Re: California Dreaming, Part N + 4

["Karen Canty" <kvscanty@pacbell.net>]

George,

Be happy to but I haven't had much luck with getting "published!"

Karen

-----Original Message-----
From: arn-l-owner@interversity.org [mailto:arn-l-owner@interversity.org]
On Behalf Of George Sheridan
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 2:07 PM
To: arn-l@interversity.org
Subject: Re: [arn-l] California Dreaming, Part N + 4

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


-------------------------------------------------------
Subscribe ARN-L:
http://interversity.org/lists/arn-l/subscribe.html