The Biden Administration and All Things Politics

[Red]

Wow, just unbelievable that you have no idea what you're talking about when you post. None. Lets looks at some rankings that come out every year and check on 2023.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education

View attachment 14496
It doesn't look like its dying, more like its thriving!!!

Lets see some benefits of going to school in Florida...

Don't like that people are bringing up books that are not age appropriate in public schools?

Great, we have School Choice! Where every k-12 student has an option to go to private school with a $7700 scholarship.

Private School & Transportation (Florida Tax Credit) - Step Up For Students

www.stepupforstudents.org

View attachment 14497

What's the cost of some private schools around me?

Tuition and Fees Overview | Bell Shoals Academy

Bell Shoals Academy

bellshoalsacademy.com

View attachment 14498

http://www.brandon-academy.com/editoruploads/files/Tuition%202023.pdf

View attachment 14499

CBCS Fee Schedule

docs.google.com

View attachment 14500

Grace Christian School > About > Admissions

View attachment 14501

I can keep going, because there are 17 private schools within a 7 mile radius of where I live. So 3/4 of these schools are covered by the scholarship. Amazing!

What if you don't like private schools what are the other options?

14 Charters schools in this same radius.
4 Homeschool Organizations with physical locations to meet in.
Florida Virtual - https://www.flvs.net/ - Online school, if you don't want to go to a physical school location
Duel Enrollment - https://www.fldoe.org/schools/higher-ed/fl-college-system/dual-enroll-transfer/ - Where you can go to college in your Junior and Senior years, online, in person or in high school.

That's a lot of options in my area with about the same population size of Washington County Ut.

Now let's talk about Higher Education. As a resident of Florida, they give you a great option to pay for college:

https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/FAS-FMS.pdf

What they will pay:

https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/BFPrivateAwards.pdf

How to earn it:

https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/PDF/FAS-FMS.pdf

Thanks Florida Lottery, for helping out students of Florida!


Yes, it takes one bigoted person to turn in a complaint. Guess what they didn't ban the book.

From the article you posted:

School: Book was moved, not banned​

Officials at the school defended their actions and say they haven't banned the book.

"No literature (books or poem) has been banned or removed," the school said in a statement. "It was determined at the school that 'The Hill We Climb' is better suited for middle school students and, it was shelved in the middle school section of the media center. The book remains available in the media center."

Wow, your post made it sound much worse than it actually was.



Now, let's talk about actual books that were removed from schools, or should be removed. Im going to ask @The Thriller for the 3rd time, if this book should be allowed in schools? Not just schools, elementary and middles schools.

View: https://twitter.com/NikkiFried/status/1634356099016007680?s=20


What about this? What age should this be allowed in public school. I want an actual answer. Age or grade. What's age appropriate for these books?

View attachment 14502

View attachment 14503View attachment 14504

Because these books and others like them are in public schools. These books are in Hillsborough County Schools, elementary, middle and high school. 14, 13 and 34 copies are or were in the schools.

I feel like I'm Toby from the Office...

View: https://youtu.be/FdJpweIPbWw?t=79

All the credit in the world for your investment in time. When I said “Florida, where education goes to die”, I’m sure I was thinking on DeSantis’s crackdown on academic freedom and tenure. I cannot imagine many academics eager to teach at a public college/university in Florida. Most academics are going to value academic freedom and tenure. I doubt it’s something they want to see curtailed or limited…I was there briefly, academia that is, and I would not want to stand for it.

Florida faculty fight grave threat to tenure, academic freedom

Tenure is on the chopping block in Florida, and faculty are fighting mightily to snatch it back to safety. From a tenure review proposal to a law that restricts how faculty can teach about systemic racism and gender discrimination, the threat to academia is “unprecedented,” says United Faculty...

www.aft.org

Anyway, that is what I am referring to when I say education goes to die in Florida. I guess I should have spelled it right out, but I have posted several times regarding Florida’s crackdown on academic freedom in their institutions of higher learning, and was not thinking “I’m confusing issues here”. I’m sure much of it stems from conservative concerns that public institutions of higher learning are liberal breeding grounds. But, granted a liberal bias can exist in some departments, the solution is not to make sure independent minds are kept in check.

