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• Anonymous

  Educators, the state and local communities can start by saying NO to the Common Core Standards, a means for the federal government to design the tests and control curriculum.

• Anonymous

  I never thought I’d see the day when teachers would be attacked and vilified in this country, but it is happening.  American “anti-intellectualism” is being proven, as we tear down our schools, fire and punish teachers, and–at the same time–continue to produce weapons and wage wars across the planet.

  We have become incredibly dysfuctional, and I guess that is the price you pay when you are an empire, get greedy, go on a guzzling material binge, and crash.

• Anonymous

  I never thought I’d see the day when teachers would be attacked and vilified in this country, but it is happening.  American “anti-intellectualism” is being proven, as we tear down our schools, fire and punish teachers, and–at the same time–continue to produce weapons and wage wars across the planet.

  We have become incredibly dysfuctional, and I guess that is the price you pay when you are an empire, get greedy, go on a guzzling material binge, and crash.

• Anonymous

  I never thought I’d see the day when teachers would be attacked and vilified in this country, but it is happening.  American “anti-intellectualism” is being proven, as we tear down our schools, fire and punish teachers, and–at the same time–continue to produce weapons and wage wars across the planet.

  We have become incredibly dysfuctional, and I guess that is the price you pay when you are an empire, get greedy, go on a guzzling material binge, and crash.

• Anonymous

  I never thought I’d see the day when teachers would be attacked and vilified in this country, but it is happening.  American “anti-intellectualism” is being proven, as we tear down our schools, fire and punish teachers, and–at the same time–continue to produce weapons and wage wars across the planet.

  We have become incredibly dysfuctional, and I guess that is the price you pay when you are an empire, get greedy, go on a guzzling material binge, and crash.

• Anonymous

  I never thought I’d see the day when teachers would be attacked and vilified in this country, but it is happening.  American “anti-intellectualism” is being proven, as we tear down our schools, fire and punish teachers, and–at the same time–continue to produce weapons and wage wars across the planet.

  We have become incredibly dysfuctional, and I guess that is the price you pay when you are an empire, get greedy, go on a guzzling material binge, and crash.

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Cecil-Gray/1027119962 Cecil Gray

  The dumbing down is the key weapon in the arsenal of the top one percenters. Control is their goal and they are achieving it.

• Anonymous

  Many decades ago I attended 7th and 8th grade in a four classroom school that was, even then, over 100 years old. One teacher, whose class size exceeded 35 students, would read a novel to us for 30 minutes after lunch. We were allowed to put our heads on the desk and nap if we wanted while she read. I suspect few of us slept because the story was always great and helped to encourage an interest in reading. Wonderful two years! Never felt threatened by a test, just unprepared. I doubt if Miss Fickett did much protesting in DC, but she was a great teacher.

• Anonymous

  Many decades ago I attended 7th and 8th grade in a four classroom school that was, even then, over 100 years old. One teacher, whose class size exceeded 35 students, would read a novel to us for 30 minutes after lunch. We were allowed to put our heads on the desk and nap if we wanted while she read. I suspect few of us slept because the story was always great and helped to encourage an interest in reading. Wonderful two years! Never felt threatened by a test, just unprepared. I doubt if Miss Fickett did much protesting in DC, but she was a great teacher.

• Anonymous

  Sounds like an instigation by your “community organizer-in-chief” in D.C., in cahoots with the NEA, the largest lobbyist group there.

• Anonymous

  Sadly, I think you’re right.  Educated people tend to be more culturally accepting, and to reject the idea that the US is a special country of absolute good, here to wage  war against absolute evil.

• Anonymous

  “A literacy specialist” isn’t even a teacher, just a symptom of the bureaucratic overhead common in many districts. How many of these “specialists” do direct instruction to students? 
  As for these whiners complaints about standardized testing, in my child’s school district he is tested with the NWEA twice a year to check progress. You can bet teachers who aren’t doing their jobs would hate a test like that.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Fire All Liberals First

  When you have crawled into bed with the NEA and the Democrat Party, loss of control is only one of many serious problems.

• Anonymous

  I never thought Id see the day when teachers unions were so tight with one political party and used their members dues (taxpayer funded) to push for contracts that provide for better bennies and pay than people with equal education and work time per year  (9 months working, three months off.)

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  Why is the BDN running a story about New Hampshire teachers? Did they get an email from the group pushing this so called march asking to gin up the story?

• Anonymous

  does marching on anything ever get results other than 5 min of fame on cnn.

