UPDATE DAY 25 (written at 1AM)
A large group of assembly people and senators have committed to signing onto a resolution drafted by jackie goldberg and other legislators (approved by fast4education) which openly supports the fasters' demands and urges the governor to meet with the fasters.
Dolores Huerta spent her second straight day with us, schooling us on organizing\/lobbying, helping us draft an action plan, outreach list and helped phonebank.
The fasters, though quite literally \"kicked to the curb\" by a
concerned group of sacramento's highest ranking police and CHP officers, spent the day surrounded by supporters and media. The CHP presence was obvious but the fasters retained their dignified and peaceful stance with the confidence of the support from their physician. After almost being forcibly removed from the Capitol property, Jessica sat in her chair on the sidewalk accompanied by friends and new-found family. A group of spiritual educators blessed them with prayers and the day went by without more word from CHP after their doctor arrived and declared their health stable.
WE await the SPEAK-OUT and pray for a large turn-out.
Spokespeople for the fast4education spoke before thousands of first nations people at the Native American Health Care rally at the capitol.
Almost every person in attendance at the vigil declared their 24 Hour FAST IN SOLIDARITY and we continue to receive emails from around the state declaring their participation in the HUNGRY 4 EDUCATION fundraiser for the fasters. from the vigil alone, we raised over a hundred dollars.
Dolores declared that she will indeed PICK UP the
fast for Jessica and has heard from legislators and other celebrities that they may very well pick up the fast for the remaining fasters.
Though Jessica has agreed to break her fast tomorrow (after twenty five days of fasting), the other two fasters have not made such definite promises...
Action alert
THE SPEAK OUT! 4 public education WILL BEGIN TOMORROW (june 3-day 25)
AT THE SOUTH STEPS OF THE CAPITOL AT 12 NOON AND SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE JESSICA VASQUEZ (FASTER), DOLORES HUERTA, MANNY HERNANDEZ (SAC SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER), CARL PINKSTON FROM THE FREEDOM BOUND CENTER (SACRAMENTO), SEVERAL LEGISLATORS AND NUMEROUS COMMUNITY
MEMBERS\/LEADERS. MUSIC WILL BE PROVIDED BY MEMBERS OF THE BAND \"RAIGAMBRE\", RAPPING BY DANIEL DE LOS REYES, SOMOS ONE, AND POETRY BY JOSE MONTOYA. TEATRO WILL BE PROVIDED BY THE UC DAVIS GROUP \"SEMILLA\".
Printable flyer available at www.fast4education.org
within the 'documents' section.
Please print the flyer, make copies, spread the word and WEAR YOUR ORANGE ARMBAND\/RIBBON! Equitable quality education is a human right!
Call Arnold, tell him, \"meet with the fasters!\" Ph# 916-445-6131
-in solidarity
Julio Magana<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","contact":"irlandeso@riseup.net","link":"http:\/\/www.fast4education.org","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/plain","summary":"Dolores Huerta declared that she will indeed PICK UP the fast for Jessica and has heard from legislators and other celebrities that they may very well pick up the fast for the remaining fasters. ","numcomment":28,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2004\/06\/111714.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[{"id":111715,"heading":"disturbing logo","article":"A disturbing logo found on the fast4education website is pictured here. A "family" forms a shadow fist. Nice.\r\n\r\nThese folks may not be aware there's no correlation between monies spent on education and scholastic excellence. \r\n\r\nMaybe if there were less social engineering going on in government indoctrination classrooms there'd be more time to learn basic skills. And we could kick out the parasitic children of illegals.\r\n\r\nBetter yet, get rid of government schools altogether.\r\n\r\n","author":"Anti-govt. schools","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2004-06-04 06:47:30","modified":"2005-08-15 02:57:19","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2004\/06\/familia.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2004\/06\/familia.jpg"}},{"id":111716,"heading":"disturbing logo","article":"A disturbing logo found on the fast4education website is pictured here. A "family" forms a shadow fist. Nice.\r\n\r\nThese folks may not be aware there's no correlation between monies spent on education and scholastic excellence. \r\n\r\nMaybe if there were less social engineering going on in government indoctrination classrooms there'd be more time to learn basic skills. And we could kick out the parasitic children of illegals.\r\n\r\nBetter yet, get rid of government schools altogether.\r\n\r\n","author":"Anti-govt. schools","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","created":"2004-06-04 06:49:10","modified":"2005-08-15 02:57:19","fileurl":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2004\/06\/familia.jpghzqrpo.jpg","image":{"original":"\/usr\/local\/www-domains\/la.indymedia.org\/public\/uploads\/2004\/06\/familia.jpghzqrpo.jpg"}},{"id":111717,"heading":"disturbing-disturbed","article":"' Better yet, get rid of government schools altogether.'