Copperfield,

I have to agree with you on the depressed attitude one can have on decline. I was listening to Mark Steyn's new book in the car and had to shut it off do to its depressing nature.

My generation seems to have been throughly brain washed and miss educated. The things then believe are absured to say the least, and the economic issues appear to be just as unpalatable the social.

But I live in NY and have never been to Texas. Who knows; there could be a bit of vibrance somewhere.

My friends are clocking in at 30 and have little interest in getting employment. They're overgrown children to be sure.

The few that had the forsight to learn computer programming are more lucrative, but just as disinterested in all things American.

Where's the Barbarians already. We're so easy to sack

Well I'm very familiar with the standards from K - 6. The common core as it stands is pretty flexible on how a school achieves the standards. I can use any piece of literature, informational writing, or math program so long as I get my students ready for the exam.

A large portion, specifically elementary school, teachers border on either stupid or really stupid. The structure the standards provide is paramount for these idiots.

I'm with Molly and Brent.

I get the sense that it was half joke half real. It's obvious the man like an audience and reiterated to get the crowd going.

I've worked in a few black neighborhoods and it's often that people like him have a good sense of humor about the whole race thing.

They're still democrats. But it's the politically motivated that shun such an attitude that ruin everything.

But then why isn't the environmental nuts, who really have major political power, disgust them to any degree.They almost got that cap and trade bill through and that would have crippled the country.

Because it seems scientific?

This is a level of blind arrogance that deserves a crash.

Yet, somehow the south, or lets say the religious nuts, showed that largest in country immigration.

They need to wake up.

Or lets abandon the religious right, give them no political home. Let them create a third party and watch the democrat party go wild.

The democrat party has become a religion of "What have you"?

You're colleagues think it's the party of science and so it is.

People with this sort of mentality deserve everything that 's coming.

Yes, but somehow the environmental nuts and feminists are not equally nor more offensive than the Christians.

Socal, that is such a vapid excuse.

As long as I can get an abortion on the way to a gay wedding I'll let the dems take 40 percent of my paycheck every week.

Living in the New York area I hear many radio ads from conservative groups. They always have an economic message, never a social one. Yet they continue to lose. 

Super Nurse, that is a fantastic way to put it. We can't control a border from relatively benign intruders, yet somehow we can stop the entire climate in its tracks.

Scientism is completely insane. The education system needs to be dismantled. 

I have nearly all liberal friends and I stay silent about my conservatism. My friend came out as gay, but I refuse to "come out" as conservative because by their standards my behavior is far more deviant. In fact they would think I have some sort of mental problem.

However, my gay friend is certainly still accepted as a friend in my house. Do I approve of his behavior. No. Neither do I approve of some of my own behaviors, but neither do I brag about them.

If gay people live in the South they should move up North. Or they could, as I do, live a full and complete life while hiding only one aspect of myself. It's to buy into the liberal agenda to suggest all behavior should be public.

As the south grows substantially in population vs. a contracting new England and a stunted "other liberal places". Maybe, Liberals don't have your best interest at heart. As people vote with their feet, unfortunately for New Hampshire not with their heads. Economic freedom is the most pervasive freedom. If you need to hide a few of your proclivities maybe that's for the best. 

I feel many people on this site have no sense of scale. How a state runs it's liquor laws is to do with the state, social security is the federal government. Don't like West Virginia, go to Virginia. Don't like the US, uh no where to go!

Liberals are the moralists and they should be painted as such. We are the party of leave us the hell alone!

BTW... Abortion is good for controlling the liberal population.

Though I am totally against it.

Oh come off it... That is not what nearly anybody means by that. That's as much a mischaracterization as any. We have a corrupted populace where cities that were centers of innovation once are now crime ridden cesspools.

If a Hitler ever arises again, which we're fools to think one won't, good luck getting anyone to defend this place. You think the south, which supplies nearly half our troops, will die for those who hate and mock their culture. Good Luck!

My dad was so glad the day my brother was out of the military. Didn't seem blood for retirement of some people that undermine us at every step is an idea to die for.

Social conservatism will never die because its the only thing that works. Good luck trying to shrink government when children don't have fathers, people need medication for chronic stds, and all charity comes from the state. Fiscal conservatism can only be practiced via social conservatism. Multiple girlfriends ain't cheap!

Leah,

The majority of student's according to the CCLS students must be able to work independently in reading and math within both group and individual learning models.

I'm not discounting individual feedback. I give it all the time. However, if a group of 20-30 kids can't "get to work" as like to say to my ten year olds the class is ineffective.

Additionally, taxpayers have the right to close their school off to outsiders. The school is the communities property in the most basic and direct sense. At least in NY, property taxes pay for your local school district. (I know the state funds much of it, but much less for better districts) To have an intruding state government “bailout” failing communities is an unfortunate solution, which I feel is no solution.  

You can always move out of your school district. Easier said than done, I know, but we are not in a country yet where we’re relegated to our state run commune.

Leigh,

Actually one or two students can make a huge difference when you have an administrative system that provides that little monster with a myriad of so called "rights". Of course these rights never include the education of the other children. One child, specifically if he's ED (emotionally disturbed), can be in a school for year wrecking up the place before a parent concedes any ground.

One may not make much of a difference, but if that one includes a group of followers chaos can reign supreme in no time flat.

Smaller classes are important for younger grades. But really, only until about 2nd grade. Children should be able to work independently effectively by age 7. If they are not, there is either a deficiency in either the schools or home life.

I feel like education is much like the restaurant biz. Everybody thinks they can do it because everyone has experienced it.

Rob,

Sorry for the generalization.

That being said, the class size is a red herring. The goal is to create students who are wiliing to accept instruction. Smaller class sizes allow for more individualized attention, but at the same time, explode the budget and create unnecessary teaching positions.

The majority of class size calculations are dependant on special ed classes that drastically reduce the average. Furthermore push in model teachers, reading, esl, AIS, ect, create obtructions to the teaching process more than they aid it.

Teachers want smaller class sizes because of behavior issues. If the large majority of students are willing to accept instruction, as my students are, double the class size and I would care. Standardized testing would demonstrate and accurate assessment of their skills, and little individual attention would be needed.

I find it strange that students are able to perform in lecture halls in college, but can't be in a room of more than 25 in highschool.

Well Rob,

Brain science says different. As we find by the time they get to eighth grade. Children from poor environments have developed poorer performing brains.

Small class sizes are a fallacy. My class is large for the space provided. It's the city so we pack'em in. However, the majority of my students are willing to accept instruction; therefore I can have a large class. Small classes are only needed for behavior management, which is a constraint on a budget.

I recall a priest speaking of his time in Africa. He spoke of his 8th grade math class of 80 kids. Kids were begging to attend. Class size is a myth.

You're idealism is bordering on Liberalism. With a big L.

If we could abolish public schooling all together and create a voucher system with an accountability component to be sure kids actually go to school would be fantastic.

However, much of the problem stems from the fact that neighborhoods with good schools are content with the system.

Bad schools will be in bad neighborhoods until the neighborhoods are no longer bad.

Merit system? Just because parents like a school doesn't necessarily make the school a great school. If many of my parents had their way they would dumb down the curriculum to the point of irrelevance. However, as a whole, of course, it is like by the majority and therefore a market mechanism would create good schools too.

However, I do believe a student performance component is necessary.