So often I feel overwhelmed with what I see as unfixable problems. There are a lot of things that I, on my own will never be able to fix. But, like the hummingbird, I can do the best that I can.
This clip was from the documentary Dirt. It was really interesting, and I think I could (and will) watch it over and over again. It talks about what dirt is, and our relationship with it. As we forget its importance, and allow it to become damaged, it stops nourishing us with healthy food. I was talking to my aunt and she mentioned how her stepson wouldn't eat carrots for a long time after seeing our grandmother pull them out of the garden. We've become so accustomed to seeing our food in neat little packages at the store that we've forgotten where food comes from. In an effort to produce more to meet the endless demands of cheaper food, the quality of our soil has decreased as we pump pesticides and herbicides into it. Our way of life is not sustainable, and eventually we will be forced to make changes.
I believe that God put us on the earth to learn and to grow. Part of that growth and learning, is learning to be good stewards of the life around us. That includes the dirt.
It's not practical for everyone to stop buying corn fed beed, or switch to organic foods. However, like the hummingbird, even if we can't completely change how we eat, we can do what we can. If that means growing our own garden, great! If it means buying locally produced meats (Christensen's Family Farm in my side link sells grass fed beef and pork!), then do it! If it means you switch one meal, or one meal more, each week from a meat based meal to a vegetarian one, it can make a difference (plus vegetarian meals are often cheaper). If it means you find organic gardening and yard care solutions, great!
So my challenge to all five of you who read my blog, is be a hummingbird. Find something you can do to put out the fire. How will you respond to the hummingbird challenge?
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education. Show all posts
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, October 24, 2008
All of these things are just like the other, all of these things are just the same
Salt Blog has provided a nice kick-in-the-pants to remind us of the senate and house members who voted for vouchers. The list is not comprehensive, the Salt Blog says their list is of the voucher ring leaders. You can also look at the Utah Leg. sites for Senate and House votes on the voucher bill.
Lest you think I've become a one issue voter (If I had, the issue would be health care anyway), I'm not recommending voting against any of these people soley because of their vote for vouchers, but rather to use their voucher vote as an example of their arrogance as a representative. They decided that they knew better than us, that they didn't need to listen to us, and that we were so stupid that we'd continue to vote for them even after they demonstrated such a lack of regard for our will.
Here are the Davis County legislators who voted FOR vouchers and are up for reelection:
Roger Barrus (House district 18)
Kevin Garn (House district 16)
Curtis Oda (House district 14)
I'm sure that these men are all good people, I'm sure that they are doing what they believe to be their best in representing us, which is one reason why it's time for them to step aside.
Lest you think I've become a one issue voter (If I had, the issue would be health care anyway), I'm not recommending voting against any of these people soley because of their vote for vouchers, but rather to use their voucher vote as an example of their arrogance as a representative. They decided that they knew better than us, that they didn't need to listen to us, and that we were so stupid that we'd continue to vote for them even after they demonstrated such a lack of regard for our will.
Here are the Davis County legislators who voted FOR vouchers and are up for reelection:
Roger Barrus (House district 18)
Kevin Garn (House district 16)
Curtis Oda (House district 14)
I'm sure that these men are all good people, I'm sure that they are doing what they believe to be their best in representing us, which is one reason why it's time for them to step aside.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Power of Suggestion...
A's life is a musical. He sings everything. Today he was singing "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know what I can do" to the tune of Mary Had A Little Lamb. As I was getting ready for the day, I sang, "A knows how to listen to mom, listen to mom, listen to mom. A knows how to listen to mom, because he is a smart boy!".
It didn't take long for him to mix a bit of that into his song.
Maybe I should sing the multiplication tables or something. He'd be the smartest 3-year-old around.
(I'm really thinking about signing him up for a kindermusic class. There's a teacher close to our new house, so that would be really convenient.)
It didn't take long for him to mix a bit of that into his song.
Maybe I should sing the multiplication tables or something. He'd be the smartest 3-year-old around.
(I'm really thinking about signing him up for a kindermusic class. There's a teacher close to our new house, so that would be really convenient.)
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Lets go eat school lunch, e-coli is on the menu...
This story from the Chicago Tribune appeared in the Trib this morning.
WASHINGTON — One federal inspector calls it the "E. coli loophole." Another says, "Nobody would buy it if they knew." The officials are referring to the little-discussed fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed it acceptable for meat companies to cook and sell meat on which E. coli, a bacterium that can sicken and even kill humans, is found during processing. The "E. coli loophole" affects millions of pounds of beef each year that tests positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7, a particularly virulent strain of the bacterium. The agency allows companies to put this E. coli-positive meat in a special category—"cook only."
...Some cooked beef products end up in the National School Lunch Program, which is administered by the USDA. The agency bought 2.8 million pounds of cooked beef in 2006, according to USDA records.
