Last week, about seventy-five parents from both Freedumb and Liburtie, Bethlehem's two high schools, crowded into a school board meeting room. That's no surprise. After all, Bethlehem Area School District's standardized test scores are the lowest in the Lehigh Valley. For the fifth time in five years, little things like math and reading proficiency have dropped.But parents had something far more important than a lousy education on their minds.
They wanted to talk about home field advantage.
In the NFL, that usually translates to seven points. Math proficiency may be down, but Liburtie and Freedumb parents still know that the team with the most points wins. Unless it's coached by Bob Stem. In PIAA football, down-marker chains must face the press box, which gives the home team a better look at close downfield plays.
But Freedumb High School's football team has a problem. No matter who it plays, it's away. I guess those state scores must be right. Nobody's home. Even when they're home, they're away.
Freedumb's parents would like to rotate with Liburtie as the "home" team every other year, just like Dieruff and Allen high schools in nearby Allentown. But Liburtie likes things just the way they are.
Liburtie Coach Beavis: "We come first, dumb ass."
Freedumb Coach Butthead: "Eh heh, heh. He said 'come'."
Liburtie Coach Beavis: "Shut up Bunghole! I'll kick yer ass!"
Freedumb Coach Butthead: "I peed in the gym once."
So how are school board members going to fix this problem? School board member Judith Dexter, in an email to Freedumb parent Mary Ellen Ingeno, said this: "I am ... considering the suggestion of a press box to solve the problem." Huh? And get this. "I am also worried that the Freedom Liberty game, which is now a joy and a highlight of the seasons, could become a violent time. Rocky thinks that people just won't move, and I tend to worry about that, too. If Freedom and Liberty fans are mixed in with one another, if emotions stay as high as they are, we could have trouble, and possibly even so much that the games won't be able to go on."
Of course, this concern is absurd. The Morning Call editorial board has the best suggestion for Bethlehem's shell-shocked school board: "[I]t must show leadership and produce a true compromise. It can look to the Allentown School District for a solution. ASD, and others in the state with teams that share football fields annually rotate 'home' and 'away' sides. It's simple, it's fair, and it doesn't cost one cent."
But who's counting? Certainly no one from Freedumb or Libertie. And those lousy test scores? "I coudn't do that assignment. I'm dietetic."
Fortunately for us, Superintendent Joseph Lewis decided yesterday that "fairness" demands that the two high schools rotate sides every year.
72 comments:
The problem with the standardized tests is that one general test is given out to every school in the state - despite education levels. If those tests are going to measure any kind of progress, they will need to do (at least) the two following:
1) Create a specialized test for each school district to better match lesson plans.
2) Actually pressure the students into taking these tests seriously.
Take it from soemone who attended one of the above mentioned schools. These tests mean absolutely nothing to the students. It's nothing but a work-free week.
Also, students who know the test results affect the teacher do poor on purpose. I know this for a fact. I also know these tests are completely useless, and here's why...
Years ago, there were some math problems on the test that our class hadn't learned yet, and likely wouldn't. Though, if going by what is on the test, we should have known the math.
Anyway, I had no choice but to guess on every single question, along with everyone else in the class (as ordered by the teacher to "make the best educated guess possible" since nobody knew any of it.
A few weeks later, I receive the results in the mail. To my surprise, and to the surprise of my teacher, I had one of the highest math scores in the state.
If that doesn't prove these tests are useless, I don't know what does!
As a person who is currently attending college to become a teacher, I understand now that there truly is more to these types of issues that the media doesn't report on. A couple of months ago I'd of never known, but now I have a better picture of why things are the way they are.
And to throw one more comment out there, the "No Child Left Behind" act is not working. Professors have commented to me that more and more students are entering college without basic knowledge. High school teachers have commented to me that more and more students are passed without actually passing tests, simply because of this act.
Sure, it's a great idea, but there is absolutely no structure to it. I can't wait until it gets revised!
Bethlehem brims with athletic supporters.
AJ,
If these tests mean absolutely nothing to the students in Bethlehem, isn't it safe to assume they mean absolutely nothing to the students in other school districts, too. Bethlehem's falling scores, for 5 years in a row, is evidence of a problem.
