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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted Feb. 23, 2007 at 1:04 a.m.
- Filed under Open thread
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44 Comments
“The lack of choice and competition among high schools is at the heart of the problem. In particular, if high schools have to compete for their students and revenues because of vouchers or charter schools, they will figure out how best to motivate their staff to improve quality and attract students. The variety of arrangements to motivate staff to successfully compete is impossible to fully anticipate or describe.
The point is that the market incentives that vouchers and charter schools can bring to high schools will focus school leadership on the problem of motivation. Those leaders will no longer be able to maintain the fantasy of high-school educators floating from classroom to classroom like Mary Poppins because of their love of children while at the same time haggling over pay, benefits, and working conditions as if they were automobile workers. Either high schools will really have to embrace family incentives by becoming significantly smaller and more informal, or they will have to admit that they are large, modern organizations that require explicit systems of rewards and sanctions to enhance productivity. Either way, they need competition to force them to address the issues of motivation and improvement.”
REMEMBER TO VOTE! THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SITES OPEN TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. BE THERE OR DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT THE RESULTS!
Speaking of schools and vouchers and such-
Steve Jobs has some interesting things to say about education.snipThe real crisis in public education, he noted, has nothing to do with the amount of technology in the classroom. It’s the fact that union work rules prevent principals from firing the bad teachers and rewarding the good ones. “Here’s the problem,” said Mr. Jobs, using a business analogy: “What kind of person could you get to run a small business if you told them, when they came in, they couldn’t get rid of people they thought weren’t any good in the first place? Or they couldn’t pay people three times as much when they got three times as much work done?”
http://users2.wsj.com/lmda/do/checkLogin?mg=wsj-users2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB117219910015216918.html%3Fmod%3Dhps_us_at_glance_opinion
Election questions. Why would I vote for either Mayans or Brewer? They are both part of the problem! What could Brewer do as mayor that he couldn’t have done as a member of the council? Of the other candidates, what should I know?
School board (at large) — who looks better than another, what should I know?
District 5 — the Eagle says either Tobia or Longwell so that tells me who NOT to vote for. Who deserves a chance?
I’ve read everything the newspaper has printed. I’ve gone to websites and read what they want me to know (I didn’t think they would post what they don’t want me to know). Now I’m really interested in what everyone here has to say. Seems there hasn’t been much conversation about our upcoming election or did I just miss it?
Linda! You can call the candidates up and ask them in person.
And I should believe what they say about themselves? These are politicians (at least wannnabees), aren’t they?
Joe! I have asked a couple of the Dist 5 candidates for specifics on how to ‘fix’ the flooding problem. No meaningful response, just generalities.
I get the feeling that they see we have a problem (DUH!) but haven’t really asked how to fix it.
I’m liking the whole, vote out incumbents, this includes people who held other public offices…
This link shows the deep hatred within the Iraqi society, and why a peaceful solution seems virtually impossible.
And we are in the middle of it!
The hatred between Sunnis and Shias is well known, and has existed for hundreds of years, and yet, this factor was seemingly ignored by our brilliant leaders!
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1592849,00.html?cnn=yes
Heckler
I have to say the same thing is true of almost any unions these days. I have seen it many times where a guy gets fired because hes an idiot or doesn’t show up to work and the union always seems to get them hired back just to have them do the same things again.
Teachers unions are no different. The entire system needs to be overhauled. Of course, who are the ones yelling the most about reform? Teachers Unions!
When ever it’s the group that you are trying to reform yelling the loudest, its probably the way to go…
Per cnn.com, Vilasek (sp?) is dropping out of the race for the Demo nomination for Pres. Would post a link, but didn’t want to fight the robot catcher.
Ben! They might not know how to fix it or even what the problem is.
You want them to be informed about problems in their district, but they don’t know the technicalities of it.
So long as they said they will look at fixing the problem, then hold them up to it.
Listen to all the non-unionized peons whining and moaning about who–the corporate masters that crack a whip over their heads?
Of course not.
They’re mad that not all their fellow workers aren’t in the same hell that they’ve created for themselves.
School teachers go through a three year probationary period in which they can be terminated without cause. After that, they have some limited job security.
But that’s not good enough for the wanna-be rich always be-average CONs though.
They want to take what little public school teachers have away while they continue to champion Dick Cheney’s RIGHT! to earn 36 million a year by feeding at the government trough.
“How many times do you have to get hit over the head before you see who’s hitting you?” Harry Truman
http://www.coxandforkum.com/
HEE HEE
Funny stuff
There’s an election? Gee, how time flies. (Why on a Friday and Saturday? What did I miss?)
I hope some of you will answer Linda’s questions. I’d like to hear what you have to say.
