Couple of things
- We can conserve! And this will help us get through the end of the year, so here's to crossing our fingers and hoping for an incredibly wet final three months of the year.
- Kudos to Clarke County's schools, further proving that much of the distrust of them is based on false perceptions. As James Simms said, much work still needs to be done, but I think we're seeing some real progress. The resources are there, and this community is taking steps to address our poverty rate and we're seeing more and more parents being willing to invest in our public schools, which is a most positive step.
- It's not the kind of poll you want to cite, but it's one that's cited by Rand Knight nonetheless.
- Dubose Porter: 'We ought to consider the Glenn Tax.' Casey Cagle: 'This thing concerns me.' Wasn't so hard, was it?
- Related to that, no one enjoys paying property taxes, sure, but I wouldn't say they're 'too high' with a blanket statement. Actually, quite the contrary, as Georgia's property taxes are among the lowest in the nation. Some groups feel a stronger pinch than others, and the appropriate measures should be taken to address that, but blowing up the system and replacing it with a radically different one controlled by a handful of folks in Atlanta isn't the way to go.
- Related to that, Glenn Richardson pens a forum so absolutely absurd, that I had to quit reading it. He argues off that bat that because you can still have local referendums on SPLOST projects, that local communities should be content. It's like arguing with a child.
- Related to that, Chris smacks around the logic behind the Glenn Tax.
- Via Peach Pundit, I stumbled upon this fascinating story. Everyone write Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov and thank him for not letting the Soviet Union blow all of us up.
- Kudos to Clarke County's schools, further proving that much of the distrust of them is based on false perceptions. As James Simms said, much work still needs to be done, but I think we're seeing some real progress. The resources are there, and this community is taking steps to address our poverty rate and we're seeing more and more parents being willing to invest in our public schools, which is a most positive step.
- It's not the kind of poll you want to cite, but it's one that's cited by Rand Knight nonetheless.
- Dubose Porter: 'We ought to consider the Glenn Tax.' Casey Cagle: 'This thing concerns me.' Wasn't so hard, was it?
- Related to that, no one enjoys paying property taxes, sure, but I wouldn't say they're 'too high' with a blanket statement. Actually, quite the contrary, as Georgia's property taxes are among the lowest in the nation. Some groups feel a stronger pinch than others, and the appropriate measures should be taken to address that, but blowing up the system and replacing it with a radically different one controlled by a handful of folks in Atlanta isn't the way to go.
- Related to that, Glenn Richardson pens a forum so absolutely absurd, that I had to quit reading it. He argues off that bat that because you can still have local referendums on SPLOST projects, that local communities should be content. It's like arguing with a child.
- Related to that, Chris smacks around the logic behind the Glenn Tax.
- Via Peach Pundit, I stumbled upon this fascinating story. Everyone write Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov and thank him for not letting the Soviet Union blow all of us up.
posted by Jmac at 6:38 AM
10 Comments:
Based on your comments I was looking for some counter-intuitive statistical reporting which would allow me to update my beliefs about ACC schools. And all I got was an accrediting bureaucrat saying very nice, but vague, things about ACC schools.
I'm quite sure the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools would be willing to provide said data to you if you like.
The article says their "report" will be published in 30 days, and I will read it then.
But what, exactly, was it in the article you link that gives you confidence in ACC schools?
It merely reinforces my confidence in the Clarke County School District. They have quality teachers, a broad scope of academic programs, good resources and a steadily engaging body of parents (that is growing).
Plus they've got good kids there.
My guess is that the report says nothing new. We already know that we have a highly educated teacher population in ACC, which turns over quickly due to their ability to get jobs elsewhere and burnout from overwork and having to be a disciplinarian constantly, and a good technology-to-kid ratio. I'm not sure that means it's an awesome school district. It just means that it has the potential to be and that there are good things about it.
Weren't you the one who jumped on me a few weeks ago for not respecting others' opinions? And are you not the person who in this blog entry dismissed the Speaker's opinion by saying "absolutely absurd" and "it's like arguing with a child" - I just want to be sure I'm not missing anything here.
Weren't you the one who jumped on me a few weeks ago for not respecting others' opinions? And are you not the person who in this blog entry dismissed the Speaker's opinion by saying "absolutely absurd" and "it's like arguing with a child" - I just want to be sure I'm not missing anything here.
Well, it is absurd. And seeing how he doesn't address the concerns and criticisms of the plan, but instead falls back on his predetermined talking points, it is like arguing with a child.
I'm not saying Richardson isn't worthy of respect. He's the Speaker of the House, so more power to him. But he's not respecting his opponents if we argue 'this takes away local control' and his only response is 'no way ... you still get to do the super-cool SPLOST thing.'
There's also the fact that my issue with you was that you refused to even acknowledge any criticism I had over military policy because I wasn't a four-star general. Despite me not taking any actual offense to it, I felt that was fairly disrespectful, so I told you so.
I also had the decency to email you privately about it rather than air it out for the whole world to see ...
Everyone just knew that I was going to have something to say about the SACS accreditation thing.
I will acknowledge the obligatory caveat that students in the CCSD's schools can get a good education if they and their parents so choose. But, the evidence suggests that is not the norm.
The CCSD's schools have been accredited by the SACS for years - and still consistently under-performing by every measure. How will this new "districtwide" accreditation change anything? The short answer, of course, is that it won't.
See the latest over at TOA.
How will this new "districtwide" accreditation change anything? The short answer, of course, is that it won't.
I just don't share this pessimism of the schools here, and I say that based on not only because of the increased involvement we're seeing from the community, but also because I regularly am in those schools.
See the latest over at TOA.
Nice. :)
Ummmm, I don't want to really be a wet blanket on this whole school thing, but try to find a school system that isn't SACS certified. Even excreable systems like Greene County and Taliferro County have all their schools SACS certified.
The turnover rate in ACC is off the scale compared to other districts. In most other districts in this area it is in the low single digits. You can never get a straight answer about why there is such heavy turnover. Are you suggestion that teachers in other districts don't have to work as long and hard as ACC teachers? Even if you are making that case, what is the reason for this, and why are the results (dropout rates, test scores). If you are in the schools, you know what the problem is.
The hiring and training of so many new teachers on a constant basis is a tremendous cost to the system, and hence to the taxpayers.
Management would be canned in a heartbeat at any institution in the real world that approached the rate of CCSD.
Strange how the state review of the CCSD special ed. programs that found a "A pervasive student attitude of defiance and disrespect" doesn't get much play. Of course CCSD suggested resolution of this problem was to recommend more diversity training for the teachers. Try to find out what has been done to address the issues in the this state BOE report.
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