Dirt Between Light Bulbs finds Senate President Jon Tester's logic a bit tortured. Sen. Tester essentially argued that Republican neglect of education in recent years forced Democrats to increase education spending this year.
While I don't have much use for legislators who blame the other party for their own failings, I would never get into an argument with a man who has a haircut like a drill sergeant's. But Tester, who always has struck me as a reasonable fellow, actually has a point.
Everybody knew that a lawsuit over school funding was coming. I wrote nearly four years ago that it was in the works. And most people I talked to predicted that the suit would succeed.
Now, you can talk all you want about whether the suit was reasonable and necessary. And you can argue until you're red in the face that more money doesn't necessarily equal more quality.
But the fact is, Republicans knew this suit was on the way. And they knew it would probably be successful. And they knew that success would cost the taxpayers money. And they ran the show. And now they are looking for a way to blame Democrats. That won't fly.
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Republican mewling about increased spending is as specious as their ethics. For the past 16 years, the GOP has been stripping school funding to provide tax cuts for out-of-state corporations. The GOP has transfered the cost of education to local homeowners and curbed efforts for excellence. The party pursues the failed policy of trickle-down economics while stripping our children of the education they need for the information age.
The Republicans actually believe that they did adequately fund education. When Roy Brown stood on my doorstep back when he ran in my district, I accused him of not properly funding education at any level. He repeated several times that they had done so. I called him a liar to his face. But I suspect he wasn't lying, just desperately wanting to believe. The most specious argument that people use on the education issue is that you can't cure the ills by throwing money at them. That is correct. But the other side is that you can't cure the ills without more money used properly. The day has to come when each student in a computerized classroom has his or her own lesson plan for the entire year and can work on his own to fulfill that plan with the help of mentoring teachers. It probably will continue not to happen, because many of our parents don't believe that students should be taught to think, to use their brains, and to study the ideas behind science, ethics, morals and history.
HELLo! Hey, what you been smokin', Chucky? A computer and a lesson plan for a whole year will teach a student to "think"?! Wow! Didya bring enough for the whole class? Wow! You must believe in the sen. bobo keenan school of thought, the one that says that teachers are irrelevant. For you see, sen. bobo homeschools his own kids. For bobo, it's all quite simple. Education is simple. Simply homeschool! And simple systems produce simple results! Simple kids! That way, there will be NO tax money wasted on the common good! The common good is outdated and overrated! A good RePubie should be considerate enough to stimulate their own kid's imaginations while stimulating the economy with HUGE tax breaks for the corporations! Stimulation is the key! After the RePubies have everyone real stimulated, THEY'LL HOSE YA REAL GOOD! How thoughtful of them!!!
Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers!
I know that many people think that all students, even elementary students, should have computers to learn on. However, studies have shown that in early childhood brains actually develop differently if these students work with computers than with paper or similiar materials. Retention of material is also bad. Retention of material, when light comes out of a screen such as a computer screen or tv, is about 10% while retention when the light is reflected, such as off of paper, is more like 70%.
Yes, I have references but I cannot get to them at this time as I am out of town for a couple of days. This information came out of a journal called Lapis a few years ago. Lapis is no longer published - another victim of the New York/Trade Center bombings as it was published by the New York Open Center (I believe that that name is correct. Very close if it is not.)
Of course your right, whisper. But the fact remains that for most homeschoolers, rentention is NOT an issue! Neither is REAL education! Homeschoolers do NOT want to produce children that are too smart. Smart children who can think for themselves, embrace diversity, and fully function in a diverse society, are NOT the goal of homeschoolers! Homeschoolers like their children like they like their women; quite, obedient, servile, indoctrinated, and most importantly, BRAINWASHED LITTLE PUBIES! For you see, the rightwing Montana Pubies are looking toward the future. Roger Stoopman, Booby Keenan, and the entire gang of goofballs, zealots, wierdos, and Natalsonians are NOT gettin' any younger. Who will replace them when they're done if there is not a serious effort to produce new kooks?!
Larry Kralj, Environmental Rangers!
Dear Kraljy: What are you smoking? The point is, that whether it is done with computers or with a larger number of teachers, kids need to be taught with an individual program, such as the ones that special needs children now have. If you are going to read posts through filters, as least read the words and the intentions through the correct ones. The mentoring and the correct lesson plans will help kids learn to think rather than to recite things learned by rote, which is why kids taught at home tend to win spelling bees and geography competitions, but don't understand why creationism is not a science.
Well, Chuck, ya got me there! You've convinced me that spelling is perhaps the highest form of thinking out there! I'm SOLD! But I wonder, would the Lewis and Clark Expedition have been even MORE successful if them two non-thinkers would'a known how to spell??? Just curious!
LK
The Republicans spent 8 years building up a $300,000,000 budget surplus.
The Democrats spent it in 85 days.
the Democrats never solved the school-funding question.
I'm glad this session happened - the people of Montana need to be reminded of just how Democrats run the State Government when they get the chance.
Eric, can I remind you how we ended up with a HUGE deficit in the FIRST place? Well, the Repubies decided to fund NOT education, or things we really need. They decided, like the Pubies on the national level, to fund the CORPORATIONS!, to the tune of FIVE HUNDRED FREAKIN' MILLION DOLLARS! Now, that was supposed to stimulate the economy. You feelin' stimulated yet???????? If what you have said in the past is true, Eric, you are a sad case. You are a working man who votes for the Pubes. In most places, that's called SUICIDE!
LK,
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