\r\nGreat idea, then we can have schooling for relgious or wealthy folks only.\r\nJust like thr dark ages.\r\nAfter gutting the buget and disfunctionalizing the actual process of learning we then trash the whole idea of public education. Why am I not surprised?","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 10:29:42","modified":"2004-06-04 10:29:42","fileurl":""},{"id":111727,"heading":"Lose a war. End public education.","article":"Posters like the nincompoop above have helped and pushed to create massive deficits, continue to ignore global warming even though the midwest is becoming a wasteland of WalMarts, tornadoes and GM crop farms, infuriated all thoughtful people around the world, tried to ram Christian fairy tales into our American codifex, and have helped the corporate crybabies legitimize lying and corruption, \r\n\r\nand so now they want to attack public schoools.\r\n\r\nThese morons are even more predictable than a sitcom ending. The schools obviously failed them so now they want to close the schools. That makes a lot of sense.","author":"Parmenides","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 13:37:43","modified":"2004-06-04 13:37:43","fileurl":""},{"id":111736,"heading":"all power to the people!!","article":"So why does that fist represent black power specifically to you, and why do you feel that any immigrants are illegal? If you were to pick up a history book you might realize that yr presence, assuming you are anything other than a native american from what is now known as cali, IS ILLEGAL. As a white male I am truly illegal in these lands, not by colonizers laws, but in the reality of the history that has brought us here. So in a place and time when people are scared of "black power" and la raza, one of the few solutions that is left is true discourse and education based on the history of our ancestors and their interactions locally and globally. Public Education is essential for this dialogue and basic access to fair, valid, and equal education should be a basic right. This kind of language is even written into both state and national laws and legal documents, along with more recent laws(or props)such as prop 98 which seeks to establish basic educational funding levels on a statewide basis.\r\n\r\nJust a few thoughts to think about....\r\n\r\nViva los San Patricios!! Viva la Raza!! All Power to the People!! \r\n\r\nps - Save Our Schools","author":"upton sinclair","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 17:13:52","modified":"2004-06-04 17:13:52","fileurl":""},{"id":111744,"heading":"School is in session","article":"Great idea, then we can have schooling for relgious or wealthy folks only. \r\nJust like thr dark ages. <\/I>\r\n
\r\nWhy pay 50 cents on the dollar for a private school with real teaching--not hippies preaching nonsense--when you can spend $1.50 in taxes on edu-crats and have a leftover 20 cents go to the classroom? Sounds like a real bargain. NOT.\r\n
\r\nAfter gutting the buget and disfunctionalizing the actual process of learning we then trash the whole idea of public education. Why am I not surprised?<\/I>\r\n
\r\nthe "whole idea of public education" has ALREADY been trashed. what used to be one-room schoolhouses are now satellites of a federal thought-control juggernaut. with a liberal agenda.\r\n
\r\nliberals have had TOO long enough to preach revisionist history and social engineering to captive minds. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. \r\n
\r\nPosters like the nincompoop above have helped and pushed to create massive deficits, continue to ignore global warming even though the midwest is becoming a wasteland of WalMarts, tornadoes and GM crop farms, infuriated all thoughtful people around the world, tried to ram Christian fairy tales into our American codifex, and have helped the corporate crybabies legitimize lying and corruption, \r\nand so now they want to attack public schoools. <\/I>\r\n
\r\nCongratulations on scribing one of the more desperate and ridiculous posts. It's just like a liberal to pretend the world is going to end if their "vision" isn't followed to the letter. Even atheists (more conservatives are atheists than liberals) thank god that Gore lost.\r\n
\r\nSo why does that fist represent black power specifically to you, and why do you feel that any immigrants are illegal?<\/I> \r\n
\r\nFor the same reason a cross remind the ACLU of religion? I don't have to "feel" there are children of illegals in CA. It's documented, self-evident and Prop. 187 was partially written to address this very topic.\r\n
\r\nIf you were to pick up a history book you might realize that yr presence, assuming you are anything other than a native american from what is now known as cali, IS ILLEGAL. As a white male I am truly illegal in these lands, not by colonizers laws, but in the reality of the history that has brought us here.<\/I>\r\n
