Monterey Bay Forum » Education

Firenze Sage: You cannot fail in Florida [teacher unions oppose standardized testing]

jaj48 — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:40:45 +0000

Florida teacher unions oppose standardized tests

The Board of Education decided in an emergency meeting Tuesday to lower the passing grade on the writing portion of Florida’s standardized test after preliminary results showed a drastic drop in student passing scores.

The results indicated only about a third of students would pass this year’s tougher Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test exam, compared with a passing rate of 80 percent or more last year.

“They’ve asked students to do more, but that’s pretty dramatic,” said Florida Education Association spokesman Mark Pudlow. “We need to examine what led to this, not just paper over the problem.”

The results provide another opening to critics of high-stakes testing. The statewide teachers union has opposed Florida’s use of standardized tests to evaluate teachers and grade schools.

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The teacher’s union is for the teachers, not the students who really don’t matter to the union.

JAJ48@aol.com http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109312

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Firenze Sage: $15,000 soda pop [federal fine to school]

jaj48 — Sat, 19 May 2012 22:17:52 +0000

$15 K federal fine to school for soda bought after lunch makes no sense

Soda pop OK if bought before lunch but a huge federal fine if purchased after lunch. This makes no sense except harassment sense.

Davis High School has been fined $15,000 after they were caught selling soda pop during lunch hour, which is a violation of federal law.

The federally mandated law prohibits the sale of carbonated beverages after lunch is served. The program is an effort to help fight childhood obesity and to have young students make better food choices.

The mandate allows for carbonated beverages to be sold before lunch, but restricts students from buying lunch, then purchasing carbonated drinks afterward.

“Before lunch you can come and buy a carbonated beverage. You can take it into the cafeteria and eat your lunch, but you can’t first go buy school lunch then come out in the hallway and buy a drink,” said Davis High Principal Dee Burton.

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“He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.”

The Declaration of Independence has it spot on!!

JAJ48@aol.com http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/109312

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Firenze Sage: Tom Petty & the moronic thief [pawns guitars]

jaj48 — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 23:42:45 +0000

A thief pawns guitar worth $250,000 for a mere $250 and …. gets caught It was a heartbreaker for Tom Petty and the band when someone stole five of their precious guitars from a soundstage. Collectively, the five guitars were worth roughly $100,000.

stolen Petty guitars

It was music to the guitar owners’ ears when police in Southern California announced Tuesday that the instruments had been recovered and a security guard was under arrest. The man arrested is Daryl Emmette Washington, 51, of Los Angeles, a private security guard at The Culver Studios lot. The break in the case came when the suspect pawned one of the guitars at a Hollywood pawn shop for $250.

“Mr. Petty would have joined us, but he’s preparing for a concert in Denver,” said Pedersen, who described the stolen guitars as collectively worth $100,000.
five Petty guitars stolen & recovered

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This thief needs remedial education before he qualifies for jail. JAJ48@aol.com

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Aptos Psychologist: outdated govt. regulations killed Titanic passengers & harm working women today

jaj48 — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:08:27 +0000

outdated govt regulations killed Titanic passengers

Outdated govt regulations caused the Titanic tragedy & harm married working women today.

Those out dated government regulations must be updated for a world in which 60% of all women work outside the home.

And now is the time for women to raise a roar as Republicans control the House where all bills involving money must start.

“Flex time” is a good government regulation to fix in place. “Flex time” allows the worker to work the same number of hours packed into fewer days.

Senate Democrats blocked “flex time” back in the 1990′s. Now it’s time for Ann Romney and husband Mitt to make the case for “flex time”

The Titanic sank because the owner said follow the law as to how many life boats to equip it with. And the outdated Board of Trade law required only enough boats for half the number of people aboard. The accepted premise was that if a ship was in trouble it would always be possible to have 4-6 other boats near by who could provide additional life boat assistance.That was a wrong premise for the Titanic.

And it’s a wrong premise today that woman are the same as mem so treat them exactly the same. Women have babies and move in and out of the work force. Women need flexible hours, opportunity and choice.

Women working for the Obama White House make roughly 18% less than the men. Probably moving in and out of the work force and taking jobs with fewer hours are a big part of why women working for Obama are paid less.

Repeal the marriage penalty and add “flex time” to Romney’s reforms — that’s the message to send to Ann Romney and Republican candidate Mitt Romney.

Look at Ann Romney’s page on Pinterests.com and tell Ann what women working outside the home need. Ann is approachable. And Ann Romney in my view will become as popular as Jackie Kennedy was in the 1960′s. And someday Mitt Romney will introduce his wife to the French people as ‘this is the person you came to see…”

Here’s an outdated regulation that must be changed: A married woman working of an assembly line keeps less of her pay check than the unwed man who does the same job.

