I am not planning to say whether the change of a voting day to accommodate religion is right or wrong. However, what are people thinking? At least this is not a move of a regularly scheduled election. Florida Governor Charlie Crist has decided to postpone a special election by one week because the planned date interfered with a Jewish holiday, Passover.
Oddly, the election is being held to replace a US Representative Robert Wexler who happens to be a prominent Jewish participant. Wouldn’t you think Wexler’s people would have been voicing their opinion about the Passover conflicting date? They did not. It was the general public supposedly. No one is saying how many people complained. Are we moving voting dates for a few or the masses?
Will we start moving other government functions to accommodate religions? Does this set a precedent to make other changes in the name of religion?
http://www.postonpolitics.com/2009/11/crist-reskeds-special-election-due-to-passover/
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Palm Beach County Schools, Florida - Up to No Good
It is great that Superintendent Art Johnson and the top curriculum person, Jeffrey Hernandez, are gathering support after backing down on their ideas. However, they are targeting the minorities. They state that minorities suffer more under the school system, more minority students drop out, etc. This is probably true. However, don’t these same students traditionally do poorly when given standardized tests? The new curriculum plans that Johnson and Hernandez are pushing have lots of testing included. How can we be sure these tests will fairly treat the minorities they are claiming to benefit? Also, many of the minority groups the pair are speaking to need translators and may not be aware of all the consequences involved when they agree to support the ideas. The minorities just want what is best for their children like everyone else. I am worried Johnson and Hernandez are putting on a show that will appeal to the minorities without delivering any real success changes. There does not seem to be any proof or research showing how the change will help minorities.
Do you think Hernandez was overpaid with plans to appeal to minorities? Hernandez came to the Palm Beach School system with a questionable track record in the Miami-Dade schools.
Some information gleaned from: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/outreach-to-minority-students-plays-race-ethnic-card-63771.html as well as other Palm Beach Post stories.
Do you think Hernandez was overpaid with plans to appeal to minorities? Hernandez came to the Palm Beach School system with a questionable track record in the Miami-Dade schools.
Some information gleaned from: http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/schools/outreach-to-minority-students-plays-race-ethnic-card-63771.html as well as other Palm Beach Post stories.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Palm Beach County Schools, Florida - Missing Monies
Palm Beach County Schools are at it again. Now, they are investigating the unknown charges to school board credit cards. The credit cards were given to principals and select teachers to buy discretionary items. Now, there are missing invoices, missing receipts, hundreds of thousands of dollars not accounted for in spending, and the list goes on.
The spenders are saying they were not given adequate guidelines about how to use the credit cards.
The school board says they do not know who spent what money nor what was bought.
Not upset enough, the credit card spending limit was $1000 per purchase. This seems to be the only thing that everyone agrees upon. Yet, the investigation is beginning to show that some clever principals/teachers decided to buy more expensive items and pay for it using the credit card anyway. Here is an example how they were able to do this.: Shop for something that costs $2200. Then, pay with your school board credit card on three different charges, $800. $800, and $600 which totals the $2000. This also stays below the $1000 spending limit. Well, it sort of – kind of does. Doesn’t it?
Trained or not in using the credit cards, what school employee would think that paying for one item in small pieces is acceptable?
What person spends a county public school system’s money without keeping the receipts? Losing some receipts is expected. Losing hundreds of thousands of dollars with is a different ballgame.
The spenders are saying they were not given adequate guidelines about how to use the credit cards.
The school board says they do not know who spent what money nor what was bought.
Not upset enough, the credit card spending limit was $1000 per purchase. This seems to be the only thing that everyone agrees upon. Yet, the investigation is beginning to show that some clever principals/teachers decided to buy more expensive items and pay for it using the credit card anyway. Here is an example how they were able to do this.: Shop for something that costs $2200. Then, pay with your school board credit card on three different charges, $800. $800, and $600 which totals the $2000. This also stays below the $1000 spending limit. Well, it sort of – kind of does. Doesn’t it?