George Carlin’s rules for 2007
New Rule: Stop giving me that pop-up ad for classmates.com There’s a reason you don’t talk to people for 25 years. Because you don’t particularly like them! Besides, I already know what the captain of the football team is doing these days . . . mowing my lawn.
New Rule: Don’t eat anything that’s served to you out a window unless you’re a seagull. People are acting all shocked that a human finger was found in a bowl of Wendy’s chili. Hey, it cost less than a dollar. What’d you expect it to contain? Trout?
New Rule: If you need to shave and you still collect baseball cards, you’re a dope. If you’re a kid, the cards are keepsakes of your idols. If you’re a grown man, they’re pictures of other men.
New Rule: There’s no such thing as flavored water. There’s a whole aisle of this crap at the supermarket, water, but without that watery taste. Sorry, but flavored water is called a soft drink. You want flavored water? Pour some scotch over ice and let it melt. That’s your flavored water.
New Rule: The more complicated the Starbucks order, the bigger the idiot. If you walk into a Starbucks and order a “decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat, iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice, with one Sweet-n’-Low, and one NutraSweet,” oooh, you’re a huge asshole.
New Rule: Just because your tattoo has Chinese characters in it doesn’t make you spiritual. It’s right above the crack of your ass. And it translates to “beef with broccoli.” The last time you did anything spiritual, you were praying to God you weren’t pregnant. You’re not spiritual. You’re just high.
New Rule: Competitive eating isn’t a sport. It’s one of the seven deadly sins. ESPN recently televised the U.S. Open of Competitive Eating, because watching those ” athletes ” at the poker table was just too damned exciting. What’s next, competitive farting? Oh wait. They’re already doing that. It’s called “The Howard Stern Show.”
New Rule: I don’t need a bigger bag of mega M&Ms. If I’m extra hungry for M&Ms, I’ll go nuts and eat two bags.
New Rule:and this one is long overdue:No more bathroom attendants. After I zip up, some guy is offering me a towel and a mint like I just had sex with George Michael. I can’t even tell if he’s supposed to be there, or just some freak with a fetish. I don’t want to be on your web cam, dude. I just want to wash my hands.
New Rule: If you ever hope to be a credible adult and want a job that pays better than minimum wage, then for God’s sake don’t pierce or tattoo every available piece of flesh. If so, then plan your future around saying, “Do you want fries with that?”
Heckler and Capn,
Having had kids who attended school in a small community, I can honestly say that it isn’t the unions that are the problem. It’s school boards, teachers, parents, students, everything.
I’ve seen good teachers fired (without tenure, which is what Capn referred to as the 3 years), and bad teachers kept because they HAD tenure. My oldest received a reprimand in the first case when she participated in a protest, hoping the board would allow the teacher to stay. Long story about the teacher, and I won’t go into it, but suffice it to say, he WAS a good one.
It’s sometimes difficult to determine if a teacher is good in only 3 years, but to be fair, that’s the norm. If, after those 3 years have gone by and the teacher has earned that tenure, something happens to make the school board realize the teacher is less than what they had thought or has done something the board/parents disapprove of, it’s difficult to get rid of the teacher. Most schools can’t afford a court fight, which is what is needed to dismiss a tenured teacher.
Tracy, bless you! LOVED the New Rules!
But has Carlin stolen Maher’s New Rule idea, or did Maher steal it from Carlin?
Linda, as we live in an area where there aren’t many primary races to vote in, my participation in acquiring knowledge on the candidates has been quite limited.
On mayor: I’ve no response to your question.
On School Board at Large: the incumbent, Rev. Harding, is my choice. BIAS DISCLOSURE: He is sympathetic to my favorite public school (NEMHS) and what it is doing. As such, he deserves another term. :)
Hope this helps.
Joe – I’ve been trying to do that for 20 years …
And Joe – I have emailed two of the Dist 5 candidates with SPECIFICS about the Dry Creek/Calfskin Creek problem; causes; what is going to make it worse; and how to at least partially alleviate it. No reply.
J R here.
I wanted to get your attention.
Readers? bloggers? commuters?
STAY AWAY from the intersection of 25th and Bluff!!!!
An entire 4 blocks in that area are currently on fire!
2 schools have been evacuated. Brooks and Buckner.
MANY residents evacuated.
The fire is now 5 alarm.
Fire dept. asks C shift to report early.
STAY OUT OF THIS AREA
Noticed from the Eagle breaking news that the fire was started by a drug addict:”started by a discarded cigarette “
Has anybody taken a look at the weather alerts for Kansas?
The western 1/3 is under a winter storm warning.