Today, 60%o of all women work outside the home and are penalized by outdated laws.

Start with the premise that many women, because they have babies, are different from men.

written by DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

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Aptos Psychologist: High cost of housing drives families out of CA. It’s time CA voters tell planners to take a hike. Kids need backyards & space to run …

jaj48 — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 21:51:17 +0000

CA backyards not balconies

Tell CA planners to take a hike! Stop squishing families together in smaller and smaller spaces.

Not 3 feet wide condo balconies, kids need backyards and space to run around and kick balls. Because of new regulations in California, if planners have their way all new metropolitan housing will be 20 to an acre rather than the traditional 5 to an acre.

It’s time that CA voters wake up and repeal the 2006 Global Warming Solutions Act and the 2008 Sustainable Communities and Climate protection Act.

Over the last 40 years, median house prices have doubled relative to household incomes in California.

Look around your community. In our area of Aptos, CA for example, all new “affordable” [taxpayer paid for] housing is 20 or more to an acre. And those condos have no back yards.

Planners must think kids can get all the exercise they need at school during recess and lunch. Not so.

The high cost of housing in CA is a major reason why 1.6 million have left California since 2000.

For more info, see The Wall Street Journal, April 7, 2012, California Declares War on Suburbia

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Aptos Psychologist: Obama’s ‘spin’ that ObamaCare cannot be found illegal due to a ‘leak’ from his appointee to the Court?

jaj48 — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 21:02:43 +0000

Kagan leak?

So did someone on the Supreme Court leak to Obama that the Supreme Court might find ObamaCare illegal? If so, was it someone — Kagan — who used to work for Obama?

Federal judges can find Obama-Care illegal says Texas federal Judge Smith in response to Obama’s recent remarks about judicial review. It’s impossible to find ObamaCare’s individual mandate illegal said Obama. Oh?

But federal courts routinely strike down laws as illegal and unconstitutional. Today, Texas federal judge Smith bristles at Obama’s recent remarks on judicial review and that unelected men and women cannot — or should not — decide the fate of Obama-Care.

Texas federal Judge Smith rebuked U.S. Attorney General Holder concerning Obama’s remarks and requested within 48 hours a 3 page single space response concerning Obama’s position on judicial review.

The Supreme Court has always practised deference responded Eric Holder. Sounds like Holder thinks that the Supreme Court is supposed to rubber stamp whatever the Executive branch does.

Some of Texas Judge Smith’s prior rulings: Affirmative Action illegal and unconstitutional at Texas Law School. Obama’s 6 month moratorium on deep water oil drilling was found illegal.

Obama’s remarks — that the Supreme Court cannot decide the legality of Obmaa-Care — show a profound dis-respect for our federal courts and the independence of our three branches of government. written by DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

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Firenze Sage: “the threat of Christianity” by Methodist church in Malaysia – as practices Christianity

jaj48 — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:12:52 +0000

threat of Christianity

Inclusion of words “The threat of Christianity” is a boo-boo says Malaysian officials.

Malaysian state religious and education officials have changed the title of a seminar which included the words “the threat of Christianity” following outrage by non-Muslims in the Muslim dominant country [28.3 million Muslims to 9.2 million Christians].

How dare you call Christianity a threat says non-Muslims. The religious Police raided a Methodist church event last August fearing Muslims were being converted to Christianity.

Co-organisers from the state religious department say the seminar’s content [directed towards school teachers] will remain the same but part of the title “threat of Christianity” will be removed.

“The seminar is part of the right of Muslims to defend the faith of its practitioners from any action which may lead to apostasy. It is our responsibility,” an official said.

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More than 80% of the truth seekers in Egypt favor death for apostasy. JAJ48@ao.com

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Firenze Sage: First they came for your sandwitch, now your friends.

jaj48 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 01:30:42 +0000

best friend ban
Teachers ban kids from having a best friend.

Scraped knees next? Why? So children are not upset by fall-out. Instead, kids are being encouraged to play together in large groups.

Educational psychologist Gaynor Sbuttoni says the policy is used at schools in Kingston, South West London, and Surrey.

She added: “I have noticed that teachers tell children they shouldn’t have a best friend and that everyone should play together.

“They want to save the child the pain of splitting up from their best friend” says Shuttoni. “But it is natural for some children to want a best friend. If they [best friends] break up, they have to feel the pain because they’re learning to deal with it.”
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There is no end to the nanny state but slavery.
jaj48@aol.com

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Aptos Psychologist: Why crucial & how parents can reduce hearing loss in babies & young children

jaj48 — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:38:36 +0000

six months

Hearing loss in babies has huge effects on their general development: hearing loss impacts language acquisition, speech, psycho-social well being and overall learning.

