From: elg@elgamy.sccsi.com (Eric Lee Green)
Newsgroups: tx.politics,alt.politics.clinton
Subject: Re: Good Teachers in Public Schools (Was Re: Clinton ... (was Re: Theft))
Date: 30 Sep 92 22:44:22 GMT
Organization: Eric's Amiga 2000 @ Home

From article <21644@rpp386.lonestar.org>, by jfh@rpp386.lonestar.org (John F. Haugh II):
> In article <fd4d17w@Unify.Com> ceb@dbrus.Unify.Com (Caroline E. Bryan) writes:
>>Haugh also seems to be unaware that the movie "Stand and Deliver" was a true
>>story.  Jaime Escalante, the high school calculus teacher whose story was
>>told in the movie, moved up here to Sacramento a little over a year ago.
>
> Escalante differs from Eric in one very real area - Escalante faught the
> system at almost every turn.  Eric supports the status quo.  He opposes most
> of the reforms in Bush's America 2000 proposal.

*LIE*. I support most of the reforms on America 2000, though I feel that
it's a shallow political ploy floated by Bush in place of REAL reform. But
we already know that you're a liar, Mr. Haugh, so I guess I shouldn't be
surprised.

> He supports the NEA.

*LIE*. I *DETEST* the NEA. I would NEVER be a member of the NEA. The NEA's
opposition to basic competency testing for teachers, for example, is
despicable.

But I guess we shouldn't be surprised that you'd lie about something like
this, Mr. Haugh. We already know that you're a liar.

> He  =is= the problem.

Hint: take Logic 101. Two lies do not add up to a truth.

> If you'd go back and watch the movie again you'd see that Escalante was not
> calling for more of the same.  In fact, he was quite the outcast.  Our dear

And I'm not? Do you know what other teachers call alternative certification
folks (who came in from other industries)? I've been called a "scab", I've
been cursed at, shunned, you name it. My biggest problem is that I answer
questions when I'm asked them. If a teacher sees me going down the hall and
asks me what she needs to do to get her classroom under control, I tell
her -- whether she likes it or not. She wasn't looking for a solution. She
was looking for someone to commiserate with. Tough. My kids aren't out of
control, so if she wants sympathy, she can look elsewhere. All I have are
research-proven methods.

> Eric wants change, but please - not too much.  It might force a few of his
> colleagues to lose their jobs or make less money.

Excuse me?

Here's a couple of things I've proposed in the past:

#1: Full school choice. *REAL* school choice, where poor kids can go to any
school in the land.

That must be combined with:

#2: Local control of schools by parents, combined with regular evaluation
of schools by a central authority so that the parents know whether their
kids are getting a good education or not. Parents hire and fire the
principal. The principal hires and fires the teachers. All live by RESULTS,
rather than the current a$$-kissing that currently goes on.

Needless to say, the majority of administrators would be out of work one
day later if the above two passed.

Then one day I had a master stroke: "If a high school diploma is to mean
something, we ought to define what it means. Then when the kids master that
material, give them the diploma -- no matter how few or how many years it
takes."

Given that most kids could probably master the material much faster than
currently happens in the schools, this would REDUCE the number of teachers,
schools, and administrators needed.

I am in the school to do one thing, Mr. Haugh: to teach. I don't care that
you resent the fact that I'm educating poor kids with your money. I don't
care that if you had your way, I would be doing something else. The kids
are there, and I'm going to teach them -- no matter what you say.

> And not once do I recall Escalante saying "If only I made $25,700 instead
> of $21,400, I'd be a much better teacher."

Implying that I said anything of the sort? You lie, Mr. Haugh.

But that's nothing new.

n-- Eric