So, I love funny and weird stuff that kids would love, too. Simple, charming, and old school. For your entertainment pleasure, here it is, Human Tetris:
Saturday, January 05, 2008
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Barack Obama
Other than the fact that my mother attends church with Senator Obama, I didn't know much about him until his candidacy for the US Senate seat in Illinois a few years back. He certainly is Kennedy-esque in coming out of nowhere to upset the apple cart of the status quo.
While attending an educator's of color conference in Independent Schools in Boston at the tail end of November 2007, we (mostly African American) educators debated Barack's chances for getting the Democratic Party's nomination and later winning the election. Out of the seven or eight of us who debated his chances, I was the lone voice who said that Obama had a chance of getting the Party's nod to head the ticket. Not that I was or am endorsing Obama at this point, but I did see that Obama's luck and skill as a candidate is more savvy than we have seen in many generations--perhaps not since the initial candidacies of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, or Franklin Roosevelt.
At the moment, Barack's populist candidacy is in the Carter mode, which doesn't portend a great presidency. Yet, I'll argue now what I argued in Boston: Barack creates his own luck and inspires people's imagination in a way that is rare in US politics. Whether it's education or foreign policy, the American people would like to see some forward progress in most areas in the overall effectiveness of the next presidency.
According to USA Today, Obama's views on education policy is as follows...
Barack Obama on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was not in office when Congress passed an education bill in 2001 that requires states to annually test students, known as the No Child Left Behind law. He has said it is a well-intentioned attempt to erase long-standing achievement gaps between white and minority students, but he believes the Bush administration ruined it through inflexible application. Obama wants more money for schools and to move away from traditional testing to judge schools.
On making college affordable
Obama has been pushing for an increase in the federal Pell grant awards that students can get to pay for college. That increase was part of a wide-ranging college funding bill that the Senate passed in September 2007. Obama was a co-sponsor of legislation that President Bush signed in September 2007 lowering fees and cutting interest rates for student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increasing Pell grant awards from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. But Obama missed the vote on final passage.
Other education priorities
Obama says he wants to improve teacher quality and increase pay, especially for those teachers who also mentor students or boost achievement. Obama has said, however, that improvements in achievement shouldn’t be based “on some arbitrary test score.”
While attending an educator's of color conference in Independent Schools in Boston at the tail end of November 2007, we (mostly African American) educators debated Barack's chances for getting the Democratic Party's nomination and later winning the election. Out of the seven or eight of us who debated his chances, I was the lone voice who said that Obama had a chance of getting the Party's nod to head the ticket. Not that I was or am endorsing Obama at this point, but I did see that Obama's luck and skill as a candidate is more savvy than we have seen in many generations--perhaps not since the initial candidacies of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, or Franklin Roosevelt.
At the moment, Barack's populist candidacy is in the Carter mode, which doesn't portend a great presidency. Yet, I'll argue now what I argued in Boston: Barack creates his own luck and inspires people's imagination in a way that is rare in US politics. Whether it's education or foreign policy, the American people would like to see some forward progress in most areas in the overall effectiveness of the next presidency.
According to USA Today, Obama's views on education policy is as follows...
Barack Obama on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., was not in office when Congress passed an education bill in 2001 that requires states to annually test students, known as the No Child Left Behind law. He has said it is a well-intentioned attempt to erase long-standing achievement gaps between white and minority students, but he believes the Bush administration ruined it through inflexible application. Obama wants more money for schools and to move away from traditional testing to judge schools.
On making college affordable
Obama has been pushing for an increase in the federal Pell grant awards that students can get to pay for college. That increase was part of a wide-ranging college funding bill that the Senate passed in September 2007. Obama was a co-sponsor of legislation that President Bush signed in September 2007 lowering fees and cutting interest rates for student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increasing Pell grant awards from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. But Obama missed the vote on final passage.
Other education priorities
Obama says he wants to improve teacher quality and increase pay, especially for those teachers who also mentor students or boost achievement. Obama has said, however, that improvements in achievement shouldn’t be based “on some arbitrary test score.”
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Ron Paul
Like Sen. Barack Obama, the constituent base for Rep. Ron Paul (R.-Texas) are rabid and different. Both men garner support that echoes Beatlemania or Ross Perot-like enthusiasm. Rep. Paul is also in the populist camp, which seems to be striking a chord with the fringe as well as mainstream folks alike. His take on families who homeschool their children separates him from his other presidential competitors.
Below is where Ron Paul stands on education, as compiled by USA Today...
Ron Paul on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, voted against the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually, and remains wary of federal intervention in education. He is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow states to opt out of the No Child Left Behind mandates but still receive federal education aid. Under the proposal, residents of those states would receive a tax credit equal to the amount that they otherwise would have received in federal funding.
On making college affordable
Paul says he is concerned about the increasing debt load college students are bearing. He would lower taxes so families have more money to pay for college. Paul missed the vote on a bill that cut the interest rate on federally backed student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Paul champions home schooling. He would push for tax credits to help parents instruct kids at home, promote home-school diplomas as equivalent to regular high school certificates and block federal mandates on home-school curricula. Paul also supports abolishing the Department of Education and believes education decision-making should be made at the state or local level.
Below is where Ron Paul stands on education, as compiled by USA Today...
Ron Paul on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, voted against the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually, and remains wary of federal intervention in education. He is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow states to opt out of the No Child Left Behind mandates but still receive federal education aid. Under the proposal, residents of those states would receive a tax credit equal to the amount that they otherwise would have received in federal funding.
