Practically Speaking - All Comments

re: The Civics test: How do you compare?

leapin — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:08:39 GMT

Thomas Jefferson stated a long time ago that an educated and informed public was necessary for democracy to succeed. He was right.

re: The Civics test: How do you compare?

Cheesehead — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:55:41 GMT

90.91%, 30 out of 33.

I feel good! Guess all the reading & listening I do paid off. Thanks for the link.

Kyle's reply: Bravo!

re: The Civics test: How do you compare?

Santa's Elf — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 15:49:49 GMT

You answered 31 out of 33 correctly — 93.94 %

Average score for this quiz during November: 77.2%

Average score since November 20, 2008: 77.2%

Frankly, one of the questions I missed required absolutely no knowledge of government, just a little math skill. Wouldn't that make my B.S. in Mathematics somewhat questionable? Or perhaps it's just too early for this elf to be out of bed!

re: Class sizes then and now

Santa's Elf — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:49:56 GMT

"wage and benefits to employees are rising"

Echoing the sentiment of so many with regard to the big three bailout, if wages and benefits for school marms continue to rise during the present economic upheaval, I will assure you that class sizes will increase in proportion geometrically until we are back to one school marm per school.

There is just no way that ESD employees can avoid sharing in the effects of this depression.

We may be nearing the time at which the citizens will have to step in and play a much more active role in ESD decision making because this just cannot stand!

re: State funding & Elmbrook class size discussion Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 - 3pm

Cheri M. — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:36:36 GMT

Kathryn

Thank you for your kind words. Yes, I passed along input from a number of interested people who for various reasons could not attend meetings but felt comfortable sharing their thoughts with me. In the process, my own thoughts evolved. Meanwhile, my daughter remains opted out of HG&D... her choice... we study at home. We both like that.

re: The man who would be king: Treasury Secretary Paulson

Richard J. Steinberg — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 03:22:27 GMT

This is not a time to play the blame game. Responsible people do responsible things. Right now, I am tuned in to the City of Brookfield budget which has not been pre-published and/or itemized by line by line items. The big numbers start with the small numbers and add up.This is about ALL government agencies federal, state, and local, which are run by those who do not respect the people who pay dearly for their decisions.

re: The man who would be king: Treasury Secretary Paulson

Santa's Elf — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:44:44 GMT

Good grief! When I read your title up to the colon:

"The man who would be king"

my mind automatically flashed ahead and I just assumed the blog was about Jeff Speaker or Matt Gibson.

This is not the first time we've been down this road. And while FDR followed a slightly different map, he too did some 'bailing out'. What can W do to top the old FDR double whammy of first calling in all the gold at $20+ per ounce - making paper king, then devaluing the same paper down to $35 per ounce? Was that a steal or what?

Before we're done, this thing will prove to be twice as exciting as a date with Joran Van Der Sloot, twice as ugly in the end, and - I hasten to add - probably twice as long to resolve.

After we bail out the crooked Wall St. bankers so they can find new ways to be crooked, we'll still be stuck with the tiny three automakers. And once we've bailed out the tiny three automakers who forgot long ago how to be competitive in the auto industry, we'll still be stuck with ample reason to buy un-American, while the tiny three start going broke all over again by building vehicles no one wants or needs, and doing it with $30 an hour labor - not including benefits.

TAX HELL hit the nail on the head in saying its "Privatize the profits - socialize the losses." That seems to comport with W's own idea of 'free enterprise'.

As Mr. Steinberg ought to know, the only members of our society who receive - need it or not - oversight, transparency and a lot more - are those among us who either pay taxes or are incarcerated.

Well, as long as they continue to stimulate the tax-non-payer with ever increasing handouts, I'm happy. Lets hope everyone else can live with the situation.

If not, you can always join the crowd out protesting California's Proposition 8, or the other gala gang currently gnashing teeth in front of the Federal Reserve Banks.

re: State funding & Elmbrook class size discussion Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 - 3pm

kathryn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 20:35:13 GMT

There is not really a single time that's good for everyone. Sometimes it seems there is no time that is good for anyone.

On the bright side, Cheri, I noticed that some of my comments to you made it into the HG&D recommendations, and the school board certainly took notice of strong opinions in the community. Perhaps you have accomplished more than you think!

re: The man who would be king: Treasury Secretary Paulson

Tax Hell — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:29:31 GMT

As a design professional and a sole proprietor I must make sure that I live within my means and income. There's too much at risk not to. It seems that some people trying to live the American dream had a life style in mind well beyond their bank account. I am for teaching financial ethics and practical money matters in high school so kids get a better handle and don't repeat our mistakes. Next I would deal with predatory lenders in a harsh but fair manor that would send the message to the others that this won't be tolerated. Any money put into the system (banks, auto makers, etc.) is tethered to a list of rules and concessions. This wasn't a problem that popped up overnight and it's not going away anytime soon. Patience is key.

Kyle's reply: Amen to teaching economics and money management in high school. (I would also like the Constitution taught!)

Predatory lenders were a problem but so was legislation that kept banks/lenders from denying loans based on income/ability to pay. I have not heard about remedying that yet.

re: State funding & Elmbrook class size discussion Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 - 3pm

Cheri M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:59:11 GMT

Yes, I and many others have spent hundreds of hours researching and in meetings over the past year for the Human Growth & Development issues. May I say, being a member of a committee is a tad different than casual attendance at a meeting.

