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The N.C. Association of Educators has a video linking state House Majority Leader Paul Stam, Wake County school board chairman Ron Margiotta and businessmen Art Pope and Bob Luddy in an alleged plan to destroy public schools.
Click here for more details in this Under the Dome blog post.
Comments
This video is full of lies
Tue, 03/15/2011 - 11:56 — music01Let's be perfectly honest here, Charter schools encourage competition and the Teachers Union is just upset that they are losing funding to people who have proven that they can do a better job then they can. I forgot... how does NC rate in public schools? Oh ya, that's right they are consistenly at the bottom compared to all other states. I fully support Charter schools and Bob Luddy. Down with the teachers union they do way more harm then good.
Who's Really the Culprit Using Kids?
Thu, 03/03/2011 - 09:59 — msteck1It isn't the likes of Bob Luddy.
http://bit.ly/fQNiwQ
The Right's plan
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 20:00 — jsneeze. . . is alway to dismantle public programs, just as the Left's plan is always to create new ones.
I don't believe in conspiracies, but I do believe in agendas, and the Right's agenda on on things governmental is to push toward privatization. And I believe in political strategy, and the Right's strategy with public schooling is to blame the teachers. I expect to hear a lot of that in the months to come.
That is a lie
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 22:15 — Voice_of_Reason_Nobody on the right is blaming teachers. Teacher unions maybe, but not teachers in the classroom. That's been going on for years.
What is a fact, no matter what your ideology, is that our current school are not doing that well. The left says more money is the answer. The right says reform is the answer. Maybe the solution is in-between. I do know one thing, just raising teacher salaries does not result in better performance in the students.
Wow, really? Nobody? I find
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 22:50 — Andrew95Wow, really? Nobody? I find that hard to believe, considering Chris Christie does exactly that. And he has enough supporters that there is a website dedicated to his presidential candidacy. So I would say, yeah, plenty of people on the right blame teachers for the achievement gap.
Proof please
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 23:35 — Voice_of_Reason_A mainstream site would be prefered. And please eliminate union bitching as I have claimed that is true. And if you want to highlight stories about bad teachers that can't be fired you are wasting your time. That is a bitch against unions, not teachers in general.
I think you'll find that
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 23:16 — CaryCurmudgeonI think you'll find that criticism of teachers runs far deeper in states that have allowed them to collectively bargain. In those states, there are many teachers that make way too much money, and their ineffective teachers are easily protected if they have enough seniority. NC teachers do not have collective bargaining rights, and it seems to me that most critics point blame at the board and administration, not the teachers.
The "right" doesn't run this country anyway, the "middle" unaffiliated voters do. If the righties go too far, the unafilliateds will rebuke them in the next election cycle, just like they rebuked the lefties in the last one.
Wow, talk about missing
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 17:15 — woodstockWow, talk about missing substances and facts. That video is lacking on both acounts. Also, does the NCAE understand that charter schools ARE public schools? You'd think they would at least know that.
Bottom line is they fear competition and that should concern everyone.
We need to remember that the
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 17:34 — CaryCurmudgeonWe need to remember that the NCAE does not speak for all teachers, not necessarily even a majority. If I recall correctly, less than half of our teachers are members, and many join only to gain coverage on some NCAE insurance policy.
Facts
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 01:32 — SDR256Well, again long on (false) drama, short on facts.
Just like...
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 08:52 — bpuli9999repeal the healthcare law ad I saw yesterday - with Huckabee still trying to be relevant.
Pretty cheesy video, and I
Tue, 03/01/2011 - 19:14 — CaryCurmudgeonPretty cheesy video, and I wonder whether they stroked a check to ASCAP to pay royalties on that song.
Vouchers are a non-starter, and I wish Paul Stam would move on.
Think this is just a glimpse of the plan of attack this fall from the Democratic Party, NCAE, Wake Magnet Parents Group, NAACP and GWIS -- paint a picture of a bunch of neocons bent on tearing down a "nationally-acclaimed" system, all for private gain (even though Luddy's schools are non-profits). This is where the decision to partner with Civitas, however benign, will come back to bite them.
Since Keung will not pass my
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 07:38 — willynillySince Keung will not pass my info to you, try me at bwopsof at yahoo
As I've repeatedly told you,
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 09:46 — KeungHui (author)As I've repeatedly told you, you need to send me a e-mail message off line to forward your contact info to another person. Relying on me to see a request on a blog post, especially one wish 100+ comments, asking me to send your contact info to someone is not productive.