That said, the posting was about the school department removing that poem, and I can’t say I understand why this child’s poem needed to be removed.

 

[Red]

Because…Florida…where education goes to die.

Wow, just unbelievable that you have no idea what you're talking about when you post. None.

But I do….I know exactly what I’m talking about.

AAUP calls to fight "tooth and nail" in DeSantis's Florida

“Florida’s public colleges and universities currently face a politically and ideologically driven assault unparalleled in U.S. history,” a preliminary report says.

www.insidehighered.com

The American Association of University Professors released today a preliminary report sounding alarm about Florida higher education under Ron DeSantis’s governorship—and calling for academe to fight back.

“It is imperative that we pay attention to the dire situation in Florida now,” the report says. “What is happening in Florida will not stay in Florida. We call on all professional organizations, unions, faculty, staff and administrators across the country to fight such ‘reforms’ tooth and nail and to offer support to our colleagues in Florida however they can. We are in this together.”

DeSantis’s press secretary responded in an email, “Florida is No. 1 in higher education, and Governor DeSantis intends to keep it that way.”

Florida again targets faculty tenure at universities. Here’s why that matters.

As Gov. Ron DeSantis and lawmakers push for tighter controls in higher education, critics say it threatens the state’s reputation.

www.tampabay.com

FL Governor DeSantis’ Proposals on Higher Education Pose a Grave Threat to Academic Freedom and Free Speech at Public Colleges and Universities

PEN America today called Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s announcement of a broad outline of legislation to restrict the historic autonomy of higher education “a grave threat to free speech and academic freedom” at Florida’s public colleges and universities.

pen.org

DeSantis-backed New College board scraps 5 professors tenure

The New College of Florida trustees now dominated by conservatives appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis voted Wednesday to deny tenure to five professors, overriding concerns by faculty and students that the decision poses a threat to academic freedom.

apnews.com

 

[Al-O-Meter]

That said, the posting was about the school department removing that poem, and I can’t say I understand why this child’s poem needed to be removed.

It wasn't. Didn't you bother reading your own story? It was one school that moved the book from this shelf to that shelf in their library. It wasn't banned. It wasn't removed. The book is still there in the library. The book used to be in the shelves for the elementary aged kids and now it is in the shelves for the middle school aged kids. ...because a book changing which shelf it is on in a single school is a national news story doncha know.

But I do….I know exactly what I’m talking about.

Clearly.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

What a mystery as to why they’d want to overload the school system with ban requests and diminish the public’s trust in public schools

I'm sure it has nothing to do with the falling test scores, the closure of schools long after it was apparent kids were not a substantial vector of transmission with schools being the statistically safest place for them during the pandemic, dictates of wearing masks that were ineffective at stopping COVID but also damaged the social development of children, or the political activist administrators who sit on their phones all day at work scrolling their twitter feed to post incendiary leftist talking points on JazzFanz. I'm sure you're right. It is the DeVos family who is also SteakNEggs.

 

[Bucknutz]

But I do….I know exactly what I’m talking about.

AAUP calls to fight "tooth and nail" in DeSantis's Florida

“Florida’s public colleges and universities currently face a politically and ideologically driven assault unparalleled in U.S. history,” a preliminary report says.

www.insidehighered.com

Really? Have you even read the article that you posted? I mean at all? Who did they quote? Who was the author of the of this report? Oh that's right some crazy left wing professor from California. Yes he is crazy and he posts misinformation, the same misinformation that you post. The book wasn't banned and your article proved that yesterday.

He talked to 40 faculty and 1 former president to conclude his findings. How many public higher education schools are there in Florida? 40. That's 1 faculty member per school. I could find 40 faculty members who have the opposite opinion.

That's all that article stated, his opinion in a report. It's fear porn and then you spread it. Show me where its says anything with facts. The very last paragraph literally says the opposite the first 18 paragraphs tries to scare you with.

"In an email, New College said, “These allegations and charges are patently false. Right now, there is fear of the unknown, but we are confident that concerns will subside once it is seen how all of the changes we are making at New College are moving us in a direction of improvement and future stability for our campus, as we become the best liberal arts college in the country. It’s a process and a time of transition and with that always comes resistance to change, but we are confident in the direction we are heading and we know others will see that progress, too.”

