truthorcon,
With your knowledge of school financing its a shame that one of the local districts isn’t blessed with your presence on their board. Only someone with your abilities could find the link between the North Shore payout to a super rich developer, and the inability of districts to pass bonds and levies in the worst economy in 70 years. Now can you please explain how the reintroduction of wolves into the Flathead has increased the dropout rate. I’m sure using the same reasoning you can find a correlation between the two.

Whitefish High School, Kila, Cayuse Prairie, and the Kalispell High School Building Reserve bonds all failed prior to the payoff to the rich developers of North Shore. How was Benneman to blame for those defeats.

typical right winger, if you can’t answer a question avoid it. Do you really think you can somehow tie the school bond and levy failures to Brenneman. I will tell you this though, Joe Brenneman is the only county commisioner I have ever seen at a school board meeting, and that goes back a lot of years.

TruCon-

Glad to see you wisely backed off your losing argument here. 

It ought to be called what it really is; government school. There are a lot of things that are avail to public patronage that are privately owned, ie shopping centers, etc——- but the government controls its schools completely and ought to change its name from the rosy and misleading ‘public’ to ‘government’ schools. Reality requires precise definitions - it’s called truth.

They don’t call them ‘indocrination centers’ for nothing.

Vud, just because someone doesn’t respond to your socialistic, communist beliefs, doesn’t mean they lost your debate.  Most of us have jobs.  We don’t sit around waiting for the next blog.  Vud, that’s clearly what you do.  Too much time on Vud’s hands

Hamm -

It’s not that TruCon didn’t respond…he just didn’t know HOW to respond in any thoughful way….that was apparent…to everyone.

So, in lieu of facts I had to settle for a snicker…that’s all.

your old pappy was very mean to your old mammy.

very good point truthorcon.  It makes complete sense.  My ol pappy said, pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered

hammer:  what is that supposed to mean?  Since, in the piglet to bacon lifespan, pigs are fed and at some weight point (it seems) become referred to as hogs.  So, either way, this doesn’t sound like there is a positive aspect to be had.

IMHO, Juneau has really botched this.  Here is the latest:  http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/article_ffbe8214-99ad-11df-b4ab-001cc4c03286.html

===quote===
HELENA (AP) — Montana is not among the states named as a finalist in the federal “Race to the Top” school reform grant competition.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Superintendent Denise Juneau had submitted an application hoping to reel in as much as $74 million in extra federal money for state schools.

Federal officials announced Tuesday that 18 states and the District of Columbia have been named finalists in the second round of the competition.

President Barack Obama’s “Race to the Top” education initiative offers funding for states that use student test scores to judge teacher performance. It also supports the creation of charter schools, which are funded with public money but are independent of local school boards.
===end quote===

Back in January Juneau shot her mouth off:  http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_89df0aa8-0571-11df-a0d7-001cc4c002e0.html

===quote===
HELENA - As President Barack Obama announced an extension of his “Race to the Top” education initiative Tuesday, Montana officials said they won’t be applying for any first-round funding - and may not apply for future funds, either.

Montana may be eligible for $25 million to $75 million in federal funds through the program.

But Denise Juneau, the state superintendent of public instruction, said applying and qualifying for the one-time money would require numerous changes in state education rules, labor contracts and other standards.

“Our schools are doing pretty well right now; they are being innovative,” she said. “Taking a look at the kind of requirements that the federal government wants, we’re not sure we really want to go down that path.”

To qualify for the money, Montana would have to weaken local control of schools, change how it evaluates teachers in ways that would violate labor contracts, and possibly agree to ship quality teachers from one district to another, Juneau said.
===end quote===

This 11.5 million is Title I funds not RTTT money.

http://www.opi.mt.gov/index.html

Since an application was made and Montana couldn’t prove the need under the evaluation terms of RTTT, then doesn’t that say that MT schools are good enough to not need RTTT?

I don’t see how that constitutes ‘botching’ the RTTT process.  Well, except that it was Democrats doing it.

And how does this square with the GOP position of wanting to eliminate the Dept. of Ed and then you complain about not getting DoE money?

Kal Nat, the botch was throwing stones at RTTT, and THEN submitting an RTTT bid and coming up dry.  Not smart at all.  I understand the difference with Title 1.  The larger source was RTTT.  Juneau could have had both if not but for criticizing RTTT.  That is 24-75 million lost. Very poor judgment.

I sincerely doubt that her earlier words had any effect on the deliberations.  A Dem. Admin. in DC is not going to punish a Dem. state official like that.  Dems aren’t as rigid and vindictive as GOPers.

Having looked at the RTTT items for scoring, I didn’t see a category for “Did a state education director say anything bad about RTTT?”