Also, your anecdotal story about your own experience does not prove anything.
I don't write often about school districts or the problems they face. I never went thru public schools. Nor did my children.
But a standardized test is a standardized test. In the case of reading comprehension or math, you either get it or you don't. Something is rotten in the state of Bethlehem.
Bethlehem used to be one of the finer school districts. What the hell has happened?
BO, sad but true. BASD is nuts and dumb. Check out some recent MC stories and the threads comments. Between the Stupidintedent and the Bored of Ed., Bethlehemites are suffering. You are right the parents are to blame to. As always sports trumps academics, dis is amerika!
Unfortunately, Bethlehem is a pretty imbred town and these folks vote for the same people over and over again.
Bernie...
I think the problem is more political than local. Like I said - the "No Child Left Behind" act is not working.
A real problem, however, is that people (like yourself) only read what is written in the papers. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but it's not the entire story. And though I've just begun my teaching studies and don't have all the answers, hopefully one day I can shed more light on the situation. You don't get to read about how teachers advance students to higher grades without actually dealing with them.
But Bernie, the standardized tests need to be localized - no question. Every district has a different curriculum and the tests should match what is actually being taught, and when it is taught (i.e. not after the tests are taken.)
Additionally,
The Bethlehem School District was horrible to me. I've had some of the worst teachers in my life there - people that shouldn't even be allowed to talk to a student, let alone teach one.
Because of my horrible experiences, I've decided to become a teacher so that kids don't have to deal with what I went through.
Additionally, once again, every student takes the same test. It doesn’t matter whether they are in the honors class or the assisted learning class. I don’t think it’s fair to make a kid with a learning disability take the same test as someone who is more advanced than the rest of the class.
I understand that tests are likely the best way to acknowledge a schools academic level, but the way the tests are presented needs to be revised.
I usually agree with what you write, Bernie, but there is a lot missing to this story. I'm not saying that there isn't a problem with the BASD, but there's more to the story than just a bunch of generalized test scores.
(Besides, isn't it about time I disagreed with you on something?)
Dr. Lewis made the right decision for once. However, this time it is for the least important decision he will make as superintendant.
Easy, Bernie. A.J.'s already admitted to being a BASD alumnus.
Uh ha hu ha huh ha huh you said balls. Uh huh ha huh ha huh ha
AJ,
Disagreement is fine. If each district has its own test, we no longer havce standardized testing and there is no way to compare one district with another.
Bernie -
If the tests are not to be localized, the curriculum needs to be the same for every single student in every single school, regardless of academic levels. Otherwise, where is the accuracy?
Just because students are necessarily learning what is on the test doesn’t mean they aren’t actually learning. Different districts teach math and English in different orders, in different ways, at different times. That’s a point I’m trying to make, if that makes any sense at all.
Anon 8:02 - Bernie need not worry. I didn't graduate in the BASD, only attended for a while. Does that still count as alumni? If so, I'll bow my head in shame and apologize to the masses.
AJ,
I understand what you're saying. I realize that each district, and probably each teacher, has his own approach. But there should be a standard to which all aspire. I've probably written more than I should. I leave school districts alone, for the most part, and am uncomfortable writing about them.
It is sad to see that BASD is more or less as dysfunctional as Allentown Schools.
I Disagree with AJ. We must have a standard test. If one school has a 10th grade class on a 10th grade level, and another school has a 10th grade on an 8th grade level, It just proves the teachers and administrators at that 10th/8th school are NOT DOING THERE JOBS... and that is the bottom line. If a student can not perform to a passing grade he MUST be held back a year. Making excuses by saying the tests are not fair is totally unacceptable. Most kids will be lazy if you let them. Also I heard on the radio one day that the high school drop out rate at Bethlehem High Schools is an obnoxious 30 PERCENT !!! Is this true? Someone mentioned No Child Left Behind. Well guess what , GW is not in the class room every day. A childs failing grade is HIS fault... the teachers fault and the parents fault. Teachers cannot punish slackers and wiseguys in the classroon like they could when I was in school. Bethlehem has a 30% drop out rate. No excuses
also if you still want to make excuses we will end up with high schools going up to 14th and 15th grade
A.J. Cordi said...
