Ok, I try and comment seldom on individual legislators but this time I can't help myself.
Rep. DeKrey from the Fessenden/Harvey part of ND has finally gotten my attention.
He first proposed legislation that removed the requirement to have a teaching license to be the State Supt. of Public Instruction.....He won! OK, so it was an anomaly of the Constitution. Now there is a initiative proposal to adjust the Constitution to fix that anomaly.
He has reached a new low in terms of disrespecting the profession that I have been in for all of these years. He thinks it is funny to propose an amendment to the initiative to add requirements for all other constitutional officers and dilute the proposal.....Funny HA HA! I am not amused.
When will some of these folks stop treating education and educators as some kind of second class world. We believe that to be an education leader one should be an educator. Lets debate that issue. Playing games like this is far more disrespectful than anything I can imagine.
Stop the shenanigans. This is a waste of taxpayer money so that one legislator can pull his own fraternity pranks. Rep. DeKrey....debate the issues.... Stop disrespecting those of us who work hard every day to educate children.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Legislative crossover
By the end of today we will know a lot more about the future of the legislature.....Usually the week after crossover is when we can get a flavor for what is likely to be the end game...#1400 will likely pass so it is time to start figuring out how to address new graduation requirements, mentors and career advisors. Actually it is time to read the bill!
We will have full kindergarten and we will have some type of expanded preschool in ND. We will be seeing a large property tax decrease. The question is...will the three or 4 remaining districts with unlimited mill rates be punished? It appears that may happen....Fargo and Grand Forks will be impacted by this issue greatly.
I have nothing from the State Supt. since the session began. It appears that DPI had no initiatives of their own. They are following the bills presented by others. That is a sad commentary on the status of education in ND....
I am going to spend a day in the Capitol on March 9th....I want to get a flavor for what is likely to be the final details. It is pretty easy to get that figured out if one can get a chance to talk to the right players. I will either blog or twitter most of that day.
We will have full kindergarten and we will have some type of expanded preschool in ND. We will be seeing a large property tax decrease. The question is...will the three or 4 remaining districts with unlimited mill rates be punished? It appears that may happen....Fargo and Grand Forks will be impacted by this issue greatly.
I have nothing from the State Supt. since the session began. It appears that DPI had no initiatives of their own. They are following the bills presented by others. That is a sad commentary on the status of education in ND....
I am going to spend a day in the Capitol on March 9th....I want to get a flavor for what is likely to be the final details. It is pretty easy to get that figured out if one can get a chance to talk to the right players. I will either blog or twitter most of that day.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Ulimited mill squawking
I was counting the days till the districts with unlimited mills would squawk about the legislature taking away that option. Today Bismarck finally did! I have to agree with them it could be devastating to the big four districts who by in large are the primary beneficiaries of this long time option....The legislature has nibbled around the edges of taking away the unlimited option for a long time but now they have made their move......Rolling a 200+mill back to 185 is serious business. If this flies and the districts will have to have a vote every 10 years to keep the mills up. They are likely to give them up. That will really put a crimp on programs as we have known them in every large district in the state.
I am not ready to suggest that it is a good idea.....I am not a fan of voting for everything. I vote to elect folks who represent me....I expect them to make serious decisions....When they do well I vote to re-elect them and visa versa....Voting every time there is a need to burp is ridiculous. We seem to be moving in that direction more and more and I for one am not in favor of it.
I also come from a majority rules background....Make your case and when it is all said and done.... win or lose....then move on....This 60% stuff doesn't sit well with me.
I am not ready to suggest that it is a good idea.....I am not a fan of voting for everything. I vote to elect folks who represent me....I expect them to make serious decisions....When they do well I vote to re-elect them and visa versa....Voting every time there is a need to burp is ridiculous. We seem to be moving in that direction more and more and I for one am not in favor of it.
I also come from a majority rules background....Make your case and when it is all said and done.... win or lose....then move on....This 60% stuff doesn't sit well with me.
Monday, February 23, 2009
1st half review
In reviewing the first half of the legislature....in education
The Governor did very well with his education agenda...#1400 looks like a go...
The school boards association did well except for the administrative judge involvement in non renewals. They mostly killed others bills....as they usually do
The school administrators association did ok...The kept a couple of things from happening and along with the NDSBA stopped NDEA from getting binding arbitration in grievances and bargaining for support staffs.....
NDEA got the administrative judges in non renewals but their other agenda did not fair well....
Will educators get the 5% and 5% that the state employees get?....It has been a long time.
I would encourage anyone who reads this to get aggressive about the bills still alive to clean up re-apportionment. We, like many states, have had one party drawing the lines for legislative districts for so long that they are beyond safe. They are permanently in one party. The majority in the ND legislature is permanent as of now...Right or wrong the system is flawed. We need an independent commission to have final authority over re- apportionment. At least, then, we can have geographic boundaries that make sense.
This issue is alive and without an outcry there will be nothing changed. The leaders in the majority party will draw the lines as they wish
I live across the road from a district that begins just south of GF and stair steps to Valley City.....That is ridiculous
The Governor did very well with his education agenda...#1400 looks like a go...
The school boards association did well except for the administrative judge involvement in non renewals. They mostly killed others bills....as they usually do
The school administrators association did ok...The kept a couple of things from happening and along with the NDSBA stopped NDEA from getting binding arbitration in grievances and bargaining for support staffs.....
NDEA got the administrative judges in non renewals but their other agenda did not fair well....
Will educators get the 5% and 5% that the state employees get?....It has been a long time.
