School Choice or Public-Education Abandonment?

Everyone has the right to a free public education – THAT’S IT! No more or no less.

Just as when the United States was created, the Constitution of Texas also allows for the right of a free public education through high school. It also allows parents the right to put their children in a private school and/or to home school if they so choose (at their own expense).

These days we are seeing an even bigger push away from the public education system in favor of other alternatives. Alternatives such as Private Schools (religious or secular), Charter Schools, Alternative Schools, and Home Schooling. All of these options have their positive attributes and all have shown to have positives as well as negatives.

Which is right for you or your children? It’s hard to say because each child, and each family is different. Are public Schools broke? That depends on which schools you look at, but it has as much to do with the community around that school system as it does the school itself.

Not a single school system can be successful without community/parental involvement in the education process. Schooling our children is an active process. It must involve the parents as much as it does the children and the teachers. Unfortunately, far too many parents only become involved in the education process when there is a problem. Far too many parents are absent from their child’s daily school life.

Regardless of the many issues facing Public Education, removing resources from the public education system is not the way to handle the issue. Our problems with public education have come from the state and federal government confusing oversight with micromanagement.

Unfunded mandates, mandatory testing, and financial manipulation by the state and federal government are the root causes of the educational failure in this country and this state; furthermore, robbing the public education system of more resources will not change that. Stripping away at these resources will only serve to deteriorate the already frail inner-city schools, weaken strong schools, and steal from the small-town local education that is a key part of the very fabric of rural Texas.

I hear many folks say that they want to use the tax money they pay for public schools to pay for a private school for their children. OKAY, but there are so many flaws with that system. First, take me for instance; let’s say I pay roughly $500.00 a year in school taxes on my home. That hardly seems enough were I to elect to send my child to a private school, or to home school them. But I have/had 4 kids in school at one time – YEAP – No Where Near Enough!!!

But what if the state or federal government gave me something like the $4,500.00 a year voucher or credit such as Indiana gives out? That sounds great too; however, what about all the hidden fees associated with private schools or home schools. There’s uniforms, books, lunches (no free lunches in private schools or home schools), equipment fees, extracurricular fees, and facility fees to name a few. I doubt that voucher would cover all that.

Then there’s testing! Yeap, testing is an inevitable part of accepting public money. What about the fact that once private schools accept public money they will most likely no longer have the ability to select the enrollment of certain students over others as they do now. Oh the strings that come with accepting “government” money!!!

In all honesty, vouchers tend to favor people who can already afford private schools. Vouchers help to offset their costs. But vouchers really won’t make much of an impact on those who are most affected by the failing public education system.

Instead of stealing resources from public education might I suggest a few items that will make things better:

1.       More emphasis on local control and less (Or No) emphasis on Mandatory testing!

2.       More emphasis on vocational and agricultural education.

3.       Appropriate emphasis on college prep.

4.       Less emphasis on athletics. Do we really need $60 million-dollar football stadiums?

The problems that plague out public-school system can be summed up with the following: Testing over Learning, Athletics over Academics, College Preparedness over Vocational/Agricultural Education, and Parental/Community Management over Government Controls.

Vouchers, Credits, etc. won’t fix that.

Want to know more? When was the last time you asked public school teachers about this?

I bet it’s been too long!

Later,

Bill 

You’re Not Boycotting Trump…You’re Boycotting America!

                There are few men in America that garner the respect than Rep. John Lewis, but this boycott is not a reason for reverence. Lewis and some 60 or so of his peers in the House of Representatives are boycotting the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45^th President of the United States.

                I can understand being opposed to a candidate for office and not being happy for their election; however, they were elected and they serve as our President. Just as Barack Obama was elected, Just as George W. Bush, Clinton, Bush-41, Reagan, Carter, and on and on. They may not be our choice, but once they take that oath of office they do indeed become “OUR” President – AND the inauguration is a celebration of “OUR” Country.

                When Obama was elected, I heard a lot of folks who wanted him to fail or called him “Their” or “The Democrat’s” President. That was wrong. Regardless of how you voted, the man elected to sit in the oval office is indeed “OUR” President and to wish him to fail is in turn wishing for our country to fail.

That’s why the members of the House who are boycotting the inaugural aren’t just boycotting Donald Trump, they’re boycotting America.

Yes, that’s a strong statement, but it’s the truth. Whether you voted for or against Donald Trump, this is the transfer of power that makes our country such an amazing place to live. Since 1797 there has been a peaceful, respectful, and amazing transfer of power that is unique for all Americans. Boycotting this event shows contempt for the process, and in turn for our country.

By starting this page of history with a boycott, these boycotters have only shown that they are already starting out on a foot of negative wishes, thoughts, and purpose. Yes, it is their right, But that doesn’t make it right.

