[Rhodes22-list] Satire: Fundimentals
Bill Effros
bill at effros.com
Fri May 27 11:30:57 EDT 2005
Bard,
I believe when you are dogmatically advancing a position regarding
fundamentals, at the very least you can employ the fundamentals you are
so stridently advocating.
Michael's spelling is always correct when he uses voice recognition, and
his spell checker won't pick up homonyms or spoonerisms.
Bill Effros
brad haslett wrote:
>Bill,
>
>MJM's voice recognition software set the curve for
>spelling on this list. Those of us with adult ADD get
>our self-esteem bruised when other's point out that we
>can't spell for shit or are too lazy to use spell
>check. Here's an article that supports my position.
>
>Brad
>
>
>Spelling bee protesters: "Enuf is enuf!"
>By Carl Weiser, Gannett News Service
>WASHINGTON -- Protesters delivered a message Wednesday
>to the national spelling bee: Enuf is enuf!
>Seven members of the American Literacy Society
>picketed the 77th annual spelling bee, which is
>sponsored every year by Cincinnati-based Scripps
>Howard.
>
>The protesters' complaint: English spelling is
>illogical. And the national spelling bee only
>reinforces the crazy spellings that lead to dyslexia,
>high illiteracy, and harder lives for immigrants.
>
>"We advocate the modernization of English spelling,"
>said Pete Boardman, 58, of Groton, N.Y. The Cornell
>University bus driver admitted to being a terrible
>speller.
>
>Protester Elizabeth Kuizenga, 56, is such a good
>speller she teaches English as a second language in
>San Francisco. She said she got involved in the
>protest after seeing how much time was wasted teaching
>spelling in her class.
>
>Bee spokesman Mark Kroeger said good spelling comes
>from knowing the story behind a word -- what language
>it comes from, what it means.
>
>"For these kids who understand the root words, who
>understand the etymology, it's totally logical," he
>said.
>
>The protesters contend that the illogical spelling of
>English words makes dyslexia more difficult to
>overcome and helps explain why one in five Americans
>are functionally illiterate.
>
>"If these people were able to read and write with a
>simplified spelling system, they would be able to fill
>out a job application, stay employed, and stay out of
>prison," said Sanford Silverman, 86. The retired
>accountant from Cleveland was handing out copies of
>his book, "Spelling for the 21st Century: The case for
>spelling reform."
>
>Carrying signs reading "I'm thru with through,"
>"Spelling shuud be lojical," and "Spell different
>difrent," the protesters -- who first protested two
>years ago, but skipped last year -- drew chuckles from
>bee contestants.
>
>"I can't believe people are picketing against
>something this ridiculous," said Steven Maheshwary,
>14, of Houston, who successfully spelled "Zoroastrian"
>in the bee.
>
>Or as 13-year-old contestant (tautologous) Rachel
>Karas of Flint, Mich., put it: "It's just spelling.
>You gotta learn it."
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>--- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>>According to my Daddys liturature curriculi
>>counsellors, administators
>>have succumed to poor spelling
>>fundimentals.
>>
>>Bill Effros
>>
>>
>>Philip Esteban wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I am not wealthy by any stretch, but I send my son
>>>
>>>
>>to private school (which
>>
>>
>>>means I probably have to postpone purchasing a
>>>
>>>
>>boat). My older boy went
>>
>>
>>>through the abysmal public school system and I
>>>
>>>
>>regret the decision to this
>>
>>
>>>day (and yes, I have taught in the public schools
>>>
>>>
>>system and so has my
>>
>>
>>>wife). The public schools have become a
>>>
>>>
>>politically correct liberal forum
>>
>>
>>>for issuing condoms, undermining parental authority
>>>
>>>
>>and values and have
>>
>>
>>>drifted away from teaching the fundimentals. Most
>>>
>>>
>>of this can be laid at
>>
>>
>>>the feet of the liberals (usually Democrats) who
>>>
>>>
>>are in bed with the
>>
>>
>>>teacher's unions. A union's charter is, by its
>>>
>>>
>>nature, to protect the job
>>
>>
>>>of its members. The teacher's unions are no
>>>
>>>
>>different and they get a pass
>>
>>
>>>for illegal political activities as well (by the
>>>
>>>
>>way, I am also a union
>>
>>
>>>member since 1976, though not the teacher's union).
