We have one walking school bus in a nearby neighborhood. The kids and parents really enjoy it. The walking school bus works just like the yellow school bus - that’s been budgeted out of existence - except that the children join a walk to school rather than boarding a bus.
I don’t think we can deny the obvious any more. Global climate change is here. It’s now, and we humans have more than a little to do with it.
Over the last 40 years instead of nurturing our students, we’ve been nurturing our teachers unions. Albert Shanker, American Federated Teachers (AFT) President 1974-1998, is reputed to have declared "when schoolchildren start paying union dues, that’s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children”. Teachers’ union dues became a guarantee of job security regardless of performance.
There is absolutely NO reason to keep testing the proficiency of our students year after year if the results do not lead to reform.
Governor Brown stands at a crossroads. Will he challenge the “education establishment” to “step up”? Or will he continue to support the “experts” -- his powerful political ally, the California Teachers Association – allowing our children to remain ranked 44th of 50?
Elected member of Campbell school board told me she couldn’t “tell” me “what Common Core is” except to say it had something to do with more oral communication, more oral reports delivered by the kids in front of their classmates. Common Core begins in August,2013 - Amazing! Unbelievable! Scary!
The child’s ecosystem is a community of interests that surround our children. While some of these interests may be well intentioned, collectively they’ve objectified our children.
The computer in the exam room can facilitate scientific research that will help people live better, fuller, longer lives! That is, unless the science is co-opted by the government through the Institute for Patient-Centric Outcomes and the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) in 2015.
The NSA leak case is just a metaphor that describes the entire US Government in a single word – incompetent. USA – the Super Power more like the Super Mouse! Super Mouse - the entire diplomatic, law enforcement and intelligence community of the United States cannot corral one 30 year old computer hacker!
It’s not our politicians who govern today. It’s a multi-million member Civil Service that is anonymous, unelected, and largely unaccountable. They can confiscate our property or throw us in jail if we don’t pay and obey! Didn’t we rebel against King George III for just the same behavior?