DeVos confirmed

[pjzwtl]

Pence broke the tie as was assumed due to the Rino's from AK and ME. I bet the dems are regretting Reid's nuclear option Time to make it for the SC go for broke because we know the other side will

DeVos confirmed as Education secretary, Pence casts historic tie-breaking vote

 

[Dr. Evil]

Next.

 

[Gunright]

As I mentioned in another thread. It's all wailing and mashing of teeth by the Senate D's.

 

[ProgSpear]

Hey, hope you choke, Chuck!
EDT: and Murkowski and Collins can go pound sand also.

 

[BerettaGuy]

Grinning! What goes around comes around Chuck.

 

[tirwin1]

I don't know her and am only vaguely aware of the issues with her appointment. But I am glad with this news as it will cause a number of rabid lefties to have a stroke.

 

[redtail]

Good.

F the teachers union, F the NEA also. They have failed the kids terribly.

 

[Deplorable Me]

Ready for the next round of democrat meltdowns?

 

[Phazer]

Senate Republicans should remove Collins and Murkowski from whatever committee leadership positions they have.

 

[swilliams]

Well, I was vehemently opposed to her, as were other Republicans I know. The real RINOs, imo, were the ones who took major money from her for their elections (Toomey got $60,000), and were too afraid to stand up to money.

She did nothing for Michigan's schools. In fact, their test scores fell under her watch. Her hearings showed someone who is only slightly more coherent than Nancy Pelosi. Lastly, charter schools - her 'claim to fame' - are not the answer to our education problems. They may work in some instances, but are hardly the great solution she thinks they are.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Education at a crossroads

I urge you to read Thomas Sowell's article on why the opposition is so strong.....She thinks children's education comes first.

Please read before you oppose.

 

[Gunright]

Saw this on twitter, expresses my feelings to a 'T':
"If you think Betsy DeVos is going to destroy education in America, then we agree that the Department of Education has too much power."

 

[swilliams]

Education at a crossroads

I urge you to read Thomas Sowell's article on why the opposition is so strong.....She thinks children's education comes first.

Please read before you oppose.

Okay, I read it. It's author is touting charter schools and vouchers, both of which come with an enormous set of problems. That's one of my main objections to DeVos. I don't think charters are the answer - not even remotely. For profit schooling is a mistake.

 

[944turbo]

Now abolish the DoED and I'll really be impressed.

 

[Dr. Evil]

My barometer still stands as per usual. If the dems don't want it and they act like petulant children, it is a good thing.

 

[Robin]

If I'm Sessions, when the progressive socialists are done toying with me, I'm gonna even the score. Its not like he has to look far or dig deep, its a target rich environment and any hit will ultimately be good for the country.
Robin

 

[Phazer]

Saw this on twitter, expresses my feelings to a 'T':
"If you think Betsy DeVos is going to destroy education in America, then we agree that the Department of Education has too much power."

Exactly.

The Department of Education is an unconstitutional agency. The federal government is usurping state and local power when it controls education at a national level.

Abolish the Dept. of Education.

Similarly, the Department of Energy's mission is: "The mission of the Energy Department is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions." (Mission | Department of Energy). Well. the DoE has obstructed America's energy production and security. So, the DoE should also be abolished since it dysfunctional and antithetical to its own mission.

 

[swilliams]

My barometer still stands as per usual. If the dems don't want it and they act like petulant children, it is a good thing.

I'd like to agree with you, as I love seeing them get their panties all in a wad, but this position was bought, very similar to Hillary's pay-to-play, which I find reprehensible.

 

[redtail]

If I'm Sessions, when the progressive socialists are done toying with me, I'm gonna even the score. Its not like he has to look far or dig deep, its a target rich environment and any hit will ultimately be good for the country.
Robin

Tomorrow my friend, more goodness will come tomorrow.

 

[Celt]

I dont know much about her, and id like to know more.

Honestly, im happy about anything the progressives hate, because, well, SCREW THEM!

My wife was telling me that alot of moms in our town didnt want her because they claim she supports common core; which no self respecting conservative (constitutional) should agree with. So my question is, does she support it, and can we expect it to stay?

 

[MilesTeg]

I dont know much about her, and id like to know more.

Honestly, im happy about anything the progressives hate, because, well, SCREW THEM!

