Say Whaa? Part II
Mar 21st, 2008 by Dave
Jack Markell, in last night’s debate:
Markell, for example, said Carney was a “loyal member” of the Minner administration. Why, he wanted to know, hadn’t Carney challenged the beleaguered Delaware Student Testing Program before? Both men say they would replace the testing program with a smarter test that produces results more quickly and can be used several times each year.
“I have made a career of challenging the status quo,” said Markell, who was an executive in the formative years of Nextel before entering public service in 1998. “We need a governor willing to do exactly that. Every one of you is challenging us to make our schools the best in the world. I accept that challenge.”
Here is a list of each time Jack Markell spoke out against the Minner-Carney administration over the last 8 years:
It’s too late. If you were challenging the status quo, you’d have done it by now.
At least Carney’s not participating in a full charade at the expense of the people of the state of Delaware.
What’s the point, Dave? If there’s no Republican running, what difference does it make if one, both or neither Democrat is tied to Minner? Since you don’t have a dog in the fight, why continue this pathetic line of reasoning that tries to lump the two candidates together? Is it just reflex action, like the twitching muscles of an already-dead organism?
At this point, the charade does nobody any good. Instead of pretending they’re the same candidate, isn’t it time you started looking for actual differences between them, and judging which one would be more palatable to Republicans/conservatives?
Sounds like you have it all figured out, Al, and with 7 months to spare. How about we just save the public the formality of a general election since there’s “no Republican running”?
I think the idea that the race for governor is over except for Jack and John is the real charade here. You’re an obvious Markell supporter so spare us the pretense that your view is just some old hard-bitten veteran realism. You can do better than this type of quasi-objective Ron or Celia hackney.
I just call ‘em like I see ‘em, Al.
Come on Dave. Get in the race! Why don’t you run for governor? Besides, a primary between you and Prozack would be pricesless.
A primary between me and Protack would actually be relatively uneventful.
Well, the debate might have been canned spam, but at least, Dave, they asked your question and credited you with it.
Pity that neither candidate actually answered it.
Which, from the charter school perspective, is probably as much answer as one needs to know where they stand.
They weren’t allowed to answer it. The DSEA wouldn’t let them. Which tells you all you need to know about how much real change we’re going to get in education.
Attacking DSEA and public school spending abuses from the Governor’s office is pissing in the wind. Scrutiny and demand for change will happen at the local school boards and the Legislature.
If we attack our State’s problems based on a ranking of what would have the most effect on our tax dollars, I’d say public schools is #1.
A simple pie chart of each district’s expenditures, and for the Department of Education, would be a good start. Then we could see if we were giving away the store to union salaries, or to crony contracts, or if something else entirely is at play. I honestly don’t know. I’d like to see the numbers as much as anybody.
I can do that. Sort of. I have a document that lays it out well. I just have to get permission from the author.
“Attacking DSEA and public school spending abuses from the Governor’s office is pissing in the wind.”
No, I’d say it would be crapping where you eat, so long as there’s a Dem in the governor’s mansion. (Is there an official/traditional name for it, like Gracie Mansion in New York? I’m still giggling about New Jersey calling theirs Drumthwacket.) Same goes for Leg Hall, and what school board would have the slightest interest in voting themselves out of existence in a district consolidation move?
District consolidation simply takes away local control of schools and wouldn’t save nearly the money that most people think it would. Plus, particularly in Sussex County, school districts are part of the local culture, and people enjoy having community control over their schools. I believe in local control, and having the decisions made as close to the student as possible.
Dave’s right about control: consolidation justs makes the screw-ups huger (or is it hugerer?) Still, I like the analogy of crapping where they eat.
Just a vague memory: isn’t the main blame of New Jersey’s horrendous tax burden its school system?
“(Is there an official/traditional name for it, like Gracie Mansion in New York? I’m still giggling about New Jersey calling theirs Drumthwacket.)”
Woodburn, I believe.
Yes, the Governor’s mansion is Woodburn. There is also an adjacent property called Hull House (or Hall House) that is for use by Cabinet Secretaries to stay in for free. Interesting fact: Nathan Hayward had his own room there that no one else was allowed to stay in. It was his reward for his role in “assisting” the state in acquiring the property.
The tests are too hard and Eurocentric. They should take a page from the Washington D.C. drivers test;
“When approaching a 4-way stop intersection you should:
A.) Stop, look in all directions, yield to the vehicle on your right, if necessary, then proceed safely through the intersection.
B.) The ‘Charter Oak.’
C.) Cheyenne, Wyoming.”
[…] being waged by the Glasgow Historical Preservation group. Jack and John debated about education. DelawarePolitics.Net has their view. Dave tries to poke holes in Jack’s arguments, but he could use some lessons on […]