Just when you didn’t think things could get any better for our schools, the federal departments of Education and Justice have stepped in to provide disciplinary guidelines. Apparently Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who blames opposition to the Common Core national standards on wealthy white suburban women who children are shown to be dumber than they thought by the new Common Core testing, and Attorney General Eric Holder, who doesn’t see anything wrong with clear threats of violence by members of the New Black Panther Party against white voters in Philadelphia, are of the opinion that the local folk are just too dumb to discipline kids in school. In a press statement released by two of our nation’s finest embarrassments, Duncan said quote “Positive discipline policies can help create safer learning environments without relying heavily on suspensions and expulsions. Schools also must understand their civil rights obligations and avoid unfair disciplinary practices. We need to keep students in class where they can learn.” End quote. Holder said, and I quote: “A routine school disciplinary infraction should land a student in the principal’s office, not in a police precinct… By ensuring federal civil rights protections, offering alternatives to exclusionary discipline and providing useful information to school resource officers, we can keep America’s young people safe and on the right path.” We’ve linked to the release from this newscast at Girard at-Large dot com and pose a simple question: What’s it going to take to prove the feds, whose unfunded mandates are largely to blame for many of our schools’ disciplinary problems, have effectively seized control of our schools? We’ll have some thing to say about this during the show today.
The town of Bedford has released filing details for its coming elections. Offices available for candidates include two seats on the Town Council, a library trustee, one trustee of the trust fund, the Town Clerk, Town Moderator, and a Supervisor of the Checklist. The filing period opens on Wednesday, January twenty second and closes on Friday, January thirty first. Any voter registered in Bedford who wishes to file for office, according to the notice, MUST contact Town Clerk Lori Radke during regular office hours, either by phone or in person. Candidates who file on the last day of the filing period are required by law to do so in person before the Town Clerk, says the notice.
Speaking of elections, Girard at Large has learned that longtime Goffstown Selectman Phil D’Avanza will not seek reelection. State Representative and former Budget Committee Member John Burt announced several weeks ago he would challenge D’Avanza. Looks like D’Avanza, though, is going to retire the seat after more than two decades, depriving the town of what all onlookers believed was going to be one of the great local races in its history.
News from our own backyard continues after this.
At least one elementary school parent in Manchester is unhappy with their children’s math homework. The parent, whose child attends Jewett Street Elementary School sent Girard at Large a photo of their homework with a note saying quote “Nope. The city of Manchester has not adopted common core according to Mayor Gatsas and Superintendent Livingston. Well, dare I say the mayor or superintendent, one or both, are lying? The heading on my daughter’s homework assignment is clear as day.” End quote. The heading across the top of the page reads Common Core Standards Practice. One of the math questions asked reads quote “Five children are playing at the park. Eight more children join them. Later, four more come. Draw a model to show the story.” Nuff said. We’ve posted the photo with this newscast at Girard at-Large dot com. Yup, we’ll probably have something to say about this on this morning’s show.
State Senator Peter Bragdon, Republican of Milford issued a statement yesterday hailing the success of one of his legislative initiatives to cut costs. The former senate president who stepped down from the second most powerful post in the state to take a one hundred eighty thousand dollar job leading the Local Government Center, a quasi governmental group that lobbies the legislature on behalf of its member cities and towns, said legislation he sponsored in two thousand ten has cut the personal use of state vehicles by state employees by two thirds over the past two years saving the vehicles one point one million miles. With the cost of operating a vehicle pegged at fifty five cents per mile, the move has saved the state roughly six hundred thousand dollars. Bragdon said the success of the new law shows that there are quote “real savings if we pay attention to the details.” End quote. We’ve posted the release with all the scintillating details with this newscast at Girard at Large dot com.
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at-Large hour ___ is straight ahead!
