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The Return of The Chicagoist Reader Meet-Up
If you are willing to brave crappy weather with your "Bush was right" or "Bush is a dope" signs, get ready: he's coming to town on Monday.
He’ll be in the windy city for the day to celebrate the anniversary of his signing the No Child Left Behind Act into law, and apparently to eat some pizza (Oh, Perino, you’re such a card). He will also be speaking to business leaders to discuss the economy.
The puppetmasters chose Chicago as the venue for the anniversary celebration because the city is seen as a prime example of the good the bill has done, which may or may not be totally untrue. Then, after much glad-handing, Mayor-Daley-high-fiving and pizza-eating in these parts, Bush will move on to the Middle East for an eight day tour. It's not exactly the warm-up you'd expect for someone who is going to promote peace talks between Israeli and Palestinian leaders, but, then again, it is Dubya.
2006 photo via The White House press office
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Come on now, Chicagoist, step out and take a stand. If you can offer opinions about vehicular homocide and indoor smoking, certainly you can say something about this guy. How 'bout this, "We think this clown is a complete and total war-mongering failure"?
I've got more.
I agree with Huge G, this aint no BEZ take a stand Chicagoist!
Why state the obvious, though?
I thought that Ws henchmen, um, I mean security, strictly prohibited anti-W sentiment (thoughts, signs, whispers, etc.) at these events. Is it even possible to stand there flaunting that hideous little right called "free speech" via a sign disagreeing with W at a W event?
All the GOOD? That NCLB did???? You mean gutting the science curriculum, turning schools into factories, turning tests into the golden standard? And not to mention Dibbles. AND the nasty links between the Texas-based test companies and the Bush family. Are you friggin' kidding? Can we protest this? Where do I go?
Protest if you like, but there's not going to be any impeachment nor resignation; the Congressional Democrats are not going cut off war funding; notwithstanding John Edwards' attempt to become even more anti-war on the eve of the caucus, none of the leading Democrats will "immediately" withdraw from Iraq (especially now that the surge is showing some signs of success); and if Hillary wins the nomination, the Republicans will at least an even chance to keep the White House. Happy New Year everyone!
BUSH '08
REPEAL THE CONSTITUTION
Where do we go to protest? Give us the information. It does not matter if one's opinion gets him impeached, what matters is that he knows that the American public is not happy with him.
As for NCLB...it has done good?!?! As a teacher (a well educated and "highly qualified" one), I can tell you that, if anything, it has set the system back at least a decade! Testing kids to death, certifying morons, giving funding to the over funded, and taking funding from the under funded, segregating communities even more so that schools can “qualify,” etc….does not improve any system!
All "protest" are held during warm seasonal Acrombie and Fitch Urban Outfitter wealther, because that's all the "protest" are about these days. To see and be seen by the In Barack O'Bama loving political crowd. And of course its always great for "protesters" to get to hear an "impassioned" speech from Northshore Congresscreature Jan Schakowsky about how she and House Speaker Nancy -Lear Jet- Pelosi-Armani are sticking it too The Man!
And being that they are the in Barack O'bama politcal end crowd, millions of dollars in police protection are drawn from all neighborhoods to protect their "protest"
I know Martin King is rolling over in his grave
The teacher commenting above seems dedicated and motivated. However, kids all over this country are suffering because many teachers are NOT like that.
The NEA and many local union groups are the great protectors of mediocre teachers and mediocre school programs. Meanwhile, the NEA and other "Teachers come first" groups continue to complain about the "teaching to the test" concepts of NCLB.
Guess what? Until the NEA comes up with something better, then "teaching to the test" is EXACTLY what teachers should be doing. At least this gives those teachers who are lazy some incentive to do their jobs. That's life. You have challenges. You set goals. You meet those goals. And in the process, you learn things. Sure, NCLB is not perfect, but it is an improvement.
It's also the kids' fault for being lazy.
NCLB is not an improvement. It has narrowed the curriculum to what the business community dictates it needs for the future. Arts and the humanities have been cut out of the picture as principals are forced to focus on their report card results. A lot of times, middle and high schools can't repair the damage that mediocre elementary schools have done to the competency levels of their students, so their report cards suffer and more remedial classes must be introduced to the detriment of the entire curriculum, including math, science, and language arts.
This is Funny, Ward Up will present a some what balanced critique of CPS teachers, but when it comes to the Chicago Police Officers, he puts on his cheerleader (with pom poms) uniform and rush to their defense. I think Teachers in CPS should get the type of deference as police do, even if both don't deserve it. Pull a teacher over, give them a pass, if you give a free meal to a cop, give one to a teacher.
The fact is teachers are just like cops all assigned cogs, go to your job and do what you’re told preserve protect the system including your roll in it!
Of course the educational system is not about intellectual empowerment and teachers are not hired for that, unless your part of the elite. Actually you could say Teachers and Cops are partners, at least in the inner city feeding the growing prison industrial complex. Heck today’s schools are nothing more than modern day concentration camps.
Meanwhile folks still sleep walking around American thinking that Moby Dick is a story about a fish, and Jonathan Swift was just being funny when he wrote that essay in 1725 about folks eating their own children, if they even heard of the brotha!
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Sook, you must be joking.
A2,
you mean Ward Up in a skimpy cheerleader outfit with Pom Poms ;-)
?