Blog For Arizona

bag it: Free screening at the loft, Sat., Feb 18

by David Safier

Seriously?

by David Safier

No, I'm not kidding. SB1467 would make FCC broadcasting standards the touchstone for what can be taught in the classroom. If the FCC says you can't broadcast it, Arizona says you can't teach it.

This law, by the way, would apply to Pre-K through Grad School. Yes, it includes public community colleges and public universities as well as preschools and everything in between.

Want to have some fun? Read the FCC guidelines on obscenity, indecency and profanity. As with all rules of this kind, the guidelines are amorphous and open to all kinds of interpretation. An example:

The FCC has defined broadcast indecency as “language or material that, in context, depicts or describes, in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards for the broadcast medium, sexual or excretory organs or activities.”

That's why we have courts, to draw, redraw and re-redraw those ill-defined lines.

So, what happens to Catcher in the Rye in high school English classrooms? How about the repeated use of the N-word in Huckleberry Finn? What about quality contemporary juvenile fiction which makes for excellent classroom reading but almost always includes a passage or two you might not be able to read aloud on broadcast TV or radio? ("Broadcast," as I understand it, is separate from cable. These are CBS standards, not HBO standards.)

And I'm just talking about high school here. Community colleges and universities? Bye bye D.H. Lawrence, et al.

It's definitely cuckoo time for the morality police up in Phoenix.

SLOPPY BILL WRITING BONUS: If read literally, the bill would include not just what teachers say in a classroom but what they say in their private lives as well.

IF A PERSON WHO PROVIDES CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL ENGAGES IN SPEECH OR CONDUCT THAT WOULD VIOLATE THE STANDARDS ADOPTED BY THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION . . .

Shouldn't the bill include something about the speech happening during school hours or when in contact with students? Otherwise, it's a friggin' violation of personal freedom, and Republicans frown on that kind of thing.

Radioactive satire wars rage in Tucson. Everybody wins

by David Safier

If you haven't done so already, just read Tom Danehy's column in the Weekly: Five years from now, a student writes a letter. Learn about the Al Melvin Secular Charter School, where:

. . . we don't need electric lights in the classrooms, because the glow coming off the walls makes everything nice and bright. A couple of do-gooders complained, but some Republican woman from Phoenix sent us a letter saying that everything is safe. When a reporter asked her why she didn't come in person, she mumbled something about still being in her childbearing years, whatever that means.

Learn the accepted school definition of "socialist." And then there's the banner proclaiming: "Arizona's Schools. The Best Schools in All of Arizona."

Who knew Danehy could sustain this level of satire for an entire column? I guess he did.

Not to be outdone, Fitz, our Satirist-in-chief, intersperses radioactive satire in today's column including these news clips from 2016 and 2017:

2016: Legislature legalizes possession of nuclear weapons with permit, training. . . .

2017: Concealed nuclear weapons without permit OK'd. Legislature approves nuclear weapons in bars and day-care facilities. . . . Nuclear exchange at Tempe bar wipes out Phoenix. Survivors crowd into Biosphere.

Good times for satire. So many targets. So few column inches.

The Goldwater Institute -- and ALEC -- get long overdue media attention

by David Safier

I don't know how many years I've been writing my "Fools Gold" posts about the inner workings of the Goldwater Institute. Years. But in the media, G.I. has mainly been a source of quotes to round out articles and little more. While the Institute was working behind the scenes to shape Arizona's Republican agenda, the media either wasn't paying attention or wasn't interested.

That's beginning to change. A news report by Brahm Resnik on Phoenix's Channel 12 News covered the union rally at the Capitol protesting anti-worker legislation making its way through committees and onto the floor. The report said, the protest focused more on the Goldwater Institute's hand in the legislation than the legislators.

You can watch the video on the azcentral website or below the fold.

The union protester featured in the piece said this:

"It is an issue of peole who are willing to be controlled by the Goldwater Institute, which is in turn controlled by ALEC, which is in turn controlled by the corporate raiders."

