html …
20.1K
7:31 PM – Jan 1, 2019
Define socialism. In the U.S., the most socialist program we have is V.A. healthcare. It just that we all pay for it and a select few get the benefits.
Capitalism is an economic system that in its most virulent form advocates “survival of the fittest.” Unfortunately, the philosophy operates without a moral code and allows the most slimy, underhanded schemes to come out on top. I for one do not want to live in such a society that cares only for the welfare of the winner. When under regulation by a democratic government interested in the welfare of all people, capitalism can be and has been a very effective economic system. Let loose and society devolves into oligarchic structures. You can get the little guy to yell against socialism until you point out to him that social security, Medicare, VA benefits, public education, postal service, interstate infrastructure,… would all be at risk.
I disagree.
The majority of Americans do support the social safety net.
It’s the wealthiest Americans, the 1-percent or maybe as much as 10-percent that don’t, and they are spending billions to influence legislation and court verdicts to get what they want, a nightmare world for everyone that isn’t rich.
The social safety net is not socialism but the rich treat it like it is because they have no need of a social safety net.
H.U. said: “Capitalist America sees its children being taught socialist ideology and will do away with public education to prevent that.” Huh?! That is just insane gibberish. What is this man drinking? All these right wing nuts always bring up Venezuela. Who the heck is talking about Venezuela? We are talking about Finland, Denmark, Norway or Sweden (but not the Swedish education system). The level of stupidity or willful ignorance on the right is just incredible.
Fantasy and the socialist bogeyman will get you if you don’t watch out
Alt-Right real fake news media like Fox and Sinclair program the biological brains of conservatives with viruses, Trojan Horses, and cookies to control and take over how they think and act.
We need a program we can upload to their biological brains to search out and delete this conservative alt-right viruses, Trojan Horses and cookies so they can think for themselves again.
Are you insane or just pretending?
Not mutually exclusive!
How you read all you did into Ohio Algebra II Teacher’s comment is anyone’s guess, but here again is what s/he actually said.
“If a foreign country had inflicted upon our public education system what Ed Reform plutocrats and their toadying political sycophants have imposed upon it, we would have considered it an act of war.”
Nothing about capitalism or socialism or any of the rest of what you said.
But at least you honestly acknowledge that Reformers are trying to do away with public education, which the Reformers themselves don’t do.
“Capitalist America sees its children being taught socialist ideology and will do away with public education to prevent that.”
If by Capitalist America you mean people like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, the Koch brothers, the Waltons, I think you are right. They are definitely trying to get rid of public education, but it has nothing to do with opposition to socialist ideology. It has to do with profiting off of public schools, since they represent a giant ($600 billion a year) untapped market — a market that is COMPLETElY funded with public dollars, not incidentally.
In fact, there is a huge irony in calling these people capitalists because they are trying to capitalize on the giant public school teat — trying desperately to find yet another way to leech off the public.
And by the way, these people want private schools funded with public dollars.
Just like the “public charter” charade.
In other words, they want to get rid of public schools controlled by the public and replace them with schools controlled by hedge funds but funded with public dollars.
But maybe you have no problem with your so called “capitalists” sucking on the public teet?
they want to get rid of public schools controlled by the public and replace them with schools controlled by hedge fund ** managers** but funded with public dollars.
HUnderwood seems to be under the impression that public school teachers are raving socialists and that public schools are socialist training centers which is a hilarious and ridiculous fantasy. Teachers are working very hard every day to teach the children reading, mathematics, English grammar, social studies, geography, astronomy, US history, Spanish, French, German, writing compositions, etc. The notion that the teachers’ overriding goal is to indoctrinate the kids with socialist doctrines is beyond silly. Most teachers are pretty moderate and most school districts are fairly conservative, unfortunately. H.U. makes a false dichotomy between capitalism or socialism, i.e., it’s either the Waltons or Fidel Castro, nothing in between. There are plenty of alternatives between capitalism and Castro style socialism. In any case, capitalism is an economic system, NOT a system of governance. Capitalism does not equate to freedom, liberty, justice or democracy. It’s an amoral economic system that can flourish in communist China, Vietnam, Pinochet’s Chile, Franco’s Spain or even Hitler’s Germany. Hitler allowed German capitalists and industrialists to flourish as long as they adhered to Nazi ideology.
Harlan: Far from being ignored, you were answered. Why is it that those who see any role for government at all are dismissed as socialists by the political right?
Harlan can call a private fire department if his house catches fire.
And I hope he only uses private highways, not the roads we pay for.
He also can’t use the information superhighway (aka the internet) because that was also the result of public research dollars.
Completely agree US has been involved in a circular firing squad re: public education- for a long, long time. And don’t forget, “A Nation at Risk” came along when a decade+ of NAEP scores in fact showed US K12 was improving incrementally, across all ethnic groups/ SES levels.
