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Politics : Liberalism: Do You Agree We've Had Enough of It? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Andrew N. Cothran who wrote (1461)	3/4/2005 2:59:44 AM
From: Richnorth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224704

Here's another interesting read! Gates "appalled" by high schools By Alicia Mundy Seattle Times Washington bureau seattletimes.nwsource.com Gates grants support changes in 1,500 high schools, about 8 percent of America's secondary public schools, including several in Washington state. The program aims to reduce high-school populations to no more than about 500 students per school. Hundreds of new schools will be built, and many other large schools will divide into smaller entities within the same structure. Gates said that he wants to emphasize the "three R's — rigor, relevance and relationships." By that, he means stronger curricula (rigor), better preparation for work and higher education (relevance), and a school structure where students have more support from teachers and counselors (relationships). In discussing standards and achievement measurements, Gates called on community leaders to demand openness from their school districts. Localities need to know the percentages of students dropping out, graduating, going to college, he said, "and we need this data broken down by race and income." "He's absolutely right," said Bergeson. "You can't allow schools to hide" this information by aggregating statistics over too many schools. "We need to measure it subgroup by subgroup." "He really addressed the big-picture problem," said Bergeson. "This wasn't 'Big Education' rhetoric. Whether I agree with all his ideas or not, I think this speech was great." Gates is a "player now in education," said Michael Casserly, director of the Council of Great City Schools, a coalition of 65 of the nation's largest urban public-school systems. "He's helped shape the conversation about many high-school reforms," he added, "though it's still too new to tell what effect they will have." The governors, led by Virginia's Warner, welcomed Gates' candid assessment. Warner, who comes from the high-tech industry, has championed the Gates Foundation's efforts nationally, and has begun a governors' initiative to redesign high schools. That was one reason, Gates told a small group of reporters before his speech, that he had come to address the governors directly. "That's where the resources are, and that's part of their mandate." In that news conference, Gates said he would not give America's leaders a passing grade right now for their commitment to fixing education. Gates acknowledged that there is some political resistance to the smaller-high-school campaign. "It's very complex," he said. "But in many schools you need radical institutional change," he went on. "Any radical change is going to upset people. If you look, most of the pushback is not really against small," he said. He suggested it comes from those who run big sports programs, who are "asking why you're trying to change the status quo." Asked about one Northwest school that is considering ending its $900,000 small-schools grant, the foundation's Executive Director Tom Vander Ark said school leaders "really need to go back and discuss their goals for their students." North Eugene (Ore.) High School's administrators gave mixed reviews to the smaller "learning academies" concept after visiting Mountlake Terrace High School, according to published reports. The Oregon school's staff may vote to forgo the remainder of the three-year grant from the Gates Foundation and the Meyer Memorial Trust. "They need to have a broader conversation with their community about the kind of education their kids deserve," said Vander Ark, noting that though he would be disappointed if the school pulled out, the grant is specific in its intent. Alicia Mundy: 202-662-7457 or amundy@seattletimes.com

To: Andrew N. Cothran who wrote (1461)	3/6/2005 11:18:24 PM
From: Richnorth	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 224704

Here's another interesting read: Amazing Ironies, Striking Similarities & Curious Coincidences Of Two Suspicious Events By Douglas Herman 3-4-5 (A). Fifteen minutes after JFK is shot, Dallas Police dispatch an APB for a suspect fitting Lee Harvey Oswald's exact description, although Oswald has neither been implicated nor his weapon found. Moments after 9-11 attack, a scorched passport allegedly belonging to an Islamic hijacker is found near the WTC wreckage. (B). Alleged JFK assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was a former CIA operative. Alleged 9-11 mastermind, Osama Bin Ladin, was former CIA operative. (C). Oswald allegedly had a Communist background. Islamic hijackers allegedly had an Al Qaeda background. After JFK assassination and convenient murder of Oswald, Cold War spending increases; Vietnam war escalates. After WTC attack, Persian Gulf "terrorism" spending increases; Gulf wars escalate. (D). Ruby enters Dallas police basement unseen by security. Exactly how remains a mystery. Al Qaeda hijackers enter airliners unseen by security cameras. Exactly how remains a mystery. (E). JFK assassin benefits by convenient motorcade route past the murder site. 9-11 terrorists benefit by convenient Pentagon war games planned for same day as attack. (F). Secret Service scapegoated after JFK. FAA scapegoated after 9-11. (G). After JFK assassination, a Texas president assumes enormous power. After 9-11 attack, a Texas president assumes enormous power. (H). Texas companies--Bell Helicopter, Brown & Root--profit greatly after JFK assassination. Texas companies--Halliburton, Kellogg, Brown & Root--profit greatly after 9-11 attack. (I). Warren Commission appointed by Texas president to investigate JFK death conducts lengthy hearings, publishes weighty, critically acclaimed books--and blames Oswald. Kean Commission appointed by Texas president conducts lengthy hearings, publishes weighty, critically acclaimed book--and blames Osama Bin Ladin. (J). After JFK assassination, prominent mainstream columnists parrot official goverment version. After 9-11 attack, prominent mainstream columnists parrot official government version. (K). JFK conspiracy theorists deemed nut cases or unpatriotic. 9-11 conspiracy theorists deemed nut cases or unpatriotic. (L). Flight of JFK's Magic Bullet explained away by every government official. Tragic Flight 93 explained away by every government official after 9-11. (M). A tall building in Dallas, The Texas School Book Depository, is a crucial key to all JFK conspiracy theories. A tall building in New York, actually the controlled demolition of WTC-7, is a crucial key to all 9-11 conspiracy theories. (N). Dallas police arrest suspicious characters at the JFK murder site, so-called "hobos." They release them without charges. New York police arrest suspicious characters near the WTC murder site, so-called "Israeli furniture movers." FBI releases them without charges. (O). An immediate hardline foreign policy shift follows JFK assassination. An immediate hardline foreign policy shift follows the 9-11 attack. (P). After JFK, a Texas president embarks on trumped up war, which soon becomes quagmire. After 9-11, a Texas president embarks on trumped up war, which soon becomes quagmire. (Q). After JFK, the war in Vietnam begins with a great lie--the Gulf of Tonkin attack. After 9-11, the war in Iraq begins with a great lie--the weapons of mass destruction deception. (R) After JFK, the Secretary of Defense conducts a vicious war and denies blame for culpability. After 9-11, the Secretary of Defense conducts a vucious war and denies blame for culpability. (R) After JFK, anti-war protesters are blamed for the failing policy in Vietnam. After 9-11, anti-war protesters are blamed for the failing policy in Iraq. (S) Covert CIA attrocities--Operation Phoenix--spiral upward in Vietnam after JFK and no high official ever takes the fall. Covert CIA attrocities--torture in Afghanistan and Iraq----spiral upward in Iraq after 9-11 and no high official ever takes the fall. (T) After JFK, the war in Vietnam leaves many soldiers disenchanted. Brave individuals from the lowest ranks begin to resist and speak out against the war. After 9-11, the war in Iraq leaves many soldiers disenchanted. Brave individuals from the lowest ranks begin to resist and speak out against the war. (U) After JFK, Enormous national debt is accrued, military casualties spire upward, public opinion turns negative--and a president is disgraced from office, leaving a legacy as a warmonger. After 9-11, enormous national debt is accrued, military casualties spire upward, public opinion turns negative---To be continued. rense.com _____ Douglas Herman contributes regularly for Rense and has finished a novel called "The Guns of Dallas," to be published this summer, explaining the likely scenario of the JFK assassination.