Elk Konnected Hand out at County Commissioners meeting on 4/25

[Ross]

   Good Saturday Morning.

I have noticed an awful lot of activity at my Box.com site.
A lot of downloading of pictures and a lot of the printed information.

I must say I am proud of you folks tat are taking time to read and study what is happening here in Elk County.

I don't know who you are, but you do and should give yourselves a pat on the back.

Tis web site only tells me each time if something is smply viewed and it also tells me if something is downloaded that's all. No names , no ip address, nothing. And that is just one of the reasons I chose Box.com. Because who you are is nobody business.

Keep up the reading and educating your self, know as much as you can. Because the more you know the better off Elk County is.

Thank you to each and everyone of you concerned citizens.

[Ross]

Common Core comments run from 'great' to
'commie brainwashing'

By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel
5:24 p.m. EST, November 17, 2013

Florida's Common Core education standards make for dry reading. But they've created such a fierce political battle that when the state asked for public comments, more than 19,000 of them poured in.

On Tuesday, the State Board of Education will be briefed on the public's thoughts.

Here is a sampling of the comments — pro and con — culled from the Florida Department of Education's website:

"No Common core period ... our federal government can no longer be trusted ... keep everything having to do with schools at the state level. NO for the 'common good ... commie brainwashing!'" wrote a parent.

"What['s] more dangerous to a child than a stranger with candy? How about a government subliminally attacking our children with negative reading material in our schools? It is my feeling that this is an attempt to attack the minds of our young to adapt a liberal passive mindset. Stop Common Core as quickly as you can," wrote a resident.

"I love Common Core. Please do not bend to political pressure from a small group of non-educators," wrote one teacher.

"Keep all the Common Core State Standards. Students in Florida need to be held to the same high standards as the rest of the United States. We want our students to be able to compete in the job market now and in the future," wrote a parent.

Plenty of people wrote about specific standards — but even then views diverged.

"This is exactly what we want our students to do. It is the heart of Mathematics instruction," wrote a teacher.

"This is so easy! A nine-year-old could do this. You call this a high school math standard?" wrote a teacher.

"Eliminates confusion students often have with fractions," wrote another teacher.

"This is where the kids will zone out," wrote a parent.

"'Students need to be writing EVERYDAY for a variety of purposes, not just for the state test.' Thank you CCSS for making this abundantly clear!" wrote one resident.

"This is great. My son's teacher started this last year and the entire class exceeded her expectations," wrote a parent.

"Write arguments? Really? Can we save it for law school?  My kiddos just want to write stories and use their imaginations," wrote a teacher about the elementary writing standards.

"The Common Core state standards in high school neglect to teach classic literature. We need to incorporate this back into the standards," wrote a parent.

"Increased focus on vocabulary is GREAT!" wrote a teacher.

"It requires students to read more difficult text, yet appropriate, preparing them for the type of texts (books) they will face in college and careers. This was a missing link in our old standards," wrote a teacher.

"Designed by people who never taught this stuff," wrote a parent.

"I am a teacher 100% opposed to Common Core because it is top-down monopoly of thought and it drowns out other conversations about what math and English ought to look like," wrote a teacher.

"The entire framework makes sense. There are no valid objections to any of the standards," another teacher wrote.

Some took aim at the technical language of the standards themselves.

"I'm guessing that an ed dweeb wrote this," wrote a resident. "What average youngster can understand that? For that matter, what average teacher can understand that?"

But some saw Common Core as necessary to help Florida students compete in the world economy.

"Exactly what our students need to be successful, tax-paying citizens of Florida," wrote a teacher.

An outside firm will analyze the public comments and present its findings this spring to the state board, which could decide to revise Common Core.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-common-core-comments-20131117,0,4018555.story
===================================================================

Isn't the main purpose of a School Board to ensure that we have great education standards or is their job to be more interesed in building a Taj Manal?

Do you think Obama and his administration can do as well a job on Education Nationwide as they have for the Affordable Care Act?