Please provide data to show where Education is dying in Flordia. If not this is just your opinion with no justification other than DeSantis is bad.

 

[Red]

Really? Have you even read the article that you posted? I mean at all? Who did they quote? Who was the author of the of this report? Oh that's right some crazy left wing professor from California. Yes he is crazy and he posts misinformation, the same misinformation that you post. The book wasn't banned and your article proved that yesterday.

He talked to 40 faculty and 1 former president to conclude his findings. How many public higher education schools are there in Florida? 40. That's 1 faculty member per school. I could find 40 faculty members who have the opposite opinion.

That's all that article stated, his opinion in a report. It's fear porn and then you spread it. Show me where its says anything with facts. The very last paragraph literally says the opposite the first 18 paragraphs tries to scare you with.

"In an email, New College said, “These allegations and charges are patently false. Right now, there is fear of the unknown, but we are confident that concerns will subside once it is seen how all of the changes we are making at New College are moving us in a direction of improvement and future stability for our campus, as we become the best liberal arts college in the country. It’s a process and a time of transition and with that always comes resistance to change, but we are confident in the direction we are heading and we know others will see that progress, too.”

Please provide data to show where Education is dying in Flordia. If not this is just your opinion with no justification other than DeSantis is bad.

Lolol. I did. And that’s all you’re going to get from me.

How bout this: Florida…where higher education goes to die.

These are important issues to me. Not my concern that you don’t understand the importance of academic freedom and tenure, where a career in higher education is concerned. Not my concern in the least. And it’s not just my opinion at all. As I demonstrated to you. But, again, my comment reflected how I feel about the threat to academic freedom and tenure in Florida. That threat is real, your opinion does not eliminate that threat. Both current academic, and former academics, like myself, understand this very clearly. And those articles I posted make it clear that academic freedom and tenure are threatened institutions in Florida’s public institutions of higher learning.

Yes, it was sloppy of me to say her book was banned. It’s circulation was limited. Yes, relevant correction on your part.

Maybe you need to have some background teaching at college level to understand why these changes would be alarming to people who are involved teaching at that level, or who have experience doing so, and simply understand you cannot expect people spend years developing critical thinking skills, defend thesis, earn Ph.D.’s, publish or perish, invest all that time and $$, find education to be highly satisfying and rewarding, a veritable joy to teach young minds, and have some governor appointed board say “not so fast. We don’t trust you!” That’s wrong! But, maybe you need the background teaching in higher education to understand that. Whatever…

Sorry you understand none of this. Apparently. But, that’s that.

The nation’s watching Florida attacks on academic freedom | Commentary

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ initiatives violate some of the core principles that make higher education great.

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[fishonjazz]

I wish I could recreate the graffiti that existed under the I-80 overpass over the Jordan River in SLC. I lived very very close to this when I was 2 to 10 years old from '79 to '87. There was the standard D and balls stick figure quality image and a "V" with a line vertically through it with a crude attempt at pubic hair with a stick figure female with ASCII quality boobs. There were also some "F" words and such spray painted there. Oh, and there were man poops to dodge.

I had sex and ate dat ***** when I was 13 years old. My GF was 14 at the time (high fives all around, thank you very much).

There isn't anything in those earlier posted images that I hadn't seen before I was 10. Yeah, the school library probably isn't the right place for that. But at the same time this is not some kind of tragedy.

I had to go to my kids elementary school when they were in 4th grade because they searched the school library computer for "wet p****" and my kid's teacher was hot and told me what was searched for. Fun times.

Kids aren't as innocent as we think, hope, want, expect that they are.

Sure, take those books out of schools and high fives all around for saving the children. Imagine your amazing victory over evil as if it is real. It isn't.

I took my daughter to the park by my house the other day. You should see how many penises and profane words are drawn and written on the inside of the tube slide lol. Even a picture of a penis ejaculating.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

How bout this: Florida…where higher education goes to die.

It is like an athlete coming from a garbage team with a coach that lets the players do whatever they want compared to a high performing team where the coach has a system in which each player has a well defined role. The system *IS* the reason for the success. Complaining the athletes have so much more freedom on the garbage team is a weird take. Who is it that you think education is primarily meant to serve?