John Lewis has a tremendous history in the Civil Rights Movement and was a friend of Martin Luther King. I think Dr. King would have looked to start this chapter of our history with good will in hopes of working together for the betterment of America. I believe Dr. King would attend the inauguration with respect, Christian reverence, and in prayer not only for our President, but for our country.

God Bless Us All,

Bill

Private Manning's Communtation!!

In the final 72 hours of the Obama Administration we are witnessing the pardon and commuting of prison sentences taking place at a disturbing pace, and in a disturbing manner. Yesterday’s commutation of Private Manning’s 35 year prison sentence is one of the icings on the cake.

Private Chelsea Manning, formerly Bradley Manning (I refuse to get into the whole transger issue), was convicted of violations of the espionage act and sentenced to 35 years in Federal Prison for his actions. Specifically, Private Manning illegally shared over 750,000 classified documents with WikiLeaks and, in turn, other outlets. These documents were of many different types including items as sensitive as troop movements, incident reports,  and after-action reports.

Documents that explained what our forces were doing, when they were doing them, and how they were doing them. Documents that gave out valuable data that allowed our enemies to know how, when, and where our forces would be conducting operations. Information that exposed the places our forces worked from, when they would be working there, and from what sources our intel was coming from thereby putting those sources in danger.

And even though the press or elected officials won’t say it, most military folks will tell you that the information that Private Manning exposed did put many people’s lives in danger, and most likely cost people their lives. This information was found on multiple terrorists computers including the one taken from Usama bin Laden’s computer. Safe to say they weren’t holding it for posterity, they were using it to attack our sources, our troops, and our security.

Private Manning deserves his term in prison. Actually, he probably deserves worse. The good American Veteran in me says he needs to serve his prison term, as a man. The spiteful, revenge-seeking Veteran in me says he should be released after he is given his sex-change operation, and then he should be flown over and dropped off with ISIS. Let's see how those who benefited most from his treason treat him as a woman (or whatever). Doubt he’d be happy with that.

Instead, he will be released sometime this summer, long after the Obama Administration is forgotten and most of the “Obama Legacy” is corrected. The concern for Private Manning should be his shelf life on the streets of a country he betrayed. He won’t be “just a citizen.” He will be a marked man….or whatever.

48 Hours To Go!!

Later,
Bill

Be Careful with Your News!!

There’s been a lot made of the 24-hour news cycle, false social media news, opinionated journalism, shock-value journalism, and major cable news services in the pocket of one party or the other. To an extent, it’s all true.

But it doesn’t have to be.

I have a close friend who is a newspaper man. He and I have been friends for years even with our differences on many political issues. I consider myself right-of-center to his left-of-center. At one time, we were on rival sides of the political fence as far as holding office as Party Chairs for our small Central Texas rural county. It was the most harmonious of times two party chairs could enjoy as far as working together to ensure smooth elections. Then he moved and…. well that’s another story.

One common issue we both have is where people get their news and how what they perceive a talking heads position as actual news. Twenty years ago, and before, most people got their daily news from three main sources: a local or regional newspaper, the nightly news, and the radio.

Today people are bombarded with news from a variety of sources beyond the aforementioned traditional sources. Twitter, E-Mails, Facebook, Instagram, Talk Radio, text-messaging, Snapchat, and cable news organizations are a wealth of information….AND Disinformation.

I was talking to a gentleman the other night and his line of reasoning came right from the ultra-conservative, conspiracy-theorist, talk-radio game plan. I’ll not mention what programs or sources he had gotten his “news” from, but obviously they came from “news” programs hosted by today’s brand of typical opinionated talk-show hosts – NOT real newsmen.

Listening to him talk I realized how much people rely on all these forms of news and how much they are impacted by this over-saturation of “news.” It made me want to share where I get my news and information and what I feel are good news sources.

First (and foremost), I have subscription to both of our weekly county papers, and I generally read one of larger daily papers as well (Houston, Austin, or Dallas). This gives you the local and regional news.

Lastly, radio and TV news. I know everyone has their preferences but here are mine. Along with our local radio news programs, I watch or listen to three radio/TV programs fairly consistently as I feel they offer the most honest coverage and present viewpoints from both sides of the political spectrum. In the morning, I prefer “Morning Joe” on MSNBC. In the afternoon, I listen to Jake Tapper’s program on CNN and Bret Baier’s program on Fox News. If those programs aren’t on I listen to a mix of the BBC news and Public Radio news with a smattering of C-Span. Yeah, I’m a news junkie/nerd.

And while I am a news junkie/nerd, thanks to my friend the Newspaper Man, I also closely watch what is reported to make sure I know what the truth really is. I do browse the internet for stories, but it’s not hard to get tripped up on a false story from the web, an e-mail, Facebook, or the other web-based sources.

