So, she did it. Mike Pence broke a 50-50 tie with his vote to make Betsy DeVos the United States Secretary of Education. Criticism from Democrats focused on her being a big donor to the Republican party and just being overall unqualified for the position. Here's AL Franken comment: https://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=3615
Senator AL Franken, at her hearing, asked her what her position was on growth vs. proficiency, and she fumbled through her answer. Clearly she wasn't caught up on the topic. Even though...

http://www.excelined.org/about-us/mission

At the bottom of the mission statement of the organization ExcelinEd, where she was chairmen, there's a link "Our Approach", which shows them outlining the problem of the American education system by citing stats of 4th grade reading levels not being proficient. Which would suggest she should be a little familiar with the issue. It also suggests her organization is for proficiency testing, but maybe that's just the only available information they have to go on.

Me, I'm not clear on what would be a better approach, but testing for growth of an individual kid sure sounds a hell of a lot better on paper. Is it practical? Is it beneficial enough to justify providing the man hours?

But I hear her plan for grizzly bear protection is state of the art.

Haha Dammit I forgot about that. Hard to keep all the crazy corralled. I swear that's part of their strategy, the Gish gallop.

"Dominionism will never gain positions of real power in the US"



So, 8 years of jesus school would make a person what.....13? Plenty old enough to hold a yall qaeda battle rifle.

(February 7, 2017 at 4:25 pm)Khemikal Wrote: "Dominionism will never gain positions of real power in the US"



So, 8 years of jesus school would make a person what.....13? Plenty old enough to hold a yall qaeda battle rifle.

From the ExcelinEd link

Quote:Our Mission
To build an American education system that equips every child to achieve his or her God-given potential.

---

(February 7, 2017 at 4:21 pm)Whateverist Wrote: But I hear her plan for grizzly bear protection is state of the art.

Aren't you a teacher, whatevs? I'd be interested on your take on growth vs proficiency.

But isn't Betsy DeVos the story of every Disney princess - someone who is born royalty, and stays royalty, even though they are completely undeserving of it?  These are people who can't lose no matter how badly they behave or how ignorant they are.  Why do we love Ariel and Jasmine, but not Betsy DeVos?

As a teacher, I think that Donald Trump and the 51 Republicans who voted to confirm DeVos (including Mike Pence) have done a great disservice to Public Education. Conservatives will love the move because she hates teachers, and thinks we're overpaid. Of course she spends more on buying senators than most teachers make in a year. The woman is the embodiment of corruption, and an enemy to public education. And now she's the head of it. It's like putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse. I say fuck Betsy DeVos and her corporate cronyism.

So how's them checks and balances working out for ya? I have no more tears to shed for the US :|

(February 7, 2017 at 5:17 pm)Cecelia Wrote: As a teacher, I think that Donald Trump and the 51 Republicans who voted to confirm DeVos (including Mike Pence) have done a great disservice to Public Education.  Conservatives will love the move because she hates teachers, and thinks we're overpaid.  Of course she spends more on buying senators than most teachers make in a year.  The woman is the embodiment of corruption, and an enemy to public education.  And now she's the head of it.  It's like putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse.  I say fuck Betsy DeVos and her corporate cronyism.

US teachers, overpaid. Lol. The US is already world famous for shitting on good teachers. Give a bad grade, get fired by the rich dentist dad on the school board, we all know the stories.

(February 7, 2017 at 5:17 pm)Cecelia Wrote: As a teacher, I think that Donald Trump and the 51 Republicans who voted to confirm DeVos (including Mike Pence) have done a great disservice to Public Education. Conservatives will love the move because she hates teachers, and thinks we're overpaid. Of course she spends more on buying senators than most teachers make in a year. The woman is the embodiment of corruption, and an enemy to public education. And now she's the head of it. It's like putting the wolf in charge of the henhouse. I say fuck Betsy DeVos and her corporate cronyism.

Teachers make so much money that my wife scrapped five years of college education (pre-k through 6th license) and went back to school to become an RN.

We saw the writing on the wall back in the late 90s. Many people don't value education, and they have nothing but contempt for the people who teach their children.

Of course this has little impact on people who send their kids to private schools. Its regular families who send their kids to public schools that will get the shaft. It almost feels like an overt attempt to separate kids into social and economic castes.

I've been saying this a lot lately, but I'm glad i don't have children.