• Anonymous

  I may have been in your same class. There are teachers like Miss Fickett that you remember forever. My son had one this past year and instilled in him a love of reading which I feel certain will last him a lifetime.

• Anonymous

  I may have been in your same class. There are teachers like Miss Fickett that you remember forever. My son had one this past year and instilled in him a love of reading which I feel certain will last him a lifetime.

• Anonymous

  It’s not “anti-intellectualism” to want well-educated children, some accountability from teachers and some cost control over the largest budget item in many municipalities.

  In fact, any intellectual who actually uses his or her brain would be asking questions like:

  - Why do school budgets keep going up when educational performance has flat-lined (at an unsatisfactory level) for years?
  - Are those educators who demand a return to local control also willing to return to local, non-union bargaining? 
  - Years ago there was no such thing as an Ed Tech.  Now they are a major line item in school budgets.  Why do we need them when we never did before,  and have the results justified the cost?  Would we be better off eliminating Ed Techs and paying teachers more?
  - Why exactly is it that teachers shy away from accountability as if it was the Black Plague?  What makes them different from any private sector worker whose pay and job status is based on performance?
  - Why are more and more children being diagnosed as “special needs” students, adding more and more to school budgets?

  Most teachers are decent people who are making an honest effort to educate their students.  But there are serious problems in virtually every aspect of our educational system:  teacher training; curricula; texts; student and teacher performance assessment; zero tolerance policies; vastly underutilizing technology as an educational tool; failure to turn the billions spent on educational research into specific, concrete, readily accessible, useful tools and information; total dominance of the education dialogue by the NEA; and so on.

  If the public saw educators addressing these issues with as much passion as they devote to their jobs and benefits, educators would be held in higher esteem today.

• Anonymous

  “I simply want to hang out with some really passionate teachers and speak truth to power,” Collins said.”

     Now there is a melodramatic statement. She must have dusted off some old sixties rhetoric manuals. Abby at the DC 1969 rally is where I first heard it.  I can’t help but burst out smiling when I recall it.

• Anonymous

  what? the top one percenters????   like those that own businesses want to see uneducated individuals joining the work force and applying at their place of business.   get real. the downward spirial has more to do with government involvement than anything else, as in all things when the government gets involved. why do we need a dept of education at the federal level???

• atruebluedowneaster

  Well put SB52!!!!

• atruebluedowneaster

  Well put SB52!!!!

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You could also add declining census and increased cost, how exactly does that work?

• Anonymous

  You are on the money when you say ” GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT ” and while your there see if you can get them to get out of the rest of our lives.

• Anonymous

  You are on the money when you say ” GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OUT ” and while your there see if you can get them to get out of the rest of our lives.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  Many(maybe most) districts in Maine are using the NWEA from what I understand.  When I was growing up, there would be very little need for a literacy specialist because our parents read with us at home.  I entered Kindergarten knowing how to read, and I certainly think way more kids nowadays should.  Once they are in school, read more, build vocabulary, etc.  If a student has a learning disability around reading then certainly identify the disability and address it (which may or may not include the use of a “literacy specialist”

  I for one have no problem with standardized testing.  Just make sure it is being used correctly and appropriately.  I am a huge believer in the SAT and SAT scores.  That said, an SAT score is not a good indicator of what kids are learning in high school classes.  I wonder why the state didn’t get in bed with the ACT instead of the SAT….it seems to fit more with what they “say” they want to measure.

• Anonymous

  “A lot of kids get very distraught over tests,” she said.

  Wilkerson can relate. As a child, she said, she hated taking
  standardized tests, something that she feels is a common sentiment
  among many young students. And feeling uncomfortable about testing
  taking, she said, can lead to lower scores.”

  Then the world is going to eat these kids alive.  The “well, I don’t test well” is about as overplayed in education as the diagnosis of ADD/ADHD. 

  If kids think those standardized tests in high schools are something, wait until they get to college and their entire grade for a semester is based on 2-4 exams.  Oh, and then there are boards some kids have to pass to get licensed in a state.  Of course some kids truly have test anxiety, etc, but the number of those students is far less than the number of kids (and their parents) who simply profess “well Johnny doesn’t test well.” Ok then, I guess we will just give him a high school diploma and not ask any more of him.

• Anonymous

  What about parent responsability?

• Anonymous

  What about parent responsability?

• Anonymous

  What about parent responsability?

• Anonymous

  What about parent responsability?