Anon 8:02 - Bernie need not worry. I didn't graduate in the BASD, only attended for a while. Does that still count as alumni? If so, I'll bow my head in shame and apologize to the masses. """""" Well aj, you just proved my own and bernies point. People move all the time these days. If a student at on school is in tenth grade where they are teaching him at an eight grade level, and he moves to another school where tenth grade is on a tenth grade level, that student will be totally lost. Most students go to college now after they graduate. I have already read about horror stories about kids that were taught some kind of new math where they didn't even have to have the correct answers to pass....the just had to be close.
I graduated LHS '62 in top half of class 348 out of 708 and I even took a book home "once" to study.
I learned reding riting, aritmatic
and went on to be school board president in '93. one term was plenty for me to see waste and spending so I didn't seek re-election. teacher "unions", not
good teachers (decades ago, teachers were thought to be public
servants with little compensation needed-not fair but now "over" compensated and under worked is my opinion) test scores are down and teacher compensation is up makes little sense to me. I always said I'd pay good teachers 100 grand a year back then with 100 million dollar annual budget (now, already approaching 200 million?) "if" we could get rid of poor teachers and increase classroom size. teacher union folks want a tutor for every child is big problem, Philadelphia
prevailng wages (can you say union) for construction projects and state/fed stupid rules and regs
require all the administration officials local boards must have to adhere to them (always blasted by public)! lastly, local school board members are scapegoats with little power to make any changes. all they can do is raise taxes to "cover" for other politicians. 12 years in elected public office and one real estate tax increase ever warranted my vote while I proposed options and was rebuked by tax & spenders. HS sports not the problem and I agree with current sharing of home field decision. larry@kisslinger.com
River -
You points are fairly accurate - When I moved from New Jersey to the Poconos, I was actually ahead of what was being taught. When I moved from the Poconos to Bethlehem, I was very behind.
But the No Child Left Behind stuff is a big reason why children are advancing grades without proper knowledge or education. This act has to be revised, or exterminated!
The standardized tests are misleading. I'm not saying that testing is a bad thing, but the process has to be improved.
The point I was trying to make is that just because a student doesn't perform well on a general standardized test that EVERYONE (smart and not-so-smart) has to take doesn't mean a student isn't exceeding in what is actually being taught in the school. Some students learn faster than others, some have learning disabilities, and others just don't care. Then there are those who are average, and they ALL take the same test.
Additionally, if these standardized tests are examples of what a child SHOULD know, then how come EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL DISTRICT in the country isn't basing their curriculums off of it? Perhaps that is something that should be looked into more than why "our kids are dumb." (that's a quote I heard yesterday in a similar argument.)
If there has to be a general standardized test, there HAS to be a general standardized curriculum. Schools can't teach one thing and expect students to know something else.
I went to Catholic school grades 1-4 and Mom couldn't afford any more!
then moved to Basd public school beginning grade 5 and was like Einstein compared to others.
public schools disaster with all rules, regs, unions and the like!
go figure! larry@kisslinger.com
a.j. you need to get a bit of life under your belt. "Standards". We have them all across the nation, with everything. How much cream in ice cream. MPG for cars, may not be acurate, but the test is the same. To many examples to mention here. There needs to be a "standard". How one school district or another achieves that standad is up to them. The "Goal Post" is in the same spot for all.
So you believe schools should be teaching what is on the tests?
Education can't really be compared to football, though I see where you were trying to go with your statement.
By the way, Tony K., the life comment was a bit below the belt. No rudeness was needed. I've already got more life than most for my age and believe I'm educated enough to be making the comments that I am. If you disagree with what I say, that's fine, but don't use age to attack me because you have nothing better to say.
AJ,
As a future teacher, your insight is appreciated. I don't think Tony K meant to offend you, but was just doing what we insufferable old farts love to do. Have a little mercy.
