Yeah, ‘Puter knows House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA7) lost his primary, but that’s not the most important political development from yesterday, and not by a long shot.* Less noticed but more important is Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Rolf … Continue reading →
It’s always convenient to blame your personal failures on an omnipotent-yet-nebulous third party. As a representative of middle aged, taxpaying white guys with jobs, ‘Puter shares our happiness you have found a way to work us in to your pathological denial … Continue reading →
Meet Ethel Anderson, a Hillsborough, FL “educator,” recently convicted of nailing her 5th grade charge. These are the sorts of teachers unionism rewards at the expense of all the good teachers. One of ‘Puter’s longtime friends* – a high school A.P. … Continue reading →
Public sector union members thoughtfully and politely discuss the possible reduction of their pension benefits with the taxpayers footing the outsized and ever-growing bill. Detroit’s public sector unions are squealing like stuck Irish pigs about their pensions being treated as just another unsecured … Continue reading →
To liberals, utilizing the political process to thwart public sector union excesses is exactly the same as the wholesale slaughter of millions of innocents. Also, U R HITLER, DAMNED RETHUGLIKKANS! There is nothing more pleasing to ‘Puter than watching courts and legislatures … Continue reading →
Borepatch—yes him—sent us a motorcycle with a letter rolled into a tube and hidden inside the tail pipe: I’d add in the collapse of the public education establishment to your excellent list. At the local level you see push back … Continue reading →
Detroit’s bankruptcy is, as Idiot-in-Chief Joe Biden would say, “a big f*cking deal.” It’s a big deal not only for the people of Detroit, who most certainly have the most to gain (or lose) from restructuring the failed liberal city’s … Continue reading →
‘Puter hates public sector unions, particularly teachers unions. Teachers unions steal from their members, protect unqualified and predatory teachers and support work rules that have ruined public education. So long as teachers unions keep their ill-advised, asinine policy positions in … Continue reading →
Dr. J’s econocrush™ Veronique deRugy posted this Cato Institute chart on the Corner yesterday: Just a friendly reminder in these tight times when your politicians and school board members come along, hat-in-hand asking for more money for teh childrunz that … Continue reading →
Wow, Your Mandarin may have to take a trip to the opera! Your Mandarin’s son was given an assignment for his 5th grade music class the other day. Your Mandarin’s son had stated that some of his friends had started … Continue reading →
The only thing common to Common Core education standards is that there seems to be something in it to annoy everyone. Forward! Go all loyal student with Common Core teachings to make smart America for all envy of world! Unless … Continue reading →
“The educational paradigm has shifted from guaranteeing universal access to guaranteeing universal performance.” -‘Puter’s Tiny Local School District 2013-14 Budget Presentation PowerPoint** If the old saw is true — that a gaffe is when a government official accidentally speaks an … Continue reading →
Not to undo the entire crux of Dr. J’s rational polemic, in which he says that non-letter grades are indeed desirable for little ones, allow the Czar to quote himself: And certainly simpler systems work for K-3 because kids are … Continue reading →
O Mighty Czar, At risk of further inciting your wrath, I have an observation regarding the “standards-based scoring” post. This final Kuzniewski quote: The zero is the most damning of grades because it’s the lowest and has the most significant … Continue reading →
The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) is headed by Karen Lewis, who spends no time in classrooms. Of course, you likely think the Czar is criticizing her teaching experience; in fact, she appears to have spent little time in classrooms as … Continue reading →
To hear Progressives tell it, unions today are still the same stand-up-for-the-little-guy voluntary association of pure-minded do-gooders from the halcyon days of the Great Depression. You know. Like the beneficent United Auto Workers union responsible in 1937 for illegally occupying a privately owned business, … Continue reading →
Louisiana’s Gov. Bobby Jindal and itslegislature provided their state’s children education vouchers, freeing poor children from the invisible but lifelong shacklesof a “separate but equal” education just assurely as the Supreme Court did decadesearlier in Brown v. Board of Education. Louisiana recently … Continue reading →