 

[Red]

It is like an athlete coming from a garbage team with a coach that lets the players do whatever they want compared to a high performing team where the coach has a system in which each player has a well defined role. The system *IS* the reason for the success. Complaining the athletes have so much more freedom on the garbage team is a weird take. Who is it that you think education is primarily meant to serve?

Not for long, lol….

DeSantis war on 'woke' leads to brain drain at public universities

By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org - Gov. DeSantis's war on 'woke' leads to faculty brain drain at Florida public universities.

www.floridabulldog.org

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSIDwKYYTDI

 

[One Brow]

View attachment 14496
It doesn't look like its dying, more like its thriving!!!

Yes, it has been thriving. DeSantis has decided the he doesn't like the system that thrived, and is making changes to that system. We won't see the results for years, but he's fixing something that wasn't broken.

That's all that article stated, his opinion in a report. It's fear porn and then you spread it. Show me where its says anything with facts. The very last paragraph literally says the opposite the first 18 paragraphs tries to scare you with.

"In an email, New College said, “These allegations and charges are patently false. Right now, there is fear of the unknown, but we are confident that concerns will subside once it is seen how all of the changes we are making at New College are moving us in a direction of improvement and future stability for our campus, as we become the best liberal arts college in the country. It’s a process and a time of transition and with that always comes resistance to change, but we are confident in the direction we are heading and we know others will see that progress, too.”

DeSantis war on 'woke' leads to brain drain at public universities

By Francisco Alvarado, FloridaBulldog.org - Gov. DeSantis's war on 'woke' leads to faculty brain drain at Florida public universities.

www.floridabulldog.org

Amid a U.S. teacher shortage, Florida turns to military veterans

So many Florida teachers have abandoned their profession in recent years that the state is inviting military veterans with no prior teaching experience to lead classrooms while they earn education credentials.

www.reuters.com

How long can you maintain a superior product using less-qualified people?

 

[Al-O-Meter]

How long can you maintain a superior product using less-qualified people?

As long as you've got a good coach and GM who can find the right role players for the system.

 

[Red]

It wasn't. Didn't you bother reading your own story? It was one school that moved the book from this shelf to that shelf in their library. It wasn't banned. It wasn't removed. The book is still there in the library. The book used to be in the shelves for the elementary aged kids and now it is in the shelves for the middle school aged kids. ...because a book changing which shelf it is on in a single school is a national news story doncha know.

Sure. You’re correct. And I typed without thinking my thoughts through. Its circulation was limited, it was not banned. That said, I have no idea what was wrong that a parent asked that it be removed. I looked at the pages mentioned by that parent and did not understand the problem.

That said, Florida is where higher education is under threat, for the reasons myself, and educators in Florida and elsewhere, have enumerated. I value academic freedom and tenure. You do not, so far as I can see. Why am I not in the least surprised?

 

[Al-O-Meter]

I value academic freedom and tenure. You do not, so far as I can see. Why am I not in the least surprised?

You aren't impacted by any of this in any way so of course you can focus on whatever you want. I have a school aged kid who has college in his future. It affects me. The skyrocketing costs of higher education have been driven by the crazy expansion of administration in these institutions to facilitate the exact things your toxic heroes see as being threatened. Cutting this racist garbage out is the first step to reigning in costs. Get rid of the DEI staff. Get rid of the professors who teach the hate needing administrators to administrate.

I'd personally like to see mandatory SAT/ACT testing as an entrance exam -AND- an exit exam at graduation to see how much the kid learned. Any professors who can't teach need to have their academic freedom expanded by pushing them to seek other employment opportunities.

 

[LogGrad98]

You aren't impacted by any of this in any way so of course you can focus on whatever you want. I have a school aged kid who has college in his future. It affects me. The skyrocketing costs of higher education have been driven by the crazy expansion of administration in these institutions to facilitate the exact things your toxic heroes see as being threatened. Cutting this racist garbage out is the first step to reigning in costs. Get rid of the DEI staff. Get rid of the professors who teach the hate needing administrators to administrate.

