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[Alcibiades]

THE ARNOLD REVOLUTION


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March 17, 2005 -- WE'LL never change the Constitution to let him become president, but Arnold Schwarzenegger is conducting a one-man revolution aimed at providing presidential leadership.

The East Coast media has missed the full dimensions of the California governor's accomplishments and bold proposals. Together, they constitute one of the most astounding, imaginative and forward-thinking agendas in our recent history.

Start with the War on Terror. While President Bush hunts the terrorists down and pressures nation-states to give up their sponsorship of terror gangs, Schwarzenegger is working to solve the problem of Islamic terrorism once and for all — by ending our dependence on foreign oil and stopping the worldwide economic and climatic distortions that global oil usage causes.

He's doing it by providing aggressive state leadership to open the way for hydrogen fuel cell cars. While President Bush speaks of the advent of these vehicles in the indefinite future, Gov. Schwarzenegger is bringing them to the here and now by converting gas stations along California's interstate highways to provide hydrogen fuel as well as gasoline.

With financing projected to come one-third each from federal, state and private sources, California will offer hydrogen fuel every few miles in urban areas and at least every 20 miles along the highway system by 2010. Eventually, he and the leaders of Washington, Oregon, Baja California and British Columbia will work together to create a "hydrogen highway" that will run from B.C. (British Columbia) to B.C. (Baja California).

The Schwarzenegger plan calls for state-subsidized production of hydrogen and for tax incentives for those who purchase hydrogen cars.

Replacing gasoline engines with hydrogen-fuel cells would eliminate two-thirds of America's need for oil — a demand that we could meet entirely with domestically produced oil.

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Since California accounts for 20 percent of U.S. new-car purchases, the tail will wag the dog and a national hydrogen grid will become almost inevitable.

But Arnold's revolution also aims to restore democracy at home.

Disgusted by the gerrymandering that led to the re-election of all but a handful of members of Congress in 2000 and 2002 (including all 54 California congressmen in 2002 and everyone but Gary Condit in 2000), Schwarzenegger is acting to end the disgrace on our democracy. He is pushing a voter initiative to adopt the Iowa Plan — to have legislative and congressional districts drawn by independent jurists who aren't permitted to take account of incumbency or party in creating the districts.

The cynical political deals that underscored the post-2000 Census reapportionment made the incumbents of both parties invulnerable and limited the number of swing seats to a mere 5 percent of the House of Representatives. Gov. Arnold will change all that in California. And, as with hydrogen cars, his action will likely awaken voters across the nation to take back their democracy.

Finally, Schwarzenegger is striking at the root of the problem with public education by seeking to smash teacher tenure and pay and promote teachers based on merit, just like other employees in America. The privileged classroom enclave where incompetence is not punished and excellence is not rewarded will be ended in California.

Too bad that so-called education reformers like Hillary Clinton dropped merit-based promotion (which she once supported in Arkansas but dropped when she came to New York, with its virulent teachers union).

If the legislature does not pass the "governator's" tenure-reform and redistricting programs, he'll put these issues on the ballot where they will most likely pass.

In energy, the environment, anti-terrorism, democratic reform and education, Arnold Schwarzenegger is showing us what a governor can do. Are there other governors willing to follow his bold example?

I wish I could have a governor like this...

either way I totally respect Arnold and agree with the assesment that he is "foward-thinking"...

while I'm a pretty pro-market guy, I wouldn't mind having junk food removed from schools so that fighting the temptation isn't as necessary... sure people would still take it into school and clubs would have candies for sale, but if there is a healthy alternative at a similar price in vending machines, I'm sure kids would be more likely than if there is junk food there...

as it is I don't have a healthy, balanced diet in college because doing so is too expensive and time-consuming, hopefully that will change but I'm just way to busy...

 

[Alcibiades]

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/22496.htm

darn I wish I could edit...

 

[AniHawk]

Finally, Schwarzenegger is striking at the root of the problem with public education by seeking to smash teacher tenure and pay and promote teachers based on merit, just like other employees in America. The privileged classroom enclave where incompetence is not punished and excellence is not rewarded will be ended in California.

What a dumbass. Such a load of shit.

 

[golem]

it doesnt seem to me that Hydrogen is anywhere near being an acceptable alternative to oil.. and gerrymandering has some benefits as well, but tenure systems at the high school/elementary school level is a joke

 

[Optimistic]

Finally, Schwarzenegger is striking at the root of the problem with public education by seeking to smash teacher tenure and pay and promote teachers based on merit, just like other employees in America. The privileged classroom enclave where incompetence is not punished and excellence is not rewarded will be ended in California.

What a dumbass. Such a load of shit.

