Anoka/Hennepin School Levy: Yes or No?

[Johann Shockency]

Don Huizenga wrote:

<quoted text>
My point is this...nobody has been able to change the "intelligence" of kids. How is this proven? Look at the IBS tests for 30 years...there is really NO CHANGE...most of the other testing shows no REAL improvement in test scores over generations of kids. So, how does the district justify a "better" education? Easy, offer more. But, does that mean its a better education? No, not when the Asia's and Europe are kicking our butts with programs that teach WELL ABOVE our levels in the most important fundemental subjects. IOW, there are NO aviation courses in Japan, but they do teach all of their kids Alg II in 8th grade. Us? HA HA! Right.
So, if you look at the kids in most of these fun "electives", they will say "yeah, I like animal management, but it probably wont do me any good in life.

Oh Don you have much to learn, does japan teach its special education students???

Not to mention it is proven that generation to generation people get smarter, to say that they dont is not the greatest statement to make, you are crazy and not exactly bright.

[Big Mike]

Reese wrote:

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YOU made the broad brush assumption that Guidry's neighbor kids class wasn't tough because it was offered at the STEP program and that it would be "a piece of cake" for your kid.
Bad teachers, hopefully can be identified before they are tenured. However, some are not. Then the admin must carefully document in order fight the union on their dismissal. Too bad we can't just fire bad politicians either who serve self interests and lobbyists.

I guess if parents feel their kid can't handle the rigor of such an accounting class they could always enroll their kid in a private school with narrow offerings that don't have to meet the federal and/or state mandates for testing.

[Don Huizenga]

Reese wrote:

<quoted text>
YOU made the broad brush assumption that Guidry's neighbor kids class wasn't tough because it was offered at the STEP program and that it would be "a piece of cake" for your kid.
Bad teachers, hopefully can be identified before they are tenured. However, some are not. Then the admin must carefully document in order fight the union on their dismissal. Too bad we can't just fire bad politicians either who serve self interests and lobbyists.

So are you equating bad teachers with bad politician? Thats funny, sad and true at the same time. My reference to the "toughness" of a class was an example...or an analogy, it was not a statement.

So,what do we do with bad teachers? At least with the politicians we can decide, as a people, to not re-elect them. Would you be for the same process with teachers? Say, a parental group that can identify teachers that arent doing the job? Then, having the power to remove them? What say you?

(This answer should be good)

[Don Huizenga]

Johann Shockency wrote:

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Haha Don there is a reason you are refered to as crazy, you know I am willing to bet you knew nothing I stated on here, then when I posted the answers to all the questions you thought there were no answers to you backed down, and sense I kept pushing you had to think of something to say so your pride wasnt hurt so you said that. Thats fine, I now know that we are all smarter then you Don, and you are not a man of your word.
You might be able to read the numbers don but you will never be able to understand them.

Listen, I had MOST of the stuff you posted ON MY SIGN...are you this immature and dorky in real life?

Get a clue buddy, and quit being a little bratty pest. You have not earned the right to insult my integrity. So, I'll ignore your comments.

[Don Huizenga]

Johann Shockency wrote:

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Don do you want a dictatorship??? If so move to some other country

HA HA HA! Thats funny. We were talking about the size of government. Did you know that the state of MN ranks second, only to California, in the SIZE of its government? In other words, states with MUCH larger populations (NY for instance) have SMALLER state congresses etc.

That is what we were talking about. Now, get back to the books huh?

[Don Huizenga]

Johann Shockency wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh Don you have much to learn, does japan teach its special education students???
Not to mention it is proven that generation to generation people get smarter, to say that they dont is not the greatest statement to make, you are crazy and not exactly bright.

YEs, they do...in schools that are geared for SE students. They realize that a true SE child needs specialized educations, not shoving them into a class room where they dont understand or dont keep pace.

Your statement that generations get smarter as over time is ludicrous. There is no factual evidence of that. There is evidence of differing intelligence among different races, but not generations.

I sure hope you arent going to teach our kids...

[Don Huizenga]

Big Mike wrote:

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I guess if parents feel their kid can't handle the rigor of such an accounting class they could always enroll their kid in a private school with narrow offerings that don't have to meet the federal and/or state mandates for testing.

It was an honors science class...and we should be expecting and getting more for our money. My kid is in a private school where the offerings are narrower, but they are MORE intensive, more disciplined, and more hands on. Most of these schools SURPASS the federal and state mandates whether they are REQUIRED to or not. But, if I go into that school, and tell the director that I am unhappy with a teacher, and other parents say the same, that teacher will be gone. See, I have something YOU dont...control over WHAT HOW and by WHOM my kids are taught. YOU? You have no control over ANY of that. Now, tell me, who, out of us, is MORE involved in their kids education?

