The difference then was the PARENTS were in control of their children.

Now the PARENTS don't give a $hi# about their children and the TEACHERS are responsible for being the teacher and parent.

I love the way Romney takes credit for things that got pushed through by the democratic legislature. (700 vetoes overridden)

Duke University has the best idea on class size. Class size depends on the nature of the class. A leclture class is OK with 500. A science lad class should have about 15.

I am serious and it will help Romney. The best source of education is:

Superintendent of School in Salt Lake City for many years. Mormons loved him.

M. Donald Thomas
Executive Director
Public Education Support Group

He may work with Romney free of charge. He has worked with Governor Reiley of South Carolina. He has worked plan to intergrate school district and at the same time eliminate bussing students. He believe that bussing student is a waste of time. He also wrote speeches for Gerald Ford. Nixon asked him to the the head of Education, but he loved Salt Lake City. Tell Romney to contact him and ask to be a consultant without pay. I think he will do it. He developed an Eductional Audit that determines to what extend students are learning. He owns the copyrights to it, but others can use it for a fee. He has been a consultant in Germany, Russia and Japan. I am not kidding. I would give you his phone number, but I cannot do that because I have not asked his permission. Romney cn get it from the information above. He also works with "School Match" that does research on school districts. Real Estate firms purchase the results o the research. I honestly believe Dr. Don Thomas could help him define what must be done in Education. He like talking with people and I am sure that if you tell him Augustus Caesar refered you to him, he will talk with you. He know who I am because I have worked with him doing searches for school district to find the best Superintendent for the district. Don't wory about your mispelled words. It is not important as long as we can read the message. To try to check grammar and spelling is a waste of time.

Keith, See my comment about Don Thomas and how he could help Romney. I mean what I said.

The best way for an immigrant to learn English is on the playground. Make sure the tacher teaches only English in the classroom. Otherwise the teacher will only teach in the language she feels more confrotable, except when soneone goes in the classroom to evaluate what she/he is teaching. I came to the US with only Italian. I learned to speak English in six months because I had to learn. One time I wanted to buy icecream and my grandfather told me, "When you learn to buy icecream using English you can have icecream." i learned fast. He took every Italian newspaper, book, or what there was in Italian and replaced them with English. My mother and fatehr learned to speak and read Englsih in about one year because it was the only way to survive. If the teacher had tried to help me by speaking Italian, it would have taken years for me to learn English. Learning English not only helped me to learn Englsih, but it also encouraged me to keep learning Italian. In Italy my cousin tried to speak to me in English and I told him, "Ma porche mi sta parlare Englese, da quanto sono venit a Italia mis so scordare parleare Englese. Io adeso parle solament Italiane." "Why are you trying to speak to me in English. Since I came to Italy I have forgoten how to speak English. I can now speak only in Italian." It is strange, but by learning English without any help from any teacher, I not only learned English, but I also lerned to speak and write better in Italian." In third grade in Italy I learned more mathematics and geometry than most student know by six grade here. One example was that to be promoted from third grade I had to explain the therom about the triangle in which the square of the two side equal the square of the third side (the longer one). Fractions and long division was easy in third grade.

So you do what the school boards have provided for you, get free periods, curriculum days, personal and "sick"days, various weeks off in the 9 month work year, all with a 6 hr and 15 minute work day minus your lunch and break times, summers free, and the ability to send students out to needed remedial education classrooms, or have special ed teaching assistant's come in and work with students in your class room while your unions assure you tenure and the protection not to be judged on your effectiveness...all for a salary and benefits that put a comparable private sector employed individual in a state of envy!

So what exactly is your bitch here?

You've never been a public school teacher, Grandpa, but that doesn't stop you once again from spouting off on subjects you know nothing about.

Classroom management 101: Preparation time is paramount if one is to provide a solid and stimulating educational environment for the kids. Holding their attention minimizes "control" problems, keeping administrators and parents off the teachers' back. From experience, a new teacher can expect to spend roughly 1 1/2 times as much effort in "prep" as in the classroom. Do the math on that one (I know, judging from posts on the economy, that's a particularly weak subject of yours), and it works out to over 60 hours per week. Add record-keeping, school activities like clubs, newspapers, and extra-curricular stuff, and it only gets worse.

My teenage daughter was amazed how I "only" had 25 kids in a class when I was student teaching. Hers average over 40 now... I do my best to supplement the stuff she receives, but already she "hates" history and science, probably because poor teachers have "scapegoated" students for not learning the material. And you want to see if a teacher is "burned out" or not? Check whether they're "into workbooks."

