Jeb Bush still stirring the pot of Florida's school system. He just won't go away.

[madfloridian]

Looks like his new education foundation is working with Florida legislators to "strengthen" Florida schools. Looks like he and his cronies are going to require "tougher standards". Just when our kids are having trouble passing the FCAT and passing the NCLB tests....here comes Jebbie to "toughen us up.

Former Gov. Jeb Bush's big vision of tougher standards for students and teachers may be expanded

Former Gov. Jeb Bush's big vision of tougher standards for students and teachers may be expanded as lawmakers consider dramatic changes that could affect every public school student.

One bill dubbed the "21st Century Diploma Initiative" would require high school students to complete more challenging math and science classes and reach a higher score on the FCAT to graduate.

Another bill, called the "Quality Teachers for All Students Act," would make it easier to fire teachers by lengthening the period of years that districts can dismiss them without cause.

Their primary champion is the Foundation for Florida's Future, Bush's advocacy group that seeks to carry on the governor's primary legacy during his eight years in office of grading schools, tracking students' FCAT performances, and requiring more accountability of individual teachers' performance and tying their outcomes to pay.

It does sound good on the surface, doesn't it? It really does sound good to those who think public schools are inherently bad. It sounds big and tough and powerful. Make the kids who are already not being taught because they are having to prepare for the tests....make them take MORE tests. Make the tests harder and harder.

Sounds like purposely causing schools to fail to me.

Please note who is involved with Jeb Bush in his new endeavors to "strengthen" Florida schools.

From the website of his educational foundation.

Foundation for Excellence in Education

His partners in this project:

* 21st Century Learning
* Blosser and Sayfie
* Carnival Center
* Florida Alliance For Arts Education
* Florida Department of Education
* Foundation For Florida’s Future
* Gulf Power Company
* Progress Energy - Florida
* Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruises
* Space Florida
* SunTrust Bank
* The Florida House
* The James Madison Institute
* The McGraw-Hill Companies
* University of Florida, Lastinger Center
* Walt Disney World Company
* Worldwide Interactive Network (WIN)

So here we have Jeb Bush saying that if the testing we are doing is not working, is not enough...let's do more of it.

And to add to our woes, we have the new Secretary of Education calling for us to use the education stimulus money for more school testing...even though what we are doing now is not working.

Arne Duncan wants more testing with stimulus monies

"Part of the stimulus money, he told Sam Dillon of The New York Times, will be used so that states can develop data systems, which will enable them to tie individual student test scores to individual teachers, greasing the way for merit pay. Another part of the stimulus plan will support charters and entrepreneurs."

More and harder testing.....not much talk about increasing the amount of quality education and quality learning time. Just test test test.

[Hannah Bell]

1. the f***ers never let go. 2 pincer action, the "good schools" fascism-lite of

the gates & other foundations from the "left," & the fascism-heavy of the bushes, waltons, etc. from the right.

the ruling class has united to destroy free, universal public education.

when it's done, we're not going to like the results.

mexico is the future of us education.

[madfloridian]

12. The public schools will be destroyed by testing...

making the tests more unreasonable and harder until there is less success. Then they can blame the schools even as they take money away from them.

Jeb somehow got the reputation as an education governor. Yet look at our schools here now, nothing but testing factories profiting the companies who make the tests.

[onethatcares]

2. meanwhile the education budget gets slashed

the class size amendment is going to get whacked (because no one understood what they were voting for, RIGHT?) and the lottery will bail it out.

[madfloridian]

3. Remember Jeb's "devious plans" for the class size amendment?

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/madfloridian/3223

"- He schemes to sabotage the class-size amendment, if voters approve it.

"I have a couple of devious plans if this thing passes," he said. Rather than respond in good faith to simply raise taxes (or repeal the tax cuts that could have paid for it) he'd send them another amendment presumably painting the tax and budget choices as horribly as possible.

-- He may try to get off the hook of the teacher pay issue by having the Legislature prescribe salaries. But he may wait until after the campaign to float this, as it would be a "philosophical reversal" that would be inconvenient to explain on the campaign trail."

[valerief]

4. His nickname must be Wart. Or Herpes. nt

[madfloridian]

13. But he has Fox and Hannity working for his policies.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514035,00.html

I want to see these studies they mention.

"HANNITY: Well, we know it can work because it works for some kids and it doesn't work for other kids. Let me just put out some alarming statistics for our audience just to know how bad the educational system as gotten. And we've thrown a lot of money at the problem, and money isn't the answer.