On making college affordable
Paul says he is concerned about the increasing debt load college students are bearing. He would lower taxes so families have more money to pay for college. Paul missed the vote on a bill that cut the interest rate on federally backed student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Paul champions home schooling. He would push for tax credits to help parents instruct kids at home, promote home-school diplomas as equivalent to regular high school certificates and block federal mandates on home-school curricula. Paul also supports abolishing the Department of Education and believes education decision-making should be made at the state or local level.
Friday, January 04, 2008
US Presidential Candidates On Education: John McCain
Not exactly the Education Presidential candidate, John McCain stands by his expertise as a patriot. His website states: "John McCain is an experienced conservative leader in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. He is a common sense conservative who believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values." Okay, but what does that have to do with the rest of us.
According to USA Today, here is where McCain lives when it comes to education:
John McCain on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has praised the No Child Left Behind education law as a “good beginning” that requires schools to meet specific performance targets. He voted for the law, which requires states to test students annually, in 2001. McCain says there are problems with the law, particularly when it comes to testing students with disabilities and non-English-speaking students, but he has said “improve it, don’t discard it.”
On making college affordable
McCain generally backs greater federal funding of Pell grants and government low-interest loans to help students afford college. He missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush it into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
McCain supports vouchers, saying that they would enable parents to choose better schools for their children and that the competition would force public schools to improve. He also believes in merit pay for teachers.
According to USA Today, here is where McCain lives when it comes to education:
John McCain on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has praised the No Child Left Behind education law as a “good beginning” that requires schools to meet specific performance targets. He voted for the law, which requires states to test students annually, in 2001. McCain says there are problems with the law, particularly when it comes to testing students with disabilities and non-English-speaking students, but he has said “improve it, don’t discard it.”
On making college affordable
McCain generally backs greater federal funding of Pell grants and government low-interest loans to help students afford college. He missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush it into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
McCain supports vouchers, saying that they would enable parents to choose better schools for their children and that the competition would force public schools to improve. He also believes in merit pay for teachers.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich is the progressive's progressive. He's sort of a throwback to the populist presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan with more than a little bit of a whiff of the accused anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti . Kucinich is like your crazy uncle who everyone is embarrassed by because of his odiferous gas, but you can't help but be enamored by his willingness to call a spade a spade.
This is where USA Today says that Kucinich stands on education...
Dennis Kucinich on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, doesn’t hide his contempt for the education law known as No Child Left Behind and its reliance on test scores to judge performance. He voted for the bill in 2001. Kucinich told the National Education Association in July 2007 that he wants to reduce the amount of testing and give schools greater flexibility to use other ways of measuring student achievement. “We need to make sure children can read, but we do not want to defeat the learning experience and make it all about testing, because then all you have is a generation of test takers,” he said.
On making college affordable
Kucinich says he wants to make public college tuition-free and would pay for it by cutting the defense budget by 15%, or $75 billion. He voted for a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grantsfrom $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Kucinich wants to establish pre-kindergarten programs for all 4-year-olds. He said this and other education initiatives can be paid for by cutting defense spending.
This is where USA Today says that Kucinich stands on education...
Dennis Kucinich on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, doesn’t hide his contempt for the education law known as No Child Left Behind and its reliance on test scores to judge performance. He voted for the bill in 2001. Kucinich told the National Education Association in July 2007 that he wants to reduce the amount of testing and give schools greater flexibility to use other ways of measuring student achievement. “We need to make sure children can read, but we do not want to defeat the learning experience and make it all about testing, because then all you have is a generation of test takers,” he said.
On making college affordable
Kucinich says he wants to make public college tuition-free and would pay for it by cutting the defense budget by 15%, or $75 billion. He voted for a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grantsfrom $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Kucinich wants to establish pre-kindergarten programs for all 4-year-olds. He said this and other education initiatives can be paid for by cutting defense spending.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Mike Gravel
The 2008 Iowa Caucuses have come and gone, while the New Hampshire primary is coming up hard on our right. The next candidate that we examine is Mike Gravel of Alaska, who is still in the race. Gravel, although the longest of long-shots, is still in the race, contrary to what MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has indicated. This is where Gravel stands on educational issues, according to USA Today:
Mike Gravel on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Former Alaska senator Mike Gravel says he doesn’t like the No Child Left Behind education law, saying its emphasis on testing has robbed students of a well-rounded education. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
“Principals constantly prep students for the tests by cutting not only art, gym and music but also history and science,” he wrote in The New York Sun on Aug. 30, 2007. “No wonder children are bored with school.” Gravel was not in office when President Bush signed the law in January 2002.
On making college affordable
Gravel says low-income students who want to attend college should be given tuition assistance. He wants to provide technical training to those who don’t want to attend college. He would give tax breaks to companies that hire and train teenagers to perform technology-based jobs.
Other education priorities
Gravel supports government vouchers for low-income students, a longer school calendar and merit pay for teachers. “Why should teachers with energy, excitement and talent be paid the same as the ones who don’t make an effort?” he asks.
Gravel also points out that American students spend far less time in school than their Japanese and European counterparts. He advocates an education system that would require students to begin school at a younger age and to spend more hours a day and more days a year in school than they do now.
Mike Gravel on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Former Alaska senator Mike Gravel says he doesn’t like the No Child Left Behind education law, saying its emphasis on testing has robbed students of a well-rounded education. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
“Principals constantly prep students for the tests by cutting not only art, gym and music but also history and science,” he wrote in The New York Sun on Aug. 30, 2007. “No wonder children are bored with school.” Gravel was not in office when President Bush signed the law in January 2002.