I would encourage anyone who reads this to get aggressive about the bills still alive to clean up re-apportionment. We, like many states, have had one party drawing the lines for legislative districts for so long that they are beyond safe. They are permanently in one party. The majority in the ND legislature is permanent as of now...Right or wrong the system is flawed. We need an independent commission to have final authority over re- apportionment. At least, then, we can have geographic boundaries that make sense.
This issue is alive and without an outcry there will be nothing changed. The leaders in the majority party will draw the lines as they wish
I live across the road from a district that begins just south of GF and stair steps to Valley City.....That is ridiculous
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
High School 2025
Isn't it amazing what a neighboring state can do with a progressive state department of education.....?
High School 2025
High School 2025
Monday, February 16, 2009
Finance 101
It occurred to me driving down the highway this weekend listening to NPR that part of the banking solution might be simpler than we think////NPR was talking about TCF a Minneapolis bank.
How about identifying the regional institutions around the country that have no toxic assets on their books and have run a good operation over the last 2 years. Give them the banking stimulus money. Ignore the wall street banks....Tell these regional institutions that they have to assume the role of making sure that credit gets flowing....Those who had nothing but profit as their motives instead of service should be let go...Housing and foreclosure still have to be dealt with but why not reward those institutions who stayed focused on their mission and give them a leg up....
Obviously, there is something wrong with this idea or someone would be proposing it as we speak....
How about identifying the regional institutions around the country that have no toxic assets on their books and have run a good operation over the last 2 years. Give them the banking stimulus money. Ignore the wall street banks....Tell these regional institutions that they have to assume the role of making sure that credit gets flowing....Those who had nothing but profit as their motives instead of service should be let go...Housing and foreclosure still have to be dealt with but why not reward those institutions who stayed focused on their mission and give them a leg up....
Obviously, there is something wrong with this idea or someone would be proposing it as we speak....
Friday, February 13, 2009
What Arne Duncan Thinks of No Child Left Behind - US News and World Report
It appears that the new administration is long on generalities and short on details right now.....!
What Arne Duncan Thinks of No Child Left Behind - US News and World Report
What Arne Duncan Thinks of No Child Left Behind - US News and World Report
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Doom and Gloom...NOT!
Rep. Svedjan said two weeks ago at the Grand Forks forum that there would be a dire report on the ND economy yesterday......Guess it didn't happen... Huh!
There is a redux in the forecast but no where near what some legislators predicted......In fact, there is room for some special projects.....A $63 million carryover may or may not be a bit steep in this environment.
There is a redux in the forecast but no where near what some legislators predicted......In fact, there is room for some special projects.....A $63 million carryover may or may not be a bit steep in this environment.
What got cut from the stimulus bill - CNN.com
I have to admit some of these items could wait but there are some things here on the table I would argue should be retained.....
More tax cuts make me nervous.....Trickle down simply created a new wealth class that never trickled to me as far as I can see.....That last $600 tax rebate went into the paying debt or into savings......
No housing greed.... (for which some folks ought to go to jail)... we would not be even talking about jobs and stimulus today.....What a time to be alive! I have said that repeatedly for 30 years...
What got cut from the stimulus bill - CNN.com
More tax cuts make me nervous.....Trickle down simply created a new wealth class that never trickled to me as far as I can see.....That last $600 tax rebate went into the paying debt or into savings......
No housing greed.... (for which some folks ought to go to jail)... we would not be even talking about jobs and stimulus today.....What a time to be alive! I have said that repeatedly for 30 years...
What got cut from the stimulus bill - CNN.com
Monday, February 09, 2009
N.D. POLITICS NOTEBOOK: Dems try to restore teacher qualifications for DPI chief | Grand Forks Herald | Grand Forks, North Dakota
Rep DeKrey
I resent the fact that Rep. De Krey has decided to make light of our interest as educators in having the State
Supt. of Public Instruction have some guaranteed experience or background in education. This could only be demonstrated by having a teaching license. We take licensue to teach very seriously within the profession. I would assume that doctors and lawyers take licensure very seriously as well. It is unacceptable to treat this as something to laugh about. Mistakes may have been made. That does not give credence to make light of a profession that should be led by someone from the licensed ranks not by someone who merely wants a political job.
Supt. of Public Instruction have some guaranteed experience or background in education. This could only be demonstrated by having a teaching license. We take licensue to teach very seriously within the profession. I would assume that doctors and lawyers take licensure very seriously as well. It is unacceptable to treat this as something to laugh about. Mistakes may have been made. That does not give credence to make light of a profession that should be led by someone from the licensed ranks not by someone who merely wants a political job.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Generation B - Teacher Salaries Rise to $100K - NYTimes.com
Whoa! It can be done........elsewhere
This is how it has happened....
Generation B - Teacher Salaries Rise to $100K - NYTimes.com
This is how it has happened....
Generation B - Teacher Salaries Rise to $100K - NYTimes.com
Monday, February 02, 2009
Substitute teachers
I will repeat what I have said before.....The cost of subs is high and a district could benefit by creating an FTE for subs. If they hired a group of licensed professionals at a set wage...say at a point on the salary schedule and offered them benefits but not assign them to a classroom they would go a long way in solving this concern. Each sub would be assigned to a building or a set of buildings based on a ratio and they would be expected to show up nearly every day. They would be moved from place to place as needed but they would be a guaranteed extra set of hands when needed. The cost is not what it seems.....If one looks at the total cost of subs in a district the size of Fargo or Grand Forks.... The numbers work...
The idea that ESPB adjust the requirements for subs is fine but it still won't solve the problem....In our economy a person looking for this kind of work will work elsewhere for a set number of hours versus a maybe.....
The idea that ESPB adjust the requirements for subs is fine but it still won't solve the problem....In our economy a person looking for this kind of work will work elsewhere for a set number of hours versus a maybe.....
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