Larry Kisslinger is a sage.
"I was like Einstein compared to others." Define others?
Larry Kisslinger is an egotistical "ZERO".
AJ I see your points but I am afraid of one thing. If each School Dist. is going to be setting their own standards for testing, I am afraid some schools may be inclined to make an easier test just to make their school look like it is doing much better than other schools. And once that kind of stuff starts to happen our school ratings system will be worse than ever. It reminds me of the old grading curve system on tests. Some teachers used the standard curve... ie on a 100 question test, 0 to 10 wrong was an A, 11 to 20 wrong was a B etc. Other teachers used an average like this. 6 kids had 12 or so wrong, they got an A. 10 kids had 35 or so wrong, they get a B.. on the other point scale this would have been a D. 16 kids had 55 wrong,they get a C... on the other scale this would be a failing grade. When too many people are in charge of setting standards for themselves we will see this mess all the time, especially when you start throwing parents into the fray. And AJ, please don't take the age thing to heart, I mean after all... don't you think we all want to be 24 again :):)
back to the issue at bar,may i suggest a fair compromise? they could flip one of acerra's toys, and if it comes up, er, "heads"...oh wait, probably a bad idea. disregard.
11:11 PM Anonymous quoted me "I was like Einstein compared to others." and then said: Define others? Larry Kisslinger is an egotistical "ZERO".
The "others" were those who were stuck in public school for the 4 previous years that I was in Catholic school "and" I guess is now many "ZERO" anon folks here.
get a grip! larry@kisslinger.com
Also, I did not look into the No Child Left Behind law so I do not know much about it. But I do know this. I have never had any children, but when my school tax bill comes... I have to pay the same amount as the guy down the street who has 5 kids. Do you think that is fair??? I DO NOT !
If anyone is interested in reasons why No Child Left Behind is a bad idea, please go to this informative website. http://nochildleft.com/2006/sept06killing.html
AJ, good luck with your teaching career, and I hope you don't ever have to "teach to the test."
Dottie said...
If anyone is interested in reasons why No Child Left Behind is a bad idea, please go to this informative website. http://nochildleft.com/2006/sept06killing.html""""""""" Dottie... I am not even going to look at that web site. How can you expect anyone to take you seriously when you post a web link that has "KILLING" as part of the web address. Perhaps you think everyone else is a gullable fool such as yourself ! nufsaid
Dottie, Thanks for the link. River, please don't judge a book by its cover. And I'm disappointed that you you've resorted to name calling.
bernie that was my point when you get parents and local school boards involved in picking the criteria for tests and not a standardized test. You will have 30 or 40 parents at every school board meeting ( or perhaps 1000) insisting they teach everything that isn't George Bush. Unfortunatley Bernie, you know its true yourself. Everyone is so partisan now some people would cut off their arm if they knew they could blame GW. It is a shame you don't have cable bernie.. to see how bad it is. Dems blame Bush.. Repubs blame Dems.. no onder Congress has an 18 percent approval rating. And as for name calling Bernie... you shouldn't be the pot calling the kettle black. AJ.. do you see what happens when you let locals make up the rules and not have standard tests???? when you are a teacher you will have a mob scene at every PTA, Teachers Conferance, School Board Meeting plus law suits every time you turn a page in a book... especially if Al Gore wrote that book.
Just in case anyone is wondering... I voted for Bush in 2000 and Kerry in 2004
FYI—The size of my class at Liberty when we started as freshmen (before they added 8th-graders to the mix) was 851. The size of my class when we graduated was 625, as I recall. That means we had a dropout rate of roughly 29 percent. In 1979. About the same as it is 28 years later.
While I was at Liberty, there were kids who got lousy educations and others who got stellar educations. The difference is that those of us who succeeded had families who valued academic performance and homes where reading and curiosity about a variety of subjects were encouraged and modeled.
My niece, a 2001 LHS graduate, is now a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Iowa--one of only 10 students in the country who was selected to be part of the prestigious Iowa Writing Project. Many of my classmates were National Merit Finalists and went on to Ivy League schools. One received a perfect score on his math SAT.