No worries Keung, I sent him
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 09:50 — CaryCurmudgeonNo worries Keung, I sent him an email.
Hi CC, thanks for making
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 19:47 — willynillyHi CC, thanks for making contact. I sent 2 emails to Keung BTW to get contact info. I tried to support the N&O as to not being biased against all others here that rail against them, but I go on evidence. You have the email and many attachments as well as my personal email. At some point I would truely love to have an appropriate outlet, but here I am, on this blog, trying to get people to understand what the REAL education system is all about. You MAY think you know, but unless you are loike those of us in the middle of it you have no clue......my present school was recently contacted by these idiots in an attempt to see if I had been truthful about my "mess" with the WCPSS.........LOL all I can say is.....Nice Try!!!!!!!! I was. I also showed them my documentation. The truth of this needs to be seen. MANY taxpayers need to know what is going on. Just like with Spring Lake Middle School and their accomplishments in Cumberland County........what a great acheivement of having 73% of black students pass that science EOG last year.......with a school pass rate of 72%. Why do you not hear? Because none of the edujargon was involved......it was simply good teaching......basic literacy strategies....NOTHING more. No differentiation......no PBIS....oh, was that PBS? No? Oh, was that BS? Sorry, it gets so confusing......you have to know that these kids of color....particularly black, think people feel they are stupid. PLEASE go look at Spring Lake report card and ask yourself......WHY the hell don't we know about this????????? Keung......the names are LaShanda Moore and Stafford Daniels at Spring Lake Middle School. Stafford worked his way through college as a Custodian......THAT is a GREAT story in and of itself......he wanted to help those kids he saw every day......and boy did he with a great colleague.....LaShanda Moore. The number to the school is (910) 497 - 1175. Look them up at NCDPI School Report card and let them know they ROCK!!!!!!!! Oh, and BTW......no, my name is NOT Stafford LOL
Willynilly, I was wondering
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 22:16 — luv2teachWillynilly, I was wondering what happened to you! Glad to see that you are still around! Hope to hear more from you on your case.
So, NCAE, Wake Magnet
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 00:45 — woodstockSo, NCAE, Wake Magnet Parents Group, NAACP and GWIS can all be involved in our schools, but Civitas gets involved and it is a problem. I very much doubt that is a widely held perspective.
It is not a matter of who
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 09:26 — CaryCurmudgeonIt is not a matter of who has a right to be involved in our schools, more a question of whether it is wise to feed the political beast.
Don't think it matters....
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 18:25 — Bob_SconceI don't think the Civitas thing was really that big of a deal. The people who see conspiracies in the Civitas decision would have found one someplace else. And, I think those theories are really only important to those who are predispositioned to agree with them. Most people rcognize conspiracy theories as loony.
Instead, I think the board hurt itself more with the attempt change the assignment policy on the first day without any deliberations, the decision to drop out of the NCSBA, the decision to fight (and not bend over) with AdvanceEd, and the protracted, now-aborted, reassignment committee deliberations. The first three things made them seem cowboyish, and the last, well, you never want too much light on the sausage getting made.
What you seem to be feeding
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 09:38 — woodstockWhat you seem to be feeding is the notion that any organization that respects conservative principles must not get involved in education, yet the vast majority of education is saturated with left leaning or outright radical left ideology.
No, I'm just being
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 09:45 — CaryCurmudgeonNo, I'm just being practical.
Doesn't sound very practical
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 17:32 — woodstockDoesn't sound very practical to me. It essentially says an organization must be based on certain political mindset to play a role in our schools. I completely disagree with that... in fact, it is that kind of thinking that is at the root of what is wrong with our educational system.
Is the intent of the NCAE to
Tue, 03/01/2011 - 17:28 — woodstockIs the intent of the NCAE to make themselves completely irrelevant? It sure seems like it. Why would anyone want to "destroy our schools?!" It makes no sense at all. What I believe -- and what I am concerned about -- is that they fear competition... and people with inferior products tend to fear competition. That does not say much for our public schools... or the teachers in them for that matter.
If the NCAE was smart, they'd pay more attention to making sure we have high-quality teachers in our schools than making politically motivated propaganda videos and protecting bad teachers.
Speaking of politically motivated, where is the line for non-profits engaging in politics and smear campaigns?
So...