WASHINGTON — One federal inspector calls it the "E. coli loophole." Another says, "Nobody would buy it if they knew." The officials are referring to the little-discussed fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture has deemed it acceptable for meat companies to cook and sell meat on which E. coli, a bacterium that can sicken and even kill humans, is found during processing. The "E. coli loophole" affects millions of pounds of beef each year that tests positive for the presence of E. coli O157:H7, a particularly virulent strain of the bacterium. The agency allows companies to put this E. coli-positive meat in a special category—"cook only."
...Some cooked beef products end up in the National School Lunch Program, which is administered by the USDA. The agency bought 2.8 million pounds of cooked beef in 2006, according to USDA records.
School Reform To Really Leave No Child Behind
I posted this over at One Utah in a post about the fall of vouchers and what comes next. If we don't come up with some ideas (and likely, even if we do) vouchers will be back.
Of course we want to privatize public education! It works so well with health care. A few people are getting really rich and the rest of us are out of luck. Lets do that to our kids too!
Here’s my suggestion (besides smaller class sizes and paying teachers more)… There is a charter school near me that is grouping kids into “pods” for various subjects. If a student excels at reading but is struggling in math, the “pod” they are in for reading will include other students who also do well in reading, and their math “pod” will be with other children of a similar ability so that the teacher can focus on the needs of that group of students instead of trying to teach to everyone and leaving some students bored and some confused.
I think that implementing this type of ability grouping would require smaller class sizes, or at least some teaching assistants so that classes can be mixed and broken down into small groups of children.
As children master a concept as a group, the group can advance, as children master concepts individually, they can move throughout the different groups as needed. No on gets lost in the classroom, and no one sits bored because they have already mastered what is being taught.
It will be interesting to watch test scores at this particular charter school over the next few years.
Of course we want to privatize public education! It works so well with health care. A few people are getting really rich and the rest of us are out of luck. Lets do that to our kids too!
Here’s my suggestion (besides smaller class sizes and paying teachers more)… There is a charter school near me that is grouping kids into “pods” for various subjects. If a student excels at reading but is struggling in math, the “pod” they are in for reading will include other students who also do well in reading, and their math “pod” will be with other children of a similar ability so that the teacher can focus on the needs of that group of students instead of trying to teach to everyone and leaving some students bored and some confused.
I think that implementing this type of ability grouping would require smaller class sizes, or at least some teaching assistants so that classes can be mixed and broken down into small groups of children.
As children master a concept as a group, the group can advance, as children master concepts individually, they can move throughout the different groups as needed. No on gets lost in the classroom, and no one sits bored because they have already mastered what is being taught.
It will be interesting to watch test scores at this particular charter school over the next few years.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
We all want what is best for the children
I'm moving, and my son will be in a different school's boundaries. We're keeping him where he is for the rest of the year. Moving causes enough trauma, so I'm trying to limit it where I can.
My dilemna has been what to do about next year. The "neighborhood" school that he should be going to next year is nowhere near our neighborhood, and he will have to ride a bus. The school also scores lower on the yearly testing than his current school, as well as both of the charter schools in the area. I'm thinking about applying to the charter schools, but I've tried to get him in before and his name wasn't drawn in the lottery, so who knows.
I could look into a private school, but I'm not aware of any local private schools that are so superior as to make them worth the extra money (vouchers or no).
I've kind of decided that he will be fine no matter where he goes to school. Partly because he's very bright, happy to be in school, and because we (his parents) are involved in his education. I think more parents, when finding themselves in a difficult situation with their children's education, instead of trying to find a better school, ought to first ask themselves how involved they themselves are in their child's education (but what do I know, my kids aren't struggling).
On the up-side, I discovered that the bus drop off is just at the corner of our street, three or four houses down.
My dilemna has been what to do about next year. The "neighborhood" school that he should be going to next year is nowhere near our neighborhood, and he will have to ride a bus. The school also scores lower on the yearly testing than his current school, as well as both of the charter schools in the area. I'm thinking about applying to the charter schools, but I've tried to get him in before and his name wasn't drawn in the lottery, so who knows.
I could look into a private school, but I'm not aware of any local private schools that are so superior as to make them worth the extra money (vouchers or no).
I've kind of decided that he will be fine no matter where he goes to school. Partly because he's very bright, happy to be in school, and because we (his parents) are involved in his education. I think more parents, when finding themselves in a difficult situation with their children's education, instead of trying to find a better school, ought to first ask themselves how involved they themselves are in their child's education (but what do I know, my kids aren't struggling).
On the up-side, I discovered that the bus drop off is just at the corner of our street, three or four houses down.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
I am a Democrat because I am a Mormon, not in spite of it.
Thanks to Frank for the link to Harry Reid's talk at BYU.
