Will Wikipedia Replace Your Kid's Teacher?, The “Blue Screen Of Death” For Education Options Rating

[Jon Awbrey]

Thinking that education is a privilege for the privileged — I know where that sad idea came from — it came from the Old World that we fought to form this New Republic. I do not know what spells have raised that old ghost from the grave of history, but I think it's time to call it “Riddikulus!”

Do I smell a caption contest?

Don't Boggart That Joint, My Friend❢

Jon

[lilburne]

I know where that sad idea came from — it came from the Old World that we fought to form this New Republic.

Gresham College, King's schools etc

[Jon Awbrey]

Sorry I can't stop to smell the ozone right now, but the politics of public education have become too much of hand-to-hand fight of late.

Here is a sample of the local context that forced me to repeat what few conventional bits of wisdom I have in my possession — the sorts of self-evident truths that used to be regarded as “no-brainers” back when “no-brainers” were things that any fool could see.

• School Leaders Hoping for Update, Feedback During Forum Tonight

Jon

[Milton Roe]

Do I smell a caption contest?

"So, Your Royal Highness-- the LaRouchies say you used to deal drugs."
"Well, Mr. President, the same people have you pictured with a little Hitler mustache."

silence

"So, is it true about the drugs...?"
"And I was about to ask if you had shaved."

[The Joy]

If The People Rule, The People Must Be Wise

Education is not a privilege. Education is a duty and a right. At least, that's the way it must be in a democracy, if that democracy is to succeed, if that democracy is to remain a democracy. Those are the lessons that my teachers taught me in school so long ago. I cannot say why others have failed to learn those lessons, or maybe they just forgot them, but I know that I learned them and I know that I will not forgot them.

Thinking that education is a privilege for the privileged — I know where that sad idea came from — it came from the Old World that we fought to form this New Republic. I do not know what spells have raised that old ghost from the grave of history, but I think it's time to call it “Riddikulus!”

Indeed.

I understand the need to cut budgets during a hard recession, but the politicians always cut what most would consider the heart of education. I remember reading in high school (before the current dark times) that the US government could save millions by cutting back on paper clips and staples. You would think that the little things like office supplies would go first. Yet, it's always "let's cut the Pre-K tesachers, the PE teachers, the art teachers, the teacher assistants, the school librarians, the administrators, etc." In a business, an honest businessman would cut everything he could before laying off people.

It gets even downright nasty when political ideology gets involved. "Let's cut science and math so those liberals who think we are descended from monkeys do not denigrate God and our right-wing sensibilities." "Let's cut sex education and cut it down to tell horny teenagers that abstinence-only is the only way!" "Let's cut out school nurses because they give kids medical information about sex!"*

Public schools in the US are primarily paid for with property taxes and that's not good for areas with low property values. The housing crisis has cut property tax revenue. The area where I live is always asking for bond issues to help fund the schools, but it is never enough. They are always asking for more and yet more cannot be given. I know some "States Rights" people will hang me for this, but I think US public education needs to be uniform (with some local and state leeway) on the federal level and not the state level. Federal, state, county/parish, and local taxes could boost up the schools. However, I think we need to reconsider how we fund schools so there is always some level of financial stability even during recessions. I wish I had the answer as to how. And is the money we give to the schools being used wisely? That's something that bugs me to no end on all government institutions (and businesses. Yes, I'm talking to you, US banks!).

*(Yes, VoC, I'm sure liberals want to cut things on ideological lines too, though I can't think of any at the moment. The examples I listed above have been thrown around by the local right-wingers in my area.)

[Herschelkrustofsky]

I understand the need to cut budgets during a hard recession, but the politicians always cut what most would consider the heart of education. I remember reading in high school (before the current dark times) that the US government could save millions by cutting back on paper clips and staples. You would think that the little things like office supplies would go first. Yet, it's always "let's cut the Pre-K tesachers, the PE teachers, the art teachers, the teacher assistants, the school librarians, the administrators, etc." In a business, an honest businessman would cut everything he could before laying off people.

