Trump's cabinet

[teachercd]

 

 

Being armed at school has come up over and over. I work with a bunch of old women and I don't think anyone of them would want to carry a gun or would feel comfortable carrying one. Sadly, I keep a golf club by my desk and just the other day we had to practice our "intruder" drill. I don't know if I would want a gun or not...but I am guessing that if some sicko was at my school trying to hurt people I would probably want the gun at that time.

[ZRod]

When you have Al Franken tripping you up in a hearing.

 

Al is a smart guy, not just a funny one.

[Moiraine]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/jeffchu/status/821516904363917313

bears, beets, battlestar galactica

Identity theft is not a joke, Jim.

Millions of families suffer every year!

[ZRod]

Being armed at school has come up over and over. I work with a bunch of old women and I don't think anyone of them would want to carry a gun or would feel comfortable carrying one. Sadly, I keep a golf club by my desk and just the other day we had to practice our "intruder" drill. I don't know if I would want a gun or not...but I am guessing that if some sicko was at my school trying to hurt people I would probably want the gun at that time.

Steel shafts? Because graphite would be crap and shatter right away.

[teachercd]

 

Being armed at school has come up over and over. I work with a bunch of old women and I don't think anyone of them would want to carry a gun or would feel comfortable carrying one. Sadly, I keep a golf club by my desk and just the other day we had to practice our "intruder" drill. I don't know if I would want a gun or not...but I am guessing that if some sicko was at my school trying to hurt people I would probably want the gun at that time.

Steel shafts? Because graphite would be crap and shatter right away.

 

Oh, it is an old school 4 iron...no graphite here!

 

Sadly, I am worried because I can't hit my 4 iron with a sh#t!

[Fru]

"Betsy DeVos apparently ‘confused’ about federal law protecting students with disabilities"

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/01/17/betsy-devos-confused-about-federal-law-protecting-students-with-disabilities/?utm_term=.8eb5a71e276d

 

Kaine asked her if she believes that all schools that receive federal funding — whether public, public charter or private — should be required to meet the requirements of IDEA. She responded: “I think they already are.”

 

Kaine: “But I’m asking you a should question. Whether they are or not, we’ll get into that later.” He then repeated his question.

 

DeVos said: “I think that is a matter that is best left to the states.”

 

Kaine responded: “So some states might be good to kids with disabilities and other states might not be so good and, what then, people can just move around the country if they don’t like how kids are being treated?” Devos repeated: “I think that’s an issue that’s best left to the states.”

 

Kaine said: “What about the federal requirement? It’s a federal law, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act,” and he repeated his question. DeVos began speaking about a Florida voucher program for students with disabilities that requires students to sign away their IDEA due process rights.

Kaine interrupted her saying, “Just yes or no.” But she continued, saying many parents are happy with the program.

 

Kaine persisted: “I think all schools that receive federal funding — public, public charter, private — should be required to meet the conditions” of IDEA. He asked if she agreed. DeVos said: “I think that is certainly worth discussion.”

 

Kaine interrupted her saying, “So you cannot yet agree with me.”

 

 

 

 

 

Hey all you 100% Pro Lifers and "Trump surrounds himself with the best people" folks, do some backflips for me on this one. Every life is sacred right? Every life deserves a chance eh? Why not enforce federal laws that protect disabled children's right to an education?

[knapplc]

This whole "states rights" boondoggle is a divide-and-conquer strategy. They cloak it in some sovereign BS about the Founding Fathers and whatnot, but the reality is that a nation that is divided is much easier to control. That's what the Republicans are about with congressional districts so gerrymandered that their representatives can hardly fail to get elected, it's what they're on about with "states rights" and it's why they hate a strong federal government.

 

Taking authority away from an overall government and giving it to individual states means their bastions in the South & Midwest can't be messed with by Washington. Once isolated they're free to underfund education (except for the wealthy elites) and they can pillage & plunder the resources in each state without a federal regulating body looking over their shoulder.

 

We're going to end up with a nation of uneducated fools listening to Fox News & buying up guns like crazy because they're scared. They're scared because Republicans told them to be scared, and when confronted by facts showing violent crimes are WAY down, they fall back on their FEEEELINGS of being scared.

[Danny Bateman]

"Betsy DeVos apparently ‘confused’ about federal law protecting students with disabilities"

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2017/01/17/betsy-devos-confused-about-federal-law-protecting-students-with-disabilities/?utm_term=.8eb5a71e276d

 

Kaine asked her if she believes that all schools that receive federal funding — whether public, public charter or private — should be required to meet the requirements of IDEA. She responded: “I think they already are.”

 

Kaine: “But I’m asking you a should question. Whether they are or not, we’ll get into that later.” He then repeated his question.