For example, there's been studies that show only 31 percent of eighth graders are proficient in science, only 26 percent are proficient in math, and Hungary and Estonia are among the nations that outperform the U.S. In a survey of 30 industrialized nations, Americans, 15 year olds, rank 21st in science and 25th in math.

Now, I think that's very telling about if you say this is connected to job creation, where the country is going to be in the next generation.

BUSH: Absolutely, and if you look at emerging nations like China and India, there's a command focus on education, and so our long-term threat is directly related to our ability to make sure that more and more of our children can learn, to acquire knowledge, and then create a new means by which this happens at an accelerated rate. So not only do conservatives need to adhere to principle as you stated in the preface of our conversation, but I think conservatives need to be on the cutting edge of reform. The world has changed. The 21st century is dramatically different than the 19th century, but we still apply a 19th century system of organization on education. It's 180 days. It's that way so that kids can get out into the farms in the summertime."

Oh, Jeb loves Arne Duncan and thinks his ideas for more testing and charter schools will save public education.

[liberalhistorian]

5. Please forgive me in advance for this, but I'm having a hard

time working up much sympathy for Florida. They knew what Jeb was all about yet voted him in a SECOND time AFTER he'd already begun his damage during his first term and was very clear about his intentions. They're reaping what they sowed, and with a vengeance.

That being said, I totally agree with the OP and it's maddening, to say the least. It's just another "weapon" in their war against public education and their attempts to shut it down for good.

[madfloridian]

6. The media here was so protective of the Bush family...

that many intelligent people were not aware...honestly.

[imdjh]

19. It didn't seem to matter when they weren't

The Miami Herald ran articles about Jeb's criminal business associations, his own sleazy path to success (not much different except in scale to his brother) and it went nowhere. The Republicans voted for him anyway, and some of the Democrats went along with them. It was the height of the "choose your news" era in which people had convinced themselves that there was no such thing as truth, or that truth equalled sources that you agree with. Thus, the damning truths being said about Jeb were simply politics, even if the allegations were very specific and named actual persons.

We also have the somewhat unique problem in Florida that we have hundreds of thousands of voters who don't really live here and never have.

[Wiley50]

7. I imagine there's a lot of pot in Florida's schools

So his gangs import it and now he wants to stir it too.

[madfloridian]

8. How many politicians can list "The Florida House" among his partners?

Is that even legal?

[malaise]

9. All the Bushes will go away

the day the war criminal is forced to account for his crimes.

[madfloridian]

11. And that may be never, I fear.

.

[imdjh]

20. A bit optimistic

No they won't. They are already placing that shitbag son of Jeb to be the next generation of Bush, while marrying off W's girls to be new molls behind the throne.

[Dr.Phool]

23. Bushes are harder to get rid of than a case of the crabs.

[madfloridian]

10. Looks who is on the panel to give the state advice on education.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/mar/22/na-experts-advice-on-school-funding-divisive/

"To lift its education system out of a darkening economy, the state lined up three academic advisers with first-rate credentials.

But critics say the advice they've provided has been drawn from the Republican playbook.

"Minimize" expensive tenure policies that favor highly paid teachers. Strengthen programs that tie teacher pay to school performance. Rein in expensive class-size requirements. And expand school choice options.

.."Paul E. Peterson and Martin R. West serve as faculty at Harvard University's Program on Education Policy and Governance. Former Gov. Jeb Bush serves as the chairman of the program's advisory committee. Peterson and West also led the education transition team for Charlie Crist after he was elected governor.

The third scholar, Eric Hanushek, is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank based at Stanford University in California."

[Demeter]

14. Only Really Stupid People Think That Educaton Can be Forced by Law

probably because THEY only learn when they've been put behind bars...or face the threat of jail!

[Thothmes]

15. Education is forced by law

Laws collect the taxes for education, laws regulate the length of school year, laws define the cirriculums, laws define the requirements for teachers. laws require the attendance of students at the schools. Laws require that children be provided a free an appropriate education at public expense. What kind of education system would you think would exist in this country without the laws that created and maintain it. Before laws establishing education systems in this country, education was the province of the wealthy. Law is what makes it available to all. JMO

[Demeter]

24. You Think That's Education? That's Rounding Up an Age Group to Take Out of Labor Market or Streets

Education means that some data goes in the brain, a miracle occurs, and a useful conclusion pops out.

[Thothmes]

25. You recommend that we do away with the legally

mandated system in this country in favor of one based on wealth or religion.

[Demeter]

26. No such thing--I recommend that we do away with foolish testing and failing

[Thothmes]

27. that does not do away with the fact

that the American eduational system is mandated, financed and managed by laws.

