Charter Schools Gravy Train

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(hat tip to scathing purple musings)  Forbes, of all places, has this article up that pretty much summarizes all that is wrong with charter school profiteers.

As mentioned here before, the article notes that Bill Clinton allowed them to proliferate by giving them tax credits and not only that, but green cards for foreign investors.  Yep.

As I’m reading about the for-profit scheme and how the author notes that they have not been that profitable…I’m thinking of the “classes” being given to kids via video or online “learning”…so they don’t have to pay a teacher at all.  Or–they have one teacher to answer questions or grade tests for however many kids they can squeeze in….I don’t even know the answer to that and I’m not going to even try to guess.   They don’t really care, anyway, if the child is getting a good education…as long as it looks something like an education, they’re just fine with that…

Lastly, I’m even more impressed with public schools after reading this–the author notes that charter schools can pick and choose their students, so they should be showing better test scores than public…less than a third do that.

So…even with the students that are autistic or mentally challenged, the public schools still outdid the charters.  Here’s to the dedicated and beleaguered public school teachers….::clink::

Helping neglected animals

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This is for Canada, but I hope that folks will help the shelters in their own areas.  They need cash and volunteers, always.  And this goes without saying– they need folks willing to give a home to an abandoned animal.  Two of the best pets I’ve ever had were from shelters.

And let them “choose” you–they will show an interest, wag their tail or purr, come towards you, or get that “light” in their eyes…

The Fourth Amendment

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…is the right to be let alone.  The right to have privacy from the government unless there is a court order stating there is probable cause (there is evidence you did something against the law).

It should also be fiercely enforced for whistleblowers.…a democracy depends on it.

Bode Miller

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I was watching the nooz and the episode of Bode Miller was aired.  Christin Cooper repeatedly asked him about his dead brother until he began to cry.  She didn’t just ask him once and let it go…but kept bringing it up until she got what she wanted–him breaking down in tears in what should have been  a private moment.  For shame.

Bode was interviewed later and was defending this callous behavior, saying it was her job to push and get the reaction.  Bullshit.  Reporters need to push when a leader or public figure is hiding the truth—not athletes who lost a brother to seizures.  That’s just cold and unnecessary.  As a viewer, I don’t want to see someone in distress by being badgered by a reporter.  That’s not journalism, but sensationalism.

U of Illinois faculty on strike ** edited

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Fred Klonsky has a picture blog up on the U of Illinois at Chicago faculty strike.  I hope he’ll provide more details as it goes…

**edited:  Fred wrote about it last week.  Link.

People don’t understand that faculty are not making the big $$$.  When I graduated in 2000, the new hires (assistant professors) were making a whopping $25,000.  This while the university was funneling money into athletics.