It was a 2-punch combo:
(1)a major distraction from govt’s abject failure to deal head-on w/the challenges to labor market of automation/ globalization. For perhaps the first of many times to come, laying blame/ responsibility for economic failings at the door of public K12 education.
(2)by its insistence on mediocre intl test scores as a signal of US failure, a not-so-subtle lead-in to ‘black/ brown/ poor people are bringing down the average’– so let’s find a faux/ cheap way to look to civ rts leaders like we’re helping them while actually removing funding from that lost cause.
Just want to suggest this madness started before “A Nation at Risk.”
I am on thin, anecdotal ground here, having been raised in a liberal-pocket college town whose upstate-NY schoolsys was renown in the ’60’s for hi acad achievement, & well-rounded, offering everything from hi-qual art/ music to full-fledged vo-tech incl graphic dwg to auto-mech [w/ample adult-ed use of facilities]. But as early as 1971– a dozen yrs before A Nation at Risk & everyone-must-4-yr-coll-to-compete-w/Japanese, the town turned down a series of bonds that began the decimation of the vo-tech piece.
The sentiment was “we’re tired of paying privsch prices for pubsch.” But the reality was: 7 yrs already of non-college-deferment studs– i.e., vo-tech, trades-career-headed students– being drafted to VietNam at 18. Two yrs later, the Arab oil embargo landed us in recession: vo-tech & its expensive eqpt/ specialized teachers were completely shifted from local district to county-based. W/n 5 yrs, tho war was over, the scuttlebutt was all, ‘the Japanese are eating our shorts’ – ‘everyone must do hi-tech 4-yr college or have no future.’ Meanwhile, ‘tracking’– which was already getting a well-deserved bad rep– got the definitive kibosh when civil rts leaders targeted it as a way for elites to marginalize black/ brown kids into trades… & vo-tech was relegated to regional/ unavailable.
Granted, mfg jobs were bleeding out– but we threw the baby [skilled land-based construction/ reno/ repair jobs] out w/the bathwater. The vacuum was quickly filled by lo-pd immigrants, damaging already-weakened unions. By the time US youth woke up to the lie, trade jobs were already cinched by immigrants, & scarce remaining union jobs going only to those w/connections. [Fallout: they go into post-VN vol mil svs to become cannon fodder for endless post-VN small wars.]
This very sadly echoes what Paula said above: “We’ve lost valuable credentialed teachers we will never get back, we’ve lost a generation, maybe more to inane testing instead of critical thinking.” It’s the exact same pattern as ’70’s’ dumping vo-tech/ union trades in favor of college for all [a new $ bubble]– w/ cheaply-employed immigrants taking up the slack & non-academically-inclined US natives left w/mil svs as a way to support a family. Our $ bubble is the ed-reform industry ‘closing the achievement gap’ w/ accountability-tech & privatized takeovers, which push decently-pd vet burnouts into premature retirement; a churn of TFA’s, short-time newbies & uncertified subs take up the slack. [& parallel to mil svs, lots of folks who once would have been teachers flailing about in the lo-pd, insecure gig economy.]
The loss of veteran teachers is the thing that will continue to have a profound effect on education long after the Reformers are dead and gone.
It is the legacy of George W. Bush and Barack Obama, brothers from different mothers.
If any of you read any right-wing online sources (& I only read the link titles & comments that a right-wing acquaintance {& I DO mean “acquaintance”} constantly e-mails to me), Venezuela is always brought into the mix–an example of socialism gone wrong.
Anyway, Joe, your 1/2/19 9:30 AM comments with regard to that (& in answer to Harlan) are spot-on, so thank you for them.
&–BTW–am always deleting these e-mails either before reading (meaning reading them NOT) or after. But look at them I must, since I believe in being the fly on the wall & “keep your friends close, but your enemies {or fiends!} closer!”)
Perhaps a bit off, but an excellent movie that illustrates this (& is just plain EXCELLENT) is “BlackKKlansman.” Saw it 2x, & can’t wait to read the book.
Happy New Year to you, retiredbutmissthekids.
May success, happiness, and health be with you, your loved ones and all of your good friends.
I love to read all of your posts. I am really slow in both mind thinking and body movement. That is why I hardly read as much and write as much as I want to. Most of all. my brain is intermittent. This is the major problem for me to express fluently if my finger stops typing due to aching.
I just blame on my gullibility in drinking high blood pressure pills plus high cholesterol pills and kidney damage in the past 4 years out of 8 years being mild stroke.
Honestly, we, old people, need to have a wake-up call = being alert and smart to stay away fake advice from incompetent or fake doctors or specialists.
Sleep well, eat moderately, and a bit of daily walking will keep us healthy. Most of all, we need to purify our unnecessary worry about chaos life plus national and international policies. May
Thank you, May, for your kind words. I enjoy reading your posts as well (I especially like your tagline “Back2Basic.”) Back ‘atcha, & wishing you the BEST–meaning, MUCH BETTER health–in 2019 & for all the years to come!