If you haven't read it, take a few minutes to do so.
Harry Reid at BYU
If you haven't read it, take a few minutes to do so.
Harry Reid at BYU
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Be on your guard people....
Liberals in Washington are coming after you and your parental choice.
I was talking to a friend the other day and she asked if I was in favor of vouchers or not. Honestly, I don't think vouchers are going to severely damage our public schools. I do think that the Utah voucher program is seriously flawed. If you claim to want to give parents a choice in education, make sure that the vouchers go to people who because of finances, don't currently have a "choice" not to people who can already afford to send their kids to private schools.
The radio ads that warn us of liberals in Washington make me simultaneously feel like laughing and screaming. They'd be hilarious if I didn't think that way too many people believe them.
Anyway, I told my friend what I thought about vouchers and she said that she felt like the anti-voucher group was telling people what to think instead of presenting reasons and letting people think for themselves. My comment was, "and how are the pro-voucher ads any better?"
So, this election, lets all remember to get past the rhetoric and scare tactics and use our brains when we decide how to vote. Or, if you don't have a brain, borrow mine.
I was talking to a friend the other day and she asked if I was in favor of vouchers or not. Honestly, I don't think vouchers are going to severely damage our public schools. I do think that the Utah voucher program is seriously flawed. If you claim to want to give parents a choice in education, make sure that the vouchers go to people who because of finances, don't currently have a "choice" not to people who can already afford to send their kids to private schools.
The radio ads that warn us of liberals in Washington make me simultaneously feel like laughing and screaming. They'd be hilarious if I didn't think that way too many people believe them.
Anyway, I told my friend what I thought about vouchers and she said that she felt like the anti-voucher group was telling people what to think instead of presenting reasons and letting people think for themselves. My comment was, "and how are the pro-voucher ads any better?"
So, this election, lets all remember to get past the rhetoric and scare tactics and use our brains when we decide how to vote. Or, if you don't have a brain, borrow mine.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Green Ideas for Back to School
It's that time of year again, back to school. I'm thrilled to have a child in school, so I can buy school supplies without my husband looking at me like I'm a little nuts (yes, we need these six pairs of scissors!).
The only thing I don't love about back to school is the reminder it is of the cars idling in the drop off lane. To all parents, consider walking or riding bikes to school, it's good exercise for you and your kids, it gives you more time that you can focus on your child, and it is better for the air that we breathe. I hate to see all the kids out at recess during inversions, and we can all do a little to make a big difference.
If you must drive, PLEASE turn off your car. No one is going to die of heat, or freeze to death in the 10 minutes it might take for your child to get out of the school and into your car.
Thank you.
For more information on what you can do to improve our air quality, see Utah Mom's for Clean Air.
The only thing I don't love about back to school is the reminder it is of the cars idling in the drop off lane. To all parents, consider walking or riding bikes to school, it's good exercise for you and your kids, it gives you more time that you can focus on your child, and it is better for the air that we breathe. I hate to see all the kids out at recess during inversions, and we can all do a little to make a big difference.
If you must drive, PLEASE turn off your car. No one is going to die of heat, or freeze to death in the 10 minutes it might take for your child to get out of the school and into your car.
Thank you.
For more information on what you can do to improve our air quality, see Utah Mom's for Clean Air.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Good at Math
I had someone tell me recently that one of the best things you can do for your kids to help them do well in math is to tell them that they are good at math. I, personally, have never been very good at math. I've "known" that my whole life, but I'm not sure when it started.
My Mr. and I count with our 3-year-old and I've started telling him how good he is at counting and how he's good at math. My 5-year-old likes to work out addition and subtraction problems for fun, so we do that, and I compliment him on his math skills. I guess the idea behind the "you're good at math" compliments is that really, until they are in high school, there is no reason for any child to be "bad" at math, and that if young kids are told that they are good at math, they will be.
My 5-year-old (who is very good at math) has been getting a little bored with the adding and subtracting, so we've started algebra. :)
a+7=9 a=?
Things like that. He thinks it's pretty cool, and I'm afraid that my child-who-is-good-at-math will soon be better at it then I am (I guess I'd better start studying).
Next we're going to talk about story problems.
My Mr. and I count with our 3-year-old and I've started telling him how good he is at counting and how he's good at math. My 5-year-old likes to work out addition and subtraction problems for fun, so we do that, and I compliment him on his math skills. I guess the idea behind the "you're good at math" compliments is that really, until they are in high school, there is no reason for any child to be "bad" at math, and that if young kids are told that they are good at math, they will be.
My 5-year-old (who is very good at math) has been getting a little bored with the adding and subtracting, so we've started algebra. :)
a+7=9 a=?
Things like that. He thinks it's pretty cool, and I'm afraid that my child-who-is-good-at-math will soon be better at it then I am (I guess I'd better start studying).
