Moratorium Movement
By a party line vote today, the House Ways and Means Committee passed legislation that would not only put a moratorium on charter schools in Indiana but also cap their growth and force achieving students back into failing schools.
If you at my last post regarding schools, I don’t think it’s the Charters that need the moratorium.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Pat Bauer should be thrown naked into a room of rabid Pit Bulls.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Don’t forget to take the critter off of his head before you throw him in.
February 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm
Do tell, what exactly does that last post on the School Daze thread mean? Error on cut and paste, perchance?
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:05 pm
And us Hoosiers keep re-electing, re-electing and re-electing these fine individuals. Those that voted for them get what they deserve…a disservice.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Rico, you offended pitbulls with reference to Bauer.I can see Bauer on all 4s. Sort of like humpty dumpty in his birthday suit looking for his terantula hair.
Naturally, the state would curtail something proven it’s good value. They’ve had too much Sugar Cream Pie.
I’ll have several animal control vans pull up to the Statehouse for the next protest and fumigate the recreational pen too.
February 3rd, 2009 at 5:33 pm
Bauer’s wig has sometimes been referred to as a dead critter on his head. Not sure what kind. Maybe raccoon or black died opossum.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:04 pm
This is definitely a step in the wrong direction.
If it is true that some students could be forced back into failing schools this is truly awful and I think demands some organized effort to let citizens know that the legislature put the teachers union ahead of students and learning.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:11 pm
While I contend Charter Schools are an end-around to avoid pursuit of unpleasant Public School issues, our fine Assemblymen don’t care nearly as much about children as enhancing their reelection prospects with union money and voters. Based on township school board losses, the IPS bond issue, and the property tax vote in the House- they may succeed.
February 3rd, 2009 at 7:29 pm
I’ve read through the legislation at that link (but admittedly not EVERY single word) and I don’t get what you mean about capping growth or forcing students out.
It seems to entirely address funding amounts for various aspects (textbooks, full-day kgarten, big chunk ($18M) related to cost of desegregation and other such stuff.
What am I missing?
February 3rd, 2009 at 8:23 pm
See how caps actually work in government, in what’s become the state’s house; those against rather than for citizens & taxpayers. A fellow I know has a fitting refrain, IPS: It’s Past Sinking. So, it’s the adult “thinking of educators,” that helping children is a 70% failure rate (graduation) while helping themselves to exorbitant tax increases, the earned income of producers. Statistically, IPS is guilty of domestic war crimes; knowingly & carelessly, condemning generations of HUMAN BEINGS entrusted to their care, to the cruel & unusual punishment of PROGRAMATIC FAILURE. Student aged people are now prisoners, incarcerated within a system designed to fail them. Get government the f*ck out of the pretend & school business. Folks, the answer for those of you with kids who can’t afford private schools is to move ASAP. Protect your children & run, for their lives. Those without or whose children are grown should fight this crap with everything we’ve got.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:14 pm
If you were a legislator, would you really want an educated public hitting the streets as protesters again. De-educate our children as a payback for our uppity ways. That will dumb them down for their protection in the future. Yea, that’ll teach us. 25% of this muppet show is now over. Then it will be the protesters turn.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Great. The law makers, like certain people on this blog, are cutting the lifeboats from their moorings, telling everyone “Either we get educate or no one does!”.
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And yes, Pat Bauer, is a fat, nasty, and highly partisan obstructionist. This is exactly why I hate to go to South Bend. There’s nothing but a bunch of inbreds that keep sending this fool back! lol
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:25 pm
All we need to know is the answer to this question on how each legislator voted- Is this the best thing for every CHILD in IPS? If the answer is no than it is obvious that special interest groups are more important than students or constituents and every one who is represented by a democrat should vote them OUT next election on this issue alone. If the answer is yes I can’y wait to hear their spin.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 pm
Neanderthals come in all shapes. This one appears as the Pillsbury Doughboy eating Sugar Cream Pie.
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Unfortunately it is the “STATE” government, which means that its primary focus is NOT Indianapolis, but the STATE. Yes, IPS is beyond repair, no argument there. What Charter schools are there to speak of in areas such as Washington, Dekalb, Fountain Counties (ect., ect.)? Although the city of Indianapolis/County of Marion, feel that the STATE taxpayers should heal all of their wounds, this is not the way it should be working! People, Indianapolis is not what the STATE government should be governing (primarily, of course….)
February 3rd, 2009 at 10:36 pm
Zappa, are you channeling Jackie Wolarski?
February 3rd, 2009 at 11:31 pm
TA, I’m still laughing..that’s funny. If only I could grow a coiffure like that……(or any hair for that matter!)