[MadHound]

16. This looks remarkably like what Duncan and Obama want to do

That there should tell you some things, none of them good.

[LWolf]

17. Thanks for noticing that.

I'm tired of feeling like a lone wolf in the wilderness.

[madfloridian]

21. Exactly, more testing and more charter schools.

Gradually allowing more profit for private companies. Is it McGraw Hill who does the testing stuff? I've forgotten details since I retired.

[Jakes Progress]

18. Of course he won't go away.

There's a lot of money to be made here.

Look for an education version of Carlyle Group. As Carlyle does with defense companies, they will buy up publishing companies and charter school programs that are losing money. Then use their Washington contacts to gain fat, no-bid contracts. Then rely on congress to mandate and fund those programs. Billions, I tell you, billions.

We've been had, and many progressives have bought the story that our schools need this.

[GreenTea]

22. Underfund & gut to destroy the public schools - raise undereducated workers as republicans - Keep

each following generations of students/workers more ignorant, hateful & voting against their own best interest....

How else can the republican corporate party survive?

Keep the populace dumb, privatize schools, run by the same corporations the undereducated, under-informed students/workers will be working & voting for....

The slimy corporate republicans also know it'll make it seem to the unaware as if the fucking republicans really care about education....

That's how the republican party made the idiot "W" a national candidate, pretending he cared & that he "fixed" education in Texas (yeah he fixed it, manipulating the numbers) Republicans are fucking slime....it's not about education or the people it's all about money & power through corporations to protect their interest.

The ruling class has always known an educated, aware populace demands fairness & their rights, something the republicans & corporations despise...it's been the republicans intention and goal for decades to dumb down the populace, and no better way than to start early, in the schools!

[defendandprotect]

28. Evidently, Neil Bush also has an investment in these school programs . ..

put in place by W . . .

A teacher told me when her school failed some of these standards that they

had to pay for an expensive program called "Curriculum on Wheels" -- or COW---!


Bush Brother’s Firm Faces Inquiry Over Purchases
By MARILYN W. THOMPSON

Published: November 7, 2007
WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 — The inspector general of the Department of Education has said he will examine whether federal money was inappropriately used by three states to buy educational products from a company owned by Neil Bush, the president’s brother.

Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press
Ignite Learning is owned by Neil Bush, the president’s brother.

Ignite Learning
The Curriculum on Wheels.
John P. Higgins Jr., the inspector general, said he would review the matter after a group, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, detailed at least $1 million in spending from the No Child Left Behind program by school districts in Texas, Florida and Nevada to buy products made by Mr. Bush’s company, Ignite Learning of Austin, Tex. Mr. Higgins stated his plans in a letter to the group sent last week.

Members of the group and other critics in Texas contend that school districts are buying Ignite’s signature product, the Curriculum on Wheels, because of political considerations. The product, they said, does not meet standards for financing under the No Child Left Behind Act, which allocates federal money to help students raise their achievement levels, particularly in elementary school reading.

Ignite, founded by Neil Bush in 1999, includes as investors his parents, former President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara. Company officials say that about 100 school districts use the Curriculum on Wheels, known as the Cow, which is a portable classroom with software to teach middle-school social studies, science and math. The units cost about $3,800 each and require about $1,000 a year in maintenance.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/07/washington/07neil.html?ex=1352091600&en=97655a947a9baade&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss



Bush Brother's Firm Faces Inquiry Over Purchases - New York Times
The Department of Education will examine whether federal money was inappropriately used to buy educational products ... The Curriculum on Wheels. ... use the Curriculum on Wheels, known as the ...nytimes.com/2007/11/07/washington/07neil.html?ex=1352091600&... - 51k

And, Neil seems to be heavily involved with great family friend Rev. Moon ... !!


Scoop: Neil Bush, Moon, Paraguay & US Dept of Education
President's brother flaks for Moon organization in Latin America while his curriculum on wheels is being investigated by the Education Department's inspector generalwww.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0803/S00453.htm - 63k - Cached


Curriculum on Wheels Passes 10,000 Classroom Mark : January 2007 : THE ...
Curriculum On Wheels offers comprehensive curricula for middle school and ... Dave Nagel, "Curriculum on Wheels Passes 10,000 Classroom Mark ," T.H.E. Journal, ...www.thejournal.com/articles/20061 - Cached

Power to Learn - Two COWs
Here's a look a two different kinds of COWs (Curriculum on Wheels) ... New York Times describes the Curriculum on Wheels being sold by Ignite Learning. ...powertolearn.com/articles/teaching_with_technology/article.shtml?ID=54 - 71k - Cached