Next we're going to talk about story problems.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Not Everything Has To Be A Contest
I tell my 5-year-old fairly regularly that not everything needs to be a contest. He's very competitive. He knows which kids at school are "ahead" of him in their homework books. He knows who is further along in their computer program. I talked to his teacher about it last time we had a parent/student/teacher conference, she said that there are 22 kids in the class and only 5 or 6 (I can't remember for sure) are girls, and the boys are extremely competitive with each other. She said it's something they're working on at school, and encouraged me to continue working on it at home.
Well, here is something that isn't going to help. My Mr. and I are having a contest of sorts to see how long we can make one tank of gas last. This isn't entirely fair because he drives into salt lake for school at least twice a week, so maybe it's not so much that we will be competing with each other, as we'll just be trying to each do the best we can. I've walked to pick up my kindergartner from school every day so far in the past two weeks. My Mr. does drive him to school on the way to work (it's been to cold to walk so far, and since the time change we've had a hard time waking up early enough to walk (it takes me nearly 30 minutes to walk the 1/2 mile to his school these days, I have to go very slowly). Lots of excuses. After the baby is born we'll see about walking to school (I need to find a group of kids for him to walk with- he just seems so little to be walking to school without me!).
In other news, my 3-year-old has sat on the toilet three times this morning. Right now he's in there reading his books. Nothing has happened yet, but I'm hoping.
Well, here is something that isn't going to help. My Mr. and I are having a contest of sorts to see how long we can make one tank of gas last. This isn't entirely fair because he drives into salt lake for school at least twice a week, so maybe it's not so much that we will be competing with each other, as we'll just be trying to each do the best we can. I've walked to pick up my kindergartner from school every day so far in the past two weeks. My Mr. does drive him to school on the way to work (it's been to cold to walk so far, and since the time change we've had a hard time waking up early enough to walk (it takes me nearly 30 minutes to walk the 1/2 mile to his school these days, I have to go very slowly). Lots of excuses. After the baby is born we'll see about walking to school (I need to find a group of kids for him to walk with- he just seems so little to be walking to school without me!).
In other news, my 3-year-old has sat on the toilet three times this morning. Right now he's in there reading his books. Nothing has happened yet, but I'm hoping.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Smart and Business-Minded
On Sunday, my 5-year-old was busy building something with his K'nex (His are similar to what is shown in the link). He built a nice set of dumbbells. After he had them all lined up nicely, he got out his piggy bank and set it up nearby. Then he went around the house recruiting customers.
For 25 cents I had a nice workout with very light weights, and the privilege of watching my son "make money". I think he'd open up the gym for anyone who was interested, so come on over.... My Mister's comment was that he takes after my side of the family (we generally don't like working for other people).
This morning while we were brushing teeth, my 5-year-old said, "mom, the black thing in your eye is called a pimple".
"I think you mean a pupil."
"Oh, yeh, a pupil... and when you are in the dark it gets really big, and when you shine a light in your eyes, they get really small."
It always surprises me a little bit when he spurts off information that he didn't learn from me. Now that he is in school it is happening more and more often. I'm having a hard time with the idea of having him gone all day when first grade starts next year (august 29th, and he can't wait). It's enough to make me consider home schooling him, just to keep him close to me. I won't though. He's having a great time in school. I'll have to be satisfied with our great discussions about pimples and whatever other information he decides to share with me.
For 25 cents I had a nice workout with very light weights, and the privilege of watching my son "make money". I think he'd open up the gym for anyone who was interested, so come on over.... My Mister's comment was that he takes after my side of the family (we generally don't like working for other people).
This morning while we were brushing teeth, my 5-year-old said, "mom, the black thing in your eye is called a pimple".
"I think you mean a pupil."
"Oh, yeh, a pupil... and when you are in the dark it gets really big, and when you shine a light in your eyes, they get really small."
It always surprises me a little bit when he spurts off information that he didn't learn from me. Now that he is in school it is happening more and more often. I'm having a hard time with the idea of having him gone all day when first grade starts next year (august 29th, and he can't wait). It's enough to make me consider home schooling him, just to keep him close to me. I won't though. He's having a great time in school. I'll have to be satisfied with our great discussions about pimples and whatever other information he decides to share with me.
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Choice
It's amazing what happens when you take some time to think about something (really, I encourage everyone to try it!). I was thinking about what might happen if elective abortions were suddenly made illegal in Utah.
I think that there would be a lot of desperate women who really feel like abortion is their only choice seeking other methods of ending their pregnancies. I'm not using this as a justification for allowing abortions, but I think before we make something illegal we need to think out the consequences of doing so.
M.A. commented in my earlier post on the abortion bill that ideally people would always be conscientious and responsible, but that real life doesn't always work that way. I don't know what the statistics are on abortions in Utah or why women seek an abortion, but obviously there must be women who feel like it is their only choice. I'm disgusted that there are still insurance companies who will pay for drugs like viagra but not birth control.