The standardized tests need to be looked at as a baseline for achievement, not the pinnacle. If you give a child a well-rounded education, the test will take care of itself. If you don't, the test will be an insurmountable obstacle.
Wow River, I do not believe I am a "gullable fool" on this issue. As a former teacher with many years of experience teaching inner city kids I have been in the classroom and I have seen what I believe to be the negative impact of NCLB. I have a son in the ASD and I do not like how the curriculum has changed to "teach to the test." I have been on the Legislative Committee of the PTA at my son's school. I know that poverty is an important factor to consider when assessing the so called "failure" of our public schools. Public schools have been around for a long time so I do not believe they are a failure. The website is loaded with facts and statistics and research. Maybe there is another site with the same facts,statistics and research that does not use the word "killing." I'll have to look because I know there are plenty of sites about this important issue. My position on this issue has nothing to do with partisan politics, but it has a lot to do with giving our children a well rounded education that encourages critical thinking and problem solving skills. This is why I rarely post at this blog. It seems like some people here are real quick to attack and judge in a negative way without really being informed on the issues. Bye, I'm done here.
Dottie,
I'm sorry if that's the way you feel. I did tell River I was disappointed in him for his personal attack.
I have strong opinions but detest personal attacks.
But public education, as you must know, is such an emotionally charged subject that even I avoid it. Plus, it has difficult to express opinions on controversial issues without getting slammed by someone.
Frankly, it's the ideas that count, not the insults. I try to promote the freee and open exchange of ideas here, and these insults are sometimes a byproduct. Once again, I am sorry that you are offended.
Radcenter, I pretty much agree with you. Standardized testing should be the baseline, not the pinnacle. It's a way to gauge whether the teachers are covering the right material or the schools are doing well.
Dottie: I would love to hear your stories and insights, if you're willing to share. Please e-mail me ajcordi@yahoo.com and/or request my AIM name. Anything that will help me out along my journey is welcomed!
radcenter: Do you know for a fact that is how many people dropped out within the four years you attended? Or, does that reduced number ALSO include those who moved away, switched schools, and possibly even died? I'm not attacking you in any way, just asking a question. I actually liked your comment :)
Dottie I am sorry. I didnt mean it as a personal attack. I thought you were juat attacking standardized testing because it is in the NCLB act. But we have had standart tests and SATs for over 40 years. How can you change this and expect things to get better? Poverty is not an issue... if a kid goofs off in class he isn't going to learn anything. Also what is the definition of a well rounded education? I think I received one when I graduated in 1973. Now , maybe another guy in my class could say he had a poor education. Who is right? You MUST have standards. Also I always take websites with a grain if salt since that site seems to have an agenda they are trying to get across i.e. partisanship
DOTTIE... I TAKE BACK MY APPOLOGY. I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!!!!!!!!! I JUST LOOKED AT THE WEB LINK YOU POSTED AND I AM READY TO EXPLODE. I WAS RIGHT, ITS NOTHING BUT PARTISAN POLITICS AT ITS WORST. HERE IS THE FIRST SENTENCE FROM THE SITE. "Congress must decide in 2007 whether to reauthorize NCLB/Helter-Skelter" Dottie , you are puting your own partisan politics before a childs education... just as I was afraid would happen if you read my previous comments. Dottie.. if you really are a teacher, you should be ashamed of yourself. And Bernie.. don't complain too much, because I didn't use all the 4 and 5 letter words you always use in your posts. Dottie, I am very disappointed. I thought you were legit.
another wonderful quip from the killing site "In a decade offering exciting social and economic prospects, NCLB has locked American schools in an Iron Maiden or chastity belt" Chastity belt? I strongly object to this kind of language and name calling and I feel it is obnoxious to put teachers and students in this catagory.
Yo .. River .. calm the fuck down ..
I am glad I dont have a kid in school if it is going to be this partisan stuff
Larry Kisslinger... never a zero, often the hero of BASD. Perhaps we need more of the old school guys back in the BASD and all the others. Don't forget that the old schoolers built this great country. Politicalizing our schools like not letting someone say under God or refusing to allow the Pledge is not doing anyone any good. Seperation of church and state? YES. Seperation of politics and school? YYYEEESSS thats even better.