Tue, 03/01/2011 - 17:50 — Bob_SconceThe restrictions on politicing generally applies only to 501(c)(3)s. The NCAE is probably a 501(c)(5), which is non-profit, but can't take tax-deductible contributions.
Funny....
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 01:02 — Bob_SconceAll this talk about "destroying public schools" sounds an awful lot like the talk that cars would destroy the wagon industry.
Just like cars and wagons are a means to the end of transportation, public schools are a means to an end -- educating students. This argument of NCAE's focuses on maintaining that means, rather than on doing the best job of providing that end.
It may be (in fact, I suspect) that Stam's plans are going to ultimately be more expensive without providing any significant benefit, which is a net harm. That's where NCAE should be focusing. But, when they say "this will destroy public education," it makes them sound more concerned with their jobs than with how students will be educated.
Apart from that, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that a union gets the facts wrong: (1) Margiotta was a Trustee, not a director, of Thales. (2) Luddy doesn't own any charter or private schools. He's started a number, but they are self-owned and, by law, are non-profit.
NCAE comments
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 10:36 — stan_norwalkBob:
Whether or not Margiotta was trustee or director, he chose to align himself with Luddy - who openly calls for the dismantling of public K-12 and privitization. It is hard for me to imagine a more stupid move. It should come back to haunt him.
The fact that Thales and not officially owned by Luddy is irrelevant. Would you think that the head of Thales, Kent Misegades, Doesn't take his policy cues from Luddy? He co-authored with RM that highly mis-informative white paper about the glories of CMS. My SWAG is he wrote it.
The fact that Thales is non-profit is irrelevant. It's beneficial to them from a PR point of view and makes it feasible to accept donations from conservative organizations. Besides, are we to believe that Misegades works for typical volunteer peanuts. Short of disclosing his income tax return, we don't know his income from Luddy.
I do believe that Luddy, driven by his ideology has sunk a lot of money into Thales and buying political influence. Philosophically that a good thing - if you agree with his cause.
"...he chose to align
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 17:29 — woodstock"...he chose to align himself with Luddy - who openly calls for the dismantling of public K-12 and privitization (SIC)."
Which is it does he want to dismantle schools or privatization?
Why can't we have a great school system that includes private, charter and traditional public schools? What is your beef with private schools. Why do you -- or anyone for that matter -- give a damn who's involved or how much the administrators make? Those who choose to go there are footing the bill.
Why can't we have a great school system
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 22:34 — Solon77Why can't we have a great school system that includes private, charter and traditional public schools?
Add Home school
Good question though, perhaps RM and JT can answer. They seemed to obsessed with market share to make a point that wcpss is a failure. Is this to suggest that any business that does not have 100% market share is a failure ? Technology and other changes will continue to offer more choices and the traditional brick and mortar school will continue to lose market share. Just look at on line college education, number of people who work from home. To that end the school system needs to look at adopting these trends and technologies to better serve students and families.
So....
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 11:17 — Bob_SconceThe non-profit status of Thales is completely relevant because the accusation goes along this line: "Luddy wants the government to pay for private schooling because that would mean more students at Thales. And, since he owns Thales, that would mean more money in his pocket. So, he's pushing that policy to line his own pockets." But, since Thales is non-profit, it can't line his pockets. That's a great way to get sent to prison.
As to Misegades, doesn't he have a day job? In any case, HIS tax returns may not be public, but since Thales is a non-profit, its tax filings are on-line. And, according to that, he works, on average, 5 hours per week with Thales and doesn't get paid at all.
As to accepting donations from a conservative organization, I don't understand. You sound as though it's some sort of corrupt practice, but I can't see anything wrong with it. Giving money to a charity is typically a good thing.
Stan has no problem with
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 11:20 — CaryCurmudgeonStan has no problem with Goodmon pouring a small fortune into propping up GWIS, ncheet, and any Democratic candidate that supports busing.
Side note: As far as I know,
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 18:27 — Andrew95Side note: As far as I know, NCheat doesn't get money from anyone. It's really not that big of a program. It's a co-dependent of Raleigh FIST, basically.
Thanks for the
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 18:44 — CaryCurmudgeonThanks for the clarification. Side note: I don't agree with you about schools, but I think you set a good example of how to dissent without crossing the line.
I try my best. Calling
Wed, 03/02/2011 - 19:23 — Andrew95I try my best. Calling people names makes crowds, not a debate.