On making college affordable
Gravel says low-income students who want to attend college should be given tuition assistance. He wants to provide technical training to those who don’t want to attend college. He would give tax breaks to companies that hire and train teenagers to perform technology-based jobs.
Other education priorities
Gravel supports government vouchers for low-income students, a longer school calendar and merit pay for teachers. “Why should teachers with energy, excitement and talent be paid the same as the ones who don’t make an effort?” he asks.
Gravel also points out that American students spend far less time in school than their Japanese and European counterparts. He advocates an education system that would require students to begin school at a younger age and to spend more hours a day and more days a year in school than they do now.
Education As We Know It Is Dead: Radical Ideas About Education
Two days ago, one of our readers wrote:
>NCLB, Great concept but DUMB implementation
I'm not all that in love with the concept of NCLB because of what it does. I hate to be a platonic elitist but, like you, I believe that all children should be seeking what they are good at and what their strengths are. We should figure out the bare-bones of what kids absolutely need to know and then get them into societally appropriate endeavors where they will be productive. Do all kids need to have Geometry and Algebra II? Do they all need to have Ancient History, World History, and US History? Can we feed them early on in their educational careers by having them fed by things like culinary schools or a sales academy, perhaps, rather than dragging their carcasses through a regiment of "what we think you need to know" think? What about giving kids who aren't real school-type kids the Cliff Notes' version of education, with the appropriate credit, of course, and get them doing more stuff that might make a difference in their lives, and more importantly in the lives of their community.
Education as we know it is dead, or at least close to it. When in many urban and rural communities, over half of the children are dropping out between 7th and 12th grade (see they never give us the drop out rates of the kids who have never made it into high school), then you know that the*system*isn't*working. It's not about teachers, administrators, or parents, per se, it just means that what we are selling (in teaching) isn't being bought by America's youth.
In any event, I like NAF's Academy model or even CART in Fresno. Do you know that school. If you don't, you should visit it some time. CART is what I was basing some of my Agassi School ideas on.
About the environment. It's like ulcers. Remember everybody got ulcers back in the day. What happened to ulcers? We as a society work ourselves into conditions, illnesses, and diseases. We need to stop doing that. Global warming is one thing that we have created, like the Cold War, that truly exists and yet it doesn't. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall."
>NCLB, Great concept but DUMB implementation
I'm not all that in love with the concept of NCLB because of what it does. I hate to be a platonic elitist but, like you, I believe that all children should be seeking what they are good at and what their strengths are. We should figure out the bare-bones of what kids absolutely need to know and then get them into societally appropriate endeavors where they will be productive. Do all kids need to have Geometry and Algebra II? Do they all need to have Ancient History, World History, and US History? Can we feed them early on in their educational careers by having them fed by things like culinary schools or a sales academy, perhaps, rather than dragging their carcasses through a regiment of "what we think you need to know" think? What about giving kids who aren't real school-type kids the Cliff Notes' version of education, with the appropriate credit, of course, and get them doing more stuff that might make a difference in their lives, and more importantly in the lives of their community.
Education as we know it is dead, or at least close to it. When in many urban and rural communities, over half of the children are dropping out between 7th and 12th grade (see they never give us the drop out rates of the kids who have never made it into high school), then you know that the*system*isn't*working. It's not about teachers, administrators, or parents, per se, it just means that what we are selling (in teaching) isn't being bought by America's youth.
In any event, I like NAF's Academy model or even CART in Fresno. Do you know that school. If you don't, you should visit it some time. CART is what I was basing some of my Agassi School ideas on.
About the environment. It's like ulcers. Remember everybody got ulcers back in the day. What happened to ulcers? We as a society work ourselves into conditions, illnesses, and diseases. We need to stop doing that. Global warming is one thing that we have created, like the Cold War, that truly exists and yet it doesn't. "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down that wall."
Thursday, January 03, 2008
How the Iowa Caucuses Work
Today marks the beginning of the presidential election primaries with the Iowa Caucuses. It's democrary in action where common, ordinairy folks get to cast ballots for representatives who will later go to the district, state, and national conventions where candidates will be elected--or annointed--by their individual national parties this summer. If that sounds convoluted, well, it is.
Here's a further breakdown of how the Caucuses in Iowa work:
How the Iowa caucuses work
Neighbors sip coffee, tout their candidates
The Associated Press
updated 3:07 p.m. PT, Sat., Jan. 10, 2004
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Pat Kennedy expects the coffee to be hot and the passions to be strong when she opens her home to Democrats eager to caucus and begin choosing a nominee for president.
“I don’t think we’ll be getting into big, heated arguments, but I expect people to stand their ground,” said Kennedy, a rookie precinct chairwoman in Corning, Iowa. “When people first get here, we’ll read some letters from the candidates ... then we’ll divide off into groups and go from there.”
It’s more complicated than that, of course, but a process Kennedy and other activists don’t take lightly. Iowans of both major parties will gather Jan. 19 in church basements, town halls and homes to nominate their candidates for president — and help shape American politics for the next four years.
Since 1972, when Democratic caucuses surprised the nation with their support of George McGovern, Iowa has enjoyed political clout and publicity envied everywhere but New Hampshire, site of the nation’s first primary.
Unlike primaries, where machines count the votes, the Iowa caucuses are dynamic and intimate, a cousin of the New England town-hall meeting. They are performed at the most fundamental political level — in each of the state’s 1,993 precincts.