>>>
>>>More liberal claptrap is the canard that more money
>>>
>>>
>>means better education.
>>
>>
>>>Washington DC spends in excess of 15k per student
>>>
>>>
>>and has a 50% drop out
>>
>>
>>>rate. The public school system is failing. When I
>>>
>>>
>>went to school in the
>>
>>
>>>60s we routinely had 30+ children per class and we
>>>
>>>
>>received a fairly good
>>
>>
>>>education. That was before the curriculi
>>>
>>>
>>degenerated.
>>
>>
>>>Some examples: Punishing a child for pointing a
>>>
>>>
>>french fry and saying bang;
>>
>>
>>>allowing a child to be assaulted daily (even though
>>>
>>>
>>he complains to several
>>
>>
>>>teachers) but kicking the assaulted child out of
>>>
>>>
>>school for writing Kill
>>
>>
>>>"[Name]" with no sanction to the aggressor; not
>>>
>>>
>>allowing pictures of the
>>
>>
>>>Minute Men because they carry guns; the recent
>>>
>>>
>>issue of a principal not
>>
>>
>>>allowing the picture of a recent graduate in the
>>>
>>>
>>school (the assignment was
>>
>>
>>>to bring a picture of a graduate of the school in
>>>
>>>
>>his job or school) because
>>
>>
>>>that student is a US Marine in Iraq and was
>>>
>>>
>>carrying a weapon; the schools
>>
>>
>>>in our area stopped having award ceremonies for
>>>
>>>
>>kids who did extremely well
>>
>>
>>>because it "isn't fair to those who don't get
>>>
>>>
>>awards" or it "hurts the
>>
>>
>>>self-esteem". . .
>>>
>>>This doesn't begin to scratch the surface.
>>>
>>>As for fund cutting, that is ridiculous. Cutting
>>>
>>>
>>the amount of increase is
>>
>>
>>>not "cutting" funds. When the federal government
>>>
>>>
>>(under the liberal Clinton
>>
>>
>>>Administration) can require Medicaid to fund Viagra
>>>
>>>
>>(in general, not just to
>>
>>
>>>sex offenders as recently covered in the news) then
>>>
>>>
>>they don't need more
>>
>>
>>>funds for other things. You can argue life saving
>>>
>>>
>>medications for people
>>
>>
>>>unable to afford it, but why should we pay for
>>>
>>>
>>someone to have sex? Then
>>
>>
>>>they come after us for more taxes for schools and
>>>
>>>
>>the like. Then the
>>
>>
>>>schools don't teach the fundimentals. Once upon a
>>>
>>>
>>time a person leaving
>>
>>
>>>highschool learned to be a good citizen. College
>>>
>>>
>>opened their horizons to
>>
>>
>>>the deeper meanings of our history, liturature,
>>>
>>>
>>math and science, but first
>>
>>
>>>the basics. Not anymore. Now they get condoms;
>>>
>>>
>>Billy has two daddys; they
>>
>>
>>>learn about the "Nine" amendments to the
>>>
>>>
>>Constitution (leave out the Second
>>
>>
>>>Amendment); they can have "holiday celebrations"
>>>
>>>
>>and can study every
>>
>>
>>>religious holiday activity except Christian
>>>
>>>
>>holidays etc.
>>
>>
>>>There may still be a few good public schools in
>>>
>>>
>>this country, but they are
>>
>>
>>>far and few between. An indicator is the teacher's
>>>
>>>
>>unions opposition to
>>
>>
>>>standards. They don't want to be held accountable
>>>
>>>
>>and it shows.