Who do you think you should be able to trust more --- Obama or locals (if you can get them interested in getting organized to provide better standards and monitoring of those standards)?

[Ross]

Here is a congress woman I can stand behind on at least this subject.

A respected businessman who is probably an upstanding member and leader of his community, getting his
upcomance.

A video well worth watching in my opinion.

http://www.upworthy.com/whats-the-worst-thing-you-could-say-to-a-congresswoman-who-lost-her-legs-in-battle-found-it?g=2

Remember "upstanding member and leader of his community" are just words that politicians use !

[Bullwinkle]

      As the woman said, this is the kind of fraud perpetrated by people in this country that keeps those deserving of care and assistance from getting it.

     Great post , Ross.

[Ross]

      As the woman said, this is the kind of fraud perpetrated by people in this country that keeps those deserving of care and assistance from getting it.

     Great post , Ross.

Thank you Bullwinkle.

[Ross]

I found this to be a very Interesting article about Common - Core Standards.
I only listed the Colossal Errors each error is followed by a lengthy explanation, I did include a couple of paragraphs that were at the end of the article. I'd only suggest you go to the link at the bottom of the article and click on it to read the article in full.

Personally, I feel this is nothing more than the Super Wealthy controlling our government through money and influence to take more control over everyone's lives and to reduce our children to nothing more than data to be used by other industries. Shall we as individuals, as Counties, as States, as School Districts turn full control over to a tyrannical government that already spy's on everything we do and to industries that stand to profit financially, and the Bill Gates Foundation?   Do we turn our childrens education over to the government that had three years to get ObamaCare right and failed. So, do we accept their financial bribes to take control of our children's lives? Or do we ask our School Boards to step up to the plate and do their jobs to improve teaching standards?

Do we continue to be badgered by a school board wasting money and efforts to expand a building designed to house 600 students to double it's present size when it is only used to house 300 students and is dealing with a declining enrollment? Or, do we ask them to do the job of improving education instead of enlarging a building that requires no enlargement? Be ready for the politicians to sell you a bill of good's at their up comng meeting concerning building a Taj Mahal for Howard. The meeting is because they need your hard earned money in the form of property taxes to do it. They will provide you with all kinds of excuses why they need such a Colossal Building, none of which will make any sense. Guess what, you don't have to believe them, if you so choose.

Here is the Common - Core Article:

Common Core Standards: Ten Colossal Errors

Error #1: The process by which the Common Core standards were developed and adopted was undemocratic.

Error #2: The Common Core State Standards violate what we know about how children develop and grow.

Error #3: The Common Core is inspired by a vision of market-driven innovation enabled by standardization of curriculum, tests, and ultimately, our children themselves.

Error #4: The Common Core creates a rigid set of performance expectations for every grade level, and results in tightly controlled instructional timelines and curriculum.

Error #5: The Common Core was designed to be implemented through an expanding regime of high-stakes tests, which will consume an unhealthy amount of time and money.

Error #6: Proficiency rates on the new Common Core tests have been dramatically lower—by design.

Error #7: Common Core relies on a narrow conception of the purpose of K-12 education as "career and college readiness."

Error #8: The Common Core is associated with an attempt to collect more student and teacher data than ever before.

Error #9: The Common Core is not based on any external evidence, has no research to support it, has never been tested, and worst of all, has no mechanism for correction.

Error #10: The biggest problem of American education and American society is the growing number of children living in poverty.

In conclusion: Common standards, if crafted in a democratic process and carefully reviewed by teachers and tested in real classrooms, might well be a good idea. But the Common Core does not meet any of those conditions.

The Common Core has been presented as a paradigmatic shift beyond the test-and-punish policies of NCLB. However, we are seeing the mechanisms for testing, ranking, rewarding and punishing simply refined, and made even more consequential for students, teachers and schools. If we use the critical thinking the Common Core claims to promote, we see this is old wine in a new bottle, and it turned to vinegar long ago.