In closing, I often keep this in mind. My Grandfather always told me to be careful and don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see. Basically, in regards to the news, what he was saying is if you want to know the truth go out and get it. Don’t be lazy and wait for someone to bring it to you.

As a concerned citizen, gathering honest news is an active process. If you want the truth you will go get it. If you want to be ignorant…. well that’s pretty easy these days.

Extra, Extra…..

Bill

Does your service equal your wants?

It's always amazing to me how those who have done the least for their communities, their states, and their country tend to be the ones crying for more benefits they are "entitled" to, raging against those who don't agree with them, and/or are whining about how unfair things are.

If you haven't done anything to be a part of the solution, help your fellow man, and/or serve your community or country, then you are part of the problem.

No one can do it all, but everyone can do something to make things better. So ask yourself what you have, or are doing to make things better. If the answer is nothing or you have to think too long about it, well you're probably part of the problem.

Rant for the Week

I had suspended this blog site and thought about deleting it in order to concentrate on sports, but I can’t let it die. Especially since there are so many ridiculously clueless folks out there who need some education on common sense and personal responsibility.

Normally when I do a rant I like to go through five or six items currently running in the news. Today I really want to touch on one general subject and let it rip….RESPONSIBILITY!

Like most responsible people, I am sick and tired of hearing about how unfair life is in the United States and how little the government does for us. Actually, if the government only did what it is constitutionally responsible for it would be more than enough.

Nowhere, and I mean NOWHERE in the constitution nor in the Declaration of Independence did our fore-fathers ever agree to provide you with anything more than the opportunity to allow you to make a future for yourself in this country. They guaranteed Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness (not the guarantee of happiness).

There was no promise of a free college education, a minimum wage, paid-family leave, welfare, unemployment, food stamps, Medicaid, or any of the other idealistically socialist endeavors taken up by past or present elected officials. Sure there can be valid reasoning or purpose for some if not all of these; however, these were never guarantees we have ever been given, nor should they be seen that way.

Currently the United States is not hovering on the brink of bankruptcy – WE ARE THERE.

As a country, our path is corrupt, ineffective, and completely unsustainable. To think anything else is pure insanity. For the most part, our elected officials want to believe that they have long-term solutions and ideas that will ease the pain associated with correcting the path to destruction this country is currently on.

Unfortunately, I am not sure there are enough responsible folks out there in elected office to correct this problem. Too many politicians claim to have a handle on the issues. They “know” what we need to fix what ails us as a country. Of course this is complete bunk because if they actually did then they WOULD HAVE DONE IT.

Truth is, far too many people in the United States don’t have that sense of responsibility and look to focus the blame for their shortcomings or societal woes squarely on……on…..on….well, anyone else but themselves.

From the plight of the oppressed to the welfare of the poor; politicians and activists groups prey on those willing to blame anyone and everyone for their place in the world. In the next few weeks I hope to hit on individual topics that touch on all these issues; however, first we must all be in agreement that we are responsible for ourselves and our own actions. Until responsibility is taken, we cannot begin to focus on those issues we need to address and repair.

So the next time you begin to say to yourself, “I could/would do that, but I can’t because……”, stop yourself and find out what it is you’re a limiting yourself with. Nine times out of ten it is you who is doing the limiting.

Are you an advocate and active member of a constructive change like in Charleston, or are you a member of the self-perpetuating problem like in Ferguson. Ask yourself, will I be an asset to my cause like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Mother Teresa, or a leader of violence-inducing, hate-spewing reactionary activism groups like the Black Panthers or the Klan.

Each of us must make a decision to be a responsible and respectful person of character willing to make the tough choices to make things better. We must approach these issues from a standpoint of personal responsibility and quit looking for easy outs that allow for that responsibility to be shifted to another person, group of people, or the government.

My Grandfather’s were greatly responsible for my beliefs and values; and they both were similar in this piece of advice. If everyone took care of their own back yard and if everyone would help at least one other person to a better place in life, this world would be fine.

I know I’m still working on mine, but how is your back yard and how many people have you helped out?

Later,

Bill

Never let a tragedy go to waste!!

I try not to go political so soon after a tragic event; however, since POTUS already has, I feel a need to point out that contrary to what President Obama believes, the fact is that making guns illegal WILL NOT affect the ease with which someone can get a gun to commit a horrible act.

AND to use this tragedy to go after a political agenda less than 24 hours after the tragedy occurred once again shows POTUS to be nothing but an ethically challenged political hack.

God Bless the folks of Mother Emmanuel AMC....you are all in our prayers.

God Speed to the departed, God Bless the survivors...
Bill