Simon

I didn't believe it was you until I saw the gadfly designation

c) none of the above You have more than two choices, you know. When you run around doing nothing but jabbering about how bad libs are and extolling the virtues of conservative dogma, then how do you think folks are going to view you?

I've seen a fair amount of propaganda from both sides of the debate and I thought this report was the most even-handed, thorough and objective thing I had come across. If you're inclined and have the time, give it an open-minded look. I thought it was a fair assessment of data with a reasonable conclusion based on available evidence

That sonofabitch does the same thing to me. He had me at Hello.....

It's like a bad penitentiary film isn't it ? - ) Anybody who would need me to add substance to the simple declaration that people who blindly follow their political masters are problematic is likely a person who blindly follows their political masters.

Did you read the report I provided? If it's too much for your towering intellect; here's a shorter read: New Orleans' Charters You can find many other articles in USNews, NYT, etc if you take 5 minutes to look.

Forgot to mention that the recent walking back of federal standards is doing exactly that. Its very interesting when you consider just how often the federal government actually cedes acquired power back to the states.

They can write til the cows come home. It's nothing but noise at this point

The guy that won't do his own research is accusing the guy who already provided research of being lazy?

Do your own homework; this isn't a charter school. Or take the time to read the very thorough report I've already provided and see how real estate and hedge funders are angling for your monies.

Your assumptions are up to their usual standards......

which is the exact opposite of what the majority of them are doing. I have no problem with business; put together some capital and open up some charter schools and see how you do. That's the American way and more power to you. But taking my tax dollars and filling your pockets while you cherry pick "certain" kids and have babysitters drill them on standardized tests is not.

I agree that relatively speaking the Dems have become much more like the Republican party over that time frame. But from an objective viewpoint, I don't think one doctrine is any more rigid than the other. I just see them as two sides of the same rigid coin.

And what benefits would those be? To streamline the process so they can spend as little as possible to have day care workers drill kids 6 hours a day on how to do better on standardized tests? And then when it doesn't work and it's not profitable enough, to abandon the district and go looking for a fresh set of suckers? That's the forward thinking plan for our education system?

Hoooray, my team is awesome and the other team sucks! Sorry, but I think that your partisan cheerleading is completely divorced from reality. I think there's too many people with too strong a belief in American freedoms and independence to allow something that extreme to happen in my lifetime. For gawd;s sake, they can't even get more thorough background checks passed and you're worried they're going to suddenly be able to toss the 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution?

If you agree that local control is more beneficial to schools and students (which I do), then the last entity you want involved is the charter privateers who are far more interested in your tax dollars than they are your kids.

"They" had better make sure they've found all the guns first ; - )

And you may continue not considering yourself at all...... I agree that it is absolutely problematic and that creeping government overreach has passed beyond the point of no return. But I'm not so paranoid that I think that there is somebody coming for my guns.

I don't believe for a second that a constitutional amendment supported by over half the populace is in any danger from your latest bogeyman.

Holy shlt, now we've seen it all...... I like a quality insult but it would be nice to see a little better balance from some folks. I understand this board skews right and that's OK; hell, half my opinions would probably qualify as conservative. But the total lack of self-awareness and introspection from so many people is problematic to me. I think that empty-headed, cheerleader nonsense is a huge reason this country cannot even lead itself, much less provide global leadership to a world in transition. I guess I would just hope we'd show more of the guts and brains to live up to the exceptionalism we like to proclaim.

Yes, because personal freedoms for American citizens, a living wage, corporate ownership of the US government and clean air and water are all meaningless compared to "non-partisan" issues like immigration, the stock market and welfare. Thank you for continuing to point out how both sides are equally biased to their own agendas.... Yeah, but we have the guns......

So what you think are the top 5 issues must certainly be the top 5 issues for everybody. Thank you for providing a fine example of the single-minded, self-interest of both sides to which I was referring.. When it comes to failing to recognize that the partisan idiocy on the right is equally as stupid as it is on the left, you are either the bronze, silver, gold or platinum winner in this forum. Are you really surprised that partisan fools don't recognize their own tomfoolery? Because that in itself would be a surprise to me.

Just pointing out that the hypocrisy of all the faux conservatives on the modern right is just as pervasive as it is on the left. A fact that is regularly overlooked by the many cheerleaders on this forum who are too busy rooting on their "team" to realize that it is running the exact same plays as the opponents whose tactics they are constantly crying about.

Yeah, and the right is sooooo much different.

Probably the most thorough and accurate report I've yet to see on the issue: The Business of Charter Schooling