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Monday, February 21, 2011 - Presidents' Day (US) Discovery Launch Set for Thursday
Another Ugly Provision of Walker's Budget Bill A couple of Wisconsin newspapers are sounding the alarm that Governor Scott Walker's budget bill currently before the Wisconsin Senate would make "sweeping changes to the state's Medicaid programs." With so much of the news being focused on teacher and public employee protests of Walker's assault on unions and collective bargaining, proposals that would allow Walker "to revamp and even gut the programs without following state laws or the normal legislative processes" haven't gotten much press. Shawn Doherty's Why such little outcry over bill's impact on Medicaid programs in The Capital Times and David Wahlberg's Walker budget bill could harm many covered by Medicaid in state in the Wisconsin State Journal help correct that omission. Odds 'n' Ends Winnie Hu's For Autistic Children, a School’s Coffee Shop Imparts Skills While Raising Money on the New York Times is an interesting and inspiring read. Joe Martha's ScienceMan Teaching Idea - Forcing Bulbs could be a good activity for next year. When forcing any bulbs, you have to start in the fall, placing the bulbs in refrigeration to simulate winter, before bringing them into a warm environment to bloom during the winter. We used to make up one or two pots of tulip bulbs each fall, put them in plastic bags, and plop them in the back of the fridge to come out and bloom mid-winter. Of course, forcing hyacinths in water, such as Joe suggests, gives one visible root systems for students to observe and/or to use making up "root tip slides." The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service also has a good online article on Home Forcing of Hyacinths. And Valerie Strauss adds some color for this holiday with her posts, A Presidents' Day quiz and Who does Presidents' Day really honor? Send Feedback to |
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Free, Letter Tracing App I thought the audio on the app was broken until I realized my iPhone was on vibrate! Who Is Driving the Assault on Teachers' Unions? Yesterday, I ran across what is possibly the most accurate commentary I've seen on what is going on with teachers' bargaining rights across the country. Paul Fanlund, editor of The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin, writes in Madison360: Why the revolt downtown is even bigger than it appears:
Fanlund exposes what a lot of Republican governors across the country, driven by their big business masters, are trying to do to working folks. It's pretty scary...and I feel, pretty accurate. I had to go to the Boston Globe to find an Associated Press posting about another assault on labor unions in Indiana. Indiana panel OKs labor bill as unions protest relates that a right-to-work law has now made it out of committee onto the House floor. So this posting isn't totally negative, The 100 Best Protest Signs At The Wisconsin Capitol may give you a smile or two. Do beware that the content is uncensored. Odds 'n' Ends There's lots more to read out there about the Wisconsin power grab by Governor Scott Walker. Diane Ravitch has articles on her Bridging Differences blog and CNN. New York Times columnist Paul Krugman weighed in with Wisconsin Power Play over the weekend. He wrote, "What Mr. Walker and his backers are trying to do is to make Wisconsin — and eventually, America — less of a functioning democracy and more of a third-world-style oligarchy." Protesters in Wisconsin Say They Are Staying Put on the Times is also good. For now, I think two Madison publications, The Capital Times and the Wisconsin State Journal are doing the best job for up-to-date coverage of the story in Wisconsin. Indiana Dems Step Up (and Out) Watching the massive demonstrations in Wisconsin, I've felt like the protests here in Indiana against Governor Daniels' school "reform" plan pretty wimpy. Daniels' plan includes ending teacher tenure, school vouchers, evaluating (and paying) teachers based on student high stakes testing, severely curtailing teachers' bargaining rights, and more charter schools when there are many, many problems with our current charters. The legislature added their own right-to-work bill to Daniels' anti-teacher, anti-union (anti-working folks?) plan. That last one, right-to-work, pushed our Indiana House Democrats over the edge. Emulating Wisconsin's Democratic Senators, Indiana House Democrats finally found their conjones and stepped up to boycott yesterday's session, denying House Republicans the quorum necessary to push through their anti-union bills. The representatives are said to have fled to neighboring states with Democratic governors (who presumably would not play ball with any forced return to the House chambers). The Indy Star's Mary Beth Schneider tells the first part of the story in Exodus: Dems trigger Statehouse showdown. Sadly, the comments to the article show how bad a job we've done here in educating Hoosiers. Tensions Rise As Indiana Legislators Plan to Put Collective Bargaining to a Vote by Emily Loftis on Mother Jones adds a bit of detail. Late yesterday, Daniels indicated that he didn't support the right-to-work bill, but stopped short of threatening to veto it. He said he hoped the House Democrats would return if the right-to-work bill were dropped. After several conservative web sites (1, 2, 3) said Daniels had ruined his chances at a presidential run in 2012, the Governor "clarified" his statement, saying right-to-work should be considered...next year. At this writing (last Tuesday evening), Indiana House Democrats are being coy about whether they'll return to consider Daniels' education plan if the right-to-work bill is scrapped. Some have dropped teasing