Look Who's Fighting For Teachers!
George Miller (D-California), who is utterly married to the Orwellian/Duncany language of edreform, and who is completely full of shit, if you asked me, was on the Twitter today complaining that the GOP pushed some really attractive bits of ESEA-related legislation. Now, I don't have time to read HB 3989 and HB 3890 in full, and I'm sure that the underlying language is basically designed to privatize the system, but I would like to point out that the Republicans have figured out that one centerpiece of the Duncan/Obama agenda--- the publication of bullshit teacher evaluation data-... more »
Be Thankful For Your Pension
A colleague tossed an email over the transom tonight. My colleague was doing the virtual lobby thing, and he made a point in his correspondence with this representative that teachers don't get Social Security when they retire. This is part of the response. I'm keeping out the names because it's not a public statement per se. This is one of what I would call "the true believers," who thinks that Social Security is in a doomsday death spiral. These people are immune to information. By the way, I am absolutely positive that this same representative, if pressed, would indicate that ... more »
Report From The Virtual Front
I had some communication with my state representative, Kelly Cassidy, about SB 512 and other pension questions."I still am firmly against the ideas put forth in the original bill," is one of the things that she said. Of course, she left herself plenty of wiggle room with the usual language about all parties needing to come to the table. I'm going to press her next on the ideas in Glen Brown's great post--- about slowing down the ramp-up to 2045, about increasing revenues, and about the exaggeration of the problem. Very reasonable, responsible people agree on these matters--- it's j... more »
Report From The Virtual Front
I had some communication with my state representative, Kelly Cassidy, about SB 512 and other pension questions."I still am firmly against the ideas put forth in the original bill," is one of the things that she said. Of course, she left herself plenty of wiggle room with the usual language about all parties needing to come to the table. I'm going to press her next on the ideas in Glen Brown's great post--- about slowing down the ramp-up to 2045, about increasing revenues, and about the exaggeration of the problem. Very reasonable, responsible people agree on these matters--- it's ju... more »
The Man Knows What He's Doing
Too busy to chime in. But, now that I'm here... Arne Duncan is perfectly capable sending a message by sitting on a panel with Michelle Rhee. He knows exactly what he's doing-- he's suppressing a federal investigation. He is many things, but he is not an idiot. It takes a fierce kind of zealotry to stay so permanently on-message, to deflect *every* question with a talking point, and to distort others' opinions with straw men--- *accepting the status quo, poverty is destiny, etc. *His constant repetition of a few stock phrases* *is right out of Karl Rove's playbook. It isn't easy to ... more »