Mrs. ‘Puter prepares to trap theescaped frog by, uh, … . Never mind.Dang, Mrs. ‘Puter’s hot, though. Did you know that according to the United States Department of Education, public school teachers molest children at nearly 100 times the rate of Roman … Continue reading →
And so Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel is living large, now that he has bested the Chicago Teachers’ Union. Right? Well, not quite. Although the backlash against the teachers has been intense, the first major test of his ability to restore … Continue reading →
The Czar cannot promise that all aspects of Chicago Public School (CPS) politics will be very interesting, but today’s CPS strike is intensely fascinating if largely inside baseball. Here is our assessment. Never let a crisis go to waste, even … Continue reading →
The GOP. Really, you ask? You thought they were all about hate and decimating education and they couldn’t care two winks about minorities. Think again. In 2009, the Senate democrats voted to close the DC Opportunity Scholarship Program to new … Continue reading →
Man, what a hangover. Czar and ‘Puter were up for two days straight, celebrating Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s historic beat-down of labor unions with the fine serving wenches at the Leaping Peacock. Before you get all “‘Puter’s a sexist pig,” … Continue reading →
To: Confucius, Œ.V., ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛, ⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛, Kyrgyzstan.From: J, M.D., D.Sith., Castle G, Plateau of Leng, Wisc.Subject: 5 out of 6 ain’t badAll the rest of us have posted today, no pressure, big guy. Ok, fine, as Volgi, Confucius* should take a … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin wishes to extend his congratulations to Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch on their victory last night. Your Mandarin is also pleased with the overall outcome of this recall effort and the ongoing impact it is … Continue reading →
Nothing brings out the best in New Yorkers like school district budget season, and this year’s no exception. Just to keep the bare-knuckled brawls from becoming mundane, this year many Upstate districts are structurally bankrupt as a result of the … Continue reading →
Dr. (KN)J, our Royal Mathematician, writes in: O Most Dread and Noble, etc. If my recent conversations with public primary and secondary teachers are any indication, you have left a “blame arrow” out of your diagram. All the aforementioned teachers … Continue reading →
As most of ye know, many of your Gormogon spouses are either teachers or work in education. Not Mrs. Volgi. The Czar is not sure what she does, but it appears to involve an odd combination of vivisection, golf, and … Continue reading →
It’s sometimes a hard pill to swallow when someone as insightful and innovative in the business community pops the balloon of hope for Mr. Hope and Change. In the pending authorized biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, Jobs was … Continue reading →
Even saints have limits to their patience. The Царица, whom by now all of you know is a public school teacher in a very dicey suburb outside Chicago, has quietly and with much dignity absorbed the slings and arrows of … Continue reading →
Here’s an anecdote in support of ‘Puter’s confrontational statement. ‘Puter knows that the plural of anecdote is not data, but it seems that for some reason, the education establishment doesn’t want to collect data on the phenomenon described below. ‘Puter, … Continue reading →
The NYSTRS is the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System. A strong claim, ‘Puter knows. But here’s the facts, based on one Upstate school district. New York’s Education Law §501(19) defines “service” as “actual teaching or supervision by the teacher … Continue reading →
Well, who doesn’t love someone smart writing in: Dear Czar, As I read your post entitled “Liberal Science“, a light dawned upon me. When you pointed out that reading began to suffer along with math and science, I was struck … Continue reading →
‘Puter spends a lot of time around here bashing teachers’ unions because, well, teachers’ unions so richly deserve bashing. Teachers’ unions exist solely to enrich their members at the expense of taxpayers and children, all the while claiming to champion … Continue reading →
Here’s ‘Puter’s stupid question for the day. Assume that a public sector union contract has expired so that there is no continuing obligation between the employer and the employees. Assume further that the public unions refuse to acknowledge economic reality … Continue reading →