'Neighbors getting together'
“It’s neighbors getting together, discussing political issues ... and, oh, by the way, picking a presidential candidate,” said Jean Pardee, a precinct chairwoman in Clinton, Iowa.
“It’s not just going in and casting a ballot for whomever,” Pardee said. “It means you are concerned, not only about a particular candidate, but the issues and party-building. It’s all very exciting.”
Caucuses begin with supporters of candidates clustered in corners of middle-school libraries, courthouse hallways or kitchens and living rooms. Space is designated for uncommitted voters.
Democrats have a complex system, one that uses a mathematical formula to calculate support — and ultimately award delegates to county, state and national conventions — based on percentages.
For a candidate to be considered viable, he or she must have the support of at least 15 percent of the meeting’s participants, party rules state. Those lacking often are lobbied to join with neighbors supporting more popular candidates.
“That’s when it gets kind of crazy,” said Mark Daley, spokesman for the Iowa Democratic Party. “There will be people screaming back and forth ... and senior citizens with calculators trying to do the math.”
Percentages reported to party
The percentages are reported to party headquarters and winners and losers declared.
Republican caucuses use a “one head, one vote” method. “We think it’s more democratic that way ... because if you want to vote for an underdog, your voice is heard,” said Kristin Scuderi, spokeswoman for the Iowa Republican Party.
With President Bush running unopposed, Scuderi says, participants will focus on the GOP platform and voter turnout.
The caucus system dates to 1846 when Iowa joined the Union. It first gained national attention in 1972, the year state leaders moved the caucuses to January and created the nation’s first test for presidential hopefuls.
A handful of reporters from major newspapers showed up to report that Maine Sen. Edmund Muskie, the favorite to win the caucuses, polled just 35 percent, the same number declaring themselves undecided. The other surprise that night was the strong third-place finish of Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota, the eventual Democratic challenger to President Nixon.
“The name of the game in Iowa has always been expectation,” said Hugh Winebrenner, a caucus historian and political science professor emeritus at Drake University. “McGovern did much better than expected, and that launched him in the primaries that followed.”
Jimmy Carter's surprise
Four years later the surprise came from Jimmy Carter, an unknown Georgia Democrat who ran a low-budget caucus campaign. Carter used momentum from his second-place finish — more voters were undecided than behind any Democrat that year — to win the nomination.
While the 1972 and 1976 results minted Iowa as a political proving ground, Winebrenner says its reputation as a kingmaker is not valid. Caucus winners who failed to win the nomination include Democrats Dick Gephardt in 1988 and Tom Harkin in 1992 and Republicans George H.W. Bush in 1980 and Bob Dole in 1988.
“We don’t always choose the winner. The buck doesn’t stop here,” Winebrenner said. “I think of Iowa’s role now as more of a winnower of the field.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, for example, dropped out of the 2000 race after coming in last in Iowa. His wife later called the caucuses “the sign from God.”
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3926132/
Here's a further breakdown of how the Caucuses in Iowa work:
How the Iowa caucuses work
Neighbors sip coffee, tout their candidates
The Associated Press
updated 3:07 p.m. PT, Sat., Jan. 10, 2004
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Pat Kennedy expects the coffee to be hot and the passions to be strong when she opens her home to Democrats eager to caucus and begin choosing a nominee for president.
“I don’t think we’ll be getting into big, heated arguments, but I expect people to stand their ground,” said Kennedy, a rookie precinct chairwoman in Corning, Iowa. “When people first get here, we’ll read some letters from the candidates ... then we’ll divide off into groups and go from there.”
It’s more complicated than that, of course, but a process Kennedy and other activists don’t take lightly. Iowans of both major parties will gather Jan. 19 in church basements, town halls and homes to nominate their candidates for president — and help shape American politics for the next four years.
Since 1972, when Democratic caucuses surprised the nation with their support of George McGovern, Iowa has enjoyed political clout and publicity envied everywhere but New Hampshire, site of the nation’s first primary.
Unlike primaries, where machines count the votes, the Iowa caucuses are dynamic and intimate, a cousin of the New England town-hall meeting. They are performed at the most fundamental political level — in each of the state’s 1,993 precincts.
'Neighbors getting together'
“It’s neighbors getting together, discussing political issues ... and, oh, by the way, picking a presidential candidate,” said Jean Pardee, a precinct chairwoman in Clinton, Iowa.
“It’s not just going in and casting a ballot for whomever,” Pardee said. “It means you are concerned, not only about a particular candidate, but the issues and party-building. It’s all very exciting.”
Caucuses begin with supporters of candidates clustered in corners of middle-school libraries, courthouse hallways or kitchens and living rooms. Space is designated for uncommitted voters.
Democrats have a complex system, one that uses a mathematical formula to calculate support — and ultimately award delegates to county, state and national conventions — based on percentages.
For a candidate to be considered viable, he or she must have the support of at least 15 percent of the meeting’s participants, party rules state. Those lacking often are lobbied to join with neighbors supporting more popular candidates.
“That’s when it gets kind of crazy,” said Mark Daley, spokesman for the Iowa Democratic Party. “There will be people screaming back and forth ... and senior citizens with calculators trying to do the math.”
Percentages reported to party
The percentages are reported to party headquarters and winners and losers declared.
Republican caucuses use a “one head, one vote” method. “We think it’s more democratic that way ... because if you want to vote for an underdog, your voice is heard,” said Kristin Scuderi, spokeswoman for the Iowa Republican Party.
With President Bush running unopposed, Scuderi says, participants will focus on the GOP platform and voter turnout.