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  Woah Nellie…President Erkel [saved] our country with his ‘bail out’ whereby a staggering $125 billion dollars went directly to teachers (thereby protecting their union dues payments).

  All
  those public employees will vote loyally
  Democrat to protect their bloated salaries
  and pensions that are bankrupting America
  .

  The
  country goes broke, future generations face a
  bleak future, but Obama, the Democrat
  Party, government, and the unions grow more
  powerful. Remind me again why the teachers are marching in Washington; Oh ok, that will be expensed to the 125 billion, of course. It’s vacation time.

  The
  ends justify the means.

• Anonymous

  We are in a situation whereby our children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and it smells like Germany of old.

  My youngest is entering senior year at a liberal enclave on the coast of Maine. He comes home and laments watching your lambs being led to intellectual slaughter.

• Anonymous

  We are in a situation whereby our children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and it smells like Germany of old.

  My youngest is entering senior year at a liberal enclave on the coast of Maine. He comes home and laments watching your lambs being led to intellectual slaughter.

• Anonymous

  Actually every study shows that teachers make less money than people of similar education levels and that is including the benefits.

• Anonymous

  Actually results have gotten better the past ten years, and these kids are learning more than we ever did when we were in school.

• Anonymous

  It must be nice to have gown up in an era when teachers were given the control to do such things in their class, now however with the emphasis on testing no teacher can spend 30  minutes after lunch allowing students to listen or not.  They need to focus on teaching to the test.

• Anonymous

  It must be nice to have gown up in an era when teachers were given the control to do such things in their class, now however with the emphasis on testing no teacher can spend 30  minutes after lunch allowing students to listen or not.  They need to focus on teaching to the test.

• Anonymous

  We are in a situation whereby our children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and it smells like Germany of old.

  My
  youngest is entering senior year at a liberal enclave on the coast of
  Maine. He comes home and laments watching your lambs being led to
  intellectual slaughter.

• Anonymous

  We are in a situation whereby our children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and it smells like Germany of old.

  My
  youngest is entering senior year at a liberal enclave on the coast of
  Maine. He comes home and laments watching your lambs being led to
  intellectual slaughter.

• Anonymous

  We are in a situation whereby our children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and it smells like Germany of old.

  My
  youngest is entering senior year at a liberal enclave on the coast of
  Maine. He comes home and laments watching your lambs being led to
  intellectual slaughter.

• Anonymous

  We are in a situation whereby our children are being ‘indoctrinated’ and it smells like Germany of old.

  My
  youngest is entering senior year at a liberal enclave on the coast of
  Maine. He comes home and laments watching your lambs being led to
  intellectual slaughter.

• Anonymous

  Part of the increased cost is the lack of support for teachers being able to instill any amount of classroom disciplin. The disruptive students are being diagnosed as ADD, ADHD, Autistic, etc. Those being diagnosed as autistic get to have an adult sit with them one on one  in the classroom.
  Those being diagnosed with other problems of he alphabet variegty are being fed mood altering drugs in order to calm them down in the hopes that they won’t interfere with others gaining an education. We also are feeding more children almost 50% of the meals they eat during the school year. Parents today seem to feel that the schools are responsible for the feeding of their children.

• Anonymous

  Part of the increased cost is the lack of support for teachers being able to instill any amount of classroom disciplin. The disruptive students are being diagnosed as ADD, ADHD, Autistic, etc. Those being diagnosed as autistic get to have an adult sit with them one on one  in the classroom.
  Those being diagnosed with other problems of he alphabet variegty are being fed mood altering drugs in order to calm them down in the hopes that they won’t interfere with others gaining an education. We also are feeding more children almost 50% of the meals they eat during the school year. Parents today seem to feel that the schools are responsible for the feeding of their children.

• Anonymous

  Part of the increased cost is the lack of support for teachers being able to instill any amount of classroom disciplin. The disruptive students are being diagnosed as ADD, ADHD, Autistic, etc. Those being diagnosed as autistic get to have an adult sit with them one on one  in the classroom.
  Those being diagnosed with other problems of he alphabet variegty are being fed mood altering drugs in order to calm them down in the hopes that they won’t interfere with others gaining an education. We also are feeding more children almost 50% of the meals they eat during the school year. Parents today seem to feel that the schools are responsible for the feeding of their children.

• Anonymous

  “Most teachers are decent people who are making an honest effort to educate their students” and yet the bulk of your post is officious micro-management with the underlying message that we should  “do more studies and cut costs wherever and whenever we can” because leaner schools are more efficient and thereby provide better education–

  A seriously flawed philosophy.

