Spitzer - Exhibit A to outsource public education
Posted by: CotoBlogzz | 07/16/2008 9:22 PM
We have made the argument that Deliverance does not work.
We have also made the argument that politicians need to be taken out of the public education equation. For the purposes of this discussion we are not even looking at the bigger globalization picture.
Heck, we are not even looking at the Transformator (why Transformator, you might ask? Just ask the Kennnedy's or the Obama campaign - but that is another conversation) throwing millions to educating California children to roll sushi.
Assemblyman Todd Spitzer - former School Board Member and former AP Teacher is exhibit A for everything that is wrong with public education: We have asked him in the past to get involved in common interest development issues, with not even a peep.
Yet, he readily agrees to speak at a rally in support of students whom had their Advanced Placement test scores nullified after 10 students admitted to cheating on the test.
The apparent argument is that the Trabuco HS administration should be penalized for such blatant action. Why should 375 students be penalized or their ethics even questioned when only 10 cheaters have been identified?
According to Stephen Davis, a psychology professor at Emporia State University in Kansas, surveys of college students in the 1940s showed that 20 percent of them admitted to having cheated in high school, whereas according to a 1998 survey by the Josepheson Institute of Ethics in Marina del Rey, 70 percent of high-school students (and 54 percent of middleschool students) said they'd cheated on an exam in the last 12 months!
More recently, two Tesoro High School students are being charged with upwards of 69 felony counts of unauthorized computer access, burglary, fraud, identity theft, conspiracy and altering public records.
Apparently the Honorable Todd Spitzer is taking a page out of the Obama playbook by pandering to the youth vote.
The message the Honorable Todd Spitzer is sending to school administrators is, What part of I am King do you not understand? The message to kids? Do not worry about accountability - there are plenty of jobs in politics!
We have also made the argument that politicians need to be taken out of the public education equation. For the purposes of this discussion we are not even looking at the bigger globalization picture.
Heck, we are not even looking at the Transformator (why Transformator, you might ask? Just ask the Kennnedy's or the Obama campaign - but that is another conversation) throwing millions to educating California children to roll sushi.
Assemblyman Todd Spitzer - former School Board Member and former AP Teacher is exhibit A for everything that is wrong with public education: We have asked him in the past to get involved in common interest development issues, with not even a peep.
Yet, he readily agrees to speak at a rally in support of students whom had their Advanced Placement test scores nullified after 10 students admitted to cheating on the test.
The apparent argument is that the Trabuco HS administration should be penalized for such blatant action. Why should 375 students be penalized or their ethics even questioned when only 10 cheaters have been identified?
According to Stephen Davis, a psychology professor at Emporia State University in Kansas, surveys of college students in the 1940s showed that 20 percent of them admitted to having cheated in high school, whereas according to a 1998 survey by the Josepheson Institute of Ethics in Marina del Rey, 70 percent of high-school students (and 54 percent of middleschool students) said they'd cheated on an exam in the last 12 months!
More recently, two Tesoro High School students are being charged with upwards of 69 felony counts of unauthorized computer access, burglary, fraud, identity theft, conspiracy and altering public records.
Apparently the Honorable Todd Spitzer is taking a page out of the Obama playbook by pandering to the youth vote.
The message the Honorable Todd Spitzer is sending to school administrators is, What part of I am King do you not understand? The message to kids? Do not worry about accountability - there are plenty of jobs in politics!
Mr. Ayer registered as a Republican to be electable in an interim election with no incumbents. He did...
"Yet, he readily agrees to speak at a rally in support of students whom had their Advanced Placement test scores nullified after 10 students admitted to cheating on the test."
Speaking of education, it's useful to understand the distiction between subjective and objective pronouns prior to pontification.
Excellent red herring. Perhaps at the same time we can learn to distinguish facts from ponticates.
No, "redperegrine."
What's a "ponticate"?
Exactly!
Semantics Semantics Antics!! Since none of us took the advance placement test we really don't have to worry about subjective and objective pronouns and whatever...while we don't use eubonics here, just getting your point across without worrying about exact, properly used parts of speech is really the goal.
Todd Spitzer....the thing I remember the most about this guy is a couple of years ago he appeared at the Central Committee meeting to ask that the OC RP NOT take a position on a certain ballot measure (I'll go back and try to find exactly which one it was) but what shocked me the most was he didn't want the party to take a stand on an obviously conservative measure and his final comment was "you'll be making me work too hard" (if you do this)...I thought that's why we voted for the guy...to work hard??? Amazing. While he seemed a while to be the golden boy, I think his performance has been rather lackluster and I'll never forget the "you'll make me work to hard" statement...people were clapping for him, and I turned to my seatmate and asked her if she just heard what he said....then I repeated to her what he had said and she stopped clapping....me? I didn't start clapping ..... I was just stunned.