\r\nI'm here legally, my ancestors came here legally, and as for wars fought over American territories a century ago, so what. There's nothing you or I can do about it now. If you're so guilty-white-liberal-foolish to blame yourself for them or slavery, you're beyond hope.\r\n
\r\nSo in a place and time when people are scared of "black power" and la raza, one of the few solutions that is left is true discourse and education based on the history of our ancestors and their interactions locally and globally.<\/I>\r\n
\r\nBoth "la raza" and "black power" are inferior culture paradigms. The proof is in the present conditions of Africa and Mexico. That doesn't mean the people are inferior, just that their economic and social systems can't hope to compete with America's. And American Blacks and Hispanics are the wealthiest Blacks and Hispanics in the world, bar none, so spare me your righteous indignation over "racism."\r\n
\r\nPublic Education is essential for this dialogue<\/I>\r\n
\r\nSTOP. This is exactly why sane Americans oppose govenment schools. Sane schools are NOT meant or social engineering, mind control, fake diversity or promotion of alien cultures. Schools are for learning basic skills so kids can function and compete in a complex world. And they are FAILING at that. \r\n
\r\nand basic access to fair, valid, and equal education should be a basic right.\r\nThis kind of language is even written into both state and national laws and legal documents, along with more recent laws(or props)such as prop 98 which seeks to establish basic educational funding levels on a statewide basis.<\/I> \r\n
There is no Constitutional authority for such "laws." It's a sham. Public education is not a "right," BUT if enough people want to change that and make it a right, do it legally. Don't shit and call it chocolate.
\r\nNot every Amefican is blind to what's going on. Liberals HAVE to control the schools and warp young minds because grown-ups already know socialism is a failure. ","author":"Anti-govt. schools","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2004-06-04 18:50:56","modified":"2004-06-04 18:50:56","fileurl":""},{"id":111748,"heading":"anti-govt, go privatize yourself","article":"Stay away from the library, the internet, and the schools.\r\n\r\nGo live a privitized life already.","author":"more rational","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 20:08:40","modified":"2004-06-04 20:08:40","fileurl":""},{"id":111750,"heading":"-" preach revisionist history"-","article":"Okay, explain the above statement of yours.\r\nI know about suppressed history but revisionist?\r\nOh, and the label 'liberal' that you use, shows you to be another freeper with a tin drum to beat. Please waste more time doing this. Thank you.","author":"Sheepdog","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 20:14:15","modified":"2004-06-04 20:14:15","fileurl":""},{"id":111751,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":""the "whole idea of public education" has ALREADY been trashed. what used to be one-room schoolhouses are now satellites of a federal thought-control juggernaut. with a liberal agenda. "\r\n\r\n...obviously posted by someone who skipped an awful lot of school time...\r\n\r\n...public or private...","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 20:16:23","modified":"2004-06-04 20:16:23","fileurl":""},{"id":111752,"heading":"disturbing history","article":"Blacks were prevented from becoming literate, in order that they would be easier to control. Literacy tests were used to disenfranchise them. Public schools are being abandoned by the middle class, and there's a move afoot to destroy them, and it's called "No Child Left Behind". \r\n\r\nDrop a bomb on the school, and make sure that no child is left behind.\r\n\r\nSchools have been one site where racist inequalities are being addressed. It's no wonder that some political movements are fighting to de-fund schools.\r\n\r\nThough schools may not be completely effective, there's no alternative at this time. Private schools are basically for the rich, and if a voucher system is implemented, prices wil rise, and the poor will be locked out of education even more. \r\n\r\nThe per capita spending doesn't determine the school performance, sure, but other factors, like the overall community affluence, the education level of parents, and other things do correlate with student performance. It's not a simple issue of dollars and cents. Bringing people up takes money, and the less someone has, the more it costs to bring them up.\r\n\r\nThe real issue is: what do the powers that be want? I think they want to keep people down, so that they will have to work at crap jobs for low wages.","author":"more rational","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 20:18:48","modified":"2004-06-04 20:18:48","fileurl":""},{"id":111753,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":""And they are FAILING at that. "\r\n\r\n...judging from your stupidity, that statement is true in at least ONE case...but it seems a little extreme to trash all schools just because you turned out to be an idiot...