The caucus system dates to 1846 when Iowa joined the Union. It first gained national attention in 1972, the year state leaders moved the caucuses to January and created the nation’s first test for presidential hopefuls.
A handful of reporters from major newspapers showed up to report that Maine Sen. Edmund Muskie, the favorite to win the caucuses, polled just 35 percent, the same number declaring themselves undecided. The other surprise that night was the strong third-place finish of Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota, the eventual Democratic challenger to President Nixon.
“The name of the game in Iowa has always been expectation,” said Hugh Winebrenner, a caucus historian and political science professor emeritus at Drake University. “McGovern did much better than expected, and that launched him in the primaries that followed.”
Jimmy Carter's surprise
Four years later the surprise came from Jimmy Carter, an unknown Georgia Democrat who ran a low-budget caucus campaign. Carter used momentum from his second-place finish — more voters were undecided than behind any Democrat that year — to win the nomination.
While the 1972 and 1976 results minted Iowa as a political proving ground, Winebrenner says its reputation as a kingmaker is not valid. Caucus winners who failed to win the nomination include Democrats Dick Gephardt in 1988 and Tom Harkin in 1992 and Republicans George H.W. Bush in 1980 and Bob Dole in 1988.
“We don’t always choose the winner. The buck doesn’t stop here,” Winebrenner said. “I think of Iowa’s role now as more of a winnower of the field.”
Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, for example, dropped out of the 2000 race after coming in last in Iowa. His wife later called the caucuses “the sign from God.”
© 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3926132/
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Happy New Year! What's Old is What's New
So, it's the New Year! What does it hold in store for us as a people, as a nation of innovators and learners. Most of our early attention this year will be centered on what's happening in Iowa, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq. Taking our collective eyes off of the ball.
Perhaps we'll even pay some attention to what the Israelis and Palestinian's are up to (vis-a-vis the Bush administration wanting to salvage it's reputation in the world. Can you say, "Condi-NOT!")
The real attention should be on the future of education and what the early Presidential primaries may have in store for the school children in this country for the next three generations. Although we can no longer ignore world events (global warning, enter stage right), we must also keep our eye on the ball as it relates to the dumbing of the American child.
One woman that I spoke to said that No Child Left Behind poses a grave and present danger to the autonomy of our nation as a civilization. Does this sound like a hysterical ranting of yet another John Dewey Progressive who doesn't quite get that the Me Generation ended along with the Seventies and hippies?
Yet, witness the resurrection of Jimmy Carter, a man with plenty of vision and great ideas and very little follow through, at least some folks would say so. Did Jimmy Carter's presidency derail Al Gore's hope at the White House--or Barack Obama's? Can effete men and women of principle win the highest office in the land? Or must all politician's these days be shrewd political operatives who pander to all sorts of special interests in this country to get anywhere at all? The George W. Bushes, the Mike Huckabees, and the Hillary Clintons. With special interests groups firmly in hand, Presidents and candidates like these offer little new or innovative in the way of foreign or domestic policies. Who cares if Hillary will be the first woman President in this country if the results are the very same as they are today. Perhaps she has a little more vigor than our current feckless leaders in power, who lie and steal and cheat and lie, to great effect, shamelessly telling people just what they want (and perhaps need) to hear.
"I won the election fair and square." "There is no global warning." "It's okay to reveal the identity of a CIA agent and have it not matter all that much." "Let's send many thousands of young men and women to the Middle East and fight a war that has always been and will always be about oil." "It's okay to serve up one of the worst educational public policies in our nation's history as long as we divert the attention of the American people on what really matters."
In short, I am angry this New Years Day. I don't feel that we as a people and as a nation are any closer to solving what ails us. In writing this blog (and dedicating my career to education), I have put all of my eggs into one basket--that of America's school children--while they and their teachers are being scrambled to death with meaningless tests, jumping through hoops that will always tell them that they are less than. Also, if the tests that come with the scourge of a law are designed to make the school children in this country be great followers who don't question authority in any way--or the opposite of the root word of education, which is "educere," meaning to "lead out"--then we are in for generations of heartache. We must do more to fight for what matters most and has always mattered most.
Last Century, we spent a lot of time working on infrastructure--dams, roads and highways, schools, skyscrapers, fiber optics. This year and into this next epoch, we must use micro-technologies as our metaphor and rallying cry for what to concentrate on next. People, each and every one of us, especially children, should be moved to the center. No Child Left Behind serves as one of those 1984 lessons of marketing the opposite. While drop out rates soar in middle and high schools, and boys of all stripes and hues lose out in higher ed, then we must re-focus our attention on what matters most and what has always mattered most in this country...
Education.
Perhaps we'll even pay some attention to what the Israelis and Palestinian's are up to (vis-a-vis the Bush administration wanting to salvage it's reputation in the world. Can you say, "Condi-NOT!")
The real attention should be on the future of education and what the early Presidential primaries may have in store for the school children in this country for the next three generations. Although we can no longer ignore world events (global warning, enter stage right), we must also keep our eye on the ball as it relates to the dumbing of the American child.
One woman that I spoke to said that No Child Left Behind poses a grave and present danger to the autonomy of our nation as a civilization. Does this sound like a hysterical ranting of yet another John Dewey Progressive who doesn't quite get that the Me Generation ended along with the Seventies and hippies?
