Reminding Floridians About Jeb Bush’s “Devious Plans” to Undo Class Size Amendment

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So….now we see the game plan…make the voters choose between the elderly and the children. What a sociopath.

Bob Sikes's avatarScathing Purple Musings

Education Weekreporter Ujifusa took a look at Jeb Bush’s emails as governor. As part of his story, he included a remarkable quote which Bush made in 2002 which still rings true today:

As he mulls a White House bid, Bush has also released thousands of emails he and his staff sent and received during his time as governor, ostensibly in an attempt to demonstrate his transparency. (Media reports quickly pointed out that the emails revealed private and sensitive information such as Social Security numbers—Bush quickly responded by saying such information would be scrubbed.) Bush has previously caused controversy over K-12 policy in an unguarded moment—during his first term, he was recorded stating that he had “devious plans” to undermine an ultimately successful amendment limiting class size in Florida schools that was on the ballot in 2002.

Here’s a Sun Sentinelstory from that time:

TALLAHASSEE — Apparently unaware his words were…

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Privilege Comes with Such a Heavy Cost

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I’ve only become aware of privilege in the last twenty years or so, and how I have impacted others. When I was able, I bought stocks in companies, not knowing how they treated their employees, whether the CEO made 400% of what the workers made, whether they polluted, etc. Now, I would not invest unless I knew all of that, and in the end, probably wouldn’t invest in corporations at all, but rather, small mom-and-pop companies. I have a firm belief that we are where we are supposed to be at any given time, and I think Carol was there for a reason, too. Perhaps she was guided there to experience what her ancestors experienced, or perhaps to bring her to write this story…or both. Awareness is the key, I think–aware of those that came before us, and will come after us, and that connection to the Creator that I personally find more in the wonder of nature. And the canoe rides? Loved it when I was at camp and first learned how to row a canoe (as Carol says – paddling equally on the sides), and the awe-inspiring scenery is just breathtaking. I am so grateful that I got to row a canoe again last year. It still brings a smile to my face now when I think of it. I would hope to share that with a partner sometime. And the best thing about canoes is that you’re not adding to the pollution by using a motor.

Carol A. Hand's avatarVoices from the Margins

Carol A. Hand

A few days ago, I intended to write a story using the metaphor of sharing a canoe to describe relationships. I spent more than half of my life with a partner I only accompanied on one canoe ride. He built canoes at one point during the years we spent together – works of art built of different colored strips of cedar. But he never took the time to learn how to canoe or build vessels that traveled well on the water. Traveling in a canoe with a partner is not like rowing a boat with two oars, where riders take turns being the one person who does the heavy work. There is usually only one paddle for canoes, although I carried a second just in case on this one and only ride. It turned out to be a wise decision.

Wetlands-of-Paunacussing

Photo Credit: Wetlands

We set off through the…

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The TEST? – quotation by Alan E. Beck

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Ken Previti's avatarReclaim Reform

The TEST?

“It’s all rigged to perpetuate itself and keep the money flowing. If students fail the tests, then teachers are incompetent and public ed is a disaster. If students do well, then the test must be flawed, cheated, or insufficiently rigorous. You can’t win, so don’t play. Opt your kid out, if you have one.”

– Alan E. Beck

The high stakes test

How to opt out or refuse testing? Go to United Opt Out National for sample letters by state.

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Opt-Out Indiana ISTEP

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Okay, you all know how much I detest FB….but this is important, so I decided to publish this FB site for Opt-Out Indiana.  It’s one way that parents, who are being ignored in the power grab by Pence and his Koch cronies, to regain some power back to decide for their children.

I personally think the test has become waaay too powerful in that it not only pigeonholes young minds still developing, whose potential is an unknown factor, but it also is used as a way to slam good teachers with losing their jobs or pay increases.

The tests should be used only as a guide to help a child’s weak areas be addressed.  That’s it.  No telling the child “you’re a failure and you’re going to be held back/put in remediation/cause your beloved teacher to get fired…”  Sick and pathetic use of children as pawns in what is now so obviously NOT about the kids at all, but a freaking political power grab.  Forget Pence.

Victory in prospect for Peru’s Kichwa People after 40 years of oil pollution

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Talk is cheap. When they actually do something is when I’ll believe them.

Zig Zag's avatarWarrior Publications

A young Kichwa girl at blockade, photo by David Hill. A young Kichwa girl at blockade, photo by David Hill.

David Hill, The Ecologist, Feb 10, 2015

A month-long blockade of the Rio Tigre deep in the Peruvian Amazon has secured promises of compensation and cleanup for Peru’s Kichwa communities who have suffered 40 years of contaminated waters from oil drilling operations in their remote Amazon region. But until the funds materialize, they are holding firm in their resolve.

Hundreds of of Kichwa indigenous people living along the River Tigre in the remote Peruvian Amazon are demanding over 100 million Peruvian nuevo soles ($32 million / £21 million) from oil company Pluspetrol in the “environmental damages” they have sustained over 40 years of oil drilling.

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8 million tons of plastic made its way to ocean in 2010: study

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I can’t even wrap my brain around this. The plastic culture will choke the life out of us. Whenever I go to the grocery, the bagger is almost always insisting on putting SOMETHING in a plastic bag. If I’m not careful, that is. Usually I can catch them before they do it, and I get the “You don’t want plastic”? as if I had three eyes and two heads….
One guy I thought was going to have a heart attack because I refused plastic.

~~In relation to the toxic orange cloud story — a Fire Fighter in Fort Wayne told me once that they are particularly careful when responding to fires involving plastic, because it turns to cyanide when burned, and will drop you in a second.