So, it seems to me, that before we go banning something, we ought to work a little harder to reduce demand for it. Spend the 2-4 million dollars on education and health care reform so that all women in utah know what their options are, and that those options are accessible to everyone. Reduce the demand for abortions, give women options and information, then talk about challenging Roe vs. Wade.
Until all women in Utah have some basic level of sex education and accessible options for pregnancy prevention, banning abortion would only shift the procedure into a much less-safe black market.
I think that there would be a lot of desperate women who really feel like abortion is their only choice seeking other methods of ending their pregnancies. I'm not using this as a justification for allowing abortions, but I think before we make something illegal we need to think out the consequences of doing so.
M.A. commented in my earlier post on the abortion bill that ideally people would always be conscientious and responsible, but that real life doesn't always work that way. I don't know what the statistics are on abortions in Utah or why women seek an abortion, but obviously there must be women who feel like it is their only choice. I'm disgusted that there are still insurance companies who will pay for drugs like viagra but not birth control.
So, it seems to me, that before we go banning something, we ought to work a little harder to reduce demand for it. Spend the 2-4 million dollars on education and health care reform so that all women in utah know what their options are, and that those options are accessible to everyone. Reduce the demand for abortions, give women options and information, then talk about challenging Roe vs. Wade.
Until all women in Utah have some basic level of sex education and accessible options for pregnancy prevention, banning abortion would only shift the procedure into a much less-safe black market.
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Weightier Matters and the Abortion Bill
I remember reading this article by Dallin H Oaks when I was a student at USU. It has stuck with me ever since. I used to feel really conflicted about the abortion issue, after all, shouldn't a woman be able to choose? It's her body. Yes, she should be able to choose, and she can. Aside from rape and other circumstances where the choice has been taken away from her, a woman can choose whether to have sex or not. A woman can choose to use some form of birth control. It should not come as a surprise to any woman that having sex can result in pregnancy. If it does, then we need some major education reform in Utah (either in the home or in schools, I'm not picky). It would be nice if males had a more direct consequence from having unprotected sex. They don't though, and using that as an excuse for a woman to avoid responsibility for her choices is ridiculous.
Somewhat as a side note, I learned something new recently. On my gardening/composting discussion forum (obviously we talk about other things too) someone posted an article about a woman who was arrested after she had taken the first part of the Morning After Pill. The jail's nurse for whatever reason did not allow her to take the second pill. I don't think the original story had anything to do with moral objections by the nurse, but on my discussion forum, that's how it was brought up. I didn't know anything about the morning after pill, although I did do some reading about RU486 in college. I had always assumed that the two were the same. I was wrong, and I think a lot of people make the same assumption. The Morning After Pill (also known as Plan B) is not an abortion drug. It prevents pregnancy much in the same way that birth control pills and IUD's do (and it is supposed to be available at pharmacies without a prescription for women over 18 years old). Anyway, back to the main issue- I just thought this was interesting.
Abortion is a responsibility issue, not a choice issue.
That said, I'm not sure how I feel about the bill to ban abortions. I'm glad to see that the bill includes the exceptions that it does, but I'm unsure about the financial cost of defending the bill. Who decided to change it from the original trigger bill anyway?
Voucher Discussions with Paul Neuenschwander
I sent an email to Sheryl Allen and Paul Neuenschwander asking them to vote No on vouchers. I heard back from Sheryl Allen within a day or two. She encouraged me to email Paul Neuenschwander, which I found amusing (she voted no, he voted yes).
After the voucher bill passed, I heard back from Paul (we've had quite the email conversation lately, so I can call him by his first name). Here's what he had to say:
Thank you for writing. You likely know by now that the bill passed and I voted in favor of it. Let me give you my reasoning. As I examined the matter and stripped out the emotions, my decision came down to a pure business decision. We have 150,000 students coming in the next 10 years and that is on top of the 550,000 students we
currently have. We need to fund the students in some way or another. I found this to be a partial answer of that funding. If I can move a student out of the system in which the tax payer has a $8,000 burden for only $2000 (the amount the fiscal analyst thinks will be the average) that makes sense for me. We can save many thousands each student by building this private/public partnership. The fiscal analyst also thinks not more than 4000 leave the system. Even at 4000, if we save $5000 per student, that would amount to about $20,000,000 in savings. This would be good for the system. I hope that helps you understand where I am coming from. I know it will not satisfy everyone, but I did receive numerous emails from other constituents that wanted me to vote for them. Thanks for writing and please feel free to keep me informed of your opinion. I will be happy to share my thinking process. Paul
I emailed him back:
Thank you for your reply.