hints that they may hold out for a more reasonable education plan, say something that might actually help Indiana students. Update (2/23/2011 10:54 am): Mary Beth Schneider tells in Unions jeer Republicans as Indiana Democrats continue holdout, "The Indiana House went into session this morning, with Democrats still in Illinois and labor union members chanting 'You're fired' at the Republicans who were in the chamber." The Star's Matthew Tully and Schneider note this morning that House Democrats now holed up in an Urbana, Illinois, hotel are holding out for Republicans dropping the right-to-work bill AND school vouchers. Update (2/23/2011 3:12 pm): The Governor and House Republican leadership have convinced House members to drop right-to-work legislation for this session and reconsider it next year. Democratic House members, still holed up at the Comfort Suites in Urbana, Illinois, are holding out for more. In Indiana Senate leader says right-to-work bill is dead, House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer said 11 other labor bills should be taken off the table for this year. He also was realistic in saying he knew that wouldn't happen, but emphasized two critical and controversial bills, "the school-voucher bill, which would send tax dollars to private schools, and another on collective bargaining for teachers," needed to go before House Democrats would return. Vouchers and limiting collective bargaining have been priorities of Governor Mitch Daniels' plan to attack public schools and teachers unions. Stewart and Colbert Step Up It's good to see The Daily Show and the Colbert Report come out and call what is going on in various state capitals the sham it is. Jon Stewart's Crisis in Dairyland - Revenge of the Curds does a good job of exposing Wisconsin Governor Walker's ridiculous plan...and the excesses of the press. Stephen Colbert has also helped expose the Wisconsin power grab with guests like AFT President Randi Weingarten and last night's A Less Perfect Union. Wisconsin Report Shawn Doherty lambastes Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in her Vital Signs: Media hones in on Koch brothers and Walker's proposal to sell state energy plants on The Capital Times. She notes previously discovered flaws in Walker's budget repair plan before going on to highlight an irresponsible provision that would allow the Governor to sell the state's power plants to his big business buddies (and contributors) at any price. You've got to read this one to believe it. The Wisconsin State Journal's Scott Bauer's Walker warns state workers layoff notices could come next week if bill isn't passed relates the Governor's scare tactic of saying layoffs will have to come unless his provision to kill teacher bargaining (and unions) is passed. The headline, Local leaders from throughout the state ask GOP to not end collective bargaining, of Dean Mosiman's piece on the State Journal pretty well tells the story. There's a great political cartoon running alongside Dave Zweifel's Plain Talk: Walker’s a puppet for GOP’s big lie today. Odds 'n' Ends In what has to be some much needed good news for Indiana Democrats, John Gregg may be considering a run for governor in 2012. The Terre Haute Tribune-Star's Mark Bennett relates in Gregg says he’s pondering run for Indiana governor that the former Speaker of the Indiana House said in a telephone interview Monday, "I haven’t said 'yes' yet, but I am giving it real serious consideration." Gregg is well respected around the state by members of both parties and has previously been solicited by Democrats to run for the state's top office. He's declined each time for the same reason he retired from the House in 2002. Gregg is one of the few politicians to leave office to spend more time with family and then do just that. Usually, when a politician steps down "to spend more time with family," it's a euphamism for one of the following:
With John Gregg, that just isn't the case. Even though I now consider myself an independent, I hope John runs. He'll be good for Indiana. And from Sherman Dorn: New York Times describes the fall of the blog The death of the blog was announced today by the paper of record: Blogs Wane as the Young Drift to Sites Like Twitter. I’d say more, but I'm approaching my character lim ISSN 1936-6701, "Sherman Dorn: Work to understand how schools have been social institutions" (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) Ben Wildavsky has published a brave piece in the March/April edition of Foreign Policy. He begins Think Again: Education: "American Kids Are Falling Behind." Not really. Discovery Launch Today (maybe) NASA says there's a "90 percent chance of acceptable conditions" for the scheduled 4:50 P.M. (EST) launch of the space shuttle Discovery on its final mission. During a panel discussion yesterday on NASA TV, it appeared that adding one more shuttle mission, STS-135, is being seriously considered. An overnight photo from the STS-133 Image Gallery:
"At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, space shuttle Discovery is seen shortly after the rotating service structure was rolled back at Launch Pad 39A." Wisconsin Report The big news over the last 24 hours in the legislative battles over worker rights and education bills is Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker getting fooled by a phone call from Buffalo Beast editor Ian Murphy. Murphy posed as Walker supporter and contributor David Koch. The call didn't really reveal any bombshells, but did display Walker's close ties to the co-owner of Koch Industries and key backer of the conservative Americans for Prosperity. That group announced in a news release yesterday "that it is launching a $342,200 TV ad in support of Walker that will begin airing Wednesday around Wisconsin."