Cut to G.I. President Darcy who says, basically: Shucks, G.I. is just a little ol' group trying to get its heartfelt ideas out there. Cut to the committee meeting where G.I. experts are testifying and others are reading statements written on G.I. stationery.

Resnik does an excellent job of letting the facts do the talking. The more he shows of G.I.'s denials, the clearer it is, they're the power behind the anti-worker bills.

The bad news is, G.I. and ALEC are more powerful than ever. The slightly more positive news is, the media is beginning to catch on and reporting about the puppet masters and not just the legislative marionettes dancing on a string.

Watch the video below the fold.

15,000 signers say: put banned books in the TUSD libraries

by David Safier

Change.org has once again demonstrated its worth as an agent of social change. TUSD teacher and former MAS teacher Norma Gonzalez posted a petition on the site telling the Board, "Don't lock up knowledge, return books to students now!" Currently, 15,362 have signed. The purpose of the petition is to take the books pulled from the shelves and put them in the schools' libraries.

With all of the bad publicity, district spokespeople are going out of their way to say that these acts do not equal censorship and that they support free speech. If board members truly support free speech, however, the least they should do is immediately remove these books from the "district storage facility" and make them available in each school's library.

I call on the Tucson school board to immediately return these books -- placing them in the libraries of the schools they were taken from. Knowledge cannot be boxed off and carried away from students who want to learn!

According to Jeff Biggers, Gonzalez delivered the petitions to TUSD administrators. We'll see if they do anything. Even Huppenthal has stated publicly, there's nothing wrong with having those books in the schools, so why should they object?

SIDE NOTE: A commenter said she brought up the idea of creating a display of the banned books to a Pima County librarian, who was receptive and said she would bring it up at a meeting. We'll see what happens. Librarians are huge free speech people. The American Library Association "celebrates" a Banned Book Week every year [Note: The ALA uses the term "banned," which TUSD would like to ban from the MAS discussion.] The ALA has also joined other groups in condemning the removal of books from MAS classrooms. So it would be consistent for Pima County libraries to spotlight this most recent example of books being withdrawn from use.

Dr. Word says: Newt once again demonstrates, he is the master

by David Safier

Dr. Word noticed a beautifully turned phrase in Newt Gingrich's CPAC speech.

Newt Gingrich, hitting Obama in his CPAC speech, said the president will "wage war on the Catholic church the morning after he is reelected."

Any Republican could have made the same point, but who else would have the command of language to choose the phrase "the morning after" to evoke an image of the Morning-After Pill, which combines the Catholic's objections to contraception and abortion into one neat little package?

Once again, Dr. Word doffs his cap to the master.

This should only be a surprise to the clueless

by David Safier

It turns out the rich are more educated than the poor. And it turns out, the gap is widening. Who knew education, which is supposed to be the great equalizer and create our level playing field, isn't equalizing because the playing field is tilted?

Education was historically considered a great equalizer in American society, capable of lifting less advantaged children and improving their chances for success as adults. But a body of recently published scholarship suggests that the achievement gap between rich and poor children is widening, a development that threatens to dilute education’s leveling effects.

It is a well-known fact that children from affluent families tend to do better in school. Yet the income divide has received far less attention from policy makers and government officials than gaps in student accomplishment by race.

Now, in analyses of long-term data published in recent months, researchers are finding that while the achievement gap between white and black students has narrowed significantly over the past few decades, the gap between rich and poor students has grown substantially during the same period.

The recent conservative "education reform" emphasis, blaming the schools and the teachers for our education problems and ignoring social and economic factors -- something, unfortunately, Obama and Duncan buy into more than they should -- will help the gap widen further. As the income gap widens, the education gap widens with it. Saying education is the answer, end of story, is just a way of moving the argument "into committee" -- delaying any effective measures to increase our economic and social mobility for years while the problem worsens.