\r\n\r\n","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 20:23:28","modified":"2004-06-04 20:23:28","fileurl":""},{"id":111757,"heading":"with 2 posts","article":"I collected all 3 IMC stooges plus one "Upton Sinclair" who at least seems sincere in his (misguided) efforts.\r\n\r\nWhen poor children are kept in failed schools because the liberal government school monopoly + united federation of socialist "teachers" opposes choice vouchers, the blame for the remnants of yet another destroyed generation will be on their hands (and everyone else's tax bill).\r\n\r\n\r\nsocialism\r\ncommunism\r\nliberalism\r\n\r\nDefeat all three.\r\n\r\n","author":"Anti-govt. schools","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 21:00:11","modified":"2004-06-04 21:00:11","fileurl":""},{"id":111761,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"...you don't have any kids, do you?\r\n\r\n...and I thought socialism=communism=liberalism...so shouldn't that be "defeat all one"?\r\n\r\n...better go back and study your script, novice. ","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 21:57:52","modified":"2004-06-04 21:57:52","fileurl":""},{"id":111763,"heading":"cough","article":"...you don't have any kids, do you? \r\n\r\nthe only thing you need know about me is that I'm better at this game than you.\r\n\r\n...and I thought socialism=communism=liberalism...so shouldn't that be "defeat all one"? \r\n\r\n...better go back and study your script, novice. \r\n\r\nI'm flattered you study my words so carefully. You should. \r\n\r\nWhile branding the last white-hot post into the collective ass of Lefty the Cow I decided those who haven't yet begun to war would need to discriminate between -isms. \r\n\r\nLater on they'll figure out on their own all 3 are feigned partitions of the same Lie. \r\n\r\n\r\n","author":"AGS","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-04 22:11:58","modified":"2004-06-04 22:11:58","fileurl":""},{"id":111787,"heading":"no fun...","article":"the only thing you need know about me is that I'm better at this game than you.<\/i>\r\n \r\nIf I didn't know anything but what I'm told, I'd be a liberal. \r\n \r\nlooking forward to another one of your clever ripostes shouted from the back of the short bus.\r\n \r\nAGS","author":"AGS","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2004-06-05 18:23:25","modified":"2004-06-05 18:23:25","fileurl":""},{"id":111823,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"...idiot...liberal...AGA...\r\n\r\n...what is in a name? He who we call an idiot by any other name would still be just as stupid...","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-05 19:10:16","modified":"2004-06-05 19:10:16","fileurl":""},{"id":111825,"heading":"private will always beat out "public"","article":"AGS, (your assignment for today is...) please explain what will happen to the students whose parents can't afford to send their children to school after we abolish the public school system. if you choose to take the easy route, that the children won't get an education, i expect a plan describing how you would quell the uprising when millions of people (plus those sympathetic) realize they have no education and no future. minus points if you plan to rely on our under staffed police or the military who are liberating foreign oil.<\/I>\r\n \r\n"monkey"\r\n \r\nI dismissed your doomsday scenario out of hand. Federal control of schools would be phased out over a few years, three years tops. I'm not going to do your homework for you regarding public schools, but I'll give you a few hints.\r\n \r\nFirst and foremost, there's NO Constitutional basis for a "right" to education. \r\n \r\nSecond, it's common sense that you're NOT going to receive a quality education stressing critical thinking skills from the very government that, as an American citizen, you have an OBLIGATION to DISTRUST at all times, no matter WHO\u2019S in charge. \r\n \r\nIn 2001, the Department of Education "lost" 450 million dollars, meaning they didn\u2019t know where the money went.\r\n \r\nThere were about 64 million American children in 1990. Double that to the unlikely number of 128 million children in 2004.\r\n \r\nIf you were to redistribute just<\/I> the 450 million, that would be about 3.5 million dollars to spend per child. \r\n \r\nBush has requested 53.7 billion dollars for the Department of Education for FY 2005. \r\n Up to 35 cents of every federal dollar spent on education is eaten up by bureaucracy. \r\n Private schools can't NOT do a better job than government schools. Private schools have to compete against each other with finite resources, since no government stooge waving a wand is going to make more money (OUR money) "magically appear."\r\n Private schools have to produce real results or go out of business, unlike the teacher's union. \r\n Finally, with real school choice, parents don't have to inadvertently pay for a liberal agenda: no "gay rights" training, no suppression of religion, no business-is-evil lectures, no pc bullshit.....unless, of course, the parent is a liberal. \r\n \r\nClass dismissed. \r\n\r\n","author":"AGS","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2004-06-05 19:39:43","modified":"2013-11-11 00:29:59","fileurl":""},{"id":111826,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"idiot: "the Department of Education "lost" 450 million dollars, meaning they didn\u2019t know where the money went."