Re: California Dreaming, Part N + 4

[George Sheridan <learn@jps.net>]

Karen:

Could you put some of your message below into a letter to the San Jose 
Mercury News or other paper in your area? 
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/education/7935743.htm

O'Connell didn't dream up this plan on his own, but I think the 
standardistas are overreaching on this one and we can use it to further 
public suspicion of the whole standards-and-accountability project.

At 12:05 PM 2/14/2004 -0800, Karen Canty wrote:
> George,
>
> I heard Walters speak once in Sacramento and if I remember correctly, he
> didn't graduate from high school or if he did, it wasn't easy...so
> probably feels strongly about this because of his own experience...and I
> firmly agree with him - since I have a son who stayed in high school
> because of his woodshop teacher who is being made to feel like he isn't
> relevant anymore and yet saves kid after kid after kid so he stays and
> is, I hope, fulfilled by knowing how he effects students.  The year my
> son graduated the students were allowed to choose a teacher that they
> wanted to give them their diplomas and who would sit with them during
> the ceremony...My son, of course, chose his woodshop teacher but so did
> loads of other kids...of every ethnic group represented at the school (
> a lot) and even a few girls!  (gasp!  - girls good in drafting and
> woodshop?????!!!!!)
>
> It is just so frustrating to see that as resources have dried up, the
> academic side of the equation gets the lion's share of them and the
> vocational arts get nothing - or less than nothing...
>
> Ah well....maybe articles like Walters will make some difference some
> day...
>
> Karen
>  p.s.  We have managed to hold onto our woodshop class at our middle
> school - even though when we passed our construction bond, the thought
> was to replace it with some high tech lab...kids and parents and this
> particular board member said no and so it's still there with a great
> teacher!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org]
> On Behalf Of George Sheridan
> Sent: Friday, February 13, 2004 8:51 PM
> To: arn-l@interversity.org
> Cc: ca-resisters@interversity.org
> Subject: [arn-l] California Dreaming, Part N + 4
>
> Dan Walters is a conservative political columnist for the Sacramento
> Bee.
> His column appears in over fifty papers statewide. over the years,
> Walters
> has cast a jaundiced eye on many liberal causes. But on "standards and
> accountability" issues, his call-em-as-he sees-em approach has lead him
> to
> repeatedly question the establishment line.
>
> Today he took on State Superintendent Jack O'Connell's call for an
> exclusively college-prep curriculum for all high school students.

George Sheridan