Re: Global warming and your garden

On Tue, 20 May 2008 07:57:08 -0500, Jangchub <Jangchub@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:

>On Tue, 20 May 2008 11:32:35 +0000 (UTC), enigma <enigma@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>wrote:
>
>>mleblanca <mleblanca@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
>>news:24f4eb1a-a676-4018-aa41-5c7e74f2ab20@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>>oups.com: 
>>
>>> The problem is the teachers can't
>>> take time to teach it......they're too busy teaching and
>>> giving  those mandatory tests associated with that  "no
>>> child left behind" silliness. No time for the things that
>>> make kids WANT to learn.
>>
>> which is why my child goes to a Montessori school. i'm all 
>>for the child-led learning, advance at your own speed thing 
>>(my 7.5 year old is doing division & adding & subtracting 
>>fraction, which is 4th grade material in our local public 
>>school)
>>lee
>
>I don't think we should have any public schools at all.  I think
>people who have children should be the ones who pay for school.  I'm
>pretty sick of forking over 3,000 dollars a year to school tax so they
>can build a better football stadium.  In Texas, highschool football is
>on the local news.  They also teach to the test.  My nieces are two of
>the dumbest, dullards I know.

JC, you're scattering your discontent among several subjects. 
 If you don't like how your tax money is being spent
in the education area, get after your local officials.  Also protest
to the  Bush administration re: "No Child Left Behind", which 
has yielded the result you rightly protest -- teaching to the test.
(Incidentally, Bush stole the slogan from Marion Wright Edelman's
legitimate child advocacy group, the Children's Defense Fund.)

Below is a well-expressed counter-argument I found on another NG
 where a similar discussion was in progress.  Since we're into an OT
debate about education and taxes (I think that's what it's about?)
maybe this POV would interest JC.

Persephone

-------

"You know, I see this all the time.  You figure "my ox isn't being
gored, so why should I pay taxes?"  Hint: No man is an island.
You are part of the greater society, unless you opt out and go to live
on a desert island somewhere. (and don't expect to be rescued
if in trouble).

You need good schools to turn out well-educated citizens whether or
not you have kids in school.  What they do as youth and as 
adults DIRECTLY affects you.  You also need for all mothers
to have good pre-natal care and good infant care, meaning proper
nutrition and medical care so the children will grow up to be good
citizens.  

You also need clean streets, electricity maintenance, working traffic
signals, disaster response, pure food & water, etc.etc.  ***and people
who know how to run these societal functions.***

Looking narrowly at a fictive bottom line misses the longer-term.
As Ben Franklin famously said:  "Either we all hang together
or we will assuredly hang separately."

"Apres moi le deluge" is no longer operative."