Anon:
Thanks for the breath of fresh air – thought we were closer to LA for a moment!
Your description fits quite nicely with Spitzer siding with students – after all, why should students study hard for a grade when a kid can hack into a computer and change grades at the click of a mouse? After all, Orange County is not Stand and Deliver county, right?
Yes, Heaven forfend that those who pop off about the poor state of the State's educational sytem actually use English properly. Why that's the sort of crazy thing they expect in LA and other liberal bastions, apparently.
BTW, 9:37, you might be surprised to learn that some loyal OCBlog readers did take AP English; and actually passed the test!
Red herring:
Congratulations on your AP English accomplishments!
Of course, such assertions would not be of the Cintonian persuasion - right?
First, let me say that as a former AP Teacher and School Board Member, I am deeply concerned about the administration’s mismanagement of AP test taking procedures at Trabuco Hills High and how the students in my district are suffering as a result. Second, I would like the opportunity to respond to what Cotoblogzz refers to as “not a peep” on common interest development issues that were raised.
After receiving one complaint from a disgruntled HOA member from Coto de Caza in March, I worked with Senator Dick Ackerman and vetted the concerns he raised through the Transportation and Housing Committee. I contacted the California Association for Homeowners Associations, the Department of Real Estate, and the Department of Corporations on his behalf. This person received several correspondences from my office relaying the various professional reviews I obtained on the matter. I even made a personal phone call to this constituent.
I was clear that because his issues were raised after the deadline to introduce legislation and because I am termed out, I am limited in my further options but I am compiling a comprehensive list of all unfinished business for my successor to take up next session.
Being responsive to my constituents is my highest priority. This was demonstrated at yesterday’s rally and by the many hours my staff and I spent on behalf of this person and his HOA concerns.
Deeply appreciate the Honorable Spitzers’ response. Supporting the notion that the only party that should be held accountable in the Trabuco High School debacle should be the administration.
His response also speaks highly of his concerns for his constituents. Consider all he did just for one disgruntled resident. Can you image what he does for the gruntled ones?
Anonymous at 9:37 a.m.:
1.You can remember what I said, but you have no idea the issue we were debating? Everyone was clapping with approval based on what I said, but somehow we were all incorrect about the point?
2.I have been called a lot of things, but I have never been accused of "not wanting to work hard" i.e. being lazing or complacent.
I wish you would sign your real name or give me a call so that I might be able to clear up any misperception you might have.
Look forward to speaking with you.
Todd
Thanks one more time Honorable Spitzer. I will take you up on the offer and give you a ring, after we have a chat with the Trabuco HS administration.
Meanwhile we gathered all the usual disgruntled suspect and found the alleged one - below is his response:
Buzz:
That would be me. However, I would not say I was not disgruntled. Instead, I was disgusted and mad as hell related to California government and the bloated bureaucracy up in Sacramento that is owned by all the interests groups in the state and for sale to the highest bidder. In fact, our state politicians of both parties make prostitution look like an honorable profession by comparison. Clearly, in trying to deal with Sacramento , it is easy to see why the state has a $15 billion deficit. It might have a little to do with the 13,000 lawyers that are on the state payroll, along with all the legislative aides who accomplish nothing; but giving citizens the run around. It really is sad; but we have the government we deserve because most people could care less unless their particular cheese is moved. JM
P.S. You will note Spitzer’s big concern is that he has been term limited out of office. He made a point of it in my discussions with him as an excuse for doing nothing. In addition, all should know that Republicans in Sacramento have no power at all. The Democrats steal tax money from Republican districts and provide to their constituents as a pay off in pork. That is the reason we have toll roads in Orange County . Our guys just don’t have the votes to bring home our bacon. And, Schwarzenegger is a worthless, tax and spend RINO (Republican in name only). He has worked with Democrats to borrow and bankrupt the state. It really is a dirty, stinking mess.
Joseph Morabito
President/CEO
Paragon Global Resources, Inc
Actually Coto, my point was your misuse of the objective pronoun. It's a common mistake among those who (not whom) wish to appear scholarly, and hence, authoritative. A similar device is the deployment of the Royal Prounoun (first person plural) to convey an air of editorial authority when a simple "I" would suffice nicely.
I agree that what seems like pedantic grammatical quibbling to you (somehow Clintonesque) would be inappropriate under normal blog posting; but your error seemed sort of ironic given your recent posts decrying the sad state of our educational system. I'm sorry if I offended you but, I hope that conservatives, as traditionalists, are willing to recognize the rules of grammar and also appreciate that they have nothing to do with the field of semantics.
Red Herring - your point is well taken - what part of the substance did you object to?
Stay tuned - on tap: The California Teachers Union Ad