Teachers can't use the "straightjacket and Thorazine" tactics you used with management problems back when you were dealing with problem children (of course ADHD is probably over-diagnosed as it is; try have about five or six young speed freaks in a class sometime). Most of the time parents are both working, and the kids aren't getting their needs met at home as it is.

And that "summers off" is crap. Most teachers have to renew their certificates every five years, and that requires summer school college and workshop attendance. The lucky, more-experienced types, have a a built-up reserve of preps that allow them less "get ready time" than the younger ones, so evening classes are possible, but it's suicidal in the first five years.

Finally, the beginning salary for teachers here is around $30,000 a year. That's not a lot more than Wal-Mart wages, and the stress is orders of magnitude greater...

Ah, I see the righties are stealing my material again... At least it looks that way judging from Gov. Christie's last over-the-top remark (the difference between him and me is I know when I'm over-the-edge, and he doesn't). So I'll recycle an oldie I used on some troll who stepped in front of the ol' police interceptor (I don't remember who).

"Paging Dr. Kevorkian! Call for Dr. Kevorkian! Dr. Kevorkian to the trauma center."

Better use your ATM card; the banks are closed, and you've been felted again. Or to switch to a metaphor you'll understand, your nag stumbled out of the starting gate.

Cab Driver...apparently your short term memory is gone the way of most alcoholics. I've informed you that I obtained in my graduate work at the University of Massachusetts Secondary Level Teaching certification in English Language Skills AND Vocational Secondary Level Education certification, and put them to use in 1977 thru 1980 in Massachusetts.

BTW, that was at a time far before the use of behavioral drugs for the over diagnosed ADD/Hyperactive or Autistic children; and for the restless ones in the school district i taught in we just sent them in for a 2nd Phys Ed class on the day instead of their "study hall" classes. Well recommend that tactic. Helps solve the obesity problem to! And we didn't have meth as a problem drug in the late 70s early 80s in New England, but did have teenage alcoholic abusers to counsel. Too bad you weren't a product of our schools, as we might have headed off the nasty problem you nave been saddled with all of your adult life, and has caused you to QUIT on so many things in life, including your higher education program.

Judging from your syntax here, Grandpa, in your case, the old adage, "Them as can do applies, them as can't teach." English language skills? Shoot, I was only in the 97th percentile on those, and I'll bet I can spot you ten percentile points on one of my bad days.

"Gave them an extra PE Class." Wow, talk about pawning the problem off on someone else... Real teachers have some compassion for the parents of the kids they were teaching, and they worry about the problem children more than those who are able to adapt.

Facts for Grandpa (source: Dr. Nora Volkow): The "cravings" in addiction are traceable to Dopamine structures in the brain (I was summarizing the research back in the mid '80's, and I've got just enough science background to "see" where things were headed in that direction). There's a genetic component a lot of "untreated professional copendents" like yourself (my PhD mentor's words) are in utter denial about. You're deluding yourself if you think your "counseling made any difference." Shoot, I've touched the lives of thousands just by example, and it's simply been by sitting in a chair at a meeting and smiling and telling someone they're welcome and in the right place. And here's a bit of real world stuff for you: I learned about 12-Step Recovery--before I started--from a psychology teacher. I ran into that individual in meetings fifteen years later, and I'd been continuously sober longer. It was nice to see that individual again, and we're still friends...

A little more about my "quitting": I quit alcohol (which I didn't start until I was nearly 20, and a couple of other things as well) while you haven't ceased being a pontificating know-nothing, and if you knew anything about the disease, which you don't, you'd know that despite abstinence, the progression goes on, and one side effect of sobriety is intense emotional pain. Which is why sober alcoholics continue to die of depression-related issues, but to understand that one would require a bit of empathy, something that is lacking is narcissists and sociopaths like yourself.

Your dishonest personal attacks are ample evidence of a narcissistic personality, right down to the grandiosity--and immature attention-getting behavior--and per Beck and Freeman, "Narcissists are apt to get particularly enraged at individuals who hold them accountable for their boorish behavior." You're skilled at "avoidance," but little else.

Now how about addressing the realities of teaching methodologies and the hours spent, the subject I addressed rather than doing that drill sergeant "my way or the highway" act that earned you your nickname here? Must suck to be nothing but a buzzword jockey and be called on it...

And I suppose I'll have to go back and look and see if you posted a reply to that global warming bit I mentioned. Yours is the short term memory problem.

And I didn't quit my higher education stuff; I just kind of put it on hold... But I'm going to avoid much more personal disclosures; bullies like you like to hit below the belt and operate under the entitlement belief "the rules don't apply to them."