[Big Mike]

Don Huizenga wrote:

<quoted text>
It was an honors science class...and we should be expecting and getting more for our money. My kid is in a private school where the offerings are narrower, but they are MORE intensive, more disciplined, and more hands on. Most of these schools SURPASS the federal and state mandates whether they are REQUIRED to or not. But, if I go into that school, and tell the director that I am unhappy with a teacher, and other parents say the same, that teacher will be gone. See, I have something YOU dont...control over WHAT HOW and by WHOM my kids are taught. YOU? You have no control over ANY of that. Now, tell me, who, out of us, is MORE involved in their kids education?

I am more involved. I pay attention to my kids instead of spending all of my time ranting indefensibly.

[Don Huizenga]

Big Mike wrote:

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I am more involved. I pay attention to my kids instead of spending all of my time ranting indefensibly.

Obviously you are not more involved....why? Because YOU have no say in ANYTHING regarding your kids education in the public school.

[Don Huizenga]

by the way...US News and World Report....top 100 public HS's....MN doesnt rank a single one...not only that, the cumilative scores from each state show MN to not even rank in the top 40. Disgusting.

So, is our district lying now?

[Crystal]

Kevin wrote:

I agree with an earlier post, the Dr. did come off VERY arrogant. I expected a biased view, but even I was alarmed... If most people took the time, like we do, to go to the school and look around, I think they would all be in wonder of how the money is being spent.$400 monitors in the office (elementary school), three secretaries standing talking instead of working, talk of laptop computers for 4th and 5th grade students... YIKES!
And the 92 cents thing is a joke. They must have failed their own math class! My property tax statement on a $325,000 house shows the Dist #11 line at a LOT more than roughly $325 that they're talking about. Granted their figures are for a cheaper house, but even adjusted, the numbers don't jive with reality. By the time I add the yearly bus fees for my two kids,$390, which is nothing more than a tax in disguise and the part of the bill that they don't vote on, I'm topping out at close to $2000! My math puts that at $5.48 a day, in school, out of school, Christmas break, summer break, Spring break, Weekends, Holidays, and let’s not forget STAFF PLANNING DAYS!!! WHERE IS THE MONEY GOING!!
In a state that has NO MINIMUM SCHOOL DAYS IN SERVICE REQUIREMENT,(one of two I believe) and a district that is TIED FOR LOWEST STUDENT CONTACT HOURS IN THE DAYS THAT THEY ARE IN SESSION statewide... And has one of the highest average teacher salaries..... and buildings nicer that any I ever taught in (yes I hold a teaching degree, FINE ARTS EVEN!!) Most handouts that come home from the school have poor spelling and grammar over all the years my children have been in school. But maybe APPLE DOESN'T HAVE SPELL CHECK... I don't know, I can't afford one...
Maybe it IS time to force some drastic cuts, 16% of the budget would be a good start. Perhaps people will survive without a swim program, or Outdoor Adventure class and the teacher that goes with it. Maybe ALL students who use bussing should pay a fee, not just those who live less than 2 miles from the school. Maybe we could do with a few less councilors, or assistant administrators, or admin staff... Maybe a $400 Dell is just as good as a $1200 mac?(Especially when 95% of the world uses a PC, not a Mac) Perhaps we could do with a few less PACT schools that fail test result standards miserably, and habitually, year after year.... Perhaps more people would be interested in looking at, let alone, buying my house, if the TAXES on it weren't so high! Maybe we could do without the suspect IB program altogether, which teaches global dependence... Perhaps if we had a longer school day, say 7 hours instead of 6, or at least a minimum length in days to the school year, we might teach more!!
I say VOTE NO ON ALL 4. My kids learned to fish at home...

What??? Do you have a child that attends AH Dist#11? The school is crowded, way understaffed, many extra curricular activites have been cut (no art, phy ed, band, etc), not enough books for each student (they have to check one out at the library if they have homework) and we pay a bus fee too. Get a clue pal.

[Fan]

Don, don't you have a child in the STEPS program? And didn't you have another child that was in that prgram a couple years ago?

Johann Shockency wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh Don you have much to learn, does japan teach its special education students???
Not to mention it is proven that generation to generation people get smarter, to say that they dont is not the greatest statement to make, you are crazy and not exactly bright.