Tag: Common Core

Public Education: Why Johnny can’t read and a severe lack of transparency at BWSD dominates the local grapevine

The Clarion Ledger was on a tear over the weekend:

Education politics grow more absurd ~ Geoff Pender

Geoff, thanks for this article. What we are dealing with is an ELECTION YEAR. That is when any and everybody can get thrown under the bus, even the kids.

Educators sound off on Common Core, MAEP ~ Emily Le Coz

Loophole lets pedophiles get educator licenses ~ Emily Le Coz

Meantime for those that missed it a comment bump from Lana Noonan regarding a special meeting of the Bay Waveland School District’s Board of Trustees:

The Bay-Waveland School Board hit a home run again today in their efforts to operate under the same clandestine scenario that has become business as usual for them. At a special called meeting to interview potential architects for future projects, they chose to do so in Executive Session.

Now, currently, there is no provision in the Open Meetings Law in Miss. for discussing in Executive Session those professionals who will do contract work for a public entity, only the entity’s own personnel. In a effort to keep things clean, I reminded them of this, but Board Attorney Artigues, stated that this was a” special situation.” Really, after reading the Open Meetings Law, I could find no “special situations” that could be subjectively declared by a public Board or their attorney that would give permission to conduct the kind of business they did today. Continue reading “Public Education: Why Johnny can’t read and a severe lack of transparency at BWSD dominates the local grapevine”

Don’t make her come up there……

She ranks me Phil, and your Gov boots won’t impress her:

LANA NOONAN: Bryant has neither a plan nor a clue ~ Sun Herald Letters to the Editor

In rural Mississippi my experience is the very identity of the local community is completely intertwined with their local public schools.  I would not monkey around with that lightly, especially for cheap partisan political kicks.

Guest Post | Hancock County Alliance for Good Government: 2014—-A Year of “Elections” and “Decisions”

First of all, a Happy New Year to all–hope your holidays were all you wanted them to be and the New Year will be successful for you. This year will be a year of “elections” or “decisions” if you will. Waveland will hold their municipal elections in the Fall, and if that seems far off, just wait. It will be here before you know it. Certainly the announcements and campaigning will be here soon. The Alliance will sponsor a political forum as we do for all the elections, so stay tuned if you are a candidate or simply a voter.

Events that have unfolded since the Bay St. Louis officials took the oath of office last July indicate that the Bay City Council needs to “elect” to see that their city’s bills get paid whether or not the Mayor does. They may have to “take the checkbook” away from him if need be. This is, of course, a figure of speech, but they do have the legal responsibility for seeing that the bills are paid, which could be to refuse to approve any more dockets until he pays the Solid Waste and Hancock County Utility Authorities what the city owes them. After all, these folks have dockets to pay as well. And using the excuse that they fell behind because they didn’t charge enough for utilities is ridiculous. That’s not the fault of the Utility Authorities. By the way, what happened to the $500,000 line of credit that was supposed to cover these utility bills? And, most importantly, what is the administration doing with the money the users are sending to city hall to pay these bills? The city does’t own any garbage trucks or employ any garbage workers. So what makes them think they can keep funds for a service they not only do not, but cannot perform? Amazing. Who knows what the list of delinquent bills looks like? Now we are hearing that Lowe’s has cut the city off for non payment; and heard it from RELIABLE sources.

Let’s hope the ad valorem taxes in the Bay are enough to take care of these problems what with the Harbor coming on board between March and May–built by the Feds, but to be maintained by the locals. The continuing long list of foreclosures in the paper each week is very disturbing. Continue reading “Guest Post | Hancock County Alliance for Good Government: 2014—-A Year of “Elections” and “Decisions””

Gee, here’s a shocker…….

Stephanie Grace: Little common ground on Common Core

Unlike many such gatherings, the format was designed to produce light, not heat. It was hosted by two reliable conservatives, state Reps. Kirk Talbot and Nick Lorusso, who are not often the targets of the sort of ideological fervor swirling around the issue. Supporters on the panel were informative and respectful of audience concerns, and did as well as anyone could to answer questions, debunk myths and explain what Common Core does, and does not, mandate. Opponents were given equal time.

And none of that seemed to make a bit of difference.

It appears the populace refuses to be patted on the heads and go away quietly when it comes to Common Core, which has generated considerable grassroots opposition. The mainstream media pundits paint opponents of Common Core as unreasonable ideologues. The impression I get is folks are tired of throwing more money into the education money pit for the sake of the new political education buzzword du jour, especially when they see insiders lined up to take full financial advantage. Mary Landrieu’s past history in this specific area is particularly odoriferous.

So gee, a few politicos found out the public doesn’t trust them and that even extends to the reputed good guys like Nick Lorusso. This is not a surprise to me because I am solidly a skeptic and on far more than Common Core.  Judging from the emails coming in to Slabbed Central from select members of the Jefferson Parish business community I am far from alone.

Errol and the Noisemakers on YouTube!

I thought how Stephanie Grace framed the view of Judge Engelhardt’s opinion in USA v Kaufman last night was bogus as the local mainstream media continues to blame the Judge instead of the perpetrators of the prosecutorial misconduct from Team Letten and DoJ DC in the Danziger Bridge case.

But that is not why I embed Errol and the gang this morning no siree.  You see folks I have this source from way far back that has connections that run very deeply into the Jefferson Parish business community that I have been looking to feature on Slabbed. I just needed the right spot and that is this morning. First we need to visit with the segment with Stephanie Grace and Common Core and then I’ll post a missive from my source in the business community:

TBL taught them well. An observation:

When our community does not perceive something in the way the political rulers desire, when we don’t behave ‘properly’, or when they seek to have THEIR candidate elected…….

That’s when it’s time for the puppeteer to get to work. The back halls of their organizations (in this case it looks mostly like JBC) get to work, phones start ringing, and a few local leges/politicos/supporters start having ‘town hall’ meetings to get the message out; influence the peeps so they can’t tell they are really being manipulated.

The issue this time: Common Core. Continue reading “Errol and the Noisemakers on YouTube!”