Soon we will give of time, effort, and talent to the HGD parent advisory committee again. Three 2-hour meetings are scheduled FOR ALL PARENTS AND INTERESTED PARTIES TO REVIEW THE ENTIRE k-12 CURRICULUM, OR ANY PORTIONS THEREOF. Personally, I do not believe 6 hours is sufficient to review the entire k-12 curriculum including videos, DVDs, printed materials, etc, for this would imply 1/2 hour of instructional materials per grade level. Even viewing one video or DVD may use most or all of the time alloted. More time has been requested of the district. The district has also been asked to provide copies of the not-yet-approved high-level-outcomes as a check-off-list for matching each of the instructional materials to their proposed outcomes during the review.

Meeting dates and times will undoubtedly be announced by the district but if you'd like as much advance notice as possible, and not risk overlooking a tiny notice on an obscure page, here is the info board members and HGD parent advisory committee members have received:

Tue Dec9 4:30–6:30PM, Fri Dec12 1–3PM, Tue Jan6 8:30–10:30AM

Again, many parents may be working at these times. The second meeting may be especially difficult to attend as it also coincides with school dismissal. Special arrangements may need to be made in advance, juggling schedules to attend. I hope many will find it to be worth the effort.

re: The man who would be king: Treasury Secretary Paulson

Richard J. Steinberg — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:50:03 GMT

A very objective analysis. The American people were promised oversight, transperancy and a lot more. Will this government action trickle down to local government ?

re: The man who would be king: Treasury Secretary Paulson

Tax Hell — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:11:41 GMT

What a huge surprise. The Corporatocracy is milking this per the game plan. Say it with me...

Privatize the profits - socialize the losses.

I am betting that this doesn't bottom out until the end of next year.

Heck of a job W! Cash is King...

Kyle's reply: Just curious here, what is your solution?

re: State funding & Elmbrook class size discussion Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 - 3pm

Cheri M. — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:02:30 GMT

Hi Kyle, those are good thoughts.

Perhaps the alternate times would be 7:00-8:30am when many people are bringing their children to school or to the bus stop? Or at a time which rivals school concerts, conferences, etc?

We have noticed the size of our daughter's classes increase over the years, ostensibly as "extra seats" were found for open enrollment. One of our daughter's classes contains 33 students this year. I *think* the max allowed is 35 students? I believe the class sizes are approaching the max allowed? If the district is planning increased class size as a budget-stretching strategy, it may be important to understand that this approach has already been in play for several years and therefore it's benefits may be nearly exhausted?

While I remain interested in the subject, after several years of juggling schedules to attend meetings many parents find the ill-scheduled meetings generally discourage parental input in other ways as well. Often one finds that the one-way flow of information could have been accomplished with a simple paragraph or two included in any of the regular communications: school newsletters, The Link, city newsletter, district website. Therefore, ironically, holding a meeting sometimes seems a way to graciously side-step the sharing of information.

Perhaps I will just wait a bit and read the news coverage of the meeting?

Kyle's reply: Cheri, I think you more than gave at the HG&D meetings!

re: OOPS, NASA used Sept. temperatures for Oct.'s data

Cindy — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 01:27:35 GMT

Kyle, you rock. Great catch. I wouldn't have seen this if it were not for your blog.

re: OOPS, NASA used Sept. temperatures for Oct.'s data

Santa's Elf — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:41:43 GMT

"NASA used Sept. temperatures for Oct.'s data"

They inherited that trick from the politicians. Except when the pols do it, they call it 'deficit spending', also referred to in economic think tanks as 'monetizing the debt'. Pretty slick, eh?

re: State funding & Elmbrook class size discussion Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 - 3pm

Cheri M. — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:11:10 GMT

Do we notice that the meeting time of 1:30-3:00pm seems to preclude attendance as that is the time many parents are working, and others are either picking up their children from school, or preparing to greet them they hop off the school bus?

Kyle's reply: I was a little surprised at the time too, but I don't know that there is ever a good time. If more of these sessions are offered at other times, hopefully all will be able to attend that wish to?

re: State funding & Elmbrook class size discussion Tuesday, Nov. 18, 1:30 - 3pm

Santa's Elf — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 05:05:13 GMT

Seems to me that this is the perfect time for the school district to throw up its corporate hands and declare bankruptcy! No doubt we could interest 'nobody's senator but ours' to float us a few billion dollar bailout 'earmark'.

Shucks, we could air condition, double gym seating capacity and add boxes, fully embellish theaters, and provide the finest artificial turf for each and every field venue for both high schools.

What's better than freshly printed money, I ask you?

Kyle's reply: A bailout? Why didn't I think of that! ;-)

re: Fun fall project

Santa's Elf — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:50:41 GMT

Speaking of leaves (your topic, not mine!) a careful reading of the glad tidings announcing major underestimates in the cost of 'mechanicals' in the ESD high schools reveals the following:

The budget was under estimated by "$4.5 million", and "Current mechanical costs for both schools are estimated at $11 million."

This LEAVES one with the impression that the mechanicals were originally estimated at $6.5 million and will now cost almost 70% over the estimate! Which in turn LEAVES one suspecting the integrity of the folks who did the estimate! Exactly where does that LEAVE us? I think I know, but I don't own a paddle!

Kyle's reply: I would say, it is too bad we don't LEAVE out the air conditioning! :)

re: Seeing RED

Cheri M. — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:37:57 GMT

Kyle,

THANKS for sharing this. Between this map and the ever-emerging stories of Dem voter fraud, I feel somewhat reassured that there is still a strong conservative base out there which can be energized.

re: Seeing RED

Santa's Elf — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:33:56 GMT

Speaking of seeing red (your topic, not mine!), did you notice the article entitled: "Board considers cuts on high school plans"? Is there any news in there that wasn't sufficiently predicted back when the referendums were being discussed?