Research shows that the critical time to stimulate the auditory and brain pathways is during the first six (6) months of your child’s life. So pay particular attention during your child’s first six months that he or she continues to hear normally.

The good news is that children with all degrees of hearing loss — who receive appropriate interventions prior to 6 months of age– can obtain speech and language skills comparable to their normal hearing peers when age 3 years.

What parents can do:
Check and re-check that your baby’s hearing remains normal. Visit your pediatrician for screenings as your doctor recommends. Research recommends hearing screening every 2 months until age one year — and every three months until age two.

Keep this in mind:
Even mild hearing loss can significantly interfere with the reception of spoken language and educational performance. Research shows that children with one ear hearing loss are ten (10) times as likely to be held back at least one year compared to children with normal hearing.

Many children are affected with ear infections: Chronic otis media (ear infections) affects 5 – 30% of children age 6 to 11 years and can persist 4 – 5 months with or without medical interventions.

Watch for possible symptoms of hearing and ear problems. Does your child: Tug at his/her ear; turn side of head towards parent; appear inattentive; strain when listening; make frequent mistakes following directions; day dreams; tend to isolate; tire easily; talk too loudly or too softly; have a speech problem; appear passive.

Does your child appear to have pain in their ear? Do you see redness or drainage from the ear?

Methods to assess for hearing loss in young children:

Otoacoustic Emissions Technology (OAE)
OAE

Otoacoustic Emissions is a hearing test that uses a small probe inserted into the external ear to introduce a sound stimulus (series of beeps) and measures the response sound, like an echo, emitted by the inner ear (cochlea) of a normal hearing person. The cochlea of a person with a hearing loss greater than 25-30 dB does not emit a sound in response to a sound stimulus.

Many studies have shown that screening children 0 – 3 years of age may be beneficial with OAEs. The OAE technology is very good for children who are unable to respond to a sound by raising their hand or dropping a toy in a bucket to indicate a response to the stimulus.

Children with developmental delays [possible autistic spectrum issues, possible intellectual disability] may not understand or often refuse to follow simple directions. OAE may be a useful screening for children with developmental delays.

Note that OAE may not detect mild hearing loss (20 dB to 40 dB) which may affect performance in school. The gold standard for screening children over age three is with a pure tone audiometer conducted by properly trained personnel.

To summarize: Parents can greatly reduce possible hearing loss in babies and young children with appropriate interventions. Know why its so important that children hear normally. Get medical attention immediately when young children appear to have difficulties with hearing normally.

Take children for routine screenings every 2 months during first year or as your pediatrician recommends. Watch for signs of possible ear infection and behaviors that indicate difficulties with hearing. Knowledge, parent involvement and appropriate medical interventions to improve hearing are particularly crucial during your child’s first six months. Parents can do a lot to reduce hearing loss in babies and young children.

In CA, children with developmental delays are typically referred for Early Start services. Early Start services are provided through the government from birth until the child turns three years old.

Roughly 70% of the children referred for Early Start services in CA are due to speech delays.

And, a very important medical questions is: Can this child hear normally? If a child applying for Early Start services cannot hear normally different medical interventions are needed to address hearing loss.

In Santa Cruz County assessment for Early Start services is done via various vendors. These vendors provide assessment reports concerning the overall development of the child/ applicant for Early Start services.

Whether or not the applicant for Early Start services can hear normally is vital to determining the appropriate kind of services to provide to the child.

Any parent who applies for Early Start services in Santa Cruz County should check with the vendor and whoever receives the assessment report and inquire about their child’s hearing abilities. Was the child’s hearing abilities screened? Can the child hear normally? And if the child does not hear normally, what appropriate medical services are recommended?

Remember the first sentences of this post: Hearing loss in young babies has profound effects on the general development of a child. And, parents can help in many ways so that their child hears and develops normally.

written by DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

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Firenze Sage: If you care about children, you MUST read this… [writings by teachers posted on the 'chicken nuggets' North Carolina school]

jaj48 — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:30:02 +0000

Merit pay for teachers

“I am the oldest child of David and Kathryn Anderson, whom where both educators, too.”

“I am a certified, Highly Qualified teacher.”

“I will be your son or daughter teacher this year .”

“Dear Parents My name is Janet Stewart Sallie. I’m a native North Carolinia, graduated from a Cumberland County High School…”

“This is why I REQUIRE each of my students to read for AT LEAST 30 minutes each night. I will hold them accountable for this time expected. Their futures depend of their abilities to read and write on grade level. Please help me lead them on the right path to a successful future.”
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These are actual excerpts from teachers’ biographies. These teachers are from the school where 2 students had their lunches removed in order to force chicken nuggets on them.

It is easier to grab a kid’s lunch than to learn to write an English sentence. We need a merit system for teachers now!!

jaj48@aolcom

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