The other option is to pass HR 1489, repudiate the gambling debts, and increase funding for education.

[Jon Awbrey]

What's really going on is merely a precursor to privatization.

Anyone with a working long-term memory knows where this agenda to “Starve Public Schools Out Of Existence” came from.

Richard DeVos Advocates “Stealth” Strategy Against Public Education

Blackwater In-Law DeVos Outlines “Stealth” Plot Against Public Education

Strategy for Privatizing Public Schools Spelled out by Dick DeVos in 2002 Heritage Foundation Speech

Jon

[Herschelkrustofsky]

What's really going on is merely a precursor to privatization.

Back in the 90s, shortly after Michael Milken was released from Club Fed and given a job teaching business to students at UCLA, he remarked that the public schools had a large, unexploited capital base.

[Jon Awbrey]

What's really going on is merely a precursor to privatization.

Back in the 90s, shortly after Michael Milken was released from Club Fed and given a job teaching business to students at UCLA, he remarked that the public schools had a large, unexploited capital base.

Wall Street Has Ears …

Rupert Murdoch, Who Bought 90% Of An Education Software Provider, Launches Initiative “To Make Education A Top Issue In 2012 Presidential Campaign”

Jon

[Jon Awbrey]

Mike Klonsky's “SITOS Blog” is a useful resource for keeping up with ongoing developments —

Michael Klonsky • Schooling In The Ownership Society

Jon

[Jon Awbrey]

NPR • As Gates Foundation Grows, Critics Question Methods

NB. “NPR is among the organizations that receive money from the Gates Foundation.”

But the comments are some of the most astute I've read anywhere.

Jon

[Jon Awbrey]

Miami Herald • Florida Lawmakers, Jeb Bush Foundation Push For Private Online Education

Tallahassee • More students could learn from a laptop in their bedroom rather than a whiteboard in a brick-and-mortar classroom under a pair of proposals in the Florida Legislature that would dramatically expand virtual school.

So many jokes, so little time …

Jon

[The Joy]

Miami Herald • Florida Lawmakers, Jeb Bush Foundation Push For Private Online Education

Tallahassee • More students could learn from a laptop in their bedroom rather than a whiteboard in a brick-and-mortar classroom under a pair of proposals in the Florida Legislature that would dramatically expand virtual school.

So many jokes, so little time …

Jon

It's the same arguments against libraries. "Why do we need libraries anymore when we have the Internet, Google, and Wikipedia?" Seriously, there are people wanting libraries gone for those reasons.

Education isn't just about information and facts. It's about learning skills, how to think, how to be a productive member of society. Skills can't be learned without human interaction. I can give a child a book, but what good does it do if he can't read it?

As you say, "So many jokes, so little time..." Thing is, no one's laughing.

[Jon Awbrey]

As you say, “So many jokes, so little time …” Thing is, no one's laughing.

Well, some people are laughing all the way to the bank …

Incidentally, the following Facebook page is a good resource for learning how communities across the nation are dealing with the ongoing degradation of their public education systems.

• Wear Red For Public Ed

Many people across the country are beginning to realize that there is a coordinated campaign by GOP-TEA-dominated State governments and corporate interests to turn back the clock on American education to something more like the systems of private privilege we once had the good sense to revolt against.

Jon

[Rhindle]

Has anyone seen that movie Waiting for Superman? From what I hear it's glorifying corporate funded charter schools while making public schools look like a complete failure. Anyhow, if you check the talk archive of the movie article, I noticed that Jimbo really wanted the wiki article to improve to FA status by the time the film was released. He provided a few links but didn't want to "be bold" and do the work himself. The person talking to him was treating him like some dumb noob because it's kind of hard to get an unreleased film to featured status before it's released. I was so tempted to tell Jimbo you could always pay thekohser to get the article to featured status.