Yet, witness the resurrection of Jimmy Carter, a man with plenty of vision and great ideas and very little follow through, at least some folks would say so. Did Jimmy Carter's presidency derail Al Gore's hope at the White House--or Barack Obama's? Can effete men and women of principle win the highest office in the land? Or must all politician's these days be shrewd political operatives who pander to all sorts of special interests in this country to get anywhere at all? The George W. Bushes, the Mike Huckabees, and the Hillary Clintons. With special interests groups firmly in hand, Presidents and candidates like these offer little new or innovative in the way of foreign or domestic policies. Who cares if Hillary will be the first woman President in this country if the results are the very same as they are today. Perhaps she has a little more vigor than our current feckless leaders in power, who lie and steal and cheat and lie, to great effect, shamelessly telling people just what they want (and perhaps need) to hear.
"I won the election fair and square." "There is no global warning." "It's okay to reveal the identity of a CIA agent and have it not matter all that much." "Let's send many thousands of young men and women to the Middle East and fight a war that has always been and will always be about oil." "It's okay to serve up one of the worst educational public policies in our nation's history as long as we divert the attention of the American people on what really matters."
In short, I am angry this New Years Day. I don't feel that we as a people and as a nation are any closer to solving what ails us. In writing this blog (and dedicating my career to education), I have put all of my eggs into one basket--that of America's school children--while they and their teachers are being scrambled to death with meaningless tests, jumping through hoops that will always tell them that they are less than. Also, if the tests that come with the scourge of a law are designed to make the school children in this country be great followers who don't question authority in any way--or the opposite of the root word of education, which is "educere," meaning to "lead out"--then we are in for generations of heartache. We must do more to fight for what matters most and has always mattered most.
Last Century, we spent a lot of time working on infrastructure--dams, roads and highways, schools, skyscrapers, fiber optics. This year and into this next epoch, we must use micro-technologies as our metaphor and rallying cry for what to concentrate on next. People, each and every one of us, especially children, should be moved to the center. No Child Left Behind serves as one of those 1984 lessons of marketing the opposite. While drop out rates soar in middle and high schools, and boys of all stripes and hues lose out in higher ed, then we must re-focus our attention on what matters most and what has always mattered most in this country...
Education.
Monday, December 31, 2007
US Presidential Candidates On Education: John Edwards
In 2001 John Edwards voted for the awful No Child Left Behind bill that has become the scourge of most public schools and school districts in this country. Make no mistake, NCLB is a mistake. There is no way to sugar-coat how bad the law and its intended or unintended impact on teaching and learning has meant for American education.
However, we do like some of the other more creative solutions that Edwards is authoring about reducing the drop-out rate and providing more access for students to go to college. Yet, does Edwards go far enough? Not nearly. According to USA Today, here are some of the other issues that Edwards has grappled with educationally...
John Edwards on education
On No Child Left Behind law
As a senator representing North Carolina, Democrat John Edwards voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Now, he says, the law should be “radically overhauled.” The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Edwards wants better tests that measure true skills (essay questions instead of multiple choice, for example) and an assessment system that takes actual student progress into account. “We need to find out if schools are working, but I think we need a more precise way to measure what’s happening. And the parameters of what we’re measuring need to be more diverse, not just whether you can fill in a bubble in response to a math or science question,” he said at a community meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, in August 2007.
On making college affordable
Edwards would create a national program to pay for one year of public-college tuition, fees and books. He has predicted the program would allow more than 2 million students to go to college who might not be able to afford it otherwise. In return, Edwards says, students would be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school and “stay out of trouble.” He would pay for the $9 billion cost of his initiative through changes to the federal student loan program.
Other education priorities
Edwards wants to tackle the nation’s dropout problem (three out of 10 ninth-graders don’t finish high school) by creating "second-chance schools" that he says would help dropouts by offering them one-on-one attention and a chance to earn a diploma. He’s also proposing to help states provide universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds; parents would pay on a sliding scale based on their income.
However, we do like some of the other more creative solutions that Edwards is authoring about reducing the drop-out rate and providing more access for students to go to college. Yet, does Edwards go far enough? Not nearly. According to USA Today, here are some of the other issues that Edwards has grappled with educationally...
John Edwards on education
On No Child Left Behind law
As a senator representing North Carolina, Democrat John Edwards voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Now, he says, the law should be “radically overhauled.” The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Edwards wants better tests that measure true skills (essay questions instead of multiple choice, for example) and an assessment system that takes actual student progress into account. “We need to find out if schools are working, but I think we need a more precise way to measure what’s happening. And the parameters of what we’re measuring need to be more diverse, not just whether you can fill in a bubble in response to a math or science question,” he said at a community meeting in Dubuque, Iowa, in August 2007.
On making college affordable
Edwards would create a national program to pay for one year of public-college tuition, fees and books. He has predicted the program would allow more than 2 million students to go to college who might not be able to afford it otherwise. In return, Edwards says, students would be required to work part-time in college, take a college-prep curriculum in high school and “stay out of trouble.” He would pay for the $9 billion cost of his initiative through changes to the federal student loan program.
Other education priorities
Edwards wants to tackle the nation’s dropout problem (three out of 10 ninth-graders don’t finish high school) by creating "second-chance schools" that he says would help dropouts by offering them one-on-one attention and a chance to earn a diploma. He’s also proposing to help states provide universal pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds; parents would pay on a sliding scale based on their income.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter?!! Your guess is as good as mine. I hadn't heard of him either. Wouldn't you know it that he has a very Libertarian streak when it comes to education--with the exception of school vouchers. People like Hunter cloak their disdain for public education but is willing to have taxpayers bankroll private schools in the form of vouchers. Here's where Hunter stands on the other educational issues...