\r\n\r\n...showing off your private education by defining 'lost" for us?\r\n\r\n...tell ya what, take a deep breath, hold it, and let it out once public education is eliminated....\r\n\r\n...that is, if you can hold your breath forever....","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-05 19:50:59","modified":"2013-11-11 00:29:59","fileurl":""},{"id":111827,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"idiot: "can't NOT "\r\n\r\n...oooh, double negative....\r\n\r\n....so tell us, did you sleep through private school or public?","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-05 19:53:41","modified":"2004-06-05 19:53:41","fileurl":""},{"id":111831,"heading":"demanding fiscally responsible govt.","article":""the Department of Education "lost" 450 million dollars, meaning they didn\u2019t know where the money went." \r\n\r\n'...showing off your private education by defining 'lost" for us?' \r\n\r\n"Lost" means, the DOE knew NOT where the money went, and therefore didn't know if it was spent properly, burned in an incinerator, or used to buy Algore another talking globe.\r\n\r\nIs this the kind of government you want? One that wastes billions of dollars and makes up for it by taxing you even more? \r\n\r\nIt doesn't matter whether you're right or left, everyone should demand an accountable government with very little waste, unlike the federal leviathan we have today.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","author":"AGS","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-05 21:33:07","modified":"2013-11-11 00:29:59","fileurl":""},{"id":111833,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"...if your looking for inefficiency, why concentrate on the pennies at DOE when you can go after the real whoppers at DOD....they lose money, weapons, anthrax, nuke material...\r\n\r\n...by lost I mean of course...lost.\r\n","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-05 21:39:50","modified":"2004-06-05 21:39:50","fileurl":""},{"id":111857,"heading":"monkey!","article":"Monkey is proof that we are not that evolved from simians, and, in fact, the simians are much wiser than us.\r\n\r\nIndeed, the libertarian privatized education concept, which sometimes seems so close at hand, has no merit. It will only lead to increasing inequalities similar to those preceeding the rise of universal public education. To say otherwise is to indulge in delusion.\r\n\r\nIf education is privatized, and students are given vouchers, what will happen is a new kind of private education will develop, and it'll be similar to parochial education. That is, education will be secondary to other interests, and in this case, the interest will be to maximize profits.\r\n\r\nThe easiest route toward maximizing profits is to establish a geographical monopoly on schools. With a captive customer base, you can start to cut costs and quality, and increase profit margins.\r\n\r\nPerhaps you'd create a credit system, whereby a student can take out a loan for college prep education, or some electives. Once the kids are indebted, you can hire them back once they graduate, to pay off the debts. Voila - you have a permanent labor pool of minimum wage workers to do custodial and other work at the schools.\r\n\r\nMaybe you'd institute a video-learning system, where one class a day is taught by videotape or satellite. You hire one lecturer at a high wage, and have them teach to 200 kids at a time. Then, hire some TAs (who owe the school money) to administer tests.\r\n\r\nThen, once you really start to have power, you form a lobby group so that your mega-edu-corp gets preferential political treatment, and it's harder and harder for competing independent schools to get credentialed.\r\n\r\nGosh... that almost sounds like college right there. Except, since these schools are catering to the lower half of the economic pyramid, the result will not be "college like" at all. In fact, it'll be more like a factory, or a prison.","author":"more rational","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-06 06:36:26","modified":"2004-06-06 06:36:26","fileurl":""},{"id":111858,"heading":"demanding fiscally responsible govt.","article":""demanding fiscally responsible govt."\r\n\r\nYes, start by electing out the deficit-spending Republicans who always seem to increase federal spending. They're a bunch of irresponsible borrow-and-spend politicians.\r\n\r\nOf course, let's not forget who's leding the state the money: it's rich people, who buy lots of government bonds. The people of America are going to end up giving the rich around the world a nice guaranteed profit.