Nothing you can threaten me with, that I have not had to deal with before. I’m a volunteer remember. If someone doesn’t want me to help, then I will go elsewhere. You just proved my point – that you and many don’t care about the kids trying to get rid of people who are trying to help the students, not the unions so I have to be dealt with, right Rick?

So typical of you and your union! I’m actually on your side in many things – I agree about the many parents, about the behavior of the students, lack of resources, many things – but don’t find out about that – no, go for the throat because I don’t agree with you on everything, I must be wrong on everything else.

But when over 60% of the students graduating in the RVC district counties require remedial help in reading, math and/or writing, something needs to be aligned because those kids say that they were not taught what is required to get past RVC’s entrance exams. I rest my case – based on data, not emotion.

When government entities buy goods and services, they pay the supplier with taxpayer’s money. Once that money gets to the vendor, it is now the vendor’s money since it has been exchanged for goods and services. There are no taxpayer strings attached to that money. The taxpayer’s ownership is with the goods and services procured.

When Boeing paid for Sundstrand’s components, Boeing money became Sundstrand money and Sundstrand products became Boeing’s assets.

Sundstrand used some of its money to fund pension plans for its employees. Once an employee is fully vested in the pension, it becomes the employee’s money.

Your argumrent, if carried to its logical conclusion would mean the your money funds the pension plans of employee’s of every company you buy something from – whether it be cars, houses, food, gasoline, etc. Once you make that purchase, you have traded your money for a product or service. IT IS NO LONGER YOUR MONEY; GET IT?

ANd, if you are going to quote me, quote me correctly. Here is what I said: “And then you did poo-poo in your own hat”. If you cannot tell your hat from your hand, you will end up with lots of strange things in your hand, or possibly in your hat as well. I am ssurprised that you have never hear the phrase “Sh.t in you own hat!” I would think you would be real familiar with it.

AND, I would think that Ted might be one of the last people to believe that I would defend him, and the “us” refers to those of “us” who get our pensions from Sundstrand, not the federal government. If you cannot understand that distinction, I cannot help you any more.

Rely on the RPS numbers and the financial experts there who give them to you. Remember the $50 million hole that disappeared overnight?

Glad you confirmed your status on the budget committe. Hope you hold onto it after your comments about disabled students.

Ted, I know how much you think you know about schools and everything finance because you constantly talk about it. You don’t know anything about me, so how do you claim you know a “hell of a lot more” than me. I know, it is your arrogance because you believe you know more than anyone.

How about that “special schools” for the disabled idea? Still sound like a winner to you? Maybe you should just go to your tried and true name calling if I got you too worked up.

I guess anyone who doesn’t agree with you is “leftist” and “ranting”. Nice way to deflect any attention from my questions about your pension, social security, and desire to keep them as they are. I guess when you can’t counter an argument, you just turn to name calling. Very mature Ted, very mature.

As for your reply, most of it was the same “competition” and “failure” that you repeat over and over. Are schools failing or is it parents? Are public schools better or are the parents? I don’t have the answers but I know labeling our public school system as failing is both untrue and does not get any closer to improvement. Did you see the Academic All Star awards this week? Did public schools fail those students?

As for your “competition” that is exactly what my original response was about. If private schools want to “compete” for government money, they need to play by the same rules, like following the American with Disabilities Act. How crazy, I know. I’m sure your definition of “fair competition” came from the no-bid (or rigged) million dollar government contracts awarded to sundstrand over the years.

Finally, I hope all of Rockford sees your suggestion of “special schools for the disabled”. I really can’t believe you think that, and I hope you really ponder the implications of what you said. You should be ashamed of thinking that a kid in a wheelchair (or the many other disabilities Rockford students have) should not have the same opportunities in the same school as the other kids. It is heartbreaking that there are still people like you who would just isolate kids with any sort of disability from the traditional public schools (and private schools from your belief they should not follow ADA rules. I thought that kind of thinking went out in the 1950′s. And you served on the Rockford School Board and I believe currently on a RPS School Board committee? You might want to think about making a retraction on that statement before you are flooded with calls for your resignation from that committee. I hope you are no longer on RVC board or connected with education in any way with those hateful, prejudiced, ideas. “Separate but equal” has been shown to be unconstitutional, or are you no longer the defender of the U.S. Constitution? Or just when it fits your own agenda.

Maybe you can clear up JRM’s comment of “going poo-poo in your own hand”? Is that anything like “putting your foot in your mouth”? You might want to just quit before you say anything else as ridiculous and hurtful as your “special schools” and “every school can’t be held to the same standards” nonsense. Yet you want to compare public schools to private schools and US schools to international schools. Do you not hold them to the same standards? Can’t wait for the next response! You might be better off just ignoring me, you will do yourself and your arguments a favor.

The numbers I rely on Rick were provided by the Rockford school district and the Illinois State Board of Education. What numbers should I be using, Rick? I’ve studied these numbers, test results locally, in the state and nationally. I done this for decades and I know a hell of a lot more than you do about the numbers dealing with education, my boy. Anytime you want to get up in public and debate the financial issues, you just let me know!

I look at the data and all the variables that caused it, Rick. I have never said teachers are clueless. They are much more aware of the situation of how public education and politicians in Springfield work together and many times to the detriment of the students with all their unfunded mandates.