But, it’s your partisan hissy-fit.  Cry all you want to.

Partisan hissy-fit??? Seems you have been gazing in the mirror.  I questioned her judgment and actions for screwing this up for Montana schools.

Your head-shaking tsk-tsking: “Very poor judgment.” =hissy-fit delivered in an imperious, partisan manner.

Kal Nat, again look in the mirror and see your partisan image.  Then, read what our president had in mind:  http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-race-top-graham-road-elementary-school

===quote===
Now, it’s clear that doing the same old things will not get the job done for our kids—or for America, or for our future.  So when I took office, I asked Arne Duncan to work with states and local school districts to take on business as usual in our education system, and that’s how the Race to the Top competition was born last July.  It’s a national competition among states to improve our schools.

Over the past few months, we’ve seen such a positive response that today I’m announcing our intention to make a major new investment—more than $1.3 billion—in this year’s budget to continue the Race to the Top.  And this support will not only reaffirm our commitment to states engaged in serious reform, it will also expand the Race to the Top competition to include local school districts that are also committed to change.  So innovative districts like the one in Texas whose reform efforts are being stymied by state decision-makers will soon have the chance to earn funding to help them pursue those reforms…

And here’s how Race to the Top works.  Last year, we set aside more than $4 billion to improve our schools—one of the largest investments in reform in our nation’s history.  But we didn’t just hand this money out to states that wanted it; we challenged them to compete for it.  And it’s the competitive nature of this initiative that we believe helps make it so effective.  We laid out a few key criteria and said if you meet these tests, we’ll reward you by helping you reform your schools.
First, we encouraged states to adopt more challenging standards that will actually prepare our kids for college and their careers.  We also encouraged schools to adopt better assessments—not just one-size-fits-all approaches—to measure what our kids know and what they’re able to do.

Second, we urged schools and school districts to make sure we have excellent principals leading our schools and great teachers leading our classes by promoting rigorous plans to develop and evaluate teachers and principals and by rewarding their success.

Third, we urged states to use cutting-edge data systems to track a child’s progress throughout their academic career, and to link that child’s progress to their teachers so we know what’s working and what’s not working in the classroom.  Fourth, we encouraged states to show a stronger commitment to turning around some of their lowest-performing schools.
===end quote===

Finalists like Colorado and Arizona were able to meet these requirements without making excuses like Juneau has for Montana’s effort.

You really expect me to divine your point from Obama’s remarks?  Nice dodge.

Speaking of dodges.  What is your answer to my question:  And how does this square with the GOP position of wanting to eliminate the Dept. of Ed and then you complain about not getting DoE money?

Which the begs the question, is she not, in some manner, displaying the much beloved GOP mantra about States’ Rights?

The states that are getting the RTTT money are agreeing to performance pay for their teachers. The teachers union in Montana won’t go along with this, so no money is forth coming.

Those darn unions.  They’re such scamps.  Ya know, standing up for themselves and all.

actually…

http://www.mea-mft.org/rtttletter.html

Kal Nat, your question is irrelevant to the Juneau’s failure to make substantive changes in Montana’s RTTT bid.  It’s not about politics, it’s about the kids and their futures.  I included Obama’s remarks since YOU are the one trying desperately to make this a partisan fight.  It’s not.

Having Montana rank near the bottom, and Juneau making further excuses didn’t help:  http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_3851090a-954c-11df-955d-001cc4c002e0.html

===quote===
BILLINGS - A national study of Montana’s state curriculum standards for kindergarten through grade 12 released Wednesday gave the state an F grade for both its English and math curriculum standards.

Montana’s English language arts standards “are among the worst in the country,” the study’s three authors wrote.

Findings on Montana’s math standards were equally woeful.

“Montana’s standards are so sparse and poorly written as to supply very little of the essential content of mathematics. The almost complete lack of specific content ... renders these standards of little use in guiding mathematics education.”

The study was conducted by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based, nonprofit think tank that works to promote educational excellence.

Denise Juneau, state superintendent of schools, cried foul on the study’s findings.

“What this report does not do is (examine the state’s) Essential Learning Expectations,” she said Wednesday.

State standards are organized so that generalities appear first and then each grade is broken down into Essential Leaning Expectations - the requirements expected of each grade level, she said.

By not looking at the state’s Essential Leaning Expectations, the Fordham Institute missed examining almost all of Montana’s standards, she said.