I am disappointed in the way you voted. Tax money should not be spent to support private, for-profit businesses. In business, the higher the demand, the higher the cost. With more children able (although I have serious doubts as to how many children this bill will actually "help") to attend private schools, the cost of private schools will increase. Supply and demand. Pure business.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I was surprised when I got another email from him...
Thank you. We have numerous public/private partnerships. Most of the health delivery system is provided by companies in the private sector. They can provide the services to those who need them better than the state can do it. It is the second largest budget item. Historically only tax money has been used to fund public schools. With this public/private cooperation, we are hoping that some of the services (in this case education) can be provided less expensively than just funding the public schools. It will certainly relieve the situation. It is not the only answer and in fact the fiscal analyst said only 4000 students will take advantage of it. Given our current enrollment that is less than 1%. But, if we had to finance them in the system it would be upwards of $28 million. With this partnership it is about $8 million. No matter where we have them, we have to pay for them. I for one want to make sure we do all we can to help educate our kids in the best possible way and I think this partnership is one step. Paul
And my final email back to him (you never know though, he might email me back again- if he does I'll edit this post to include it)...
Paul,
Like I said, it will be interesting to see what happens. I truly hope that vouchers are able to help the education system. I have my doubts, but we will see.
I do find it rather amusing that you use health care as an example of sucessful private/public partnerships. Our health care system is probably more messed up than our education system.
Thank you for the discussion. :)
He has voted completely opposite of what I would have liked for him to vote. I realize that my views are more moderate than many of the conservative voters of Davis County, so I can't expect to always feel represented, but his voting record has been frustrating for me. It's nice to have civil discussion with him about an issue, even if we disagree. It helps me to remember that he really probably is a very good person. It's been interesting.
After the voucher bill passed, I heard back from Paul (we've had quite the email conversation lately, so I can call him by his first name). Here's what he had to say:
Thank you for writing. You likely know by now that the bill passed and I voted in favor of it. Let me give you my reasoning. As I examined the matter and stripped out the emotions, my decision came down to a pure business decision. We have 150,000 students coming in the next 10 years and that is on top of the 550,000 students we
currently have. We need to fund the students in some way or another. I found this to be a partial answer of that funding. If I can move a student out of the system in which the tax payer has a $8,000 burden for only $2000 (the amount the fiscal analyst thinks will be the average) that makes sense for me. We can save many thousands each student by building this private/public partnership. The fiscal analyst also thinks not more than 4000 leave the system. Even at 4000, if we save $5000 per student, that would amount to about $20,000,000 in savings. This would be good for the system. I hope that helps you understand where I am coming from. I know it will not satisfy everyone, but I did receive numerous emails from other constituents that wanted me to vote for them. Thanks for writing and please feel free to keep me informed of your opinion. I will be happy to share my thinking process. Paul
I emailed him back:
Thank you for your reply.
I am disappointed in the way you voted. Tax money should not be spent to support private, for-profit businesses. In business, the higher the demand, the higher the cost. With more children able (although I have serious doubts as to how many children this bill will actually "help") to attend private schools, the cost of private schools will increase. Supply and demand. Pure business.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
I was surprised when I got another email from him...
Thank you. We have numerous public/private partnerships. Most of the health delivery system is provided by companies in the private sector. They can provide the services to those who need them better than the state can do it. It is the second largest budget item. Historically only tax money has been used to fund public schools. With this public/private cooperation, we are hoping that some of the services (in this case education) can be provided less expensively than just funding the public schools. It will certainly relieve the situation. It is not the only answer and in fact the fiscal analyst said only 4000 students will take advantage of it. Given our current enrollment that is less than 1%. But, if we had to finance them in the system it would be upwards of $28 million. With this partnership it is about $8 million. No matter where we have them, we have to pay for them. I for one want to make sure we do all we can to help educate our kids in the best possible way and I think this partnership is one step. Paul
And my final email back to him (you never know though, he might email me back again- if he does I'll edit this post to include it)...
Paul,
Like I said, it will be interesting to see what happens. I truly hope that vouchers are able to help the education system. I have my doubts, but we will see.
I do find it rather amusing that you use health care as an example of sucessful private/public partnerships. Our health care system is probably more messed up than our education system.
Thank you for the discussion. :)
He has voted completely opposite of what I would have liked for him to vote. I realize that my views are more moderate than many of the conservative voters of Davis County, so I can't expect to always feel represented, but his voting record has been frustrating for me. It's nice to have civil discussion with him about an issue, even if we disagree. It helps me to remember that he really probably is a very good person. It's been interesting.
Monday, January 29, 2007
In-State Tuition
There was a nice editorial in the Trib yesterday. The author of this editorial says that Rep. Glenn Donnelsen who is sponsoring HB224 (to prohibit undocumented students from receiving in-state tuition) has misinterpreted the federal law. Reading the federal law, I can see how it might be misinterpreted.