My wife was telling me that alot of moms in our town didnt want her because they claim she supports common core; which no self respecting conservative (constitutional) should agree with. So my question is, does she support it, and can we expect it to stay?

I feel the same way and what little bit I have looked into her none of it makes sense. I've seen supposedly conflicted stances and odd articles. It seems like the propaganda people have flooded the internet with a bunch of BS so that no one know what she's all about.

 

[Celt]

It seems like the propaganda people have flooded the internet with a bunch of BS so that no one know what she's all about.

Thats what i saw..

 

[Robin]

Yes, the left is cluttering up the truth with their lies as they usually do, but here is something that comes before all this started. Besides, if the progressives are so in a tizzy one her nomination, she has to be the right one for the job. Frankly, I hope she dismantles the whole DOE!
Trump, DeVos Call for Ending Common Core at Michigan Rally
Robin

 

[NirvanaFan]

Okay, I read it. It's author is touting charter schools and vouchers, both of which come with an enormous set of problems. That's one of my main objections to DeVos. I don't think charters are the answer - not even remotely. For profit schooling is a mistake.

There are plenty of public charter schools that aren't there for making money. The Rochester City School District runs some. Look at the success of charter schools in New Orleans. Their system of charter schools has done a fantastic job.

As someone who sent a kid to private school for a year (and plans to when they hit middle/high school), why should I pay for the public school if I'm not going to use it? I fully support the ability to write off education expenses on your tax return (a form of voucher).

 

[swilliams]

There are plenty of public charter schools that aren't there for making money. The Rochester City School District runs some. Look at the success of charter schools in New Orleans. Their system of charter schools has done a fantastic job.

As someone who sent a kid to private school for a year (and plans to when they hit middle/high school), why should I pay for the public school if I'm not going to use it? I fully support the ability to write off education expenses on your tax return (a form of voucher).

I agree, to a point. We had charters in NYC, too. The kids at those schools were doing well, but it came at a price. They don't take any kids with IEP's, and they do a pretty good job of screening out those with behavioral issues, leaving those kids at the public schools. Fewer kids at the public schools means less money, and for the kids who need it most - by way of extra services. To top it off, they sued for use of facilities. If you make it so that charters have to serve all kids, you're right back where you started.

Technically, charters are supposed to be 'equal opportunity', but take a look at how things look in actuality. Newark charter schools, put in place to help kids in failing schools, educates 15.6% of Newark's students. However, they only have 0.08% of Newark's limited-proficiency in English kids, 2% of high-needs special ed kids, and 8.3% of it's low-needs kids.

Nothing I've heard from DeVos (in the hearings) shows me that she has the intelligence to figure out how to make this work. Her own Michigan charter schools have not gotten good results, and that speaks more to me than anything else said about her. She couldn't even describe the difference between measuring a child's progress via growth versus proficiency. Hell, I understand that, and I'm not an educator or a teacher.

I think we'd be better off looking to other countries and trying to implement some of the things that seem to be working well for them. The biggest one, imo, is that they have different tracks. There's not a one-size-fits-all attitude - they recognize that kids have different abilities and place them accordingly. Then you don't have your brightest kids being held back, yet your slower kids aren't being held to standards that many of them will never reach.

 

[Koz]

Dear Senator Schumer:

This is how we roll. The end.

Sincerely,
Senate Republicans

 

[NirvanaFan]

I agree, to a point. We had charters in NYC, too. The kids at those schools were doing well, but it came at a price. They don't take any kids with IEP's, and they do a pretty good job of screening out those with behavioral issues, leaving those kids at the public schools. Fewer kids at the public schools means less money, and for the kids who need it most - by way of extra services. To top it off, they sued for use of facilities. If you make it so that charters have to serve all kids, you're right back where you started.

Technically, charters are supposed to be 'equal opportunity', but take a look at how things look in actuality. Newark charter schools, put in place to help kids in failing schools, educates 15.6% of Newark's students. However, they only have 0.08% of Newark's limited-proficiency in English kids, 2% of high-needs special ed kids, and 8.3% of it's low-needs kids.

They don't take kids that can't handle it. That may include kids with certain IEPs. Those kids have equal opportunity to get into the school. Newark is actually spending less per capita on charter schools than the traditional public schools. Nationally, charter school students receive 28% less funding than traditional public schools students.