Pointing again and again to the lack of specifics, the study roundly criticizes the state for the lack of direction it gives to school districts regarding what should be taught both for math and language arts competency.
===end quote===

If you look at performance, Montana students are some of the best in the nation. In the type of study Craig moore is looking at Montana will fall to the bottom. We have ove 500 districts in this state, the vast majority of them have fewer than 300 kids. They don’t want the state telling them what to do so consequently the legislature does not allow stricter standards. Its all about local control. Strict standards means the state is not only controlling what is taught, but making sure that the students learn what they are being taught. This would mean better training, keeping books up to date, more in class aides and tutors. It all comes down to money, which most of these districts don’t have. If the republicans in the legislature would fund education properly we would have one of the finest schools systems in the country. All they want to do is tear down public education so that they can take the money and put it into private Christian schools. Blaming Deneise Juneau for this is just another lame shot at public education.

KN, you’re actually defending lousy teachers?!  The state’s method of education is not working.  The prerequisite for educating students is to have educated concerned teachers, which would mean firing the inefficient ones!

Thomas Fordham Institute is listed as a non-profit.  But they fail to mention the raft of righwing connections and funders they have.

http://mediamattersaction.org/transparency/organization/Thomas_B_Fordham_Institute/connections.

Craig continues to avoid answering my 2 questions because he isn’t limber enought to employ the pretzel-logic he would need to employ to do so.

Nope, your sole purpose here is to bash and smear Denise Juneau.

inthemiddle, your claims are bogus:  “All they want to do is tear down public education so that they can take the money and put it into private Christian schools. Blaming Deneise Juneau for this is just another lame shot at public education.”

Obama’s RTTT effort is about arresting unacceptable educational results.  See his comments I quoted above.  Reform requires real change, measuring results, assigning responsibility, and effecting accountability.  On the Dropout column, I argued Montana should consider the Insight program as forward thinking states are now doing.  Juneau threw rocks at RTTT back in January.  Only after Schweitzer got involved did she reluctantly make a half-hearted effort to package status quo as reform.  She owns this failure.  Montana kids will suffer from this demonstration of leadership.

You can throw all the money in the world at schools but if the parents do not take an active pare in the education process money will not do any good at all. What happened to the days when parents actually attended parent teacher conferences and PTA meetings? No matter what your political leanings are I think we can all agree that the education of our children and grandchildren is important.

Kal Nat, your partisan image is reflecting again. Bashing the TF Foundation just doesn’t fly given how they have rated blue states like California with passing grades while rating Montana, a red state, as failing.

Here is Juneau’s own data:  http://opi.mt.gov/Reports&Data;/index.html#gpm1_9

Hardly justifies the window dressing of status quo and the social promotions it reveals.

Answer my questions, Craig.

Kal Nat, your questions are that of a troll—irrelevant to column or responsive to the issues I put forward.  I don’t feed the trolls.  Did you miss the sign? 

Your political demons torture you but are irrelevant to the discussion at hand which is about education, children, and leadership of those charged with the responsibility of improving mandatory schooling.  Juneau put forward status quo as innovation.  States like Colorado, Arizona, and California, that also have rural schools, found a way to make meaningful, substantive bids for RTTT funding.  Juneau relies on excuses rather than ideas.  She confuses form with substance.  Montana loses.

Craig: In case you’ve forgotten, this article was about $11.5 million in Title 1 funding.  You decided to hijack the conversation to the wholly separate topic of RTTT funding.

Kal Nat, you appear to be purposely obtuse.  Here’s what I wrote above,

“Kal Nat, the botch was throwing stones at RTTT, and THEN submitting an RTTT bid and coming up dry.  Not smart at all.  I understand the difference with Title 1.  The larger source was RTTT.  Juneau could have had both if not but for criticizing RTTT.  That is 24-75 million lost. Very poor judgment.”

My first comment did not appear until the 27th.  The discussion started on the 24th and appeared to have run its course.  Both Title 1 and RTTT are federal funds.  Not much of a stretch to discuss Juneau’s botched effort of losing the larger prize instead of “back pats” for the smaller one where there was no competition or required demonstration of effort to changing a losing course.

Your boring drumbeats to inject partisan politics into this matter does a disservice to the interests of children.

t or c: You hijacked and twisted the subject of the story in the comments from the get-go to flog your favorite unhealthy obsessive fixation, Brenneman/N Shore, as usual.

Craig:  Maybe you should start with your very first comment instead engaging in a revisionist defense.  The ‘printed record’ is clear.

Who are you to determine when a discussion has run its course and then go off-topic with your own agenda?  Education funds, yes.  But, Title 1 is not RTTT.  One has little, if anything, to do with the other.

Unless there is another Craig Moore in the MT blogosphere, your’s is a partisan agenda.

The problem here is not my reflection, but your projection.

Stop hiding behind the children ala the Alaskan hillbilly.