Education

[Greg G]

I forgot to include one of my favorite Mark Twain truisms:

First, God created idiots. That was for practice. Then he created school boards.

Greg G.

[Greg G]

No longer the superintendent of Ft. Worth. No forwarding address.

2005 salary was $376,000.

Gads, if we all got raises like that the economy would be booming - if it weren't taxpayer money, that is. Not to mention the outstanding lifetime health care and retirement programs - at your expense. If the average American knew what these guys and their pals in the judiciary, house.and senate voted for themselves, there would be pitchforks aplenty headed towards DC and severed heads lining K-street.

Screw the tea in Boston Harbor.

Greg G.

[John E.]

Now is as good a time as any to ask why so many school districts are funded thru property taxes. This of course results in smaller, wealthier cities getting far more of their share of state funding than they need per student.

A good example is here in Los Angeles county CA. There's a small incorporated city named San Marino that has one of the highest per capita incomes in the state that borders the city of Pasadena. The San Marino school district spends far more per student than does the Pasadena Unified District yet they're held to the same testing standards by the state. Is spending more necessarily better? Maybe, maybe not but giving students in a publically funded school more of the means to succeed than others merely because they get more money from the state is simply wrong.

To my mind, public schools should be funded as needed on a per student basis, not on what the value of the homes are which surround the school.

John E.

[Swingman]

"John E." wrote

You get that passed, Bubba and I'll kiss your ass anywhere/time/place you want and give you time draw a crowd.

Don't get me started on property taxes ... I'm ready to f*&^$$ murder over that issue ... I'm going to cough up in excess of $14K in three weeks (75% of that going to "school taxes), while my neighbor across the street will pay 1/4 of that for the same SERVICES!!

Gimme a f(*&^ break!

[Swingman]

"Leon" wrote

In this case, an absolute perfect example of "being educated beyond your intelligence..."!

[toolman946 via CraftKB.com]

Geez you guys! I thought this woodworking thread was to learn "how" to build a soapbox... not climb up on it!

And what's with all those book titles you bandy about?!? I don't think I've seen any one of them on Oprah's book list!

(snicker)

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Maybe you just hung out at a different school. There were enough of them going to college only for the deferment. My 1962-63 high school Civics teacher told us not only how to avoid the draft, but how to work summers and collect unemployment the rest of the year. I can give a list of names if you need it.

[LRod]

Wait a minute...wasn't a deferment a legitimate program available to any otherwise draft eligible youth? How can you criticize or characterize someone as less than honoroble who took advantage of such an opportunity? I had a student deferment until I got hired by the FAA. If you want to call me a draft dodger you'd better be prepared to come here and do it to my face. You may not like the result.

As it turned out, the ankle injury I incurred years before made me ineligible. Not 4F, but not healthy enough for the level at which they were inducting at the time.

Later, when the lottery started, my number was three digits and started with a three. Does that make me a draft dodger?

[dpb]

Schofield was well represented by both Grant and Sherman but Johnstone for his role as antagonist on the campaign to Atlanta (during which J Davis had him removed) and then later when he was reinstated struck me I'd like to read more of his side of the story--then, of course, Sheridan for his derring-do, so to speak as unattached cavalry to see what he thought of how it went as opposed to what Sherman thought and expected. Methinks there were a lot more "aw-sh__" moments than one might think from this point. :) Then, of course, that hasn't yet touched Lee...I've already got Schofield on the list, but it'll probably be another year or two before I get there--there's only about another month or so of real winter and then farming picks up again in earnest (assuming it rains some more this year than last, anyway)...

--

[dpb]

dpb wrote: ...

Grant, not Sherman intended there, of course...

All these guys are pretty doggone impressive when you look at their lifelong body of work not just the Civil War era. Makes most of the folks we hear of today seem pretty small ime(stimation) in comparison.

I'm also constantly reminded of what "tough" really meant--the 12-yr old regimental drummer boys, for example. Where are 12-yr olds today?

--

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Yes, when used as intended. The only reason some people went to college and in certain occupations was strictly for that deferrment. They would be considered draft dodgers.

See above.

Why are you making an ass of yourself with the tough talk? Did you used to be the schoolyard bully? Or just a big mouth?

So who gives a crap?

[LRod]

How do you read motive in someone's heart?

Must be some magic goggles.

I'm sensitive on the subject. I went to college with a student deferment from 1964 through 1967. I was never in the military. There are some people who try to create a nexus between those two circumstances which doesn't reflect favorably on me in their eyes. They verbalize that at their peril. No bully, no big mouth, but I won't stand by to be labeled as something I wasn't. Would you?

I see. Never mind.

[Edwin Pawlowski]

When they say "I'm in school to avoid the draft" you sort of get a hint.

Nothing magical, you just listen to what they say. Such as "I'm not going in the f---n army." Some of these were in my school, neighbors, etc.

I did not label you at all, but your making what appears to be a physical threat just makes you look like the big bully. Quite laughable, really. Generally comes from lack of self confidence, I'm told.

[George]

That doesn't work either. Took all of two contracts to eat up a doubling of per student funding in our district when they went to your system.

The property tax still comes up for anything but "operating expenses," so there's no running from that, either.

[George]

Knifing each other on the playground to protect dope-selling turf....

[Rod & Betty Jo]

Competition......making the public schools compete in both product and price. Society (rightly so) has decided to fund education (approx. half of most states budgets)....realistically the cost is based on number of students.....taxes pretty much come from everybody including parents......If a private school is taxpayer supported or a public school the money doesn't really care.....By adding competition to the mix with required quality standards, education can only improve.....Rod

[Joe]

it?????

C'mon, let's apply some common sense here!

(also snickers)

jc

[Joe]

In front of their xbox's, game cubes, ps3's, psp, etc.......

jc

[dpb]

Rod & Betty Jo wrote: ...

It's a simplistic, nice-sounding "solution", but ignores entirely the problem inherent in any process -- effect of the quality of the input material to the quality of the output product.

--

[Tanus]

I'll assume that post is tongue-in-cheek.

Regardless, there's plenty of room for all kinds of discussions on a WW forum. One of the reasons I prefer USENET to other forums is that it's not moderated formally. Informally, it's very moderated by all users.

By and large, the Wreck talks about wood, tools, problems, safety and all other "on topic" issues. Just like if you're in a small shop and you talk out a problem with the guy next to you. What's the right blade for this cut, what wood should I use here, etc.

After a bit, those same two guys gather round the woodstove or water cooler for a smoke and/or coffee and talk about whatever they feel like, which may include getting laid last nite, what a genius/buffoon Bush is, or whether Bush got laid last nite. On topic to a shop?

Sure is.

It's all part of the process.