Majority Matters (Education Edition)

Best place in the nation to raise kids (4.00 / 1)

...according to the Annie E. Casey foundation.

We have the lowest poverty rate/highest standard of living in the nation., according to the US Census.

And there are other statistics, on relatively low unemployment, relatively high job creation, and many more such benchmarks, all of which have indirect effects on kids.

We must all remember (and spread the news) about these very positive accomplishments, while bearing firmly in mind that there is a lot of work still to be done.  And it won't get done if we lose the majority in either chamber.

And then, of course, there is the upcoming redistricting, which will shape the face of our state for the next decade.

So my plea is for all of us to criticize each other a little less, accept our differences a little more, and trumpet our accomplishments and plans to continue the work a little louder.

Pulling together is the only way we will get there.


The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. --Marcus Aurelius, courtesy of Paul Berch

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by: Lucy Weber @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 17:51:01 PM UTC

I can agree with most of those (4.00 / 1)

but SB 180 isn't a success. Isn't the cost per pupil something under $4,000?  That's laughable.  Also, many small districts lost money while larger cities gained millions.  My town lost over a third of our State Funding and are now in the process of cutting teachers from next years budget.  SB 180 is hardly a success in my opinion.

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by: Derek @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 17:58:52 PM UTC

Miles to go before we sleep (0.00 / 0)

IMHO we do not fund enough, nor do we gather those funds fairly but at least it seems we have settled some of the legal issues.

Hope >> Fear





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by: Mike Hoefer @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 23:32:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Symonds Elementary!! (4.00 / 3)

I attended Symonds for second grade 1967-68. Sandra Whippie was my teacher and who inspired me to work for social and economic justice.

Have you told a stranger today about Bill O'Brien and his Tea Party agenda? The people of NH deserve to hear about O'Brien  and his majority committed to destroying New Hampshire and remaking it into a armed survivalist preserve.  

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by: Ray Buckley @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 18:18:32 PM UTC

she not who (0.00 / 0)

Have you told a stranger today about Bill O'Brien and his Tea Party agenda? The people of NH deserve to hear about O'Brien  and his majority committed to destroying New Hampshire and remaking it into a armed survivalist preserve.  

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by: Ray Buckley @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 20:22:59 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thank you for remembering (4.00 / 2)

and acknowledging the role a teacher played in your life.

birch paper; on Twitter @deanbarker

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by: Dean Barker @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 23:16:49 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Charlie Bass on Special Education (4.00 / 2)

Bolstered by Senate Concurrent Resolution 4, sponsored by Democrat Molly Kelly, Paul Hodes co-sponsored H.R 526 to fully fund the federal portion of Special Education costs a major driver of the cost of education. (Unfortunately it looks like this has died in committee, perhaps Congresswoman Kuster or Swett will take up this cause for us in DC.)

Charlie loves to talk about his support for Special Ed funding.  Whenever you ask him about his repeated votes against funding for any number of education issues -- new teachers, Pell Grants, class sizes, teacher training, school construction, Head Start, and on and on -- he cites his support for obtaining New Hampshire's full Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) moneys.

Only one problem.  Bass voted against Special Education funding for New Hampshire, too.

On at least three separate occasions (*), Charlie opposed proposals to fully fund IDEA on an accelerated basis.   He worked to defeat an amendment sponsored by Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR) that would have provided $118.1 billion in IDEA grants over 10 years, raising the federal share of special education funding to 40 percent in seven years. (Bass supported a weaker GOP proposal that included considerably less IDEA funding delivered in far less time.)

When faced with the contradition between his rhetoric and reality, Bass claimed that the Hooley provision "did nothing to ensure funding" (Charles Bass Press Release, "Pay Down Debt and Provides Tax Relief," March 30, 2001).  This, of course, was a lie.  The only reason the amendment "did nothing to ensure funding" was because Bass and his fellow Tom DeLay lackeys defeated it.  

As Mike noted, we need future Congresswoman Swuster to push this next year.  Because Charlie Bass, in spite of his rhetoric to the contrary, will not.  Count on that.

(*) House Budget Committee, Fiscal 2002 Budget Resolution/Special Education, March 21, 2001; Fiscal 2001 Budget Resolution/IDEA Revision, March 15, 2002; Fiscal 2000 Budget Resolution/Special Education Funding, March 17, 1999.  

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by: Dartmouth Dem @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 20:07:43 PM UTC

I suppose I'd rather (4.00 / 2)

have Swuster than Kett.

The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. --Marcus Aurelius, courtesy of Paul Berch

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by: Lucy Weber @ Wed Sep 01, 2010 at 22:27:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

one or the other (0.00 / 0)

Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigiot?

note to close readers: this might be sarcastic so think twice before reading to candidates for use in their attacks on each other

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by: JonnyBBad @ Thu Sep 02, 2010 at 02:45:40 AM UTC

[ Parent ]