Andy Kroll's coverage of the Wisconsin situation has been excellent. His writers page has links to all of his coverage.
The current state protests over budgets, education "reform," and bargaining rights have been an unusual story to cover. While broadcast media have given the protests in Wisconsin, and occasionally elsewhere, coverage, print coverage was initially spotty. Right leaning papers seemed to want to ignore the story and hope it would go away. Of course, the Madison papers, The Capital Times and the Wisconsin State Journal have been all over the story with thorough coverage and excellent commentary. But other major print and online sources, seem to have really dropped the ball, leaving the story to bloggers and local news outlets. Major news outlets are just beginning to get a clue that there is some kind of coordinated thinking or planning behind a number of Republican governors making similar assaults on labor and teachers' unions. Conspiracy? No, just the Republican governors play book being put into action. Indiana Here at home, Governor Mitch Daniels vows to make sure Indiana lawmakers get work done: Democrats not returning to Indianapolis relates that Daniels is still intent on getting his education "reform" plan that unfairly attacks teachers and public schools passed. And the state's House Democrats are staying put in Illinois, leaving the House unable to complete any action due to the lack of a quorum. Odds 'n' Ends NPR's Frank James talked to an expert and found Public Unions In Wisconsin, Elsewhere Are Scapegoats. It's a good read. But as teachers, after all the teacher bashing from the President, Secretary of Education, state governors, and other politicians who wouldn't last a week in the classroom, we already knew we were scapegoats. Discovery On Its Way
NASA reports that "The launch came after a last-minute technical glitch with the Air Force's Eastern Range that left only four seconds in the launch window and a practical limit of two seconds because of draining requirements with the external fuel tank." Connectivity Not What It Should Be
Note: Contrary to the ads on TV, it doesn't seem to matter which of the two satellite internet services one subscribes to. Both suck when compared to wired, broadband service. Legislative Attacks on Teachers and Unions Continue The AP's Jessie L. Bonner reports in Idaho Senate passes 2 out of 3 school reform bills that "The Idaho Senate passed legislation Thursday to eliminate tenure for new teachers and restrict collective bargaining, while also voting on a separate bill to introduce merit pay." In Kansas, a "bill passed Thursday would eliminate the voluntary payroll deduction for all union members," according to John Milburn in Kansas House approves union PAC paycheck bill. The bill also contains a provision that "would not allow public employees' unions to endorse candidates or spend income from dues, fees or assessments on political activities, including contributions to candidates for state, county, city or school board." In Ohio, Senate Bill 5 could rekindle 'blue flu' days tells that not only teachers, but firefighters and police may see most of their collective bargaining rights stripped from them. Columbus Dispatch writers Jim Siegel and Joe Hallett write:
And while not educationally related, Jim Siegel's House bill would let bosses replace overtime with comp time is pretty revealing about the current round of legislation being anti-worker and anti-union. I haven't worked in a comp time job, but my last posting was in one of those "hourly exempt" jobs. I regularly put in 80 hour weeks for an outreach program at a highly respected college of engineering before walking out in total frustration one Friday afternoon to "cool off." I've not cooled off yet, hence my current status of "retired." In what is only marginally good news, Indiana House Democrats remain in self-exile in Illinois, frustrating Governor Mitch Daniels' attack on the state's public schools and teachers. No end in sight to Indiana Statehouse standoff by Dan McFeely, Mary Beth Schneider and Heather Gillers relates that House Democrats remain firm in their commitment to shut things down until the Governor and House Republicans negotiate.
