Yesterday, as promised some members of the Rocky Mountain Alliance sat down for 30 minutes with Gov. Bill Owens. The Kestrel has already posted his thoughts, while Joshua was in attendance, too. While we talked about a range of issues, mostly stemming from his State of the State Address earlier in the day, the Governor gave the sense of a leader committed to defending and extending his legacy in his final year in office. … [Read more...]
ProgressNow Swings and Misses on Education Statistics
Colorado's madcap Lefties over at ProgressNow have taken their disingenuous use of statistics to a new level today, with a press release "responding" to Governor Owens' State of the State speech, sent out within minutes of its conclusion. I have yet to find a copy of the release on their Web site but have pasted the email message below, followed by a response to their egregious selectiveness and gross mishandling of K-12 education statistics (that's my area of expertise - I'll let others dismantle their other assertions): … [Read more...]
John Stossel Takes on Education
It's not often I advise readers to tune into a television program. Here's an exception: this Friday night at 10 PM Eastern (9 PM Denver local time) on ABC, John Stossel brings his free market instincts and no-nonsense approach to tackle the issue of education. I encourage you to watch "Stupid in America: How We Cheat Our Kids" (or set the VCR or TiVo if you've got big plans on Friday). … [Read more...]
I Guess They’re Not Reading My Blog, Anyway
Ouch... sometimes it's hard to realize there is a whole other world out there. A new study from the National Assessment of Adult Literacy shows that 5 percent of 222 million American adults simply cannot read or write English. And of the remaining 211 million: Some 30 million adults have "below basic" skills in prose. Their ability is so limited that they may not be able to make sense of a simple pamphlet, for example. By comparison, 95 million adults, or 44 percent of the population, have intermediate prose skills, meaning they can do moderately challenging activities. An example would be consulting a reference book to determine which foods contain a certain vitamin. I'm guessing that most of my readers emanate from the ranks of … [Read more...]
Arctic Temps Recede
Colorado did one of its best imitations of "Eskimo Summer" yesterday, leaving at least one blogger's brain cells and fingers at a sub-optimal temperature for filing a meaningful post. As the mercury slowly rises today and tomorrow back to healthier daytime temps and less bitterly cold nighttime lows, expect Mount Virtus to resume regular blogging activities. So much to write about, so little time.... Meanwhile, if you know a Colorado public school teacher, please send them to independentmindedteacher.org, with valuable information on union political refunds, different membership organizations, and much more. … [Read more...]
The NEA’s New Proletariat Lunch Program
Courtesy of the Education Intelligence Agency, revelations about an enclave of Communists gathering for regular lunch meetings inside the headquarters of the nation's largest teachers union. That National Education Association (NEA) cafeteria sure caters to a diverse crowd. With the introduction of its new "Proletariat Lunch Program," NEA may be looking to expand its aggressive lobbying efforts. Or maybe union officials are just endearing themselves to the ideological confreres of their most diehard activists. Check out this week's Communique for background, relevant links, and some "biting" satire in the form of the "Cafeteria Manifesto." If nothing else, maybe it will whet your appetite for this week's Thanksgiving feast. … [Read more...]
Political Gold
There's a winning political issue waiting out there for Colorado's 2006 elections. Supporters of First Class Education have released the results of a nationwide survey by Harris Interactive, Inc., showing broad and deep support for their proposal to increase the percentage of K-12 education dollars spent in the classroom. The "65 percent solution" is headed for the ballot in Colorado in 2006. Candidates running for office might consider the following poll results: 79% of respondents would vote in favor of the "65 percent solution," including 56% responding "definitely for" and 23% "probably for," with only 17% against Support cut evenly in a few interesting demographics: Political party (81% for Democrats, 78% for Republicans, 77% … [Read more...]
Hugh in Hillsdale
Hugh Hewitt, self-ascribed "Warden of the Collegiate Peaks," is on the campus of my alma mater today to take part in a Center for Constructive Alternatives (CCA) Seminar on the "News Media Today." Hugh is scheduled to speak tomorrow evening on "The Political Significance of the Blogosphere." Other speakers include Brent Bozell, Nat Hentoff, P.J. O'Rourke, David Brooks, Joseph Epstein, and Bill Sammon. Were I a student at the Hills & Dales today, this would probably be a CCA in which I would enroll. Maybe this book will be required reading for the course. Two Hillsdale posts in a row... phew! They will have to suffice for now, as a book review and important political announcement both loom on the horizon. … [Read more...]
Right On Point
Quote of the day from Vincent Carroll of the Rocky Mountain News (notably, a supporter of Referendum C): If Gov. Owens had devoted even half as much time trying to defeat Amendment 23 five years ago as he spent boosting Ref C, Colorado today would not be saddled (that word again) with a requirement that K-12 education funding never, ever share in the sacrifice required by falling government revenues during a severe recession. In light of Carroll's observation regarding the governor, what takes precedence: conservative credentials or popular appeal? Draw your own conclusions. … [Read more...]
There’s Never Enough Tax Increase
Buried in this Denver Post article about post-election recriminations is a salient example of what the big vote meant to the tax-and-spenders: Advocates for public education blamed the loss of Referendum D on the failure to set aside enough money for public schools. Lisa Weil, co-founder of Great Education Colorado, said Referendum D would have had a better chance of winning voter approval if schools, and not roads, received more money. Referendum D called for using $1.2 billion of the borrowed money on 55 road projects around the state. "Transportation is not the highest priority of Coloradans right now," Weil said, touting her organization's polling results that said voters would have been more supportive of letting the … [Read more...]
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