Trained or not in using the credit cards, what school employee would think that paying for one item in small pieces is acceptable?
What person spends a county public school system’s money without keeping the receipts? Losing some receipts is expected. Losing hundreds of thousands of dollars with is a different ballgame.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Children on Too Much Medicine?
I was watching a replay of a Frontline episode about children being medicated with mood altering drugs. Many of the drugs have not been tested on children, and doctors are just experimenting to see what, if anything, will work to help the child. Also, they pointed out the enormous rise in children being diagnosed with mood disorders, especially bipolar.
Strides have been made to improve the impact upon children, but I began to wonder:
Strides have been made to improve the impact upon children, but I began to wonder:
- How can a doctor prescribe a drug that has not been tested on the patient type?
- Why is there such a large rise in children with mood disorders?
- Are we really able to diagnose better, or are we over-diagnosing?
- Are environmental issues impacting the children’s mood?
- Is diet playing a part?
- Why the large increase in children with disorders? I don’t remember that many 35, 25, or even 10 years ago. What has changed?
- Some children seem to be exhibiting normal childhood acting out. Are they? Are parents too quick to think a pill will fix the child instead of correcting bad behavior and modeling good behavior themselves?
Monday, November 2, 2009
President Obama and Education
Nearly everyone remembers President Obama’s speech to the children of America on September 8, 2009. Some parents were so afraid that he might say something life altering that they kept their children home from school or protesting the speech being aired at school. However, Obama was nothing short of positive for the children. Since the speech, he has continued to be uplifting and inspirational for today’s youth.
Yet, there is something a little askew in the Obama ideals. He has asked that students stay in school. News reports have suggested that everyone would benefit from more education. In no way would I ever say that education is bad.
Yet, I have to ask:
Is this some sort of bailout help? School at any level costs money. Even in public kindergarten, students need glue, pencils, scissors, etc. Later, people may attend college and then tuition becomes an expense. All along the way, gas is needed to transport people back and forth to class. Will this spending and the obvious hiring of teachers and staff for the schools help out our economy? Do you think Obama is only thinking about school as a benefit of education? Is he really thinking that we will spend on education and infuse enough into the economy to jumpstart USA out of the recession?
One could almost argue that asking single parents, lower income families, disadvantaged people, unemployed, etc. to go to school is an unfair tax upon them. These individuals will pay more of their income for school than a wealthy person. Is this right to ask them to go to school without examining the long term impact, economically and socially, upon their life?
Oddly if people are in school, they are not looking for full time work. Will this make us feel as if we are all working even though it is kind of cutting the number of wanting work individuals by moving some into school? Perhaps, the feeling we are all busy approach will give the optimistic boost that America needs to pull herself up.
Yet, there is something a little askew in the Obama ideals. He has asked that students stay in school. News reports have suggested that everyone would benefit from more education. In no way would I ever say that education is bad.
Yet, I have to ask:
Is this some sort of bailout help? School at any level costs money. Even in public kindergarten, students need glue, pencils, scissors, etc. Later, people may attend college and then tuition becomes an expense. All along the way, gas is needed to transport people back and forth to class. Will this spending and the obvious hiring of teachers and staff for the schools help out our economy? Do you think Obama is only thinking about school as a benefit of education? Is he really thinking that we will spend on education and infuse enough into the economy to jumpstart USA out of the recession?
One could almost argue that asking single parents, lower income families, disadvantaged people, unemployed, etc. to go to school is an unfair tax upon them. These individuals will pay more of their income for school than a wealthy person. Is this right to ask them to go to school without examining the long term impact, economically and socially, upon their life?
Oddly if people are in school, they are not looking for full time work. Will this make us feel as if we are all working even though it is kind of cutting the number of wanting work individuals by moving some into school? Perhaps, the feeling we are all busy approach will give the optimistic boost that America needs to pull herself up.
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