  Also, some of your implications show a correlation without causation.  For instance, the fact that budgets are going up while education has “flat-lined” might mean that budgets are not going up enough to deal with population and increased poverty issues. 

  You may not have noticed, but the middle class is disappearing due to in large part to Wall Street corruption (see the movie Inside Job) plus our addiction to war and militarism.  You may not have noticed, but the effects of war and corporate greed (which promotes, the efficiency model you emulate) influence our children.

  Your post entirely ignores the fact that if we stopped fighting the three wars we are in, it could provide many trillions of extra dollars for education.

  The problem is that the school systems, filled with wonderful teachers and kids,  are starved for lack of money.  Money attracts good teachers and good management.  Money gets the tech.  Money buys the textbooks, computers, and equipment and builds the new facilities.

  You, on the other hand, see the schools as infected and broken, and in need of further trimming.  Your entire paradigm is pejorative at the core.

  You would cut cut cut, elminate eliminate eliminate.  This project is inherently flawed and extremely deleterious to education in general.

  It is the true impediment in this country to education.

  PS: I guess you never took a class in rhetoric or debate: it is extremely poor form to insult your interlocutor by saying she does not use her brain. If we had more money in education, there could be rhetoric, debate and philosophy classes–but I suppose they are superfluous in your eyes.

• Anonymous

  “Most teachers are decent people who are making an honest effort to educate their students” and yet the bulk of your post is officious micro-management with the underlying message that we should  “do more studies and cut costs wherever and whenever we can” because leaner schools are more efficient and thereby provide better education–

  A seriously flawed philosophy.

  Also, some of your implications show a correlation without causation.  For instance, the fact that budgets are going up while education has “flat-lined” might mean that budgets are not going up enough to deal with population and increased poverty issues. 

  You may not have noticed, but the middle class is disappearing due to in large part to Wall Street corruption (see the movie Inside Job) plus our addiction to war and militarism.  You may not have noticed, but the effects of war and corporate greed (which promotes, the efficiency model you emulate) influence our children.

  Your post entirely ignores the fact that if we stopped fighting the three wars we are in, it could provide many trillions of extra dollars for education.

  The problem is that the school systems, filled with wonderful teachers and kids,  are starved for lack of money.  Money attracts good teachers and good management.  Money gets the tech.  Money buys the textbooks, computers, and equipment and builds the new facilities.

  You, on the other hand, see the schools as infected and broken, and in need of further trimming.  Your entire paradigm is pejorative at the core.

  You would cut cut cut, elminate eliminate eliminate.  This project is inherently flawed and extremely deleterious to education in general.

  It is the true impediment in this country to education.

  PS: I guess you never took a class in rhetoric or debate: it is extremely poor form to insult your interlocutor by saying she does not use her brain. If we had more money in education, there could be rhetoric, debate and philosophy classes–but I suppose they are superfluous in your eyes.

• Anonymous

  “Most teachers are decent people who are making an honest effort to educate their students” and yet the bulk of your post is officious micro-management with the underlying message that we should  “do more studies and cut costs wherever and whenever we can” because leaner schools are more efficient and thereby provide better education–

  A seriously flawed philosophy.

  Also, some of your implications show a correlation without causation.  For instance, the fact that budgets are going up while education has “flat-lined” might mean that budgets are not going up enough to deal with population and increased poverty issues. 

  You may not have noticed, but the middle class is disappearing due to in large part to Wall Street corruption (see the movie Inside Job) plus our addiction to war and militarism.  You may not have noticed, but the effects of war and corporate greed (which promotes, the efficiency model you emulate) influence our children.

  Your post entirely ignores the fact that if we stopped fighting the three wars we are in, it could provide many trillions of extra dollars for education.

  The problem is that the school systems, filled with wonderful teachers and kids,  are starved for lack of money.  Money attracts good teachers and good management.  Money gets the tech.  Money buys the textbooks, computers, and equipment and builds the new facilities.

  You, on the other hand, see the schools as infected and broken, and in need of further trimming.  Your entire paradigm is pejorative at the core.

  You would cut cut cut, elminate eliminate eliminate.  This project is inherently flawed and extremely deleterious to education in general.

  It is the true impediment in this country to education.

  PS: I guess you never took a class in rhetoric or debate: it is extremely poor form to insult your interlocutor by saying she does not use her brain. If we had more money in education, there could be rhetoric, debate and philosophy classes–but I suppose they are superfluous in your eyes.