US Code, Title 8, Chapter 14, Subchapter II, Section 1623a says:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not
lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the
basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for
any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of
the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an
amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen
or national is such a resident.
It's confusing, and from what it looks like to me, Donnelson might just be right (as far as following bad law goes). It looks like unless a citizen of the US can get in-state tuition regardless of residency, an undocumented student can't. But non-resident citizens CAN get in-state tuition after meeting some other requirements (one of which is residency for a certain period) which an undocumented student who has lived here and graduated from a local high school has already met, so then it would seem that an undocumented student should be eligible for in-state tuition.
I guess after reading the actual law, I would have to support Donnelson's bill IF he left out the part where undocumented students can't ever get in state tuition, because that is not what the law says. Leaving out that part makes the whole bill a big waste of time. It would be passing a bill that changes nothing. I'm glad they're making good use of their time up on the hill.
US Code, Title 8, Chapter 14, Subchapter II, Section 1623a says:
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an alien who is not
lawfully present in the United States shall not be eligible on the
basis of residence within a State (or a political subdivision) for
any postsecondary education benefit unless a citizen or national of
the United States is eligible for such a benefit (in no less an
amount, duration, and scope) without regard to whether the citizen
or national is such a resident.
It's confusing, and from what it looks like to me, Donnelson might just be right (as far as following bad law goes). It looks like unless a citizen of the US can get in-state tuition regardless of residency, an undocumented student can't. But non-resident citizens CAN get in-state tuition after meeting some other requirements (one of which is residency for a certain period) which an undocumented student who has lived here and graduated from a local high school has already met, so then it would seem that an undocumented student should be eligible for in-state tuition.
I guess after reading the actual law, I would have to support Donnelson's bill IF he left out the part where undocumented students can't ever get in state tuition, because that is not what the law says. Leaving out that part makes the whole bill a big waste of time. It would be passing a bill that changes nothing. I'm glad they're making good use of their time up on the hill.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
A Commentary on School Vouchers
This was in today's deseret morning news....
Proponents of private school vouchers have seized the rhetorical high ground, using terms like "equal opportunity" and "parental choice" to justify their efforts. The Deseret Morning News has apparently been dazzled by this doublespeak.
Let us set the record straight.
Salt Lake City School District supports both universal excellence and public school choice. We offer a variety of programs, philosophies, and instructional strategies. Twenty-five percent of our students exercise meaningful choice, enrolling in schools outside their residence area. We are proud of our ability to use data to drive instruction, our menu of effective interventions, and the pathways we have built for advanced learners.
Our committed public educators have much in common with talented teachers in private schools. We do not blame parents who think vouchers may help them do what is best for their children. On the contrary, we hope they'll stay with us, work with us, to find the solutions they desire. Nevertheless, we challenge those who have already abandoned public education to think about the harm vouchers will do.
Vouchers let Utah legislators off the hook. They do nothing to address underfunding of public school programs. They will not reduce class size, train teachers, develop innovative curricula, rebuild unsafe facilities or pay rising transportation costs. Powerful legislators say, "More money is not the whole solution." We agree. However, less money is no solution at all. Vouchers mean fewer dollars for public schools in a state that already ranks dead last in per-pupil funding.
Vouchers deepen social divides and leave taxpayers without a voice. Even "means-tested" vouchers cannot provide equal access. Transportation and tuition costs will continue to discriminate, further dividing our community. Private schools choose the children they serve, and they tend not to serve children with special needs. Who will ensure that students on vouchers will not be counseled out of their private schools because they prove difficult to teach or discipline? Private schools typically do not meet accountability standards required of public schools, and taxpayers would have little say in how voucher dollars might be used.
Vouchers do not prevent "double taxation." All families pay education taxes only once. Tuition is a voluntary payment to a private institution. People who hire private security firms do not get vouchers from police departments. Private school tuition is not a tax in any sense of the word.
Vouchers compromise the separation of church and state and violate the Utah State Constitution. Respect for religious diversity has never been more important than it is today. We must shore up the 200-year-old constitutional protections for our rights of conscience. By opening the door for public money to flow to religious institutions, in direct violation of Utah's constitution (Articles I and X), vouchers chip away at those safeguards.
Make no mistake. Vouchers are weapons employed in a strategic attack on our public institutions. The voucher movement betrays the public good by encouraging narrow-minded self-interest and a willingness to turn away from our responsibilities to each other. The goal is to funnel government support toward private and corporate gain and to de-emphasize government's social stewardship.
Voucher proponents do not care for the students who will suffer as a result of their plans. We hope our representatives will care and will refuse to give up on the civic mission of public education.
Heather Bennett, Doug Nelson, Kristi Swett, Cliff Higbee, Mark Maxfield, Alama Uluave and Laurel Young are members of the Salt Lake City Board of Education.