That is, the California Federation of Teachers is equivalent to seminal gansta rapper, now actor, Ice-T. How’s that? Because they both support cop killers. The CFT actually supports convicted cop killer Mumia abu Jamal, ne Wesley Cook, as evidenced by … Continue reading →
The Царица, as most of you know, is a school teacher. Not surprisingly, many of her friends are as well. Last Sunday, we were at a birthday party for one such teacher’s little daughter, R. The mother asked the Царица … Continue reading →
Dear Czarman, I have been reading your comments on public schools, and I filter them by my relative’s experiences (by which I mean you’re spot on). She has taught in both public and private schools, but for some reason the … Continue reading →
The Czar took a lead from ‘Puter (who is drop-dead gorgeous, if you (a) like open head wounds and (b) are willing to drop dead), and flipped through his wife’s quarterly teacher’s union magazine. The theme of the entire issue … Continue reading →
‘Puter was perusing his mail last evening, after arriving home from work. You know, in a private sector job with no guarantee of continued employment, no pension, no limit on hours worked, no regular schedule, no work rules. In the … Continue reading →
‘Puter is a genius. Then again, you already knew this. ‘Puter has determined how to restore Governor Cuomo’s proposed $1.5 billion in cuts to education funding in New York. All the state legislature has to do is agree to repeal … Continue reading →
The other Gormogons have covered the ground mightily with regards to the Wisconsin protests but I thought I’d throw out a few benefits that maybe people aren’t aware of that will likely fall (if they weren’t eliminated by today’s bill … Continue reading →
As many of you know, the Царица is herself a public school teacher in a tough part of town to the east of Muscovy. She has been impressed with the yanked carpet the Wisconsin state Republican senators pulled on their … Continue reading →
Not so much a reply, but a follow up to dear ‘Puter’s takedown of a Time magazine letter to the editor. Thanks to Geep, the Czar was able to read the union boss’s’’ let’ter, and discovered, to no surprise, that … Continue reading →
Amidst all the public union foofaraw in Wisconsin and elsewhere, we hear the same mantra over and over. Teachers are underpaid relative to the private sector. ‘Puter always responds the same way. How do we really know what a teacher … Continue reading →
Public sector unions generally, and the Wisconsin teachers’ union specifically, have lost the first battle in the emerging war over taxpayer funded salaries and benefits. Despite the unions’ misplaced yet fervent belief, the public was not swayed to their side … Continue reading →
There’s a very good set of articles on the front page of the City Journal website. Check ’em out. Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →Volgi alerts all of us to an assessment of how US education spending compares to other countries’ spending per student, and where our performance falls. And falls is a generous word. If this doesn’t destroy every teacher’s union argument about … Continue reading →
Gormogon Operative JS sent a coded message to ‘Puter utilizing as a cipher the number of purely gratuitious shots of Teri Hatcher’s rack on Desperate Housewives. JS writes: Have you chimed in yet about Unions and Wisconsin? I would’ve thought … Continue reading →
In a follow up to the Czar’s recent post on home schooling your Mandarin would like to add to that neither home schooling or institutionalized schooling are the ultimate answer to educating our children. In reality it is a combination … Continue reading →
Look at the size of the crowd in Madison. Here is the great news: this is the pro-Walker crowd, counter-protesting the union thugs who have swamped the state building. Think this crowd is bigger? Looks like. And sure hope so. … Continue reading →
The worst part of this account is that nothing in it really surprises the Czar. Basically, this report confirms your suspicion that the protestors in Madison are hired thugs intent on causing real problems. The tea party plans to rally … Continue reading →
BREAK THEM! Confucius, Œc. Vol.Don’t ask impertinent questions like that jackass Adept Lu. 3.14.242.153
Continue reading →New York’s public sector unions are in danger of becoming lost in space. [ed. — ‘Puter acknowledges the lameness of this references, he’s just too lazy to come up with something creative.] This morning’s New York Times puts forth the … Continue reading →