Duncan Hunter on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Although Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., voted in 2001 for the education law known as No Child Left Behind, he is no fan of federal intervention in education. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Hunter says he would move to dismantle the top-down “expensive and inefficient” mandates of the law and has co-sponsored legislation to change it. That bill would give states the right to opt out of the law and allows them to “assume full responsibility for the educational needs of its students,” according to Hunter’s congressional website. States not willing to take this step would be required to follow current mandates under the law. “I believe we can educate students more effectively by returning school curriculum prerogatives to the states, local communities and, most importantly, to the family,” he said.
On making college affordable
Hunter has said he doesn’t think the federal government should play a large role in college affordability. He voted against legislation that Congress passed and the president signed in September 2007 that increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 in 2012 and cut the interest rate by half, to 3.4%, on federally backed student loans.
Other education priorities
Hunter supports vouchers and government aid to pay for private school tuition, from kindergarten through 12th grade. He also wants to make sure home-schooled children have the same access to federal benefits, such as financial aid, as those attending public school.
Duncan Hunter on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Although Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., voted in 2001 for the education law known as No Child Left Behind, he is no fan of federal intervention in education. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Hunter says he would move to dismantle the top-down “expensive and inefficient” mandates of the law and has co-sponsored legislation to change it. That bill would give states the right to opt out of the law and allows them to “assume full responsibility for the educational needs of its students,” according to Hunter’s congressional website. States not willing to take this step would be required to follow current mandates under the law. “I believe we can educate students more effectively by returning school curriculum prerogatives to the states, local communities and, most importantly, to the family,” he said.
On making college affordable
Hunter has said he doesn’t think the federal government should play a large role in college affordability. He voted against legislation that Congress passed and the president signed in September 2007 that increased Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 in 2012 and cut the interest rate by half, to 3.4%, on federally backed student loans.
Other education priorities
Hunter supports vouchers and government aid to pay for private school tuition, from kindergarten through 12th grade. He also wants to make sure home-schooled children have the same access to federal benefits, such as financial aid, as those attending public school.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Chris Dodd
Chris Dodd, like most of the other candidates, would like to spend more money on fully funding No Child Left Behind, particularly in funding failing schools. He voted for the original legislation in 2001. Not much innovation in his arsenal. Just the same old thing. Here is where Dodd stands on NCLB and some of the other issues...
Chris Dodd on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., would keep intact the basic accountability-driven framework of the education law, known as No Child Left Behind, that President Bush signed in January 2002. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Dodd wants to spend more money on failing schools, a departure from the law’s emphasis on punishing schools that perennially score poorly on tests. Dodd voted for the legislation in 2001.
On making college affordable
Dodd says no one who wants a college education should be denied one. As president, he would make community college free for anyone who can’t afford a traditional four-year university by partnering with states to subsidize tuition at community colleges. Dodd says he can pay for the program through cuts in federal government subsidies to student lenders.
Dodd missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Dodd proposes a number of programs that require local buy-in and lots of money: universal pre-kindergarten for low-income families, a school modernization fund, smaller class sizes and a longer school day. Dodd also wants to develop national academic standards that states would voluntarily adopt instead of having a mishmash of different programs.
Chris Dodd on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., would keep intact the basic accountability-driven framework of the education law, known as No Child Left Behind, that President Bush signed in January 2002. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Dodd wants to spend more money on failing schools, a departure from the law’s emphasis on punishing schools that perennially score poorly on tests. Dodd voted for the legislation in 2001.
On making college affordable
Dodd says no one who wants a college education should be denied one. As president, he would make community college free for anyone who can’t afford a traditional four-year university by partnering with states to subsidize tuition at community colleges. Dodd says he can pay for the program through cuts in federal government subsidies to student lenders.
Dodd missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law Sept. 27, 2007.
Other education priorities
Dodd proposes a number of programs that require local buy-in and lots of money: universal pre-kindergarten for low-income families, a school modernization fund, smaller class sizes and a longer school day. Dodd also wants to develop national academic standards that states would voluntarily adopt instead of having a mishmash of different programs.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Mad TV's "A Nice White Lady"
It's great when the popular culture can poke fun at itself. From Freedom Writers to Dangerous Mind and more, Mad TV gets it right.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee is a rising star in the Republican Party. Republicans have been looking for a telegenic candidate like Huckabee ("What would you give me for Mike Huckabee and Kevin Spacey") who believes what the right wing element of the party believes. Huckabee is a died in the wool neo-con and the Right loves him. This is what USA Today says about his stand on education...
Mike Huckabee on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, supports the education law known as No Child Left Behind. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Failure to meet certain requirements results in reduced federal funding to schools.
Though he has said opponents of the law have maligned it as unwarranted federal intrusion, Huckabee agrees states should oversee implementation of the law. “While there is value in the No Child Left Behind law's effort to set high national standards, states must be allowed to develop their own benchmarks,” he wrote on his campaign website.
On making college affordable
If elected president, Huckabee says he would be willing to provide federally funded, state-administered scholarships for students who go into national service, such as teaching in high-poverty schools. He also supports scholarships for low-income students who do well in high school.
Other education priorities
When he was governor of Arkansas, Huckabee emphasized arts and music education for young students. He’d like to continue that as president, saying it’s “crucial that children flex both the left and right sides of the brain. … Our future economy depends on a creative generation.”
Mike Huckabee on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, supports the education law known as No Child Left Behind. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Failure to meet certain requirements results in reduced federal funding to schools.
