Monterey Bay Forum

vastly different standards for getting into university

The campus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison erupted this week after the release of two studies documenting the heavy use of race in deciding which students are admitted. But the university was none too keen on releasing the data, which CEO obtained through filing Freedom of Information Act requests only after a successful legal challenge went all the way to the state supreme court.

FirenzeSage48@gmail.com

Joan Heffington, who has run for governor of Kansas and was taken to court by the state attorney general, is suing Derby Public Schools because her son was cut from the marching band.

The focus of the lawsuit is Heffington’s son, a trombone player who was cut from the marching band. ———————————————
Hey ma, a lawsuit does not a trombone player make.

vouchers & more charter schools schools like Harlem Success

Politicians, especially Democratic politicians, generally do what unions want. The unions, in turn, are very clear about what that is: They want happy members so that those who run the unions get re-elected and they want more members, so that their power, money and influence grow.

Individual schools are breathtakingly different. New York Harlem Success’s black students outperform white students at more than 700 schools across the state. Overall, Harlem Success now performs at the same level as the gifted-and-talented schools in New York City all of which have demanding admission requirements. Harlem Success, by contrast, selects its students mostly poor and minority m by random lottery.

One great school, Pacific Collegiate, is in California. So we can educate California school children and do so quite successfully. We need more success stories like Pacific Collegiate and Harlem Success Academy.

And it’s time that teachers and other government workers have choice to opt out of unions. No employee should be forced to join a union in order to work. DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

It’s time that California imitates Chicago, Illinois and reins in teacher union power. It’s time to get rid of ineffective, poorly trained California teachers. It’s time to replace teacher pay based on seniority with pay based on performance. It’s time for five full school days in California.

If substantial education reform can occur in Democrat controlled Illinois then there is a possibility of similar change in Democrat controlled California.

How in the world did Illinois do it? The teacher unions claim that changes were made to the education reform bill at the last minute. If that’s what if takes — so be it.

Democrat controlled Illinois just passed a bill that resembles bills passed in Republican states. The Chicago Illinois bill links teacher tenure to student achievement, bases layoffs on performance instead of seniority and makes it easier to dismiss ineffective teachers. The bill gives Mayor 0 Rahm Emanuel power to lengthen the school day in Chicago. Teachers can only strike if 75% of members agree – up from 51% of votes cast. These laws are similar to ones passed in Republic-controlled states including Indiana and Florida.

DrCameronJackson@gmail.com

Most sane people ignore writing on shithole walls...

University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC) students and faculty held an impromptu rally Friday after graffiti was discovered Thursday in a Cowell College men’s bathroom that read in part “Stop the Invasion” and threatened violence against Mexicans.

“First of all I want to apologize profoundly for this writing” said vice chancellor
Galloway, who was slightly choked up and struggled to get her words out at first.

“I’m shocked and horrified that this would exist on campus. Our response has not be sufficient to stop this, and I apologize for that as well. I am open to solutions.” The administration has expressed support for an ethnic studies program.”

How about a class in the history of writing on shithouse walls which is an almost universal event.

Most sane people simply ignore what some lowlife writes on the wall.

At a 21st century university such a crime gets strong women sobbing and a call for an ethnic studies class which I guess is to be filled with racists who write on bathroom walls and then wish to repent.

Grow up and hope your phone number is not next. On 2d thought why would you care since it’s on your facebook page.

FirenzeSage48@gmail.com

Sour reception to tax sugary drinks in Califonia

It would have taxed sodas, energy drinks, sweet teas and other sugary beverages, directing the money toward youth education and obesity-prevention programs. The failure prompted such remarks as, “Sugar is dangerous to society, and is a huge part of childhood obesity. Taxing soda would have been akin to taxing cigarettes.”

And boats and cars and cable tv and cell phones and every itty bitty thing that walks or crawls across the government view.

written by FirenzeSage48@gmail.com

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Other news about sugary drinks from across the county …. New York to ban low-income families from using food stamps to buy sugary drinks

New York announced plans to ban the use of food stamps to buy sugary drinks as it steps up its anti-obesity campaign. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Governor David Paterson have asked the U.S. government to ban the purchase of fizzy drinks and sweetened fruit drinks with the federal vouchers used by 42million low-income families.They called sugar-sweetened beverages the largest single contributor to the obesity epidemic.

What next from the government sugar police? Tax sugar donuts? Declare apple juice a ‘no no’ for toddlers? Limit sugary coffee drinks to adults over 18?

A mother of child with special needs (Asperger’s Disorder) emailed me asking for help. She lives in Redlands, CA. Her child has an Autistic Spectrum Disorder, is hearing impaired and has epilepsy. The child is in elementary school.

Parenting a child with these kinds of problems can be overwhelming. As there are many parents who face these difficulties, perhaps a general post may be helpful both for this one mother and for other families. Most importantly, know that there is help, there are resources and you don’t have to do this job alone.

The mother wants an advocate to assist her in the IEP process. She asks for immediate help. (more…)

Borrow E-books on Kindle

Just as revolutionary, E-Books can likewise put books in the hands of children and adults in Africa, India and world-wide.

And now, increasingly people can borrow electronic books from public libraries rather than buy them. What a boon for education. Sometime later this year owners of a Kindle can borrow digital books from public libraries. Amazon is working with Overdrive Inc which has access to 300,00 books.

Many major public libraries including New York, Chicato and San Francisco offer free digital-book lending. Library card holders can download books from library websites. Each has its own policy with typical lending policies 14-21 days.

Free Kindle books are some of the hottest items on the Internet these days. One of the best things about the Kindle is that it comes with a built-in wireless system so you can access the Internet and download books for your Kindle right on the device. (more…)

Racism at Univ. of CA at Santa Cruz?

“The fact that racism has been alive and well on the campus during my tenure at UCSC has never escaped me,” she [Margo Hendricks] wrote. “Students, staff and faculty of African American descent (regardless of color) experience subtle and not so subtle attacks in the classroom, in evaluations, and personnel actions.”

Thus spake Margo Hendricks who provides no evidence to support her rant, but expects millions or billions to be spent to alleviate her complaint.

Of note the website “Ratemyprofessors.com” is almost universal in the view that she is unorganized, self centered, and fails to listen.

A recent rally at UCSC demanded a more diversified student body so that ethnic groups at the school reflect the same percentage as the population as a whole.

This is the same campus, UCSC, that awarded Black Panther Huey Newton a PhD, [cop killer tried several times for murder and later convicted of embezzling money from programs he created for black children] and employs in positions of authority Stalinist thinking Angela Davis and sister Bettina Aptheker.

Racist graffiti is unfortunate but hardly cataclysmic. Some paint remover would solve more problems than a giant new affirmative action plan.

by FirenzieSage48@gmail.com
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Time ripe for an i-PAD app “In the beginning there was this gay caveman …”

The California state Senate has approved legislation that requires California’s public schools to include gay history in social studies lessons.

Will they budget for field trips to public restrooms?

This fall, the school district in Auburn, Maine will hand out iPads to nearly 300 kindergartners, “confident the education apps will accelerate their learning.” Let see, give 5 year olds a game player and expect them to read, spell, and do math.

written by Firenzie Sage48@gmail.com