Even Nate Schnellenberger, current president of the Indiana State Teachers Association, has found his voice after being far too chummy with both Governor Daniels and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett. Sue Loughlin tells in Legislation will have unintended consequences for public schools about Schnellenberger's comments about Daniels' school voucher proposals. Nate still has to publicly state his views on Governor Daniels' presidential aspirations and Superintendent Bennett's gubernatorial hopes that are based on their flawed plans for remaking education in Indiana. Schnellenberger has been silent far too often as the Gov and Super have characterized all Indiana schools (and thereby, their teachers) as failing. Maybe Nate is growing a set. And in Wisconsin, protesters who've been "camping out" in their state capital building will be thrown out this afternoon by state police. Police to begin restricting access to Capitol at 4 p.m. by Clay Barbour and Mary Spicuzza relates that a spokesperson for Governor Scott Walker claimed the measure was necessary "to ensure the safety and public health of all individuals," despite the fact that the protests have been safe and peaceful. By law, "The statehouse must remain open to the public as long as lawmakers are in session, or when a public hearing is under way." But a "new rule" passed by the Republican majority "ends public hearings by 6 p.m.", making it possible for Walker and his anti-working man majority to clear the statehouse overnight. I wonder if Governor Walker has thought about the specter of Wisconsin State Police dragging law abiding, peaceful teachers out of their statehouse on all the major networks this afternoon and evening. Deborah Meier's On the Ground in Wisconsin adds some color to the Wisconsin story. Kudos to Deborah for making the trip there! Sean Cavanagh writes in Money, Policy Entangled in Wisconsin Labor Dispute on Education Week that "local school officials were questioning one of the core arguments behind the governor's proposal: that it will help cash-strapped districts financially in the years ahead." He adds that districts "fear the governor's plans could create lasting discord in school systems where relations between teachers and administrators have been relatively harmonious." Miles Turner, the executive director of the Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators, is quoted as saying, "We've never supported stripping all bargaining rights. This goes way too far." And Jo Koebert, retired Wisconsin school administrator, has An open letter to residents of Wisconsin posted by Kenneth Bernstein. He reminds us of the importance of unions in our lives. Bernstein, also known by as TeacherKen on his Daily Kos blog, looks at the big picture in a CNN article, No unions: Government by the rich, for the rich. Danger Signals All kinds of alarms went off inside my head when I read in Trip Gabriel's Leader of Teachers' Union Urges Dismissal Overhaul that AFT President Randi Weingarten has proposed her own plan "to overhaul how teachers are evaluated and dismissed." By her proposal, "teachers would be evaluated using multiple yardsticks, including classroom visits, appraisal of lesson plans and student improvement on tests." There's lots in her proposal to be alarmed about. The fact that she is going along with many "reformers" and Republican governors in using unreliable student test scores to evaluate teachers should be enough to disqualify her from any such discussion. Republicans and Democrats should be outraged at a national evaluation plan, taking rights away from local school boards. And my apologies to those masters of writing elaborate lesson plans, but writing a good lesson plan does not mean one is a good teacher. It means you can spin a good yarn. While some school systems around the country have agreed to contracts that include evaluation plans that make helping teachers improve difficult and dismissing tenured folks almost impossible, many school corporations have long had the provisions to get the job done. The problem is that the tools haven't been used. School board members and superintendents who've hired almost their entire families are a major part of the problem around here. Administrators who are unwilling to step up and help teachers and then fairly evaluate them is another component of the problem. Odds 'n' Ends Walt Gardner's Hypocrisy of Education Free Marketeers deals with the reaction to teacher and union protests around the nation by supporters of free markets. Walt writes:
He adds:
And concludes:
I wish Governors Daniels, Walker, Kasich, Brownback and others understood what Walt is writing about. Sadly, they, and lots of the nasty commenters on education articles around the country, have no idea what teaching is all about. I actually disagree with Walt's statement, "Teaching is neither for missionaries nor mercenaries." I think excellence in teaching requires a missionary zeal. But that same zeal can burn out our best and brightest. The NEA has a petition about the various states stripping bargaining rights from teachers and also a slick way to contact U.S. Senators about the House passed ravaging of education in their budget bill. You don't have to be an NEA member to use either of these excellent tools. Have a great weekend! Ads shown on this site do not represent an endorsement or warranty of any kind of products or companies shown. Ads shown on archive pages may not represent the ads displayed in the original posting on Educators' News. |
While broadband services continue to slowly expand across the country, wide areas still are without adequate broadband service. While the map at left appears to show Indiana as almost totally covered with fibre or wired broadband, we live in a pocket along the Indiana-Illinois border where both internet broadband and cell phone connectivity aren't available. Our very expensive satellite internet connection was initially out this morning after a light overnight snow and returned only when the sun came out and I rebooted our satellite modem. 
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©2011 Steven L. Wood