Perseverance

Private school vouchers for military brats!

NSBA call to action over HR 2647. October 8, 2009

Posted by Wolfe Gary:  Education and Community News from Home Town Delaware

Today an email call went out to board members to contact their local federal legislators over our disapproval of section 535 of the National Defense Authorization Act of FY2010. I am pasting the section in the post and the readers can see what it reads. The bottom line is the federal government is looking at providing school vouchers to families of military personnel whose children may have to attend a school needing improvement under NCLB. So instead of looking for ways to improve those schools that border our military bases in the US, we just allow military children to attend private schools. If I lived in an area like an urban district which had schools in need of improvement, and I was told my children had to attend that school, but the military children could get vouchers I do believe I would be a little put out

Wolfe Gary is  a member of the Milford Board of Education and an advocate for Public Education.  He  is the first school board member in the state of Delaware to start a blog back in 2006. He and might not see eye to eye on  some of the issue but I “admire” his frankness and willingness to tell it like it is.

Tough call being we need to support our military and families. I think there may be a conflict oin powers of the state and federal government. The feds can withhold federal money but they can’t mandate local governments in providing vouchers using state or local taxes. So it will be all federal funding for these vouchers. 

 

For Homegrownboy

Looks like old Kilroy got the moderation cue on another local sand box! Must have been the “Bush” Word

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

homegrownboy
“Or is TFA a way to supercede DSEA and get teachers in on the cheap? What’s to stop a district from laying off teachers the month before tenure and hire TFA?”

 TFA at this point are coming into school receving federal funds under Title 1. However do note all Title 1 techers must be highly quaified explained in detail here http://kilroysdelaware.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/wait-one-red-clay-minute/

 Arne Ducan USDOE last week http://kilroysdelaware.wordpress.com/2009/10/11/did-duncan-slam-u-of-d/ pretty much blaming college of education for pumping out ill-prepared teachers. see the attachment.

 “Catherine Emihovich, dean of the College of Education at the University of Florida: FIRES BACK AT DUNCAN
While I appreciate Secretary Duncan’s comments about teacher preparation being a university wide responsibility, it is very disappointing to see another diatribe being launched against colleges of education as if they conformed to a “one size fits all” model.”

 Now make note our U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is the first secretary who has not taught or was an administrator is “any” school public or college. He is a childhood frend of John W Rogers. Rogers was part of Obama’s Finance Committee and CEO of Ariel Capital Management and board member of Ariel Education Initiative where Arne Duncan was offered a job. Arne was a childhood friend of John Rogers and Craig Robinson, Michelle Obama’s brother.

Jack Markell and Arne have something very in common called the Aspen institute! Wait one minute ! Jack Markell is a 2004 Aspen Henry Crown Fellow and Arne Duncan is a 2002 Aspen Henry Crown Fellow. Looks like the fellows really take care of each other! Rodel connection?Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership do you think?

Teach for America CEO Wendy Kopp is wife of Richard Barth CEO Kipp all tight with Bush. TFA had an audit in June 2008 by USDOE OIG and findings were $774,000.00 in unsupported expenditures of federal monies.

Make note TFA teachers are a two year deal and after they complete TFA requirements they get $9400.00 via AmeriCorps to go towards tuition loans or future tuition. If compound the $9400.00, federal grants to TFA, fees such as in Red Clay’s case $300,000.00 over and above the district and the state of Delaware paying scale wages and benefits we are pay way more for the cost of these teachers.

Breaking News ! Kilroy to run for Congress

After consulting my family and banker I have decided to run for the United States Congress.

I have over 4,000 E-mails from residents of Delaware urging me to run for congress. No make that 5,000 E-mails. As we speak Mike Castle is depositing $40,000.00 in a Swiss bank account under the account of Kilroy for Congress. Thanks Uncle Mike and keep me in the will.  

John Carney personally E-mailed me at 12:01 am asking that I not run offering me free drinks at the Bulls Eye. He said he was related to one of the owners. However like a true gentleman he stated that once I official file he’s out!  

Mike Protack called me and said, not to be surprise if Carney mailed out bogus negative postcards. Hey, Mike thanks for the heads up. I got you down for head of the FAA. Also, don’t try to primary my ass!

Governor Jack Markell called me and said he can never tell when I am serious and asked, for real! He’s so confused hanging around the business roundtable jokers.

Even President Obama send me an E-mail that read, You go boy and feel free to E-mail any press releases to Arne Duncan for proof reading.

Dam, they keep coming! Vice President Joe Biden just E-mailed me a note saying he doesn’t have use for his kitchen table anymore and perhaps I could use it in my campaign headquarters. I responded and said thanks Joe but you know I haven’t given any thought about a campaign headquarters.  Joe shot one back and said Beau’s AG office space is open because Beau will be out in the field a lot, hint hint !