For all these reasons, I believe any implementation of the Common Core should be halted. The very corporations that are outsourcing good jobs are promoting the Common Core, which deflects attention from their failure to the nation's economy and their failure as good citizens. I do not believe the standards themselves are significantly better than those of most states, and thus they do not offer any real advantages. The process by which they were adopted was undemocratic, and lacking in meaningful input from expert educators. The early results we see from states that are on the leading edge provide evidence of significant damage this project is causing to students already. No Child Left Behind has failed, and we need a genuine shift in our educational paradigm, not the fake-out provided by Common Core.

The frustration evident in recent public hearings in New York is a powerful indicator of a process gone badly awry. The public was not consulted in any meaningful way on decisions to fundamentally alter the substance of teaching and learning in the vast majority of schools in our nation. This process and the content of these standards are deeply flawed, and the means by which student performance is measured continues to damage children.

This did not happen by accident. Powerful people have decided that because they have the money and influence to make things happen, they can do so. But in a democracy, the people ought to have the last word. Decisions such as this ought not be made at secret gatherings of billionaires and their employees. The education of the next generations of Americans is something we all have a stake in.

And so, fellow citizens: Speak Up, Opt Out, Teach On!

What do you think? Is it time to end the reign of Common Core errors?

Update, 11/18: I have posted two responses from educators who believe there are positive aspects to the Common Core, and we should avoid throwing them out entirely, and my response, explaining how I think defeating the Common Core could open the door to a better process.

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/2013/11/common_core_standards_ten_colo.html?cmp=ENL-EU-MOSTPOP

[Ross]

Get a load of what is happening in the Coffee Shop again !

Politics!

Remember when "Reasons for Locating West Elk Close to Howard" was in the Coffee Shop? It got moved to "Politics" ?

Here is a drawing of the proposed West Elk school addition that was on page 3 of the Prairie Star this morning.

I have not been further inside than the cafeteria and one of the main hallways but the school has always seemed like a nice building that has been well cared for over the years. These additions would go a long way toward the education of the younger folks in the district in western Elk County and some of Greenwood County.

I am wondering how many forum folks graduated from the high school at this location?

Waldo, the current facility was designed for 300 students and the new addition is needed, from what people in the know tell me.

From an inside source, they are very much needed.

[Ross]

I'll be posting a long post tomorrow.
Im just to tired to fi ish it tonight.

Good night, folks.

[Ross]

Well our local rag has a message for you on the front page.

Of course, I am going to share part of it with you. Warning this is a long read.

The first line     (and I mean Line)       is a paragraph:

"Several options are being considered to answer the demand for expanded facilities on the West Elk USD 282 campus in Howard."

First off, I have never heard the school board during a meeting discuss this construction as options but as a full plan. Please explain this to me if you can?

Second, who is making this demand to expand the facilities at West Elk?
Is it Elk Konnected?
Is it the Old Guard that Elk referenced when they started up?

Third, when did West Elk USD 282 move into Howard?

How-weird is that?   Oh, sure a typographical error. Sure, I buy that. NOT!

I believe, they were told NO loud and clear on the last bond issue about building a new school building. Yes, this the very same thing! They are just, Re-branding it, Refocusing it, and they don't plan to Retreat from it. It was said at a school board meeting to run the Bond Issue in April and expect it to fail and then prepare to run another Bond issue in November a pretty simple plan isn't it? They are just building a new building with a piece of it over here and another piece over there.

Do you believe the audacity, it sounds just like our liberal Federal Government, spend, spend, spend. Spend yourself deeper in debt, than what is unnecessary, just because someone or some small group demands it. Will you give in to those demands ?

The second paragraph:

"Registered Voters in the district are being asked for input into what they would be willing to approve if a Bond Issue is proposed. They are being asked to fill out a survey and return it to the district office."