That's definitely a load of shit. Perhaps public schools should be given a salary cap, and have to meet a deadline for trading teachers. It'll be like the NBA!! You'll be able to have one or two "superstars" who are paid a few hundred thousand dollars, one or two solid and hardworking but underappreciated teachers who are paid shite, and the rest of the squad'll consist of drunks, peadophiles in the making and chainsmokers!!

 

[Alcibiades]

uh, if a school had one or two good "superstar" teachers that would mean few students would be getting a good education... schools would not doubt prefer 1000 students with a good-to-great education than 100 students with a stellar education...

If teachers were "solid" (not necessarily hardworking, but that's a part of it), then they wouldn't be underappreciated and would get their due...

also, the point is the have money that is currently going to teachers no matter what (stellar or sh*t) and make it so that good teachers continue getting some, and others don't... I see nothing wrong with that... sure politics will play a role as always, but it's not supposed to be perfect, just better...

 

[AniHawk]

uh, if a school had one or two good "superstar" teachers that would mean few students would be getting a good education... schools would not doubt prefer 1000 students with a good-to-great education than 100 students with a stellar education...

If teachers were "solid" (not necessarily hardworking, but that's a part of it), then they wouldn't be underappreciated and would get their due...

also, the point is the have money that is currently going to teachers no matter what (stellar or sh*t) and make it so that good teachers continue getting some, and others don't... I see nothing wrong with that... sure politics will play a role as always, but it's not supposed to be perfect, just better...

Look, my mom's been a teacher for over 20 years. She's taught special education, kindergarten, fifth grade, and most recently first grade. The school she works in is terrible. Too many kids, too few class rooms. The school is run down. Parents don't read to their kids. And guess what? They perform poorly on their tests. My mom is probably the hardest working teacher there too. I'm talking about staying overtime for hours on end, to make the classroom fun for kids. I gave up countless hours of my own free time to help organize the room for the past 12 years even.

Fuck. I went to that school for kindergarten, first grade, and a little bit of second, so I know the quality of the teachers firsthand (note: my mom was teaching fifth at the time, but many of my teachers from back then were still teaching 5 years ago, and two still do) to know that it isn't their fault test scores are so low.

If anything, teachers should be paid more for what they do. I don't think the general public realizes what shit they have to wade through.

 

[ToxicAdam]

Look, my mom's been a teacher for over 20 years. She's taught special education, kindergarten, fifth grade, and most recently first grade. The school she works in is terrible. Too many kids, too few class rooms. The school is run down. Parents don't read to their kids. And guess what? They perform poorly on their tests. My mom is probably the hardest working teacher there too. I'm talking about staying overtime for hours on end, to make the classroom fun for kids. I gave up countless hours of my own free time to help organize the room for the past 12 years even.

Fuck. I went to that school for kindergarten, first grade, and a little bit of second, so I know the quality of the teachers firsthand (note: my mom was teaching fifth at the time, but many of my teachers from back then were still teaching 5 years ago, and two still do) to know that it isn't their fault test scores are so low.

If anything, teachers should be paid more for what they do. I don't think the general public realizes what shit they have to wade through.

I have a wife that teaches pre-school/Kindergarten. So I agree with you to some extent.

But, I think High School teachers need to be held to a higher standard. I have seen too many times in my life where a school system consolidates its staff and then the bad teacher with 20+ years keep thier jobs, and the hard working teacher of 7-10 years gets laid off.

There really should be a "judging" system for the teachers ... and it should have some direct result on whether they get to keep thier positions when job cuts happen. I still think thier current salary system works. A teacher can make good money (50k a year +) if they have a Masters degree.

 

[Alcibiades]

you could take this entire quote and apply it to me too, except I didn't go to school where my mom worked except for summer school, and I'm not sure if she's taught kindergarden yet, but she has had elementary/middle school teaching experience at almost every level, including some special education kids MIXED IN with regulars...

Look, my mom's been a teacher for over 20 years. She's taught special education, kindergarten, fifth grade, and most recently first grade. The school she works in is terrible. Too many kids, too few class rooms. The school is run down. Parents don't read to their kids. And guess what? They perform poorly on their tests. My mom is probably the hardest working teacher there too. I'm talking about staying overtime for hours on end, to make the classroom fun for kids. I gave up countless hours of my own free time to help organize the room for the past 12 years even.

Fuck. I went to that school for kindergarten, first grade, and a little bit of second, so I know the quality of the teachers firsthand (note: my mom was teaching fifth at the time, but many of my teachers from back then were still teaching 5 years ago, and two still do) to know that it isn't their fault test scores are so low.

If anything, teachers should be paid more for what they do. I don't think the general public realizes what shit they have to wade through.

my mom even has gotten tons of "teacher of the year" awards, more than we know what to do with both on a school basis and district-wide, she also stays extra and goes overboard helping kids (heck she even gets to know the families and I know many of her students from going to parties/gatherings/houses/funerals of the kids and/or family members)... the neighborhoods she has taught in are dirt poor (as in some houses don't have roofs, floors, electricity, or bathrooms)...