Kevin D. Williamson at National Review’s blog The Exchequer has a post that ‘Puter really cannot improve upon. Mr. Williamson writes concerning the Republicans’ nascent plans to address looming state insolvencies: And I see one big opportunity: This is the … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin would like to direct your attention to this article by Patrick J. Buchanan. Your Mandarin suspects that the article will send the educational industrial complex (the unions and Democratic politicians), the race baiters, and the progressives into an … Continue reading →
The Czar has often said that scientists tend to be political idiots. Not all, mind you, because that would be an exaggeration. Probably only 99.995% of them, which is easily in the millions. There is of course an unabashed streak … Continue reading →
The next time someone dares to claim in your presence that teachers are woefully underpaid and underappreciated, bust out this little nugget and tell them to STFU and crawl back under their patchouli scented serape with the joint burns in … Continue reading →
Here’s the new teachers’ union cop out: “Facebook made me bang my student.” Classy. 'PuterAlways right, unless he isn’t, the infallible Ghettoputer F. X. Gormogons claims to be an in-law of the Volgi, although no one really believes this. ’Puter … Continue reading →
Look for the union label on your state and local tax increase, writes Stephen Malanga: The sight of rich people pleading to be taxed more has attracted attention to the November ballot initiative. But otherwise, support for the ballot measure, … Continue reading →
The Washington Times has this article discussing a DEA memo regarding their potential need for Ebonics translators. Hey, here is fun idea, why don’t we actually teach children English in schools. Now I’m sure that we would have to get … Continue reading →
Well in yet another example of a teachers union putting its “members’” needs ahead of the students, we have this story about the Milwaukee teachers union and their fight to get taxpayer-funded Viagra back. According to the article a consultant … Continue reading →
Operative JS has not checked in for some time, having been on special assignment deep in the Sudan. JS was told not to return unless there was proof of a deep underground spacecraft made of a living metal capable of … Continue reading →
Instead of Democrats paying off teachers’ unions with taxpayers’ money, how about giving teachers the same choice most taxpayers have been faced with? ‘Puter leaves aside for the moment the fact that shacklin payoffs to union supporters to a war … Continue reading →
Depending on to whom one speaks, failure to pass President Obama’s proposed $50 billion teachers’ union bailout is either: (1) a death knell for public education, the economy and possibly all life in the Gulf of Mexico; or (2) all … Continue reading →
Not content to simply molest his student, one Scott C. Howe got his charge likkered up and proceeded to film child pornography with her. At school. As a reward for his stellar commitment to his “profession,” Mr. Howe was awarded … Continue reading →
In this morning’s Washington Post, Christina D. Romer, Chairman* of the White House Council of Economic Advisers attempts the unenviable task of defending the Administration’s proposed teacher bailout plan. Ms. Romer is by all accounts a well-educated and well-respected economist. … Continue reading →
Ms. Marla Gurecki-Haskins, where were you when ‘Puter was in high school? Man, is Canandaigua (NY) Acadamy lucky to have a dedicated teacher like you on staff, so to speak. Not only were you performing oral sex on a 17 … Continue reading →
Randi Weingarten, head of the deceptively benign sounding United Federation of Teachers*, argues in today’s Wall Street Journal that public education is every bit as deserving of a bailout as Wall Street is/was. After all, it’s for the children. Meanwhile, … Continue reading →
Gormogon Operative D.T. writes in, tangentially on ‘Puter’s hot man-on-man love for Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ). D.T. asks: In reading about your beloved Governor Christie (pbuh) and the effupedness of the NJ budget, I’ve been meditating about the overwhelming burden … Continue reading →
Correspondent E.F. writes in response to ‘Puter’s post on Gov. Chris Christie (R-NJ). ‘Puter’s correspondent disagrees with ‘Puter’s take, and puts together a vigorous defense of his position. E.F. states: Wisest Gormogon Puter It can never hurt to flatter your … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s got a new crush: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ). Well, maybe not a full-fledged crush. More like a deep and abiding respect coupled with a fierce loyalty. Why, you ask? Read Bill McGurn in today’s Wall Street Journal. … Continue reading →
