Category Archives: defense contractors

The Opt Out Movement **edited

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Diane Ravitch reports on a growing movement of parents who are keeping their children home on test day–to opt out of the stupid nonsensical testing of things that can’t be tested…. **edited to add link. Geesh.

In other Ed. news- — Joe Williams, a PR shill for the corporate reformers masquerading as Democrats has been…ahem….schooled.

The facts don’t lie.

More reports of crooks running public education in the ground so they can profit off of it….

From the article on the expose in Maine:

A Maine Sunday Telegram investigation found large portions of Maine’s digital education agenda are being guided behind the scenes by out-of-state companies that stand to capitalize on the changes, especially the nation’s two largest online education providers.

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And the graphic linked to in the article is just mindboggling.  Look at the flow of money!

It still just absolutely stuns me on how the American Legislative Council (ALEC) was able to get away with so much for so long!  Just stunning.

Finally, Teach For America plans exposed.

Susan Rice, Kerry, and Syria

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Susan Rice was on the tube today trying to sell the war.  She tried playing on people’s emotions by saying that she was thinking of her own children as she watched the tapes of the children being gassed.

What about the children in Iraq? Don’t they remind Susan Rice of her children, too? More here.

How many children will be lost if we bomb Syria?

I asked the question “don’t we know how to use diplomacy anymore?”  And it appears that John Kerry was an accidental diplomat when he reportedly made an offhanded remark that Syria could turn over chemical weapons to the international community.  Now the State Dept. says it was “rhetorical”.   

Are you serious?

Kerry apparently wasn’t, but Russia was and is now going to make moves to get Syria to hand over the chemicals.  Well, now…didn’t expect that.

Who would have thought that Russia would have more diplomatic skills than the United States State Department?!

Damn….guess Wall St and the Congress warmongers aren’t going to be able to profit off another war.  (she says with fingers and toes crossed and saying a prayer…)

More from the edumucation files

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Wow. I am continually amazed at what has been going on behind the scenes with the charter school engineers.  Truly amazing how they have been able to get away with it.

This report from a teacher who spells out exactly what my fear is of the nonsense testing that really cannot test potential and does not allow for the obstacles to learning for kids in poorer districts….and then blames the public school teacher for things that are out of their control: student engagement and parent involvement.  The resident troll, teaching economist, has finally revealed he has no clue about what teachers in k-12 are up against.  He teaches lecture courses of 500 students, some of them online.  There is no engagement with classes that size–that was my complaint about my classes in college–no class discussion to enrich the learning experience.  The guy’s a robot who cannot engage in dialogue.

Parents United Philadelphia has this up.

Advice from a money manager….who actually likes public education.

From a comment:

As a teacher with wealthy connections, I can tell you that most of the rich don’t care much about public education either way. They send their kids to private school on principle. The public schools are for the “unwashed masses”. They use private schools to separate their children from the commoners. The old money saw public schools as giving back to their butler’s kids or their cook’s children, and they weren’t bothered by paying taxes (chump change anyway). The new money see taxes for public schools as irritating, and they want to keep as much money as they can, and don’t care about their cook’s children, city children, etc. The “new money” have no interest in community or helping others.

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Spot on. The wealthy do not care about public education. Period.  It has always been for the “rest of us” who cannot or will not put our kids into private schools.   The most annoying thing to the wealthy is that public education creates citizens who are….educated.  Educated citizens cause all sorts of trouble–like being able to carry on arguments against the destruction of public schools; like asking intelligent questions of politicians; of fighting for civil rights….of fighting against things the wealthy hold dear: greed, selfishness,  lack of social conscience…..

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The student who stood up to be heard at the *cough*  conversation with teachers has a blog up explaining what went on.  What a powerful young woman…this old lady was worried about the future generation, but Hannah gives me hope….

(hat tip to Diane Ravitch)

Lastly, a blog at Reclaim Reform on Arne Duncan.  How can someone who failed so miserably be….promoted...?

A student speaks up to Michelle Rhee

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What a brave phenomenal young woman.  Truth to power.

Steve Perry sounds like a real nice guy….not.  Cockroaches?  Really??  Sounds like sour grapes to me…

Syria update

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Global News has this up on Al Qaida’s overtaking a village in Syria.  So the question begging to be asked is–why are we supporting the rebels, if the rebels are linked to Al Qaida?

Rallies here protesting Syria strike.

Rehab Saad, who came to Canada from Syria 17 years ago, said the Obama administration should back off its calls for military intervention.

“Barack Obama: You got the Nobel Peace Prize not to start war… Don’t start a war that nobody will know when and where it’s going to end,” she said.

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The President had this message.  I don’t think anyone is against helping people but going to war over it is not the answer.  Diplomacy is the answer…or don’t we know how to do that anymore?

 

David Vs. Goliath

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….or in other words, everyday farmers versus Monsanto.

It makes no sense whatsoever that farmers who want nothing to do with Monsanto are being charged with patent infringement when their fields become contaminated.  If anything, they should be able to sue Monsanto for trespass.

 

EU speaks against Syria strikes

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The EU has urged the U.S. to wait until the U.N. report comes back before it takes any action.  Note how the French have made a stupid statement that the U.N. report is basically not needed.  Yep.  That tells me more than anything the U.N. is very important to the assessment of what is going on and who is doing it.  I am increasingly suspicious that it isn’t Syria doing it….then the question is…who is…?

The lie of privatization and schools

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Two topics that might not seem interrelated popped up this morning–the mindless demands that children perform like cogs….and the privatization of Walter Reed.  Note that the only ones who truly benefit from this are the profiteers.  The children don’t reach their true potential and the most vulnerable–the sick and elderly–don’t get the care we are capable of giving them….

(hat tip Diane Ravitch for Robert Rendo’s comment)