The middle 1/3, of which Wichita is a part of, is under a non-precipitation advisory. To our southwest and into OK, is a tornado watch. The top of this 1/3 area is under a winter storm watch.
The eastern 1/3 is under a flood warning.
And tomorrow night they’re predicting blizzard conditions…after today’s 71 degrees. (But only a trace to 2″ of snow, so blame that non-precipitation wind for that.)
Kansas, ya gotta love it.
I heard it was a utility pole fire that started it.
Hillside remains closed North of 21st.
RD It’s gonna SNOW here? I didn’t hear that!
JR,
From KSN weather:
Tomorrow Night: Cloudy, very windy and much colder. Rain mixing with and then changing to snow. Trace to 2” accumulation. Lo: 31 Wind: NW 20-40
Looks like they revised the “blizzard conditions” that were there an hour ago. Hey, aren’t we lucky?!
I’ve been studying the mayoral race today. I think King David may be the ideal candidate. With a restraining order keeping him away from City Hall what more could we ask? Now, how do we keep the others away?
Seriously, we have some weak candidates to choose from. Nothing good can come from this election!
Leffew looks promising but you are correct – not much choice.
It will be Brewer and Mayans; then Brewer.
I would love to vote against those who are (IMO) already part of the many problems. I do not think Mayans or Brewer deserve anyone’s vote! I may sit this one out — first time in four decades. Sad, very sad.
Leffew (?) favors revisiting the Arena. And of course “The King”
Out in Dist 5 it ain’t too good either …
I noticed. What do you think of Bryan Frye?
I keep a B.O.H.I.C.A. (bend over, here it comes again) file. I cut things from the newspaper, etc. and stick them in there so I won’t forget. There are so many outrageous things our elected officials “accomplish,” some of the more distant fade in memory. Always a new fubar to remember. I’m going to pull that out of the file cabinet and take a trip down memory lane. I should be really worked up by the time I get finished!
As a canidate of city council district 4, I am more than willing to listen to peoples concerns if any bloggers want answers to any questions please email me at votedave07@yahoo.com
Hey Ben! If they don’t respond, then I wouldn’t vote for them. Many candidates are like that. I vote for the ones that actually respond.
I’m not in your district Mr. Glover, but would like to read any questions and answers that you receive.
My question to you is: Do you know what the job of a council person entails?
It is basically mundane work and procedural. It is not a position for yourself to project your own ideas or a forum for political discussion, but to prioritize the needs of the city and the project proposels of the various departments and the public.
How does the primary work? I have already voted. Do the top two vote getters in the various races in the primary, face each other in the general election?
Yeah! It’s a run-off system.
Since the candidates are considered independent (no party race).
If only we can carry that forward to all the candidates, but not likely. No way to cut down information cost.
Linda,
Go to King David’s web page, read some of the .pdfs that contain his addresses to the City Council. The man’s ramblings are barely coherent — that’s being too generous, actually — the man’s ramblings ARE incoherent.
http://www.citizensforjustice.infoKing David’s webpage(I think you will have to cut and paste that into your browser).
Linda, if you skip the city races, be sure to vote for the school board candidates. In those races, I am advising voting against Peterjohn in the at-large seat and against Duckett, if you live in her district.
I voted for Steve Osburn in the School Board at-large seat. I liked how he sounded in the Eagle’s 02-20-07 paper. He does have some name recognition, but maybe not the good kind. He was the public defender for BTK. He was just doing his job, trying to keep that mess from being a worse nightmare.
It is a shame to admit that I knew nothing of and did not vote in the primary. I probably worry less than I should about local stuff.
The defender for BTK is running??
Oh I know he was doing his job. But I would say he has NO CHANCE. He may as well have gotten on TV and beaten up puppies if he aspired to political office!
Anybody see the 2 hour 20/20 special tonight about Scared Stiff in America? John Stossel! I just love that guy. He’s awesome.
Sorry JR I have to disagree. The person who defends the indefensible is one of the fabulous things about the American Justice System. What they have to do they do because they truly believe that every person deserves representation.
If we didn’t have that, we’d have many innocent people in prison.
Not that any of that matters to me, it’s your election not mine lol.
Just saying.
“…and beaten up puppies…”
Me and my big mouth. Probably shouldn’t have said anything at all.
“If we didn’t have that, we’d have many innocent people in prison.”
Pmom, we have that now. See Barry Scheck’s Innocence project:
http://www.innocenceproject.org/
Not that BTK was one of those. DNA evidence helped put his miserable ass in prison — where it belongs.
p-mom – I think JR and Steven were just acknowledging how many would react; not passing their own judgement. I think we are all in agreement that BTK deserved full legal defense … and then a rope.