Come Heller high water …
- Not to go all doom and gloom on you, but the most frightening part of the recent Education Trust-Midwest report showing a steep decline over the past 12 years in the reading performance of
the state’s 4th-graders isn’t the decline itself (although it’s certainly not fun to learn Michigan dropped from 28th to 41st among states). It’s this chilling statement in the conclusion of the report about how to fix the problem: “We won’t succeed with the one-off investments that Michigan has long tried. It’s going to take a series of interconnected changes in policy and practice, fueled by strategic investments over multiple years.” Uh-oh. Michigan doesn’t do change or investment very well. We much prefer partisan pandering, inaction and spending as little as possible on public services, including schools (because, ick, some of those greedy, unionized teachers might get some of it.) And as for that sustained effort “over multiple years” part, well, you might as well forget it, chum. Our term-limited state government, by definition, makes any kind of sustained effort difficult if not impossible. Sorry, kiddies. - No, Bernie Sanders shouldn’t go the third party route. Unless he wants to siphon votes away from Hillary, thereby guaranteeing signs at all the borders declaring us the United States of Trump. C’mon. I felt the Bern. I love the Bern. But it’s over. Let go, Bern. Let go.
- Speaking of the election, I’m getting pretty tired of the Hillary narrative that has emerged – the one that says she’s “unlikeable.” Can we please find another track? Her ability to be warm and fuzzy isn’t the point and probably wouldn’t be the point if she were a man. Besides, if we’re all hung up on likeability, is Trump really any better? Here’s an idea: How about people vote on who would do the most good for the country?
- Nah.
- It doesn’t matter what the jury ultimately decides in Bill Cosby’s upcoming sexual assault trial, the guy is a serial rapist in my book and everybody else’s. Still a conviction would be awful nice. So would a nice, long prison term. I swear the Devil is going to have to invent a new ring of Hell for that guy.
- After weeks of passenger anger over long security lines and missed flights, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) fired its head of security. But they’re hoping to reassign him to someplace that can use his “talents.” But who can use someone with a talent for creating needlessly long and frustrating lines that infuriate customers? Grocery stores and Disney are the only places I can think of.
- Microsoft is running ads that say half the world doesn’t have access to the Internet. As my buddy TJ quipped, “Lucky bastards.” How people exist without Facebook posts from people complaining that no one reads their Facebook posts is beyond me. And what’s living if you’ve never seen a cat pretending to play the piano?
- Is “Game of Thrones” in danger of becoming “Lost” in the sense that there are too many storylines where too little happens from week to week? By asking the question I think I answered it.
- This is a bit petty, I know, but oh well. Gov. Snyder – because he’s on top of things like regularly recurring holidays – declared a “state of energy emergency” this week in Michigan so truckers can drive longer hours to deliver gas for the holiday weekend. That’s nice, I suppose, but it’s still odd what strikes the man as an emergency. Poisoned cities, crumbling roads and impoverished schools don’t seem to make the cut. But making sure people have access to enough over-priced gas to get up to their vacation homes? Whoop! Whoop! Whoop!
- By the way, is anyone else shocked – just shocked – that there were refinery and pipeline issues (which prompted the emergency and the zooming prices) juuust before one of the biggest driving holidays? I’m sure it’s a coincidence. That seems to happen every year. Pay it no mind. Or to that man behind the curtain.
- Yeah, so I have a little paranoid streak, so what?
- “To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, remove things every day.” – Lao Tzu.
Image credit: Alan Levine
Hmm… Having driven a truck, I didn’t realize the Governor could suspend the Federal restrictions on driving hours?
He done done it.
Go ahead, Andrew, BE all Gloom ‘n Doom about the state of education in Michigan. Our current government and legislature have done almost everything possible to choke public education in our state, so that we transition to charter schools, which wouldn’t by law require state funding (eventually).
I used to be proud to be a Michiganian. Now, I’m embarrassed.
What Bernie decides or not, there is NO WAY IN THE WORLD I would EVER vote for Hillary. Trump will trump the Queen of Lies.
So you prefer The King of Lies?
I sure wouldn’t call Donald Trump the king of lies by any means. As I have said before, he is THE person we all need to get our country back!
Since when did we lose our country? It’s still here. What we’ve lost is common sense in this election year. If you want the Trump, please exit this country…He’s bonkers and so must you be, too.
See Jane run,
See Don run,
Let’s find some ugly women,
Because being a bully is fun.
Yes, he’s the one!
One should check the accuracy of things that Trump has offered.
Just reading article in Irish news. Apparently on the Atlantic coast of Ireland, Mr Trump believes in possibility of climate change. Wants special exemption to build a sea wall dt loss of land at his golf course. In application cites storms, rising sea levels etc dt changes in climate. However in America he calls climate change BS. He’s conning anyone as he says whatever his audience wants/needs to hear.
Hillary..meh Bernie….meh. Need some young blood not all tied up with special interests.
I feel really, really good that I will be cancelling out John Falk’s vote and my husband will be trumping Mr. Davis’s.
Well a lot to comment on here. Having been an educator for 40plus years, I will attest to the fact that old programs that didn’t work the first time are repackaged and sold to us again and again. It’s not the packaged programs that work, it’s not the many hours of test prep that work, it’s not pulling students from class to be remediated that works and it’s not punishing students with boring curriculum so that they can fill in the blanks! None of this has worked in our disadvantaged schools and it never will. Go to high performing, rich districts and check out how they torture their students. They don’t!!! These districts in no way resemble the poor districts. It’s like 2 different worlds. Give our disadvantaged children catchup time through a longer day and integrate the arts and field trips. The curriculum should be project based and integrated. It can be done but we have to admit that the educational delivery system is different in Flint than it is in Bloomfield Hills. Once we realize the differences we can make a change.
Amen!
Long Lines in Airports is one of your points: I heard on NPR, from the head of the union, that the Transportation Security Agency has 6,000 fewer airport screeners than they had five years ago. This has to do with some Republican deal in the US Congress to use that agency’s money for other purposes.
Six thousand fewer bag-checkers! That is a big deal. That is the answer. How long will it take them to hire six thousand more? Will the Republicans allow them to hire? Do Republican congress-persons go through the same long lines at airports? Inquiring minds want to know.
Hey Andy, today is National Whine Day, you should be the poster boy! Oops, check that. It’s Wine Day which is close enough since most young people today can’t spell. How do you measure reading level? Oral tests? If the kids can’t read odds are their parent’s can’t either. Public education was originally intended as an opportunity for everyone to learn. If we’re going to mandate students achieve certain test levels let’s stop pussy footing around and stick all underachievers in disciplinary schools with required classes for the parents of those students.
Lots of truth in what you say, Andy. Apparently the truth does not make us free however. Sadly an apparently uneducated but very vocal segment of the population has delivered a buffoon to head the Republican ticket. It will be interesting to read the history of this year in about 16 years. If indeed, people still read. Well, keep writing. We are still reading today.
I’m glad for it.
School improvement is not going to come from Lansing or DC. In fact, becoming a Top Ten school district has been done…in Livingston County in the mid-1990s.
Decide on the goal (then it was Michigan’s Model Core Curriculum), involve teachers in aligning to those goals, and almost any district can do it…without politicians or extra money or outside experts…if your goal is for your students to score in the top ten on state assessment tests or the national test used for the Education Trust-Midwest report.