February 4th, 2009 at 12:26 am
Re Sean’s post #7- Yes, precisely. With OR without Charter Schools: “the legislature put the teachers union ahead of students and learning.” They definitely don’t care about education or they’d pursue root problems and solutions instead of posturing for the reelection dollars. If Muslim taxi drivers or Russian cafeteria workers could donate like teacher’s unions, Buddy, you wouldn’t believe how fast we’d see legislation for massive foot bath installation and passionate hand-wringing over the virtues of potato dumplings (to hell with the sugar cream pie).
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I’ve given up on a WXNT-Abdul bumper sticker. I’ll settle for, “INDIANA: The Best State Legislature Money Can Buy”. Where can I get that?
February 4th, 2009 at 1:00 am
Right on Taxpayer!!
February 4th, 2009 at 6:53 am
All this post shows is that it isn’t the kids who matter (as usual), but instead this or that adult’s agenda (or ego). Another good reason to support the moratorium on charter schools.
This country needs its own Kernan-Shepherd report on education. Then perhaps, we could have a rational debate about how to go about really educating our young citizens-to-be.
February 4th, 2009 at 6:55 am
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Taxpayer 834512, you can design your own bumper sticker online. Below is a link, but you can Google “make bumper sticker” (without quotes).
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http://www.makestickers.com/
February 4th, 2009 at 8:05 am
Thanks Robert & intelligent suggestion, Vguard. As staunchly politicized as education is, you’d have to get not only both parties, but experienced laymen so recommendations and the write-up aren’t protecting turf (I can dream) and written in Educratese.
February 4th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
Why not just question the whole enterprise of government schools. First,go to Liberty Fund and get E.G. West’s, Education and the State. Read it before opening your mouth. Learn that government schools have a history, sordid as it is, and they have been lying ever since. Cathedral schools have been with us since the 1200′s-there isn’t much new about instruction. What is relatively new, is the government schools of which there is no current need, past need, or future need.
February 5th, 2009 at 5:30 am
The ISTA contributes big bucks to legislators campaign funds. This union protects in- compotent and unqualified teachers in the classrooms. Many of these teachers failed in other professions and are using their degrees to be recognized as professionals. Many are frustrated and some don’t like children. If Johnnie or Suzy can’t read by 6th grade, or can’t add 2 plus 2, who do you blame? 6 years of teachers in public schools and they assume no responsibility for failing our students. Yet, they blame the parents who are being taxed to pay their salaries. A majority of these legislators send their children and grandchildren to private schools where discipline is allowed and high academic achievement is ecouraged and maintained or the school will kick the kid out.
February 5th, 2009 at 7:07 am
That’s one key Angry T, private schools and charter schools can kick kids out. Where do you think they go then? Home?
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Teachers aren’t “failures” at other professions. They have degrees in their chosen field – education.
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If teachers are frustrated, it’s because of people like you who are overly simplistic in their criticisms, not supported by their own administrators, and held accountable for the outrageous behavior of some children who act just like their parent(s).
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Just because you pay a few hundred bucks in taxes does not give you the right to drop your end of the bargain when raising your children. Public schools are expected to be babysitters, charm schools and feeding stations on top of the expectation that your children will be taught letters, counting, handwriting, basic science, social studies, and better language than too many of them hear at home.
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Bottom line. Who needs to be responsible for the children? The parent(s). Everything else would be so much more straightforward after that, no matter what kind of system of schools were used.
February 5th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Varangianguard,
Before you jump on Angry Taxpayer too hard, I’d like to know if you have children in a public school? I have e-mailed teachers and administrators and never gotten a response, met with individual teachers and vice principals only to be rudely treated like I was the biggest bother in the world, talked to rude and dismissive staff, etc. TA is right … most of them really don’t care about anything but a check, just like most governmental employees, which they are. They act every bit of it, too.
Tell me, why do you think it is that people with multiple degrees cannot teach in public schools without a teaching license? Why is it that teachers are not routinely given tests like ISTEP or GMATS to check their competence? The system is gamed to avoid competition or insure competency, and it shows.
It is very unfair to charge parents who try to do right by their kids with blame-shifting or laying down on the job under these circumstances. After people are charged out the _ss to pay the property taxes that support these failed systems most find themselves unable to afford a private alternative. I have to agree with Abdul on at least one point. If these systems are so great, EVERY CHILD, no matter who their parents are or how wealthy, MUST attend public schools. Then you might actually see meaningful change when their own kids are being sacrificed on the governmental alter that returns/retains these incompetent SOBs to/in office. It is impossible to be “responsible” for your child’s rearing when government is hell bent and determined to interfere and sabotage everything you try to accomplish.
February 5th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
I live in IPS district and I don’t have kids in the public school system for just the reasons Juno writes about above. Despite what Al Gore says, the parents are the most important key to childrens education. Since the government says children must go to school and they run the public schools they are second in line to parents, which is a great responsiblity. Juno is right about the teachers, there are good ones and there are bad ones just like in any profession but that doesn’t excuse the system for letting them continue to teach children ……Oh, I forgot about the union…and the legislature.