A.J.Cordi: You asked, "Do you know for a fact that is how many people dropped out within the four years you attended? Or, does that reduced number ALSO include those who moved away, switched schools, and possibly even died?"
You're right to question that number; it includes everyone who was dropped from the rolls, for whatever reason. But I doubt if accounting for students transferring out or moving away would change the number significantly, since I would assume that a roughly equal number of students would transfer *into* the school or move *from* another district. Maybe someone with more expertise can enlighten us. Also, the number of years during which this took place was three, not four. As I explained, 9th-graders did not attend high school in those days; the middle school system had not yet been implemented, so they were still in junior high school.
PS Nobody in our class died during those three years--unless my memory is worse than I thought! (I believe someone in the class ahead of me was killed in a post-prom car crash, however.)
Dottie's Psycho Husband said...
"Yo .. River .. calm the fuck down ..
2:09 PM "
geez how can I calm down when there is a psycho on the loose in the valley
rad: I would assume the numbers aside from the dropouts would be around 20-40%. That's just a semi-educated guess, though. One would also have to question how many were forced to drop out due to family financial situations, medical situations, etc. There is a bunch of stuff to question. I'm sure someone has the answers out there.
river: Please calm down. You NEED to calm down. You really don't understand how the NCLB is affecting schools and students for the worst. If you haven't gotten an idea from what has been written here already, then it's not worth arguing.
And for you to strongly object to any language at this point is hypocritical, don't ya think? You can't call someone with first-hand experience a "gullable fool", take back an apology, make a bunch of uneducated comments, and not expect an argument. Just ease up!
AJ,
I'm not going to play comment cop. River can say what he wants. But the whole point of this blog is to invite public discussioon, not drive them away.
Dottie has already stated she is done commenting here because of the way she was treated, not because of the substance of any argument.
That bothers me for two reasons. First, we don't get a woman's point very often. Second, we are now deprived of her point of view.
Now River may not be interested in that viewpoint, but I am. River can start his own blog and establish his own rules if he wishes.
But I'm asking him to treat people who comment here with some respect. Disagreement is fine, but insulting someone as a gullible fool is not. And the phony outrage at terms like "chatity belt" iks unwarranted.
If River can't treat people with respect, he's not welcome. River, this is not your blog. It's mine. You can criticize me all you like, but you will treat those who comment with respect or I will simply ignore you.
This is my only comment on your recent behavior. I will not repeat myself.
just call me mr anon from now on signed river
If anyone looks at that website, the first thing they see is a burned out car. The first line reads that congress needs to decide in 2007 if it should keep the NCLB/Helter-Skelter Act. This is not an education site, it is a partisan hate site. I was the gullable fool for believing D before I looked at the site she posted. If we have people in our schools not only teaching but ramming their own political agendas down out kids throats at the same time we just may start having book burnings just like in Germany in 1933... and we know how that ended up.
""Congress must decide in 2007 whether to reauthorize NCLB/Helter-Skelter or let it die and replace it with a new law that makes sense.
The law is so badly flawed, it cannot be fixed. It is a wreck. It is un-American in its basic principles, relying upon fear, intimidation, threats and punishments in ways that would make Stalin happy. NCLB is the very kind of big government "state planning" that we were taught would be the downfall of the Soviets. """"" That is the first paragraph of the web link "D" posted as truth about the NCLB. Read it for your self bernie and then tell me it isn't a hate site.
"Congress must decide in 2007 whether to reauthorize NCLB/Helter-Skelter or let it die and replace it with a new law that makes sense.