As far as volunteering in the schools, Rick, what do you think I have been doing for the last two decades. I did step into the schools as a volunteer for over a decade and a half – do you think I got paid for the thousands of hours I’ve put into the Rockford school district and Rock Valley College and am still putting into the schools on their ad-hoc Finance Subcommittee or as co-chair for the successful KidsWin and the $139M bond issue campaigns to rebuild the school infrastructure. You don’t know what they hell you are talking about, Rick!

No one ever said that that a teacher’s job is easy either.

Enlighten us on how much money Sundstrand made off of government contracts then. If you think your pension was not supported by millions (or is it billions?) of government dollars then you are the one with the smoke screen. Teacher’s pensions are public, how much is your pension per month?

What about your 401 K which sundstrand matched with government funded money? How about teachers or education, which is what Ted was talking about in this blog post? How about you getting social security and a pension? If Ted wants to talk about teachers and their pensions then why is asking about his off limits by your “common sense”?

Sounds like you are a perfect example of the entitlement generation. No not today’s youth, the baby boomers who think they are the only ones who worked hard and should keep the pensions they were promised.

If you want “us” (don’t know why you refer to yourself as “us” or are you speaking for Ted now?) to think you have something of value to say, then don’t just talk about you and your pension, try to speak to the topic at hand. Also, try to speak like and adult. What is this “poo-poo in your hand” bs? Or is that a saying from the sundstrand?

Ted is a big-boy with a big-boy blog. He can defend himself, he really doesn’t need you. Also, Ted is a public figure with his own public blog. If he can’t take the heat, he should step aside.

Nothing I said was not the truth so I don’t know what you consider a “cheap shot”? Perhaps anything you don’t like or is against your hero is cheap? Ted takes those shots at teachers and public schools constantly and most of the time he doesn’t really know what he is talking about. Ted can crunch numbers, but he often relies on numbers provided by one-sided sources. Funny how people like you think Ted is an “expert” on education but teachers are just clueless. You and Ted should step into a school an volunteer if you are such experts. Better yet, get a teaching job if you think their benefits are so great or their job is so easy!

By the way, it seems from the comments so far (on a conservative blog no less!) agree with me, not your sundstrand buddy Ted, that he was way off on this blog. If a private school wants to accept government money, they need to follow government rules. They just can’t have it both ways. How’s that for “common sense” JRM?

Competition is what makes the world go around, regardless of whether it is a job, manufacturing process, education, etc. and we compete in a global market, where our education used to be the best in the world but now international test results show that American education is no longer world class.

http://4brevard.com/choice/international-test-scores.htm

The schools systematically let kids down. By grade 4, American students only score in the middle of 26 countries reported. By grade 8 they are in the bottom third, and at the finish line, where it really counts, we’re near dead last. Its even worse when you notice that some of the superior countries in grade 8 (especially the Asians) were not included in published 12th grade results. They do not need 12 grades!

Read these results. Look at the entire site. The data are a little dated but have grown only worse in the last few years! Also, we can’t keep placing everything we do in our country at the lowest common denominator. If we do, the U.S. will have earned its ranking.

The answer is to have special schools for the disabled, also paid for with vouchers that can price in what is needed for those students. Every school can not be held to the same standards. One size does not fit all. Other countries that the U.S. competes with do not have these restrictions.

Last but certainly not least, Rick, you don’t know a damn thing about me. I’ve spent twenty years in education trying to solve the problems and at the higher education level too. I agree with you that standards should be higher for what public schools should be able to do with students who really don’t want to be there and disrupt everyone else and keep teachers from doing their job. They need to get rid of them just like the private schools and things could then be evaluated on a level playing field.

I bet our competition in other countries don’t have to put up with this situation. So, if the teachers want the laws changed so they can get back to their vocation, then they need to stop supporting those politicians that make sure they get only higher salaries and benefits and vote for those who are for more dicipline and higher standards and allow schools to get rid of those who chose the wrong profession. I know many teachers think this way also but keep their mouths shut because the union leaders will make their lives at school miserable.

Society is not going to save everyone and the public school system is not a miracle worker – some will be left behind and need to stop pulling everyone down to their lowest level!

“How many tomahawks did Bush fire at UBL? Clinton fired some 22 tomahawks at him just missing him 3 times so your argument is lame at best.” – 0 for 22. Let’s give him a partcipation trophy and a pat on the back for “trying”.

“Saddam possed no threat to the US…the fight was in Afganistain where UBL was hiding instead your idiot and Rumsfeld took all those assets and moved them to Iraq based on trumped up intell requested from Bush and his clan.” On a Post 9-11 world, the country thought to have WMDs by the Clinton and Bush adminstrations poses no threat. BTW, Saddam had used chemical weapons previously.

“but only one acted on it…right..!” – Both acted on it, unless you consider four days of bombing a country’s largest city and capitol not acting on it. If that is what you believe, then we really owe Japan an apology for.

“And that differance is the more than 100,000 thousand killed” – Considering Saddam was killing about 30,000 of his citizens per year, I think we are a nat savings of 200,000 people.

Toddler,

Some us voted for Bush twice. We liked the low unemployment, the economic growth, and he did a good job after cleaning up the mess from 9-11.