Bush pushes Congress on student loan bill

President Bush said Saturday [April 26, 2008] that the credit crunch is threatening the availability of student loans. He said his administration is doing what it can to help with emergency loans but prodded Congress for authority to do more.

"A slowdown in the economy shouldn't mean a downturn in educational opportunities," Bush said in his weekly radio address.

Go to the following link for more information.

http://www.finaid.org/loans/creditcrisis.phtml

Vouchers are back, coming to ballot

The debate over school vouchers is about to make a roaring comeback in Florida.

On Friday [April 25, 2008], a powerful citizen commission voted to put a measure on the Novermber ballot that would provide legal protection for vouchers and could pave the way for the return of the Opportunity Scholarships championed by former Gov. Bush.

I suggest that you monitor what is happening in your state and take corrective action.

Controlling Florida classrooms from the state Legislature

While you are focused on educating students, others at the state level, are focused on your classroom. Their intent is not about helping you, it's rather about controlling what you are teaching and how you teach.

End of Course Testing

State level End of Course Test will become a reality in Florida. Florida now has FCAT. Passing that test is a high school graduation requirement. Soon there will be a state level End of Course Test [ECT]. Passing that test will determine if the student passes a course. The reasoning used to justify ECT is the same as was used to justify the FCAT.

The young male Republican promoting this legislation appeared to be in his 20’s. He is supported by a Republican male that appeared to be in his 50’s. Do you want more testing? There will be more testing if we passively accept a law that mandate state required end of course tests.

Mags are making us dumber

April 15, 2008 -- JOAN Collins says we're turning into a world of idiots - and she thinks the celebrity magazines are partly to blame. "Our civilization has become extremely dumbed down, with shorter attention spans. All they want are sound bites," the 75-year-old diva, who famously played super-bitchy Alexis Carrington on "Dynasty," tells BlackBook's Steve Garbarino. "The tabloid magazines are the same every week. People has the same cover as InTouch, OK!, US Weekly and Star magazine. They're exactly the same! It must be 100 to 120 people you read about all the time." But why? "They are appealing to a young audience, or a rather dumb audience," Collins theorizes. She adds that the magazines "go after those girls who exhibit more outrageous behavior. And, believe me, those girls love it. They call in items themselves - that they were at Nobu, some nightclub in SoHo. I can't think of anything more horrible than that. Publicity can be a drug."

Anti-bully bill SB790 sailed through Senate hearing

I have witnessed the behavior of bullies. I have been the victim of bullies. And, I abhor their unacceptable behavior. However, I don’t think that Florida SB 790 is appropriate because I do not want students stigmatized. That is the worse consequence of SB790.

It’s now, here in Florida, too late to modify student behavior that is within the scope of SB790 without the student becoming a criminal. Students get on the bus in the morning. Some, before they get home, become caught up in Florida’s criminal justice system. SB790 increases the probability that this will happen