One for the Educators in the crowd

[Jim Naseum]

 

Mendocino is exactly the kind of place a guy could have Bose 901s and not get criticized. Perhaps hang them from macrame slings?

Sent from my SM-T330NU using Tapatalk

 

Lol.  He probably had a little macrame in his store.  He sold the work of local artists and craftspersons.  It was a pleasure to wander his shop looking at them, petting a succession of his cats (especially Mrs. Peaches) while listening to classical and modern orchestral music.  The Bose 901s actually sounded good, honest!  Everywhere else, they sounded muddy.  Maybe being able to see an ocean inlet from his windows helped the sound.  Someone once asked Alphonso why he didn't take his musical expertise to a big city record store, where it was distinctly lacking.  He raised his wine glass to the sun setting over the ocean and said, "What, and leave all this?"

 

 

+1

 

The misses and I owned land in Sea Ranch and had hoped to retire there (plans change. Cost of building was astronomical). Went to Mendo every chance we had. The old timers up there were some of the most fascinating people I've met. I use to talk to the shop owners for hours on end before leaving with my purchase. Had I been a smarter man, I would have bought one of those places in 1968 when literally they could not give those old places away. Even Fort Bragg is a kinds, sorta, almost cool place to hangout. There is just nothing I know of that matches standing on Jughandle point cliffs with a brisk 40MPH ocean breeze in the bright noonday sun with the Pacific Ocean crashing below and whales breaching in the distance. 

[Travis In Austin]

Common Core Math was developed as a means to give black kids a level playing field with learning math,as the person who invented common core stated this. He is also black. What he stated was blacks can't learn as well as whites, and even less than Asians. His methodology was it will put everyone on a level playing field. Don't believe me? Look it up.

He was also paid a boatload of money to do this,and this is another reason it's being pushed on kids. The government run school system,which has shown it doesn't work, gets more money from the government as well as local governments for using it. If they don't, money gets taken away from them.

My kids teachers have asked me numerous times not to teach my kids how to do math the other way as it "interferes" with their forced teaching,and if the child doesn't do the long math, they get marked incorrect, or an incomplete. My youngest has said to his teachers many times, "This is stupid, why do I have to do things the long way when I can do it quicker"? Teachers hands are tied and they are also threatened with the potential of losing their jobs or being put on desk duty. Government forces this on the local governments,which in turn forces it on schools and teachers. It's all about money, not knowledge or teaching our kids.

Well Jim I think you have uncovered a bombshell, you have single handily uncovered the conspiracy that everyone knew was behind this crazyness of attempting to create national standards that would make the US ed system competitive with the rest of the world.

A black guy wrote the math standards in such a way that it would make is easier for black kids to learn and harder for white kids. That's what "level" means right? Was he he able to succeed in designing it so it would be even harder for Asians to learn than whites? How did it come out for the Latinos? Easier or harder? This guy is a pure genius, he can create a standard that will be super hard for an average Asian kid to learn, and easier for an average black kid to learn so everyone should come out level. Whoevwr this guy is he must be a genius, to come up with a standard, not just dumbing it down so everyone can pass it, but that makes it so black kids can learn it easier is simply amazing. I will look him up for sure.

On how the teachers want you to show your kids how to do math, that is curriculum, not standards.

As far as the money goes, Common Core is not a federal program, it is sponsored by the Governor's Association. Federal money is not keyed into Common Core. Federal funds go to states under ESEA, and the current version of that is No Child Left Behind which requires states to periodically test.

It is interesting that the governors would be behind standards that are all about money, it wouldn't be the first time.

As I mentioned before, the House had a bill they passed this year in the Spring that addressed all of this, and the Senate had a different bill they passed in July. Didn't hear a peep from anyone. The Senate bill would have prohibited any attempt by DofEd from linking federal money to adopting any national standards, Common Core, or otherwise. It also would reform state testing. But it sits stagnant. I guess they have much more important things do deal with than children's education.

[Travis In Austin]

Well I took Jim's suggestion to look up the person "who invented" Common Core Math Standards.

Funny, this guy doesn't look black.

http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2014/12/29/371918272/the-man-behind-common-core-math

[Jim]

Well then, our local news stations and the guy they interviewed who is black must have been a total hoax then. I watched a full 60 minute interview with this person and he flat out stated he developed it,and developed it to gear it towards black people to be put on a level playing field.

 

I am not in the habit of spewing things out, especially if I don't think I am correct.

 

Could it be I watched one of the representatives in my state as there are 48 reps who helped contribute to the way it was done?

[juniper]

Has anyone seen any of the inane ?'s they use in testing, in math and the use of the "english" language?....... what about the agreements that teachers AND STUDENTS HAVE TO SIGN.....  Why would they have a provision to opt out of testing? why is there such a huge backlash all over the country.... just curious about peoples thoughts?

[oldtimer]

What exactly are students being taught today?

 

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texan-mom-wins-fight-against-textbook-that-erased-slavery/ar-AAf8ooX?li=BBgzzfc&ocid=SMSDHP

[Travis In Austin]

America in the top 5 spending the most per student

http://www.therichest.com/rich-list/rich-countries/the-10-nations-that-spend-the-most-on-their-students/?view=all

It is not the money it is the system that is failing

Which is a state and/or local system. The percentage of state money to local money varies from state to state. New Hampshire used to have highest percentage of local money.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed in 2001, it started the testing requirements. It was a reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Currently, right now, NCLB is in the process of being overhauled by Congress. Both Houses have passed different versions, the Senate in July by a vote of about 80 to 20 if I recall. It remains to be seen whether anything will come out of Conference.

Every issue regarding education discussed in this thread is up for debate and will be impacted by that legislation, either by sweeping changes, or no action. Yet, it isn't discussed at all, or just in passing here. The time for parents to have the most input on federal involvement in public school education was this Spring and Summer, but there is still time left.

I think that anyone who has a child in elementary, middle or high school should know at least what highlights are in the two versions and what they think is best for their situation.

Travis

The Senate is voting right now on whethet to proceed to conference with the House to see if they can work out an agreement on a bill that both chambers can vote on.

It just passed and appears it will be heading to conference.

Now is the time, if you have a dog in this hunt, to advise your Congressman and Senators what your views are on ESEA, NCLB, Headstart, Common Core, federal K-12 education policy.

Note: I am not advocating for or against any particular provision or policy. Only advocating that you necome involved in the process if these issues concern you. If you want Congress to do something, let them know, or forever hold your peace.