Proponents of private school vouchers have seized the rhetorical high ground, using terms like "equal opportunity" and "parental choice" to justify their efforts. The Deseret Morning News has apparently been dazzled by this doublespeak.
Let us set the record straight.
Salt Lake City School District supports both universal excellence and public school choice. We offer a variety of programs, philosophies, and instructional strategies. Twenty-five percent of our students exercise meaningful choice, enrolling in schools outside their residence area. We are proud of our ability to use data to drive instruction, our menu of effective interventions, and the pathways we have built for advanced learners.
Our committed public educators have much in common with talented teachers in private schools. We do not blame parents who think vouchers may help them do what is best for their children. On the contrary, we hope they'll stay with us, work with us, to find the solutions they desire. Nevertheless, we challenge those who have already abandoned public education to think about the harm vouchers will do.
Vouchers let Utah legislators off the hook. They do nothing to address underfunding of public school programs. They will not reduce class size, train teachers, develop innovative curricula, rebuild unsafe facilities or pay rising transportation costs. Powerful legislators say, "More money is not the whole solution." We agree. However, less money is no solution at all. Vouchers mean fewer dollars for public schools in a state that already ranks dead last in per-pupil funding.
Vouchers deepen social divides and leave taxpayers without a voice. Even "means-tested" vouchers cannot provide equal access. Transportation and tuition costs will continue to discriminate, further dividing our community. Private schools choose the children they serve, and they tend not to serve children with special needs. Who will ensure that students on vouchers will not be counseled out of their private schools because they prove difficult to teach or discipline? Private schools typically do not meet accountability standards required of public schools, and taxpayers would have little say in how voucher dollars might be used.
Vouchers do not prevent "double taxation." All families pay education taxes only once. Tuition is a voluntary payment to a private institution. People who hire private security firms do not get vouchers from police departments. Private school tuition is not a tax in any sense of the word.
Vouchers compromise the separation of church and state and violate the Utah State Constitution. Respect for religious diversity has never been more important than it is today. We must shore up the 200-year-old constitutional protections for our rights of conscience. By opening the door for public money to flow to religious institutions, in direct violation of Utah's constitution (Articles I and X), vouchers chip away at those safeguards.
Make no mistake. Vouchers are weapons employed in a strategic attack on our public institutions. The voucher movement betrays the public good by encouraging narrow-minded self-interest and a willingness to turn away from our responsibilities to each other. The goal is to funnel government support toward private and corporate gain and to de-emphasize government's social stewardship.
Voucher proponents do not care for the students who will suffer as a result of their plans. We hope our representatives will care and will refuse to give up on the civic mission of public education.
Heather Bennett, Doug Nelson, Kristi Swett, Cliff Higbee, Mark Maxfield, Alama Uluave and Laurel Young are members of the Salt Lake City Board of Education.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Way to Go PTA!!!
When my 5-year-old started kindergarten last fall, my Mister and I joined the PTA. We don't actually participate, but we paid our dues. I think that the local PTA does some really nice things for the school (which is why I joined/gave money to support them).
Several months ago the PTA was doing an anti-drug week of some sort, and one day, my 5-year-old brought home a can of soda pop that had a sticker on it saying something like "I CAN STOMP out drugs". It was very clever. I put the can in the fridge, and forgot about it.
Last night I made pizza for dinner, so my Mister pulled out the can thinking that the 5-year-old could drink it with his pizza. he looked at the ingredient list, since it was a store-brand and a name we were unfamiliar with. It had caffeine in it! What in the world is the PTA doing sending home caffeinated beverages with kindergartners? If I had noticed several months ago when the can came home, I would have called the school to make sure that something like that didn't happen again, as it is, it's kind of late...
I'm sure that whoever was buying all the cans of soda pop just picked out a bunch of different kinds and overlooked the fact that this one contained caffeine. I can't imagine anyone knowingly buying caffeinated drinks for elementary school children.
Several months ago the PTA was doing an anti-drug week of some sort, and one day, my 5-year-old brought home a can of soda pop that had a sticker on it saying something like "I CAN STOMP out drugs". It was very clever. I put the can in the fridge, and forgot about it.
Last night I made pizza for dinner, so my Mister pulled out the can thinking that the 5-year-old could drink it with his pizza. he looked at the ingredient list, since it was a store-brand and a name we were unfamiliar with. It had caffeine in it! What in the world is the PTA doing sending home caffeinated beverages with kindergartners? If I had noticed several months ago when the can came home, I would have called the school to make sure that something like that didn't happen again, as it is, it's kind of late...
I'm sure that whoever was buying all the cans of soda pop just picked out a bunch of different kinds and overlooked the fact that this one contained caffeine. I can't imagine anyone knowingly buying caffeinated drinks for elementary school children.
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