Though he has said opponents of the law have maligned it as unwarranted federal intrusion, Huckabee agrees states should oversee implementation of the law. “While there is value in the No Child Left Behind law's effort to set high national standards, states must be allowed to develop their own benchmarks,” he wrote on his campaign website.
On making college affordable
If elected president, Huckabee says he would be willing to provide federally funded, state-administered scholarships for students who go into national service, such as teaching in high-poverty schools. He also supports scholarships for low-income students who do well in high school.
Other education priorities
When he was governor of Arkansas, Huckabee emphasized arts and music education for young students. He’d like to continue that as president, saying it’s “crucial that children flex both the left and right sides of the brain. … Our future economy depends on a creative generation.”
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Hillary Clinton
Many of the pundits have said that Hillary Clinton is the candidate to beat in next year's election? Yet, is her position on education that of a frontrunner or that of an also ran. You decide...
Hillary Rodham Clinton on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Signed into law by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Now Clinton is calling for a “total change” in the law partly because she says the federal government isn’t giving states enough flexibility to measure student progress. “We need to make sure that when we look at our children, we don’t just see a little walking test,” she said at an August 2007 debate. Like other Democratic candidates, Clinton has accused the Bush administration of not funding the law adequately.
On making college affordable
Clinton has sponsored legislation that would gradually increase the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students to $11,600 a year. She missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law on Sept. 27, 2007.
Clinton also wants to increase the Hope Tax Credit to $3,500 from $1,650 and make it available for four years of college instead of the current two. With this tax credit, families would subtract the credit amount directly from the taxes they owe. Clinton wants to increase money for programs that help minorities and first-generation students (those who are the first in their family to attend college). She also wants to adjust federal loan programs so students can borrow at lower rates.
Other education priorities
Clinton wants to provide federal funding to states that agree to establish voluntary pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds. Low-income families and those with limited English proficiency would be allowed to enroll their children for free. States would be required to work with existing community-based preschools to ensure parents have a choice on where to enroll their children. States also would have the option to expand Head Start programs as part of a strategy to offer universal pre-K programs.
Hillary Rodham Clinton on education
On No Child Left Behind law
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Signed into law by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Now Clinton is calling for a “total change” in the law partly because she says the federal government isn’t giving states enough flexibility to measure student progress. “We need to make sure that when we look at our children, we don’t just see a little walking test,” she said at an August 2007 debate. Like other Democratic candidates, Clinton has accused the Bush administration of not funding the law adequately.
On making college affordable
Clinton has sponsored legislation that would gradually increase the maximum Pell Grant for low-income college students to $11,600 a year. She missed the vote on a bill that would cut the interest rate on student loans by half, to 3.4%, and increase Pell grants from $4,310 in 2007 to $5,400 by 2012. President Bush signed the bill into law on Sept. 27, 2007.
Clinton also wants to increase the Hope Tax Credit to $3,500 from $1,650 and make it available for four years of college instead of the current two. With this tax credit, families would subtract the credit amount directly from the taxes they owe. Clinton wants to increase money for programs that help minorities and first-generation students (those who are the first in their family to attend college). She also wants to adjust federal loan programs so students can borrow at lower rates.
Other education priorities
Clinton wants to provide federal funding to states that agree to establish voluntary pre-kindergarten for all 4-year-olds. Low-income families and those with limited English proficiency would be allowed to enroll their children for free. States would be required to work with existing community-based preschools to ensure parents have a choice on where to enroll their children. States also would have the option to expand Head Start programs as part of a strategy to offer universal pre-K programs.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Rudy Giuliani
This post is taken directly from USA Today's on-line segment that shows where the candidates stand on various issues.
Rudy Giuliani on education:
On No Child Left Behind law
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has not explicitly criticized the education standards law known as No Child Left Behind. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Giuliani talks about giving parents more control over decisions affecting their children’s education, instead of giving it all to the federal and state agencies that are central to the law’s structure. “My mother did a much better job with my education than a government bureaucrat could do,” he said on his campaign website.
On making college affordable
Giuliani doesn’t offer many specifics, except to say he wants the competitive marketplace to sort things out. “Give people more of the decision-making about education and schools will become more competitive,” he told Scholastic News Online in September 2007 during a stop in Houston.
Other education priorities
Giuliani’s mantra on the campaign trail is to talk about school choice, such as more charter schools and vouchers for low-income families to pay for tuition at private schools. He has said repeatedly that the federal government should not be telling local schools what to do.
(Note: I wrote USA Today for permission to use their content, yet they never returned my message. Therefore, I will link back to the original on-line article. To see the original article go to: http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/issues.aspx?i=8&c=6)
Rudy Giuliani on education:
On No Child Left Behind law
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has not explicitly criticized the education standards law known as No Child Left Behind. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.
Giuliani talks about giving parents more control over decisions affecting their children’s education, instead of giving it all to the federal and state agencies that are central to the law’s structure. “My mother did a much better job with my education than a government bureaucrat could do,” he said on his campaign website.
On making college affordable
Giuliani doesn’t offer many specifics, except to say he wants the competitive marketplace to sort things out. “Give people more of the decision-making about education and schools will become more competitive,” he told Scholastic News Online in September 2007 during a stop in Houston.
Other education priorities
Giuliani’s mantra on the campaign trail is to talk about school choice, such as more charter schools and vouchers for low-income families to pay for tuition at private schools. He has said repeatedly that the federal government should not be telling local schools what to do.
(Note: I wrote USA Today for permission to use their content, yet they never returned my message. Therefore, I will link back to the original on-line article. To see the original article go to: http://asp.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/issues.aspx?i=8&c=6)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)