Salomón Baldenegro writes Star op ed condemning Hicks' "Penn State" statement

by David Safier

Salomón Baldenegro has an excellent op ed in today's Star where he discusses at length the dangerous statement -- Baldenegro uses the term "slander" -- made by TUSD Board member Michael Hicks on Garrett Lewis' Morning Ritual Interviews on KNST February 2. Hicks, in his effort to dirty up UA students and faculty members who support TUSD's suspended MAS courses, implies they may have been guilty of sexual assault against TUSD students.

For those of you who haven't been following this: When some suspended Wakefield Middle School students went to a Teach-In at UA, then attended a university-level Mexican-American Studies course without the media in tow, Hicks used a "Penn State" reference to imply the TUSD students might have been sexually abused behind closed doors.

"For me, I'm like, you know what? You know, Penn State? You know, what's going on behind these closed doors with our children? Children! I mean these are, these are not adults yet, these were Wakefield children . . . I'm like going, this is not [confusing: indicative?] of a university, the University of Arizona statute to bring these people in, these young children in."

The comment is at about the 7:30 minute mark of the interview.

According to Baldenegro,

To mention UA faculty in the same sentence as someone charged with numerous counts linked to child rape and sodomy - which is the image that "Penn State" in this context conjures up - is a slander of the highest order.

[snip]

The potential ramifications of Hicks' utterances are not trivial. A UA MAS faculty member has already received death threats due to his public support of the TUSD MAS program. Having unbalanced individuals believe, based on Hicks' assertion, that MAS faculty are engaging in child rape and such abominations can provoke not only threats but attacks on MAS faculty members.

[snip]

Hicks cannot unring the bell he rung, but he can and should muster the integrity to render a public apology to the UA MAS faculty for the erroneous and odious comments he made about them in that radio interview as well as to the students whom he maligned.

Republic mentions ALEC connection to AZ Lege "tort reform" bill

by David Safier

A Republic article about a "tort reform" bill in the state lege spotlights the fact it "is based on model legislation developed by the conservative American Legislative Exchange Council." Praise to reporter Alia Beard Rau for pointing out the ALEC connection. This, I hope, marks what will be a continuing reporting trend.

I was also pleased with this passage putting a human face on the unrelenting attempts to shield corporations from punitive court settlements large enough to make them think twice about putting consumers in jeopardy.

Such a law [like Al Melvin's proposed bill] could have, for example, protected Subaru from the lawsuit Phoenix resident Ashleigh Justice filed after the roof of her 1992 Legacy caved in during a rollover. She was paralyzed.

"Without the threat of punitive damages, companies wouldn't be afraid of making faulty products," said Justice, 26. "Because Subaru met the standards but didn't do everything that would be necessary for consumer safety, I have to deal with this."

She said without the settlement from her lawsuit, she would have to rely on public assistance and state medical services.

She would likely be living at home with her parents.

Instead, she was able to move into her own home, met her husband and now has a baby.

Republican demands state colleges hire, promote white supremacists and communists if they are qualified

by David Safier

In a push for greater "plurality of methodologies and perspectives in Arizona's colleges and universities," Gilbert Republican Tom Forese has introduced HB 2770 to assure that "a university or community college shall not hire, fire or deny promotion or tenure to any faculty member on the basis of that faculty member's political or religious beliefs."

Frankly, I'm surprised by the liberality of the bill. That means Forese would cheer the hiring and promotion of an avowed Stalinist if that person was determined to be the most qualified for the job. Likewise a white supremacist (JT Ready, time to dust off your resume). Likewise a Muslim who believes violent jihad is sometimes appropriate.

I must admit, I'm overstating Forese's position a bit. He's concerned political and religious conservatives are passed over for hiring and promotion in Arizona's institutions of higher education. But since he can't write a "hire political and religious conservatives" bill, the bill's umbrella is spread wide. Forese didn't comment on the possibility people whose views he might despise would be able to sue state colleges for discrimination if they weren't hired.