 

DeVos said: “I think that is a matter that is best left to the states.”

 

Kaine responded: “So some states might be good to kids with disabilities and other states might not be so good and, what then, people can just move around the country if they don’t like how kids are being treated?” Devos repeated: “I think that’s an issue that’s best left to the states.”

 

Kaine said: “What about the federal requirement? It’s a federal law, the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act,” and he repeated his question. DeVos began speaking about a Florida voucher program for students with disabilities that requires students to sign away their IDEA due process rights.

Kaine interrupted her saying, “Just yes or no.” But she continued, saying many parents are happy with the program.

 

Kaine persisted: “I think all schools that receive federal funding — public, public charter, private — should be required to meet the conditions” of IDEA. He asked if she agreed. DeVos said: “I think that is certainly worth discussion.”

 

Kaine interrupted her saying, “So you cannot yet agree with me.”

 

 

 

 

 

Hey all you 100% Pro Lifers and "Trump surrounds himself with the best people" folks, do some backflips for me on this one. Every life is sacred right? Every life deserves a chance eh? Why not enforce federal laws that protect disabled children's right to an education?

 

 

As someone who's worked extensively with people of all ages with different types of disabilities - this is appalling. Disqualifyingly bad, not that DeVos had any real qualifications to begin with.

 

And then there's this:

 

 

I'm just so beside myself with rage watching this. It's clear DeVos is very far detached from the children who will be relying on her to help them learn.

[BigRedBuster]

I'm not here to support DeVos. I'm at best in wait and see mode and at worst, think she's the wrong person for the job.

 

I also don't know the intricate details of IDEA. However, two things:

 

1) One reason why No Child Left Behind was a total failure was because it was the federal government putting demands on state and local school systems that were underfunded and just plain didn't work at the local level. I have no problem with more decisions on how things are done being decided at the state level.

 

2) (and I know I might get totally lambasted for this but I'm going to say it anyway) There are lots of handicapped children that the school system should not be forced into main streaming. I'm not sure this is part of IDEA or some other legislation. But, in our school system alone, one heck of a lot of money, resources and teacher's time is spent with kids in the class rooms for classes that they will have no chance of ever using the information.

 

Our school spends more money and resources on handicapped children who will never be able to take care of themselves let alone use the education we are trying to provide, then we spend on the top end students in advanced study classes. Does that make sense?

 

Now...again....I am not sure if this is part of the discussion about IDEA. But, if it is, I'm not prepared to disagree with what I'm reading here being said by Miss DeVos.

 

And...once again....this is NOT in support of DeVos for this job.

[knapplc]

You're saying NCLB didn't work, and that's true. But that doesn't mean that no federal education plan would work. We had great education plans for decades, it's just Bush's administration that really messed it up.

 

Not even touching your point #2. (¬_¬)

[BigRedBuster]

You're saying NCLB didn't work, and that's true. But that doesn't mean that no federal education plan would work. We had great education plans for decades, it's just Bush's administration that really messed it up.

 

Not even touching your point #2. (¬_¬)

 

I didn't say no federal plan would work.

 

I also believe there is a useful purpose for the department of education. However, I also believe that the more fine tuned a federal program becomes, the less effective it becomes. In other words, the federal government should provide a very basic framework and requirements that need to be met. From there, states and local school boards should be free to meet those requirements how they see fit. The Feds should then provide a resource for the local systems to monitor their progress, compare it with other systems and create ideas for improvement between successful and non-successful systems.

[QMany]

Once isolated they're free to underfund education (except for the wealthy elites) and they can pillage & plunder the resources in each state without a federal regulating body looking over their shoulder.

 

We're going to end up with a nation of uneducated fools listening to Fox News & buying up guns like crazy because they're scared.

Welcome to Kansas.

[knapplc]

Welcome to Kansas.

[knapplc]

[TGHusker]

 

You're saying NCLB didn't work, and that's true. But that doesn't mean that no federal education plan would work. We had great education plans for decades, it's just Bush's administration that really messed it up.

 

Not even touching your point #2. (¬_¬)

 

I didn't say no federal plan would work.

 

I also believe there is a useful purpose for the department of education. However, I also believe that the more fine tuned a federal program becomes, the less effective it becomes. In other words, the federal government should provide a very basic framework and requirements that need to be met. From there, states and local school boards should be free to meet those requirements how they see fit. The Feds should then provide a resource for the local systems to monitor their progress, compare it with other systems and create ideas for improvement between successful and non-successful systems.

 

I agree with what BRB is saying. The fed govt can provide general guidelines & goals, with funding mechanism as needed but let each state decide the best way to meet those goals (while being held accountable to do so). And yes - protect the children wt disabilities and their right to an education as well.