My Own Political Party » Education

Gunman Opens Fire at School Board Meeting

admin — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 23:42:17 +0000

I always encourage people to get involved with local politics. But after seeing this video, I am not so sure anymore:

Chelsea Clinton Future Politician?

admin — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:00:35 +0000

I remember when Chelsea Clinton was a teenage girl more concerned about boys, acne cream and hair problems. Now, she is an educated young women who recently married Marc Mezvinsky. What does the future hold for her? Politics may be in her blood, but I am not sure she is ready to step into the limelight. She recently completed a Master’s Degree in Public Health and is working on a doctoral degree. She lives with her husband, who is an investment banker, in New York.

Back to School

admin — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:09:52 +0000

Some students are preparing to go back to school this month. Schools in our neighborhood faced cuts this year and have to learn to do with less. We saw middle school athletics cut, as well as full day kindergarten. The education system has become somewhat stagnant and eventually real changes must be made. Online Schooling will be sure to make some headway in the coming years. With the advance of the internet, many colleges (and eventually other schools) will be implementing more online or internet classes in their curriculum. It will be interesting to see if students perform better or worse when involved in these types of classes.

Why Does More Money Equal Better Education?

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 12:53:15 +0000

I think I received a pretty good education. Back in the 1960s, the education costs per child (in today’s dollars) was about $2,000 per student. Now, the cost is about $9,000 per student. What has changed?

Have we tried to add too much to public education? I had all the same subjects, participated in art, music and sports and had all the opportunities. Yet somehow we think that throwing more money at the education system is giving our children a better education. Students are going to get out of their education what they, and their parents, invest in it. It doesn’t matter if there are 10 kids or 30 kids in the class. Those parents who are invested in their children’s education was still see success.

In New Jersey, there is a big fight over public education funding. The Governor is cutting and the NJEA (Teacher’s Union) is not happy. Everyone is complaining how class size will increase and this will hurt our children. However, lets take a look at some facts.

Japan and Hong Kong have two of the highest math scores for 13 year olds. And, they also have the highest number of pupil to teacher ratios (about 35). The United States pupil to teacher ratio is about 18 and yet we are down the list of math scores (number 28 to be exact).

So is it really class room size that makes a difference?

Resegregation

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:30:04 +0000

While most high school and middle school students are focused on the best way to get rid of blackheads, schools in North Carolina are wondering if resegregation is going to be the wave of the future. In 2000, Wake County, NC, decided to base busing routes on socio-economic status instead of race. This policy had the same effect has race based busing policies since lower income families in North Carolina tend to be black. However, many middle class families are balking at having their kids bused to distance schools.

There is some disagreement on how much integration helps both higher income and lower income children. But, as has been seen in Detroit, New York and Philadelphia, schools that are not integrated face much bigger problems.

Unfortunately, many of the problems with the schools have nothing to do with the education system but instead with family life, educational value in the home and neighborhood and economic status. Until these core problems are address, the schools will always have the same issues to deal with.

If You Have To Cut

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 15:01:52 +0000

While thinking about things that need to be cut out of education, I can think of a few.

Driver’s Education – when did this become the responsibility of the school?
Health – can’t this be combined with science classes? When was teaching about herpes simplex type 2 part of reading and writing?
Thinking that every student can complete the same requirements. There are students that want to go to college and there are others that should be trained for a profession.

Things that shouldn’t be cut:

Sports and Physical Education classes – sports provide an physical outlet. These days, with the increasing obesity in children, it is a good idea to keep.
Music
Art

Don’t Cut Education!

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:54:53 +0000

This is not my mantra, but the mantra of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). Now that New Jersey has a new governor, we find that the state has a 2.2 billion dollar budget shortfall for this year. Governor Chrisite is determined to make the necessary cuts to balance the budget, but the NJEA wants nothing cut from education. Instead they suggest that taxes be raised.

While high school students are worried about getting rid of blackheads or their next date, administrators should be worried about basic education not about funding a range of specialists that are not teachers and just add bloat to the system.

For instance, Newark school district has 40 curriculum specialist that make over $100,000 a year each. And yet this is a failing school district. My suggestion. Cut all of them and use a curriculum that is already established in a good school. Why are we reinventing the wheel with curriculum specialists in each district when the education requirements are the same throughout the state?

We are already barraged with ads from the NJEA telling us how terrible it is going to be if Chrisite cuts education, yet they are unwilling to help cut the costs.

Western Governors University

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:49:36 +0000

The economic downturn has caused many of us to rethink our career goals and maybe try a new direction. A good way to get into a new field is to take classes and get your degree. While this is difficult for most individuals, an online university is a good alternative.

Western Governors University (WGU) is an university that offers online courses. The university currently serves over 17,000 in 50 states. WGU was founded by 19 governors of U.S. States and if fully accredidated. Because WGU is a non-profit university it is an affordable university. Tuition is charged every six months at a flat rate – the faster you are able to progress, the more money you can save.

WGU offers online degree programs in teaching, business, information technology and health professions. Both Bachelor and Master degree programs are offered. MSNBC recently reviewed WGU:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

If you are looking to increase your education or look for a new career path, an online university such as WGU offers you flexibility to fulfill your dreams.

Students Fight Ban On Balls at Recess

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 14:34:17 +0000

You might wonder why there are so many obese kids that grow up having to fight weight lose with CLA or other weight loss products:

From CBS News

Two students have started a petition to try to push their school to reverse a decision that bans balls in the schoolyard until winter is over.

Dana Slater, the principal of D. Roy Kennedy Public School in Ottawa, said balls are banned during the winter for safety reasons. Students are still allowed to run and play, but they can’t kick a ball around or play a game of catch.

“They’ve got snow stuck to them, they’re frozen, often there’s pebbles on them and they’re flying through the air,” Slater said. “One student fell backwards on their head and ended up with a concussion. We had a student with a ball in the eye area, which was very serious.”

But Miles Lawlor and Owen Moore argue that the ban has taken all the fun out of recess. The two elementary school students have collected more than 250 signatures on their petition calling for the ban to be reversed.

“It’s really fun with the balls, and right now people are just standing around talking and not getting any exercise, and that’s the whole point of recess,” Moore said.

Moore and Lawlor have given the principal a copy of the petition. Slater said she’ll talk with the students and their parents, but she said balls are still off limits for now.

A Better Education

admin — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:13:16 +0000

The United States education system has long been a one-style fits all. Either you go to college or you just don’t. A college education these days may not prepare you for an actual career. Other countries are more willing to provide an alternate to college in apprenticeships and vocational education.

However, there is a university that is trying things a new way. Kettering University has a unique co-op program. You can join their engineering co-op programs and, in your freshman year, start an intern at an actual company. Kettering rotates the student between working in an actual company and school work every three months. The student gets to experience real work projects and a real work environment. This means that when a student graduates from Kettering University they are VERY prepared for real-life work situations.

US News and World Report recently ranked Kettering University as the number one university for Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME). It is also ranked in the top 20 in the nation in the 2008 “America’s Best Colleges Guide” which is published by US News and World Report.

Kettering University provides a wide range of degree opportunities and co-op programs including programs in industrial engineering, computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science and electrical engineering.