Will that survey consider an option to re-open the Moline Grade School that is complete, to save taxpayers, tax dollars? It has all the amenities needed for a Grade School because it is a Grade School. They want to get rid of nearly a half million dollars worth of trailers and work, so they are basically admitting to a half million dollar mistake.  So why compound it with a multi-million dollar mistake? Put the Grade School back in operation in Moline. And save Millions of Dollars. They have been talking as much as 5 to 6 Million Dollars for their new school building built a piece at time. And the contractor was not including a lot of
hidden expenses ? Go figure ?

As far as their survey tell them what you really think. If you think they are being wasteful write that on the survey, if you think re-opening Moline Grade School write that on there.
If you think they should build a Taj Mahal for Howard is a good thing, write that on there. Speak your mind on there.

It's no longer semantics that Howard thinks West Elk is their school. There is no error in this news paper article. When West Elk plays out of town their paper that lists the players names, says Howard West Elk. The road signs that West Elk earned in sports are at the Howard City Limits instead of at the West Elk School boundaries. Remember when Howard wanted to move their city limits to encompass West Elk? I don't know what stopped them but something or someone did!

Just who is demanding that this expansion takes place, is it Howard?

Howard portrays to believe, if they have a giant school that people will move to Howard and that Howard will grow.  That is just not what will happen, we will only acquire un-necessary debt.

Oh durn it, I have to make a couple of quotes from this forum about the last Bond issue to prove that last point.

I copied this off of the forum a few days ago, but I did not copy it as a quote, so I can not say who wrote it. For some reason I can not find it again and I really tried to find it.

This is the think of Howard in my opinion. Or is it Elk Konnected Think ?
Or Elk konnected Speak ? How many West Elk School Board Members are Elk Konnected ?

"Why Do We Need a New Grade School? Education Providing a combined facility that meets the needs of the 21st century learning environment, we can continue the superior education of USD 282."  

Where is this superior education taking place? The Federal Government and State Government have both said our teaching standards have been lowered across the country and across the state. If we had superior education we would have a Blue Ribbon School, wouldn't we?

  "We can refocus resources to add more diverse classes and technology at grade school and high school levels rather than inefficient building upkeep."

This is nut's there will always be maintenance and upkeep in any building.

"Financial To maintain the long-term viability of the district, we must address the issue now!"

What viability, why can't you be specific? Viability of what of the district? What issue specifically?

"We can no longer ignore it. The State Department continues to make large budget cuts that can no longer be absorbed locally."

This post was back in 2009, so what is it today if not a lot worse?

" Interest rates are lower now than they've been in years, and we must be as efficient as possible so we can control our own destiny. "

Efficiency does not mean going into debt for something you do not need, does it?
If it does, just how-weird is that.

"State Aid is now available at 29%, may not be available in the future."

I didn't see any links to attest to this statement. But again this was in 2009 and what are the odds with all the budget cuts since then?

"Let's look towards the future of our district!"

I agree, look at all the declining enrollment. Do we need more building while losing students ?

"Unity United we stand, divided we fall. If we unite the district, we can unite the communities."

This is just plain Elk Konnected talk in my opinion. As long as Howard continues to claim West Elk as Howard West Elk you will have division through out Elk County. Plus, whatever else they do to continue this division. 

Why doesn't How-weird unite with the rest of the county?


"We are a much better group together than apart. Our towns have a lot to be proud of so let's stabilize our district and move forward."

Then why doesn't Howard agree with the majority of the School District Voters?
Can you answer that? Or is this just ore of EK speak?

Just more of that Elk Konnected talk isn't it? So why does Howard insist on everything their way. The School Superintendent stated at the last School Board that Howard passed the last School Bond Issue. Sorry, perhaps the majority of voters in Howard voted to approve it, but Howard can not, and did not pass the last Bond Issue. Did they ?