And since we're on the subject of memory distrubances, lets review those you've displayed for us here: You've accused Chris Matthews of being drunk--and diabetic, for gawdsakes--you forgot the malaria he picked up, probably while on one of his vacations to Africa where he engages in humanitarian work with the likes of Mia Farrow. You've made vulgar references to masturbation with Lawrence and others, and of course there's the stuff you toss at me. Of course what keeps me going is a fantasy of someday having you in a group with couple of pros of my choosing...

You'd run like hell, of course (we'd have made sure you checked your guns at the door), but I still get a kick out of imagining what it would be like...

Ha ha ha! Looks like I got your attention this time, Cab Driver!

Another messiahnic complex brought to light! Come on, Agustus...get away from the internet and start socializing more; join a book club, preferably one at a real book sellers establishment with an excellant coffee bar where you can get a taste of Italy in an expresso or two to wake you up to the life around you!

Keith, I agree that there are teachers that have no place in the classroom. We need to evaluate teachers. Most principals give all teachers an outstanding evluation. They are afraid of the teachers. What we need is as follows:

1. A good evaluation system and principals that are able to evaluate teachers. It is not easy, but it has to be done. Poor teachers need to be fired and outstanding teachers need to be paid well.

2. Integrity in how the money is used in school district. There is waste, espcially too many administrators. Many of the jobs administrators do can be done by a secretary - such as funded programs. Why does one need a funded program administrator. All one has to do is fill out forms each year. Too many administrators only create paper work for teachers. (Also every morning put the Superintendent and Administrators in a room and lock the door until the school day is over.) Allow techers to teach, period!

3. Do away with A, B, C grades. Do not pay an expert to help write a curriculum. Destroy all curriculum books. Have a list of skills necessary for students to learn at each grade level in order to be successful at the next grade and to be promoted. Those who have difficult learning the skills give them extra help. The list of skills are called "disclosure documents" and given to parents, students and teachers. Then like a prescription, each reporting period parents, teachrs and students know what skills the student is competent and what skills he has yet to learn to be promoted. Now we promote everyone. Mussolini knew better. He made sure the teachers were teaching the skills and had his minister of education visit schools. His last name was Gentile. I also had relative with the last name Gentile. The only problem I have is spelling. Maybe it is because of the Italian.

So, kiksadi, you attended a nonpublic gradeschool which set you up for failure in highschool because you weren't offered social promotion to your senior year and graduation? That's your gripe here?

You obviously dropped out (chose to quit) after the 11th grade; your statement that you "flunked out" in the 11th gradedoesn;t ring true, as you might have been relegated to repeat that year in public education as the worst (or best) course.

And exactly what program of education did you achieve your Master's Degree in, pray tell? Must have not required the basic math and science skills I would guess, and what have you been able to accomplish with your new degree?

Well, fortunately I've got a little bit of extra road rage to spank Grandpa some more (cab broke down tonight, and I'm going to have work on the holiday to make up).

Grandpa's "blame the victim" psychopathology was evident with the Trayvon Martin shooting. Black kid had no business walking to 7-11 at night, and if punks like him just knew their place, the world would be wonderful.

Congratulations on that Master's, Kiksadi... I know the feeling of succeeding after years of stumbling and thinking it's your own fault.

Be careful though. Grandpa thinks Sarah Palin is the cat's meow... Same with Karl Rove (why don't you call him a quitter Grandpa? Or Hannity? Neither of them finished college; in Rove's case he didn't make it through my old alma mater).

I keep telling you Cabbie, get one of those Chevy Volts the American taxpayer is subsdidizing now so that Obama's affluent liberal supporters can have a little less guilt in the HUGE carbon footprint they leave behing them everywhere they go in their limos and private jets. I guess to make your meagre living driving a hack you do your share of polluting of the pristine Salt Lake City environment too, hmmm?

And there is that old alcoholic mentality coming through again with that business of victim status.

As to Martin, I would have much preferred he was back in Miami trying to get on the right path finishing highschool instead of being whisked off to his father's girlfriend's apartment for shelter by a Mom that couldn't control his behaviors once he was suspended for possession of canabis residue in his book bag at school. And he had every right to walk "to the 7-11 at night" however; but he had no right to trespass in the darkened back yards of the townhouses and then assault the neighborhood watch commander that was in the process of observing his actions and reporting his whereabouts and activities to police.

Another of society's victims that just needed a little innocent maryjane to help him get through his arduous days? Oh, I can see hour rescuing nonsense all over that!