\r\n\r\nTheir fiscal policy isn't just irresponsible. It's corrupt.","author":"more rational","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-06 06:41:11","modified":"2004-06-06 06:41:11","fileurl":""},{"id":111859,"heading":"Enough is enough.","article":"Indeed, the libertarian privatized education concept, which sometimes seems so close at hand, has no merit. It will only lead to increasing inequalities similar to those preceeding the rise of universal public education. To say otherwise is to indulge in delusion.<\/I>\r\n \r\nSince you seem to be brimming with answers, how about a short explanation of how giving parents the power to pull their kids out of failing ghetto schools and into schools of their choice (since it\u2019s THEIR money, not the gubmint\u2019s) is going to lead to \u201cinequality.\u201d I\u2019m all for \u201cinequality\u201d of pay\u2026teachers that can\u2019t teach should get less pay than teachers who can. F**k the unions.\r\n \r\nIf education is privatized, and students are given vouchers, what will happen is a new kind of private education will develop, and it'll be similar to parochial education. That is, education will be secondary to other interests, and in this case, the interest will be to maximize profits. <\/I>\r\n \r\nOnly socialists think \u201cprofit\u201d is a dirty word. It's a foolish notion, since \u201cprofits\u201d are what turn the poor people socialists love to trump into middle class people socialists love to hate. Yes, a new kind of education WILL develop: one in which teachers are held accountable and schools that fail to instruct their kids to a paying parent's satisfaction go out of business. \r\nThe easiest route toward maximizing profits is to establish a geographical monopoly on schools. With a captive customer base, you can start to cut costs and quality, and increase profit margins. <\/I>\r\n \r\nThis only scares socialists who fear \u2018profits.\u2019 To everyone else who is pleased with the quality of their kids\u2019 education, it\u2019s a sidelong benefit. Good schools profiting beget more good schools. Competition forces private schools to maintain quality at a reasonable price.\r\n \r\nPerhaps you'd create a credit system, whereby a student can take out a loan for college prep education, or some electives. Once the kids are indebted, you can hire them back once they graduate, to pay off the debts. Voila - you have a permanent labor pool of minimum wage workers to do custodial and other work at the schools. <\/I>\r\n \r\nMaybe you'd institute a video-learning system, where one class a day is taught by videotape or satellite. You hire one lecturer at a high wage, and have them teach to 200 kids at a time. Then, hire some TAs (who owe the school money) to administer tests. <\/I>\r\n \r\nThe alternative to your doomsday scenarios is the present failure, a giant socialist \u201ceducation\u201d juggernaut accountable to no one, that spends most of students' days subjecting them to social engineering, as per the doctrine of early 20th century \u201ceducator\u201d John Dewey. \r\n \r\nEnough is enough. People are more fed up every day with arrogant socialist elitists who pretend to be the betters of all mankind. \r\n \r\nReturn to excellence, get gubmint tyrants out of your kid's head!\r\n","author":"AGS","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2004-06-06 07:28:34","modified":"2013-11-11 00:30:00","fileurl":""},{"id":112067,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"idiot: "People are more fed up every day with arrogant socialist elitists who pretend to be the betters of all mankind. "\r\n\r\n...yeah, sure, right...every day I hear people complaining about how their children are being ruined by 'arrogant socialist elitist" (pardon the idiot's oxymoron)...\r\n\r\n...but they are not fed up with arrogant ignorant ones who pretend to speak for them but really only represent their own singularly narrow point of view....and also pretend to be the betters of those they are not qualified to do laundry for....\r\n\r\n...maybe that explains why da shrub is so wildly popular right now....","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-08 15:19:21","modified":"2004-06-08 15:19:21","fileurl":""},{"id":112479,"heading":"Wow","article":"I have had my ass handed to me countless times on this thread. Therefore, I'll shut my stupid cake hole now.","author":"AGS","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-14 17:26:31","modified":"2004-06-14 17:26:31","fileurl":""}]}
\r\nthis isn't a game; nobody is keeping score and you can't "win". it's a discussion where we (some of us) look for solutions that will make life better.\r\n
\r\ni agree that majority of public schools currently suck ass. there are many reasons but i don't think socialism\/communism\/liberalism has anything to do with it. i graduated in '96, my school taught me that lincoln freed the slaves and columbus discovered america. in english class we read a few books which could be interpreted as liberal (brave new world, grapes of wrath) but my teacher persued a different line of questioning -- to determine only if we had read the book, or at least the cliff notes version.\r\n