‘Puter’s been doing some more thinking about unions. ‘Puter knows. He’s a broken record. If you don’t like it, get your own danged blog where you can write about Hello Kitty, unicorns and gay pride parades. If you do, send … Continue reading →
Miami teachers’ union members have staged a sickout to protest working conditions. What’s the horrible work condition? It’s something every single non-unionized private sector employee copes with just fine: merit pay. The Florida legislature passed by an overwhelming margin, and … Continue reading →
Two school districts, one in California and one in Iowa, have instituted anti-bullying programs in their schools. “Great news, ‘Puter!”, I can hear you say. “What’s the problem?” Well, the programs are targeted at teacher-on-teacher bullying. ‘Puter can only assume … Continue reading →
Ah, young love. And by young love, ‘Puter means predatory teachers banging away on their young charges like a screen door in a hurricane. In today’s episode, we meet Amy Victoria Beck, social studies teacher and alleged rapist of a … Continue reading →
Ah, the rallying call of the teachers’ unions everywhere. ‘Puter’s recently had a bunch of thoughts he’s meant to post on, but none seemed big enough for a post of its own. So, ‘Puter offers up some of his random … Continue reading →
We all know that teachers’ unions function mainly as sources of reelection funds for lefty candidates. The lefty candidates, once elected, then use the unions as a passthrough mechanism for transferring taxpayer dollars to unpopular leftist causes. Don’t believe ‘Puter? … Continue reading →
Ah, unions. Is there no scum you are above defending? Apparently not. ‘Puter rails and rails against teachers’ unions, mostly for fiscal reasons. Over at Big Journalism, James Hudnall posts on another important reason to hate teachers’ unions: teachers’ unions … Continue reading →
Literally, this time. Sharp eyed Gormogon operative M.C. points ‘Puter to this story, on which M.C. opines: This one’s a bit more in the literal sense than your post of a similar title. Once again, we need a fully funded … Continue reading →
I was watching Morning Joe last week, mostly because I can’t live without seeing Mika Brzezinski scowl inexplicably and uncontrollably. Seriously, would it hurt to smile a little more? ‘Puter also watches, as Gormogon operatives have noted, so you don’t … Continue reading →
Anybody see The Untouchables, a fictionalized account of Eliot Ness’ takedown of Al Capone? It’s one of ‘Puter’s favorite films. In the opening sequence, two mob goons go into a neighborhood establishment offering mob-supplied beer during Prohibition. The proprietor protests … Continue reading →
This is a great union story, pitting a potential New York lieutenant governor candidate (Mayor Robert Duffy of Rochester (a Democrat, of course)) against an teachers’ union leader (Adam Urbanski of the Rochester Teachers’ Association (read Corrupt Teamsters Wannabes)). Duffy … Continue reading →
Gormogon operative Mark sends the following commentary on this post in via homing otter (another of the Mandarin’s unholy creations). This is why we need to fully fund a federal program to give school janitors cellphone cameras. Preferably HD-capable, perhaps … Continue reading →
On the steps of the U.S. Department of Education building this morning former D.C. City Councilman Kevin P. Chavous, and others, protested the Obama Adminstration’s refusal to continue funding of a successful school voucher program. Via The Corner, ‘Puter notes … Continue reading →
‘Puter awoke this morning to this editorial in the Boston Globe. Read it. Now. The Boston Globe’s editorial board, no bastion of conservative thought, calls out the Massachusetts Teachers Association (read, union) for standing in the way of education reforms … Continue reading →
New York, New YorkIt’s a unionized town!Teacher pay’s up,And kids’ test scores are down.The whole state’s run byA gov who’s a clown.New York, New York!It’s a helluva town! ‘Puter would like to thank Gormogon operative Noah, who may or may … Continue reading →
Building on the mention by the Mandarin about the D.C. School voucher program – The D.C. Council has recently sent a letter asking Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, to stand with them in reversing the congressional democrats decision to terminate … Continue reading →
Your Mandarin is old enough to remember when it was an honor and a privilege for the best and brightest students to be awarded an appointment to one of our nation’s military academies. Upon graduation these young men and women … Continue reading →