You’re not going to believe this one! Wendy Kopp of Teach for American called and said she had a plan that takes recent top of their class high school graduates and makes them air traffic controllers after only one weeks training.  I replied, is your cornbread done in the middle? She said, look these kids are master at using TI-30XS calculators an air control consoles would be a cake walk. It’s all GPS and any idiot can be a controller or even fly a plane these days. She said but we would need to change pilots name to Kipper. This way I can keep getting federal funds.

Things are moving so fast with this campaign and I am so nervous I’ll bet you I am making tons of grammatical errors in this post.

Here are my goals once elected.

All Delawareans receiving unemployment (in Delaware not Mexico) without healthcare will receive Medicaid until such a time employed or death.

Notice will be sent to President Obama in spite of his support for my candidacy he needs to send the education stimulus money to Delaware but tell Arne Duncan to stay the fuck out of Delaware.

Education, the party is over for fat district administration as I will ensure real oversight of school finances and end the good old boy network. My school finance czar Paul will be my wingman. School board members in Delaware “will” be paid! I rather them work for the “money” then free dinners! Freshly bake rolls served by Mr. French, how humiliating.  Actual it’s cheaper to pay them instead of serving lobster, steak and caviar. Yes I said caviar. I know these things because something always smells fishy when the board comes out of executive session.   

All Federal Education Grant money must be use for supplement not supplant.

Social Security will see a rollback to age 65 for full benefits.

As for a national park for Delaware that’s easy! It will be Deer Park.

Employment: I’ll hire all the unemployed bloggers to work in my congressional communication department. This way I can ensure they aren’t talking shit on me. As for those bloggers employed, I know who you are and where you work. Get my drift!  Goes for you too Jason.

My biggest goal will be requiring all new homes being build after 2012 be equip with a minimum of 50% recyclables and powered 25% by alternative energy source.

Peter Rose to the Hall of Fame because it’s only fair cheating legislators keeps their jobs. Pete Rose didn’t kill dogs but got treated like one.

More to follow!  

Disclaimer: 

if can read this then kiss my ass. if you’re at work way are you playing on the internet?

Zero tolerance brings ignorance

The current case in Christina School District where a 6 year brought in a “Camping utensil” has many deep concerns. Bit strange there was no emphasis on the knife part and the News Journal’s photo showed the knife closed.

 ”This has gotten really crazy. It’s ridiculous,” said state Rep. Terry Schooley, D-Newark, who sponsored a bill in the spring that gives districts more flexibility around their zero-tolerance policies. “There are going to be hundreds of people at the school board meeting. It’s going to be a circus.”

With all due respects Rep. Schooley, I see your point but you’ve said it all about the rights and alienation of parental and community involvement in public education. The “people” have questions about the law and fucking right it’s going to be a circus. It’s OK to rally the people in support of your pet legislations and I guess that’s being good responsible citizens. It goes to show you that local control involving all stakeholders especially the ones that count such as parents and the community is the right way.

However, Rep Schooley thank you for the willingness to adjust the Zero Tolerance legislation to give some room for discretion but then again Pandora’s Box may be opening.

Looking at the situation from an objective distance I can tell you I dislike the fact that this young boy’s photo has been used in the media. He wanted to go back to school and not be made fun of. However, now that his picture has been plaster in newspapers, the internet and local TV news shows he may have a problem with his peers. He now kind of has celebrity status and it will attract the negative and positive response.

Mom is on the PTA and says she support zero tolerance and already there are comments that, sure as long as it’s not my kid. She agrees a consequences is in order and I agree with her the one the district imposed is quite harsh in this situation. My opinion, one to three days suspension would be in order.  Now I am just being objective here and I think it needs to be said. Don’t you think and active PTA parent would know better than to allow their child to take a obviously questionable object to school? Also, it’s sad that the Delaware State PTA Association didn’t publicly engage this issues and I mean not for the boy’s sake but for policy sake. Sure other PTA members most likely worked in the background but this was a time for the PTA organization to take a position.

There are many saying if the child was black there wouldn’t be all this attention but let’s not forget the incident with the young black girl and the cake knife issue. If it wasn’t for that case there would have been no adjustment to the law.    

Now for the law!

Are we suggesting that 6 year old first grade students aren’t capable of committing a crime in school? Are we saying if a good 6 year old first grade student harmlessly brings an object such as a “Camping utensil”  with a sharp knife attachment to school another student won’t take it and threaten are harm someone?

The Christina boy is a victim of a stringent law driven by paranoia but the media attention with seems totally negative towards zero tolerance may be victimizing the law.   

The violation of the zero tolerance law has nothing to do with criminal intent but with rules that were meant to protect students and staff.

New Castle County Councilman Jea Street has raised concerned about school discipline and the inequities in consequences but apparently not worthy of such media attention.

  http://www.co.new-castle.de.us/countycouncil/home/fileuploads/images/street-%20evans.pdf