\r\nthe problem with public schools is that teachers aren't teaching students. some don't know how to, some don't care to but i think the core of the problem is that our methods of teaching revolve around lesson plans written by education companies whose cookie-cutter methods (re-inforced by standardized testing) don't address the differences in very diverse communities and create a crutch which bad teachers use to prop themselvs up.\r\n
\r\nteachers must know more about their students than their names. teachers should be encouraged and given the freedom to be creative and take risks (things generally acceptable at private schools). the teachers i know are frustrated by administration who say they can't have dialog and discussion in the classroom (leading to important critical thinking skills), are required to teach a curriculum based on a perspective uninteresting to students (and teachers) or are only "teaching" because americorp\/teach for america\/ NYC teaching fellows is an easy way to pay off student loans in this poor job market. schools need real educators and the money to pay them what they deserve.\r\n
\r\nschools need to be in good repair. my high school, in a suburb of pittsburgh, had a major mold problem. it was built in the flight path and as a result had very few windows, none of which could be opened for fresh air. the ventalation system was poorly constructed resulting in temperatures of 64 deg. f when the air conditioning was on and 80 deg. f when the heater was on. constant adjustments yeilded no results. hazardous molds bred in stagnant water trapped in the system and long time teachers had to quit due to the developemnt of serious allergies to the air. students with asthma relied heavily on inhalers. the school opened in 1973; i could smell the mold (though i was unaffected) as a freshman in 1992 and the problem was finally recognized by the city in 1997. it wasn't until 2003 that the funds were allocated and the entire ventilation system replaced.\r\n
\r\nok, this is getting long and i'm kinda doubting that anyone is going to care at this point so i'll just throw out a few more thoughts. if you want me to substantiate them let me know... i could go on all day or dig up the paper i wrote my senior year on solutions to the failings of my school. it was endorced by several city officials.\r\n
\r\nstudents need to choose subjects that are interesting to them. public school curriculums are now based around the core subjects with fewer and fewer electives for students to express themselvs. participating in the school orchestra was one of the only things that kept me going sometimes.\r\n
\r\nschools also need the ability to fire teachers who fail to display the qualities required of an educator. teachers who are unprepared or lack the skills to communicate with their students should not continue to teach.\r\nmoney is not the whole solution, it's a part.\r\n
\r\nAGS, (your assignment for today is...) please explain what will happen to the students whose parents can't afford to send their children to school after we abolish the public school system. if you choose to take the easy route, that the children won't get an education, i expect a plan describing how you would quell the uprising when millions of people (plus those sympathetic) realize they have no education and no future. minus points if you plan to rely on our under staffed<\/a> police or the military who are liberating foreign oil.\r\n
\r\ni'm sincere.\r\n
\r\ninsults will be ignored.\r\n","author":"monkey","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/html","created":"2004-06-05 08:40:01","modified":"2004-06-05 08:40:01","fileurl":""},{"id":111804,"heading":"OneEyedMan","article":"idiot: "the only thing you need know about me is that I'm better at this game than you."\r\n\r\nTranslation: "No kids, don't really know anything about schools other than what I am told."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nidiot: "I'm flattered you study my words so carefully. You should. "\r\n\r\nTranslation: "At least one of us is paying attention."\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nidiot: "While branding the last white-hot post into the collective ass of Lefty the Cow I decided those who haven't yet begun to war would need to discriminate between -isms."\r\n\r\nTranslation: "I frequently fantasize about anal sex with farm animals..."\r\n\r\n\r\n...now is that a white hot post you got there, or are you just happy to see me?","author":"KPC","parent_id":111714,"mime_type":"text\/plain","created":"2004-06-05 15:09:09","modified":"2004-06-05 15:09:09","fileurl":""},{"id":111820,"heading":"wear your special helmet, too","article":"Translation: "No kids, don't really know anything about schools other than what I am told."<\/I>\r\n
\r\nThen, once you really start to have power, you form a lobby group so that your mega-edu-corp gets preferential political treatment, and it's harder and harder for competing independent schools to get credentialed. <\/I>
\r\nGosh... that almost sounds like college right there. Except, since these schools are catering to the lower half of the economic pyramid, the result will not be "college like" at all. In fact, it'll be more like a factory, or a prison. <\/I>\r\n