[Jon Awbrey]

Has anyone seen that movie Waiting for Superman? From what I hear it's glorifying corporate funded charter schools while making public schools look like a complete failure. Anyhow, if you check the talk archive of the movie article, I noticed that Jimbo really wanted the wiki article to improve to FA status by the time the film was released. He provided a few links but didn't want to "be bold" and do the work himself. The person talking to him was treating him like some dumb noob because it's kind of hard to get an unreleased film to featured status before it's released. I was so tempted to tell Jimbo you could always pay thekohser to get the article to featured status.

That's what corporations do. They spend more money telling us how wonderful their products and services are than they ever spend making those products and services halfway decent. They operate on the principle that Lying Out Their Asses (LOTA) about their virtues is sufficient, not to mention being far less difficult and far more profitable than actually doing the work.

☞ NOT Waiting for Superman

Jon

[Jon Awbrey]

KSDC • Waiting For SuperFraud

[Anna]

Miami Herald • Florida Lawmakers, Jeb Bush Foundation Push For Private Online Education

Tallahassee • More students could learn from a laptop in their bedroom rather than a whiteboard in a brick-and-mortar classroom under a pair of proposals in the Florida Legislature that would dramatically expand virtual school.

So many jokes, so little time …

Jon

It's the same arguments against libraries. "Why do we need libraries anymore when we have the Internet, Google, and Wikipedia?" Seriously, there are people wanting libraries gone for those reasons.

Education isn't just about information and facts. It's about learning skills, how to think, how to be a productive member of society. Skills can't be learned without human interaction. I can give a child a book, but what good does it do if he can't read it?

As you say, "So many jokes, so little time..." Thing is, no one's laughing.

One in five Americans do not even have computers. They have to go to a drive, or, more likely, given that many of these people are low income, walk all the way to the library, or, if they are lucky, some other public location offering public computer access. Some of the lucky ones who live in places with decent public transit may even get to take a bus or subway! There, they have to sign up to use a computer, and, if there's a lot of low income people around, as is common in places where affordable housing can be found, they could spend awhile waiting.

Although, I wouldn't call "the Internet, Google, and Wikipedia" the top reasons why public computers are important to people. Believe you me, when a person only has 15 minutes, half an hour, or, if they are lucky, a whole hour to spend on a public computer, they prioritize. They take care of the most important business first. Things like job applications, college applications, business and legal stuff, public assistance applications, grant and scholarship applications, their bank account. Although, given the limited amount of time such people have on the computer, it might better for them just to go to the bank. After the important stuff, if they still have time, they are likely to check e-mail and keep in touch with friends who fail to keep in touch in an easier manner, like a telephone. Learning for the fun of it is pretty low on the list. That's what all the books are for. A public library only offers a few computers for its patrons, but plenty of books.

Now, this is really a shame, given how many perfectly good, working computers are thrown into the landfill, or, worse, shipped to China by bogus recyclers. (Note: A computer is considered working as long as the hardware is in decent shape; the operating system can be replaced.) Even most non-working computers could be salvaged for parts. It is senseless to throw it out just because one component has failed. If people instead gave their unwanted computers to the computerless people, or else to charities like Free Geek who could fix them up and do so, it would really help a lot of people and keep the computers out of the landfill awhile longer.
http://www.osnews.com/story/23451/Smart_Re...inux_Goes_Green

In the meantime, closing the libraries because of "the Internet, Google, and Wikipedia" is nuts, given how many people cannot access "the Internet, Google, and Wikipedia" WITHOUT the libraries, not to mention more important internet services.

[thekohser]

I was so tempted to tell Jimbo you could always pay thekohser to get the article to featured status.

But you didn't pull the trigger, why? Fear of being banned for mentioning me?

[Rhindle]

I was so tempted to tell Jimbo you could always pay thekohser to get the article to featured status.

But you didn't pull the trigger, why? Fear of being banned for mentioning me?

Nah. If I had more time I might have done it after some more thought. I was looking up the wiki-article on a break at work and noticed Jimbo's interest. If I had it to do over again I wish I would have done it.