>>
>>
>>>There is more and you are deluding yourself if you
>>>
>>>
>>ignore them. I know
>>
>>
>>>teaching is a tough job and unfunded mandates eat
>>>
>>>
>>into budgets, but the
>>
>>
>>>schools began a downward slide years ago when the
>>>
>>>
>>administators began to
>>
>>
>>>outnumber the teachers. Recently in Virginia, the
>>>
>>>
>>legislature succumed to
>>
>>
>>>pressure from the teacher's unions to leave the
>>>
>>>
>>"guidance counsellors" in
>>
>>
>>>place in the elementary schools instead of
>>>
>>>
>>converting most of those
>>
>>
>>>positions to reading teachers (reading scores were
>>>
>>>
>>falling and we are
>>
>>
>>>producing a generation of illiterate people). Why
>>>
>>>
>>do we need guidance
>>
>>
>>>counsellors in elementary school?
>>>
>>>Philip
>>>
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
>>>[mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org]On
>>>
>>>
>>Behalf Of Slim
>>
>>
>>>Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 5:41 AM
>>>To: Rhodes
>>>Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list]Public Schools, was
>>>
>>>
>>Public Radio and TV
>>
>>
>>>Philip,
>>>
>>>Why are you against public schools? I admit, there
>>>
>>>
>>are many problems,
>>
>>
>>>mostly caused by union-bashing, fund-cutting
>>>
>>>
>>republicans; but the public
>>
>>
>>>schools are our best resource, period. Shouldn't
>>>
>>>
>>we be giving our youth the
>>
>>
>>>best that we can? Private schools cost money that
>>>
>>>
>>most do not need to pay.
>>
>>
>>>The public system is as good as the funding. Offer
>>>
>>>
>>a decent wage and you
>>
>>
>>>attract decent teachers. Where I live, Minnesota,
>>>
>>>
>>the average life-span of
>>
>>
>>>a new teacher is three years before they find
>>>
>>>
>>better pay/conditions
>>
>>
>>>elsewhere. It's abysmal. It's a very tough job.
>>>
>>>
>>I know - been there, done
>>
>>
>>>that. Have you?
>>>
>>>It's easy to sit back and complain, but consider
>>>
>>>
>>this: The law requires
>>
>>
>>>specifically mandated curriculum but doesn't fund
>>>
>>>
>>it, and so private schools
>>
>>
>>>have to send students to the public schools for
>>>
>>>
>>whatever they can't provide,
>>
>>
>>>e.g., special ed, phy ed, science, or whatever.
>>>
>>>
>>And then the public schools
>>
>>
>>>have to take these students, for which they are NOT
>>>
>>>
>>paid, and provide
>>
>>
>>>service because it's the law. Private schools want
>>>
>>>
>>to have their cake and
>>
>>
>>>eat it too. It's just not fair because it puts the
>>>
>>>
>>public schools in a
>>
>>
>>>deeper hole than they're already in. If you want
>>>
>>>
>>to send your kid to
>>
>>
>>>private school, fine, but don't send him to the
>>>
>>>
>>public school for gym. But
>>
>>
>>>you'll have to change the law first.
>>>
>>>What really bugs me is that everybody thinks
>>>
>>>
>>they're an expert, e.g.,
>>
>>
>>>legislators, governors, parents--none of whom have
>>>
>>>
>>ever set foot in a
>>
>>
>>>classroom. They keep coming up with nothing but
>>>
>>>
>>educational gimmicks that
>>
>>
>>>do nothing but waste the valuable time and money of
>>>
>>>
>>teachers.
>>
>>
>>>Philip, teaching a kid to read is not rocket
>>>
>>>
>>science, but it becomes
>>
>>
>>>Herculean without the proper resources. If you
>>>
>>>
>>want to see our public
>>
>>
>>>system collapse, we'll be putting our youth and
>>>
>>>
>>therefore our country at a
>>
>>
>>>disadvantage. Privatizing leads to nothing but
>>>
>>>
>>discrimination and elitism.
>>
>>
>>>Is that what you really want for our country--even
>>>
>>>
>>more of the "haves" and
>>
>>
>>>the "have-nots?" Should we abandon our nation's
>>>
>>>
>>entire educational
>>
>>
>>>infrastructure to accommodate you and yours?
>>>
>>>Slim
>>>
>>>
>>>
>=== message truncated ===
>
>
>
>
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