Nothing I've heard from DeVos (in the hearings) shows me that she has the intelligence to figure out how to make this work. Her own Michigan charter schools have not gotten good results, and that speaks more to me than anything else said about her. She couldn't even describe the difference between measuring a child's progress via growth versus proficiency. Hell, I understand that, and I'm not an educator or a teacher.

I think she has a lot to learn about the federal DOE. She is intelligent and I think she'll pick it up, but there were probably better choices.

I think we'd be better off looking to other countries and trying to implement some of the things that seem to be working well for them. The biggest one, imo, is that they have different tracks. There's not a one-size-fits-all attitude - they recognize that kids have different abilities and place them accordingly. Then you don't have your brightest kids being held back, yet your slower kids aren't being held to standards that many of them will never reach.

Rochester does this to an extent. They have a STEM academy that heavily focuses on the STEM subjects.

Look at New Orleans.
Since before Katrina to now...
28% increase (from 33-61%) in students passing the state 3rd-8th grade tests
An improvement of 1.5 points on the ACT, even though EVERY kid has to take it now
Graduation rates improved from a little under 50% to 73%
The rate of kids going to college after graduation increased from less than 20% to 59%

All this happened when poverty rose.

I'm not arguing that charter schools work everywhere, but they're working in New Orleans. The schools (teachers and administrators) seem to be more accountable. If they don't succeed, they are out of a job because their charter won't be renewed. This is something that DeVos fought against, and I think she was wrong about. She didn't want charter schools to lose their charter. I think this is imperative to successful charter schools. Just like a business, if you do a crap job and aren't producing, you close.


Frankly, I'd be perfectly fine with getting rid of the federal DOE entirely. I think it's a bloated agency that wastes tons of money. Education is something that should be left up to the states. That's probably a discussion for another time though

 

[Gunright]

Okay, I read it. It's author is touting charter schools and vouchers, both of which come with an enormous set of problems. That's one of my main objections to DeVos. I don't think charters are the answer - not even remotely. For profit schooling is a mistake.

I think we'd be better off looking to other countries and trying to implement some of the things that seem to be working well for them. The biggest one, imo, is that they have different tracks. There's not a one-size-fits-all attitude - they recognize that kids have different abilities and place them accordingly. Then you don't have your brightest kids being held back, yet your slower kids aren't being held to standards that many of them will never reach.

While it is fine to look at other countries, centralized planning (even in education) doesn't work. What works is the marketplace of ideas, which can't happen without some sort of competitive system. Even as bad as colleges and universities are, they at least compete with each other for students. Yes, that means that there will be failing schools, just like companies fail. For example, blackberry's lack of innovation was offset by Apple's innovation, and the marketplace spoke. This is how we make progress.

 

[pjzwtl]

While it is fine to look at other countries, centralized planning (even in education) doesn't work. What works is the marketplace of ideas, which can't happen without some sort of competitive system. Even as bad as colleges and universities are, they at least compete with each other for students. Yes, that means that there will be failing schools, just like companies fail. For example, blackberry's lack of innovation was offset by Apple's innovation, and the marketplace spoke. This is how we make progress.

Good point and with all the gov money tossed in and virtually no competition we already have failing schools. The system was broken by it creator (as usual) the government. Ditch the Dept. of Ed

 

[Darth]

Public schools are a disaster. Total, unequivocal disaster. And having seen it from both sides, my feelings remain.

For profit schools are absolutely the answer. I don't understand why so many get hung up on this. Greedy capitalists? Be thankful. Profit is the greatest incentive. Good, bad, or indifferent, it's true.

With public schools, there is ZERO incentive to do well. I had teachers in high school that would sleep with their heads on their desks 50% of the days. Yes, sleep. But they have a union and tenure. A one off? My ass. They are overpaid, and have zero reason to do better.

Try that at a for profit school. Do it once and you're canned.

Don't even get started on "indoctrination" either. I had one teacher that was crazy. And I don't mean crazy as in "oh, she's wacky." I mean crazy as in was confined to a mental institution for outbursts. She got out and when right back to teaching. Tenure and all. She would spend days telling us why George Bush sucked so bad. Something tripped in my impressionable mind. I agree, he was no great president, but she went way too far, a la the MSM this cycle. That one teacher created Darth as we know him today.


But it is all moot though, because it's MY MONEY! How about I spend it how I WANT?

"Pro choice" liberals my taint.