My two favorite parts of the Howie Fischer article on the topic:

• Forese couldn't find any faculty to testify about discrimination directed against them because of their beliefs. The reason? "'They would never testify,' he said, because they feel the need to keep their beliefs secret to protect their careers." Interesting. Brave people often step forward to advocate for what they believe is right, regardless of the personal consequences. Forese couldn't find one brave Christian conservative soul to testify, even knowing the supermajority of the state legislature would have his/her back if there were any retribution?
• Democrat Tom Chabin, tongue firmly in cheek, said he too has heard people complain about religious or political discrimination at colleges. He followed with, "The few times I've looked into something, I've often found it was due to their own paranoia,"

Shorter Santorum: Obama is uppity

by David Safier

The Republican racist dog whistles continue.

It wasn't too long ago when black employees had to think twice about making a suggestion to their white employers and managers. Say the wrong thing, and they were likely to hear, "Do you think you're smarter than me, boy? Do you think you know better than me?" If the employee wanted to keep his job, he bowed his head, muttered, "No sir" and walked meekly away.

Here's Santorum crowing after his wins last night.

[Obama] thinks he’s smarter than you,” Santorum said. “He think he’s someone who is a privileged person, who should be able to rule over you.”

"The gall!" Santorum is dog-whistling. "This black guy thinks he's smarter than you and can tell you what to do. Why, in my day, we knew how to put those types in their place."

Awhile back, Santorum said Romney is too much like Obama -- a paler shade of Obama:

“We need contrasts,” Mr. Santorum said, “not just a paler shade of what we have.”

Not to be outdone, Gingrich called Romney "Obama Lite." And while Obama is the Food Stamp President (hint, hint), Romney is "Little food stamp."

"We now know from Gov. Romney, he joins President Obama. Obama is big food stamp, he's little food stamp."

No racist appeals to see here folks. Move along -- except, of couse, for those of you who'll vote for me because of this kind of stuff

I'm not the only one demanding a public apology from Michael Hicks

by David Safier

If you read my post below, you'll see why I think TUSD Board member Michael Hicks needs to make a public apology. I want Hicks to retract the outrageous allegations he made in a radio interview -- that Wakefield Middle School students may have been sexually abused while they were at UA. Salomón Baldenegro Sr. is also demanding a public apology from Hicks, apparently based on a different segment from the same radio interview.

Salomón Baldenegro Sr. recently shared his perspective on an interview Tucson Unified School District board member Michael Hicks did on the Garrett Lewis A.M. show on KNSR 97.1 in which Hicks lied about where he was during the school board meeting on April 26, 2011. This is the school board meeting in which the student group UNIDOS took over the dais and prevented the school board meeting from continuing.

Either Michael Hicks doesn't understand the responsibility involved in being on a School Board whose task is to watch over the education of the city's children, or he understands and doesn't care. Either way, Hicks is presenting a terrible role model for the students in TUSD by lying and by alleging university students and faculty members who believe in preserving the MAS program would abuse students who are putting themselves on the line to protest the program's removal.

What will we tell the (college aged) children?

by David Safier

Story after story has detailed cheating on standardized tests by K-12 teachers and administrators to raise schools' scores and rankings. Now comes the not-very-surprising fact that colleges have been cooking the books to raise their ratings on the U.S. News & World Report list of "America's Best Colleges." It's pretty much a given. Use selective data to rank a group of institutions, and the institutions will figure out a way to make those bits of data come out in their favor.

For example:

[C]olleges . . . have spent billions on financial aid for high-scoring students who don't actually need the money, motivated at least partly by the quest for rankings glory.

Students who need the financial aid don't get it so it can go to children of one percenters with higher test scores. Wonderful.

Baylor University . . . paid students it had already accepted to retake the SAT exam in a transparent ploy to boost the average scores it could report.

It seems worth noting that Baylor bills itself as a religious University.

Baylor students are a part of a Christian community of faith. There is a very active community of faith on campus, as well as multiple choices in the larger Waco community.

[snip]

Baylor is small enough to minister to and offer educational opportunities to the individual. From Welcome Week groups to faculty office hours to resident chaplains to specialized tutoring facilities, Baylor offers a place for students to connect and to be treated with the respect and dignity today's students expect and deserve.