I'd personally like to see mandatory SAT/ACT testing as an entrance exam -AND- an exit exam at graduation to see how much the kid learned. Any professors who can't teach need to have their academic freedom expanded by pushing them to seek other employment opportunities.

Yeah the ACT and SAT are generalized knowledge exams. What people learn in college is specialized knowledge for the most part, so the are very likely to improve in some areas of the exams and likely seriously drop off in others. I got a 32 overall on the ACT. No way in hell I'm getting better or even equal to that after college, especially considering I started college a bit later than most (mission and such). Some testing is already required, but it's in that specific discipline necessary for passing the classes.

 

[Bucknutz]

I got a 32 overall on the ACT.

View: https://youtu.be/NxekqhrjxCM


You would have gone to a school for free in the #1 State for Higher Education with that score! (and you were a resident)

No way in hell I'm getting better or even equal to that after college, especially considering I started college a bit later than most (mission and such). Some testing is already required, but it's in that specific discipline necessary for passing the classes.

I got a 25 on the ACT, and wouldn't even come close that now.

 

[One Brow]

Cutting this ... garbage out is the first step to reigning in costs.

How much does the Florida college system spend on DEI initiatives?

Get rid of the professors who teach the hate needing administrators to administrate.

That would remove all the teachers who teach the way you seem to want.

I'd personally like to see mandatory SAT/ACT testing as an entrance exam -AND- an exit exam at graduation to see how much the kid learned.

Mandatory exams were done away with to allow students who excelled at things like research, preparation, organization, and presentation, but performed poorly when filling in dots within ovals, to use their skills and improve our country. Filling in the correct dots within ovals is a meager talent in and of itself.

Any professors who can't teach need to have their academic freedom expanded by pushing them to seek other employment opportunities.

I can't explain the astonishing degree of ignorance you showing here. At a research university, the professors are primarily income sources, some only teaching a class every year or so.

 

[gandalfe]

Yeah the ACT and SAT are generalized knowledge exams. What people learn in college is specialized knowledge for the most part, so the are very likely to improve in some areas of the exams and likely seriously drop off in others. I got a 32 overall on the ACT. No way in hell I'm getting better or even equal to that after college, especially considering I started college a bit later than most (mission and such). Some testing is already required, but it's in that specific discipline necessary for passing the classes.

I also got a 32, about 2 years after HS, and hung-over as hell with no studying.

I do well on standardized testing.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

At a research university, the professors are primarily income sources, some only teaching a class every year or so.

Professors are an expense. Tuition is nearly all of the income. For state schools there is tax payer money via budget allocations that is income. Grants can be considered a tiny contributor to income but even there the professors aren't the ones writing those checks to the universities.

You and Red both seem to have universities completely backwards. He thinks universities are there to serve professors and you think professors are the customer.

 

[The Thriller]

Fantastic


View: https://twitter.com/jtanews/status/1661723546186293248?s=46&t=QT7YFlZ_IlHq81PpZAhKgw


This is why we have a process for challenging books. And it’s also why right wingers want to jump the process and just eliminate books by screaming at librarians and school board members. It’s much easier to scare the **** out of these people and threaten their families than to actually go through the challenging process and present yourself in a calm rational manner. It’s easier to ban books, remove them, change who can read them, in order to avoid angry MAGA folks who don’t even read them.




Again, it’s not that dissimilar from the right’s attacks on elections. Why go through the process of winning them when you can scream at vote counters to try and get the desired results?

 

[One Brow]

Professors are an expense. Tuition is nearly all of the income.

You say that with such confidence, and you are so wrong in the case of research institutions.

Grants can be considered a tiny contributor to income but even there the professors aren't the ones writing those checks to the universities.

I didn't say professors write the checks. I said, "professors are primarily income sources", although it's true those whose research has slowed down or stopped become expenses and get heavier teaching loads.

You and Red both seem to have universities completely backwards.

I have a degree from a research university, my day job is in a research medical school, and I teach math in the evenings at a local community college. I regularly reads about professors experiences on various blogs. On what basis do you say I have it backwards?

He thinks universities are there to serve professors and you think professors are the customer.

For actively researching professors, it's closer to professors are the tenants and the universities are the landlords.