The law is so badly flawed, it cannot be fixed. It is a wreck. It is un-American in its basic principles, relying upon fear, intimidation, threats and punishments in ways that would make Stalin happy. NCLB is the very kind of big government "state planning" that we were taught would be the downfall of the Soviets"" here is the first paragraph from nochild left .com read it for yourself and see if it is not a pure hate site or not
http://nochildleft.com/cartoon41.html they even have cartoons
check out that link for the cartoon on the same site that dottie recomended. It is one of many off color cartoons. If any of our kids are being taught stuff like this in school how can anyone expect any kind of good results. AJ.. please check it out
""" The website is loaded with facts and statistics and research. Maybe there is another site with the same facts,statistics and research that does not use the word "killing." """"
Dottie.. I am apologizing to you for the way I flipped out when I finally saw what that web site was all about. You said the website was and I quote """The website is loaded with facts and statistics and research.""""" Compareing NCLB with Chastity belts, Iron Madens, UnAmerican, Stalin would be proud, and Charles Manson Helter Skelter is not "facts statistics and research. I should not have called you a gullable fool. I was the gullable fool for not looking at the site when you posted it as "facts..etc". That was why I flipped out when I finally looked at it. I feel that site is nothing but hateful partisan politicts at its worst. Dottie.. have you looked at the long list of hate cartoons on that same site? Is there really any difference between sites like this and racism? I pray that this crap is not entering our school classrooms.
Is there really any difference between sites like this and racism?"
Yes.
aj... I disagree
aj said " someone with first-hand experience ". I don't believe that is true based on a website that was claimed to be full of "facts, studies and research" which turned out not to be. Also as per my math, you were 17 years old at the youngest when NCLB took effect. So how could it have given you the "terrible" edication which you claim to have had. AJ, I just plain do not believe you.
bernie said " And the phony outrage at terms like "chatity belt" iks unwarranted." Bernie... it was anything but phony
nochildleft.com says "Simple-minded right wing ideologues might be happy that 30% of the schools in Jeb Bush's state of Florida are judged failing by NCLB, but most of the world views these failures as remote from being good news or progress. Unless your purpose is to destroy the public system, NCLB ends up looking more like pure evil than Ivory Soap" D claimed that statements like these are "facts and statistics and research." I think it is all a crock.
AJ Cordi said..."The Bethlehem School District was horrible to me. I've had some of the worst teachers in my life there - people that shouldn't even be allowed to talk to a student, let alone teach one.
Because of my horrible experiences, I've decided to become a teacher so that kids don't have to deal with what I went through. """"
River, you're trying way too hard to win this argument. Why are you so afraid of losing? And why are you so insecure? Is it because an intelligent woman out-smarted you? Oh, and you also don't know what you're talking about. That's the main issue here ...
she is not intelligent if she beleives the stuff on that web site she recommended,pulling the wool over someones eyes may be a better way to discribe it. look at it for yourself.... then you judge.
Dottie, you're right and I was wrong. I was also a jerk. Please forgive me ...
anon 4:59 i will let you try to prove your point. Then I will respond.
"""""River said...
Dottie, you're right and I was wrong. I was also a jerk. Please forgive me ...
7:10 PM""""""""
SOMEONE HAS STOLEN MY USER NAME AND MADE THIS FALSE COMMENT. BERNIE.. DO YOU APPROVE OF THIS KIND OF STUFF. I DO NOT WHO EVER DID THIS CAN SUCK MY ASS
IF PEOPLE HAVE TO FALSIFY STATEMENTS AND MAKE LIES AND THEN CLAIM SOMEONE ELSE SAID THEM, THEN SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED HERE. I HAVE NEVER LIED ABOUT ANYONE OR ANYTHING HERE. IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT I SAY OR THINK FINE... YOU CAN RESPOND. BUT MAKING A PHONY STATEMENT AND CLAIMING I IN FACT SAID IT WITH A USER NAME YOU STOLED FROM ME? WELL GUESS WHAT... YOU ARE NOTHING BUT SCUM. SCUM SCUM SCUM
i SUPPOSE THE THING THAT STOLE MY ID LIKES THAT NOCHILDLEFT.COMSITE TOO
Rollin', rollin', rollin' on a River ...
Bla Bla Bla
26 of the comments here were posted by one person. The point of my blog was to note that, instead of being concerned with their children's education, parents were arguing over home field advantage.
Sadly, the comments here have been equally childish. So I'm shutting down comments on this posting.
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