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| Post Number: 81
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busybee 
Group: Members
Posts: 2510
Joined: May 2004
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,2:19 pm |
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I really like what I've been reading!
 to all of you that are looking at what students need!
Now, the question is...what if anything can be done about it?
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| Post Number: 82
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TameThaTane
Group: Members
Posts: 6300
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,2:25 pm |
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Homeowners without kids should be able to opt out of paying their house tax portion that goes to the school district.
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My choice is what I choose to do,
And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you.
Your choice is who you choose to be,
And if you're causin' no harm, then you're alright with me.
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| Post Number: 83
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Counterfeit Fake
Group: Members
Posts: 400
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,2:33 pm |
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I agree. Schools are falling too far away from the 3 r's. There is less time spent on focusing kids energies on getting the basics down and more time throwing buckets of crap at the wall and seeing what sticks. More fundamentals, less extracurriculars!
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No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
-- Eleanor Roosevelt
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| Post Number: 84
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MADDOG
Group: Moderator
Posts: 7821
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,3:12 pm |
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| Quote (wildjim @ Aug. 29 2007,12:03am) | | Try to approach this using reason and logic and not some emotional rant that reflects poorly on the community. |
As the old addage goes...We will if they do.
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Actually my wife is especially happy when my google check arrives each month. Thanks to douchbags like you, I get paid just for getting you worked up. -Liberal
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| Post Number: 85
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Peter
Group: Members
Posts: 21
Joined: Dec. 2006
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,9:52 pm |
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You talk about the 3R's, however, the state and federal government set the education requirements. They go so far as to require that a school will teach specific items in history, english and etc. Every administration comes on with new requirements and they continue to change each time the president or governor change. There is no consistency.
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K.P.
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| Post Number: 86
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TameThaTane
Group: Members
Posts: 6300
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,10:23 pm |
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^Pretty sick isn't it. Can't wait for the neo-cons to make it illegal to teach evolution.
When will you clowns learn. There is no fairness, justice or righteousness to any of this. It's all political hackery.
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My choice is what I choose to do,
And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you.
Your choice is who you choose to be,
And if you're causin' no harm, then you're alright with me.
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| Post Number: 87
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cityimage
Group: Members
Posts: 4
Joined: Aug. 2007
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Posted on: Aug. 29 2007,11:20 pm |
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Jim brought up a good idea on you cut a million we will give you a million but Peter why is that idea avoided and not being responded to. You asked earlier what everybody had for ideas and why no mention to this idea? Why is the school district keeping us in the dark on what the referendum will be - how much per household on taxes, what are the parts to the referendum, etc. No information on what it pertains and the school district wants to vote in November. Why is this being kept a secret - is there something that the district doesn't want everybody to know about? Wondering if there is some explanation to the operating expenses from 1999 - which at the old high school, going up about 7 million since the new high school was built.
Here is an overview year by year for current expenditures for everyone to consider - found information from this website -
http://app.education.state.mn.us/MFRSyst....=01&dis
99-00 25.2 million
00-01 27.0 million
01-02 27.9 million
02-03 27.7 million
03-04 30.3 million
04-05 31.1 million
05-06 32.2 million
The two biggest jumps from 99-00 to 05-06 are in the catagories of Regular Instruction and Exceptional Instruction which is about 4.6 million difference so wondering what expenses consist on those two catagories. It is hard to say that the jump is bad because not sure what is included in those two catagories because maybe the increase was a good one that helped the education for the students.
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| Post Number: 88
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TameThaTane
Group: Members
Posts: 6300
Joined: May 2005
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Posted on: Aug. 30 2007,1:31 am |
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Hehe...I got a feeling Peter won't have an answer anytime soon... 
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My choice is what I choose to do,
And if I'm causing no harm, it shouldn't bother you.
Your choice is who you choose to be,
And if you're causin' no harm, then you're alright with me.
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| Post Number: 89
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Peter
Group: Members
Posts: 21
Joined: Dec. 2006
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Posted on: Aug. 30 2007,8:36 pm |
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The reason there has been no actual numbers is because it hasn't been finalized. After the legislature makes there initial decision on funding, it takes several months for the final formulas to reach the district. Also, the audit from last year must be finalized so that a five year projection can be completed. It has been known for a long time there would be a referendum, but final information must be received to know how much.
Food For Thought - I believe that before long public education in MN will be watered down and we will be like many southern states. In the south and several other parts of the country the rich send their children to private school because public education hasn't been adequately funded and are required to teach all kids, no matter their desire to learn or capabilities. Private schools only take the kids they want in their system and leave the rest for public education. This creates a system of "have" and "have not" because the rich won't bother with public education. All children should have an opportunity for a quality education without money being the determining factor. I believe this is a huge concern in the future.
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K.P.
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| Post Number: 90
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jimhanson
Group: Moderator
Posts: 8491
Joined: Aug. 2003
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Posted on: Aug. 30 2007,8:50 pm |
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Peter | Quote | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
You talk about the 3R's, however, the state and federal government set the education requirements. They go so far as to require that a school will teach specific items in history, english and etc. Every administration comes on with new requirements and they continue to change each time the president or governor change. There is no consistency. |
You are SO right.
Teachers spend way too much time teaching the Politically Correct issues of the day, and less time on the basics.
Each time a teacher has to take the time to teach and issue that SOMEONE thinks is important, it is that much less time spent either teaching the subjects that count, or working with kids to help get them up to speed.
The result? Kids that can't make change, that have no idea of history or geography--kids that are not connected to the world because they have no knowledge of what USED to be called "Social Studies"--knowing things about countries, natural resources, climate, people, customs, crops, imports/exports, major cities, major geographical features.
Peter is correct--we can lay many of these requirements at the feet of politicians--and the National Education Assn.--one of the largest contributors of campaign cash in the country (well, Mr. Hsu may now be #1) 
There IS an alternative--private schools, parochial schools, home schools. When we did the museum in Owatonna, I was AMAZED at the number of kids in private or home schools that toured the museum. Almost without exception, they were better behaved, more inquisitive, and asked better questions than their public school counterparts.
Not neccessarily advocating for private schools--but it would be nice if we could duplicate their results in the government schools.
EDITED to incorporate Peter's observations posted at the same time as mine.
Once again, Peter is right on target. I also believe there will be explosive growth in private schools, as public schools continue to have problems turning out kids that are ready to face higher education and the workforce.
A VERY Liberal (Big L) friend (yes, I have liberal friends, he is left of our own Liberal!) is the leading publisher of glider publications in the world. He was hired by the Minneapolis school system to address kids about gliders--and aviation as a career and avocation. "The $4,000 gig cost me $200,000" he lamented. "There is no way I'm going to continue to send my kids to that school system. Not only are the kids rude and disinterested, their teachers couldn't control them. Sell your second car, move to a smaller house, eat macaroni and cheese instead of going out--but the best thing you can do for your kids is to give them a good education--and I have to say, it isn't anyplace in the Minneapolis school system."
Peter is also right on target with this quote | Quote | | All children should have an opportunity for a quality education without money being the determining factor. |
A way to give parents equal chances for their kids education is to give the parents a voucher to send their kids anywhere they want--to a charter school, magnet school, vocational school, specialized school, or even a private school. Fitting kids into a "one size fits all" learning environment makes NO sense.
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"If you want to anger a Conservative, tell him a lie. If you want to anger a LIBERAL, tell him the TRUTH!"
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