"An attractive, modern school promotes economic growth, brings young families to our towns, and provides a positive promotional asset.Our KidsThe most important job of any generation is to educate the next generation! A centralized campus would provide opportunities for mentoring, enrichment programs, and after school programs. Our kids deserve the best educational environment we can provide because they are worth it! For our District, For our Kids, For our FutureV ote YES for Our Kids on 11-3-09 "

That is only your personal opinion, but there are no facts to back it up. Why is that?
Not for education ---- for construction of something that is not needed. Construction of a TaJ Mahal in Elk County will not promote econoic growth. Prove that it will? You are dreaming!

Not for the Kids, but for Howard, who is hoping for economic development out of it.
More money in the tills of the merchant's don't you mean? It just won't happen that way.

Why Do We Need a New Grade School?


Education:

Providing a combined facility that meets the needs of the 21st century learning environment, we can continue the superior education of USD 282.  We can refocus resources to add more diverse classes and technology at grade school and high school levels rather than inefficient building upkeep.

In what way?  Building maintenance and upkeep will always be needed.

This quote is from the previous School Bond Issue

Why Do We Need a New Grade School?

Financial:

To maintain the long-term viability of the district, we must address the issue now!  We can no longer ignore it.  The State Department continues to make large budget cuts that can no longer be absorbed locally.  Interest rates are lower now than they've been in years, and we must be as efficient as possible so we can control our own destiny.  State Aid is now available at 29%, may not be available in the future.  Let's look towards the future of our district!

State aid is not guaranteed is it?
Interest rates are the Lowest they have ever been in our lifetimes.
But why?      Our country is heading towards financial ruin, that's why!
$85 Billion being fabricated every month by the Federal Reserve out of nothing.
Which will have to be repaid, it's just a debt, right?
Give this some special thought, please!

Why Do We Need a New Grade School?

Unity:
   
United we stand, divided we fall.  If we unite the district, we can unite the communities.  We are a much better group together than apart.  Our towns have a lot to be proud of so let's stabilize our district and move forward.  An attractive, modern school promotes economic growth, brings young families to our towns, and provides a positive promotional asset.

And we can all fall united in debt for un-needed real-estate, can't we?
We have a building designed to hold 600 students and only have 340 enrolled.
And we have a declining population and a declining student population.
Just what is he promoting?

Why Do We Need a New Grade School?

Our Kids:

The most important job of any generation is to educate the next generation! A centralized campus would provide opportunities for mentoring, enrichment programs, and after school programs. Our kids deserve the best educational environment we can provide because they are worth it!

Do over sized buildings educate children or is it teachers that educate children?

Why Do We Need a New Grade School?

For our District, For our Kids, For our Future
Vote YES for Our Kids[/center]
                                                                   on 11-3-09                                                                   

For Howard don't you mean?

That is the beauty of the already designed and have a bid from the construction manager before we go to the public for the funding part of this scenario.   If it cost more the CM picks up the excess.   It is basicly a design build with a not to exceed cap.  The prelim is completed.  The guess work and budget issues are not the districts baby.  We just supply the funds and they construct. 

This is not the case this time. The present contractor has said there will be additional cost that he doesn't cover. He also said there would be fimamcial increases as the project goes along, due to inflation and changes in the plan as they progress through the construction.

Isn't all this just equivalent to Obama and his ObamaCare thinking?

But hey, just ignore all of this ! Develope your own opinion! As I have said on numerous occassions in this thread, this is just my thoughts and just my personal opinion.

[Ross]

An additional thought!

If you fall for this line, this message in the newspaper, this trap of selecting a part of this construction, they will return again and again until, whoever or whatever is demanding this expansion gets exactly what they want?  I know they have been planning this for months. I also believe they have perhaps been planning this for years. Perhaps, even before they closed the grade schools. Something to think about isn't it, long term planning by someone or some group. After all who or what is demanding this re-branded action ?

Yes, I consider it is as good as a trap, because any signal to proceed will be like, a green light to go for what ever they want to do.

Haven't we been fooled enough by the Obama Administration ?

Again just my opinion!