I know my mom gets some good pay, but it's not based on ANY of that, it's based on how long she has been teaching... Under a rewards-system, your mom would get her raises, as I doubt they will lie exclusively on yearly test scores (my mom also has low rates in some classes, but it doesn't help that 1/2 her classes are ESL, English as a Second Language)...

you can't do straight comparisons with a teacher who has GT/Honors students and one who had ESL/special ed. students...

You do comparisons, if the passing rate for set of students was 20% and that moves up to 40%, then it's a definite improvement... also, it would probably be schools and districts who would be responsible for deciding who get the better pay, it's not some formuliac calculation...

The problem is that other teachers got raises along with my mom, inlcuding those that left precisely at the end the day and didn't stay extra to help or do more activiities... I know from experience and from what my mom tells me that there are excellent teachers and terrible (those that hate their job and the kids even) teachers... a distinction has to be drawn...

Saying that "If anything, teachers should be paid more for what they do. I don't think the general public realizes what shit they have to wade through." is too much of a blanket statement...

SOME teachers should be paid more, and a lot of the public went to public schools and saw both lazy teachers and teachers that went out of their way (some with troubled/unmotivated students) and did more than their part...

Maybe the public growing up in good neighborhoods doesn't exactly realize, but for the most part I'm sure many know, and politicians are always giving anedoctes about the terrible circumstances teachers have to work with...

 

[DonasaurusRex]

all thats good and all...but striking at teachers pay? AHAHAHAHAH teachers in california make BEANS compared to other states like say NJ, MI, PA, when I was in san diego my HS teachers went on strike because they got paid squat. I think the starting pay for teachers was like 19k a year , then the morons excepted a 2 year 3% raise. He needs to have a merit based system for parents and administration as well , takes more than a teacher to get a kid to perform.

 

[Alcibiades]

all thats good and all...but striking at teachers pay? AHAHAHAHAH teachers in california make BEANS compared to other states like say NJ, MI, PA, when I was in san diego my HS teachers went on strike because they got paid squat. I think the starting pay for teachers was like 19k a year , then the morons excepted a 2 year 3% raise. He needs to have a merit based system for parents and administration as well , takes more than a teacher to get a kid to perform.

19k a year are you sure that's the average?

I think it all depends. Either way around the country teacher pay is a problem not just in California, but in the urban areas in Cal and New York it's probably seems even worse because of the high taxes and cost of living...

Heck it's an issue here in Texas and we don't even have a state income tax...

that said, it's all varied since schools and districts set their own pay, even in California:

http://www.edsource.org/pub_abs_tchrcomp.cfm

Some data show California teacher salaries are above the national average, but when differences in cost of living are taken into account, a teacher’s pay in California simply doesn’t buy as much as in most other states.

 

[Mandark]

my mom even has gotten tons of "teacher of the year" awards

Great, I'm talking to Bobby Hill.

Look, removing job security for teachers isn't "forward thinking." It's part and parcel of the NCLB philosophy of education reform.

Districting reform isn't "forward thinking" when you're in the minority party. It's simple political calculus.

His budget certainly isn't "forward thinking." He ran on a platform of trashing career politicians for spending more than they took in, and when he got in office, his solution was to borrow billions of dollars to cover the gap.

Arnold is a hack. He's not particularly awful, and I like that he's socially liberal. But he's not an outsider, he's not an original thinker, he's not a risk-taker.

As a politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger is a great movie star.

 

[Pimpwerx]

Schools are losing good teachers to the private sector. Private schools and private industry offer more pay and require equal amounts of schooling. It's not that fun dealing with brats, having no real chance of making tons of money. It's no suprise that private and charter schools do better than public schools in testing. When you offer financial compensation that will attract those brilliant minds back from the corporate world, then you can improve schools again. Funding...a lot of people deny it, but it's an issue of funding.

My dad runs one of the top charter schools in the state b/c they have funding to give all the kids laptops and put up a wireless network, but also to pay teachers good salaries. They are tied in with Dade county, but they offer better pay than the county. Not outrageously better, but enough that they can pick from a good talent pool when hiring. Lots of qualified teachers will apply, and if someone is slipping in their work, they're easier to replace.

After people wrap their heads around that issue, the change needs to come from the bottom up. Start at the elementary level and then the middle schools, and then all secondary levels. Put more money into the system, but also deploy better review and evaluation methods that require some independant observers doing more strict reviews of schools and staff. Administrator pay needs to be cut significantly too. There's a lot of corruption with administrators. A merit system sounds like it'll favor administrators and minimize teacher pay. PEACE.