Baylor's Center of Christian Ethics puts out a quarterly publication, "Christian Reflection: A Series in Faith and Ethics." I wonder if it has written about the ethics of bribing students to retake tests to boost the school's rating. (I might note, the school is also known for its political conservatism. Its president is Ken Starr, the Independent Counsel during the Clinton-era Monica Lewinsky scandal.)

One more school.

The latest example came last week at Claremont McKenna, a highly regarded California liberal arts college where a senior administrator resigned after acknowledging he falsified college-entrance-exam scores for years to rankings publications such as US News.

RELATED AIMS TEST INQUIRY: Does anyone know more about this? Someone mentioned to me recently that some Arizona high schools have students who have passed AIMS in their sophomore year retake the test as juniors and seniors to raise the school average, even though once you've passed it, you don't have to take it again. Is there any truth to that?

Grijalva on labor relations, union issues

by David Safier

Adam Sarvana, Raúl M. Grijalva's Communications Director, forwards this quote from Grijalva's comments on C-SPAN this morning:

“This union-bashing and this anti-union fervor, almost a frenzy, that’s going on right now, it’s a blame game. Let’s blame the unions for our economic woes. Let’s blame the immigrants for our economic woes. What that blame game does is gets us diverted into fighting among ourselves when we have common issues that we need to deal with. [. . .] The job creators that Mitt Romney and the Republican presidential candidates like to talk about were also the job shrinkers. They took jobs overseas. They got tax breaks, unbelievably. Individuals at the top one percent got richer in the last ten years, and suddenly, when we find ourselves where we want to create a balance and create jobs for people who have been hurting and are unemployed or underpaid, all of a sudden they become the bad guys.”

You can watch Grijalva on C-SPAN here.

Fool's Gold: Best reason to buy back govt. buildings is, we don't have to spend that money on education or children's health

by David Safier

The Goldwater Institute thinks it's a great idea to buy back state buildings now, at no savings to the government, instead of using the $106 million to help build the state.

Republicans have said for the past few years they had no choice but cut spending on education and children's health care -- "We really don't want to, but we have no money. Our hands are tied!" Some have even gone so far as to say they're for increasing funding when there's more money in the coffers. Well, tax revenues are up, so they might look like hypocrites if they refuse to increase spending on children's education and health in this year's budget.

But if they deposit $106 million in an account and let it sit there until the bill comes due in 20 years -- we don't save a penny by putting up the money now, the money will just sit there -- Republicans can keep the cuts and say once again, "We really didn't want to, but we have no money. Our hands are tied!"

In G.I.'s words,

The biggest advantage to this early payoff, though, is that it avoids the temptation to spend temporary money on ongoing programs – the ones that it looks like we can afford now, but that we might not be able to afford later.

G.I. and Republican legislators are fine with ignoring the immediate needs of Arizona's children. They might even argue they're following Jesus' example. After all, according to the Bible, Jesus said, "Suffer, little children." (Luke, 18:16, Matthew 19:14)

Of course, that's not the whole quote. The longer version in Matthew is:

But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

I guess Jesus liked little children more than the Goldwater Institute and Arizona Republicans.

TUSD Board, Pedicone need to condemn Michael Hicks' implication middle school students might have been molested at UA

by David Safier

This is truly beneath contempt. While TUSD Board member Michael Hicks was on Garrett Lewis' Morning Ritual Interviews on KNST February 2, Hicks implied there was a possibility TUSD middle school students were molested, like children allegedly were at Penn State, while they were at University of Arizona on a day they were suspended from school.

The TUSD Board should pass a resolution condemning Hicks for making such a dangerous, completely unsubstantiated allegation. Pedicone should issue a public statement of condemnation as well. As a retired teacher who knows how seriously schools take any hint of sexual abuse of students, I believe Hicks outrageous statement is reason to call for his resignation.

I read about this on Three Sonorans and listened to Abie Morales' video excerpting the radio program. I was in a state of disbelief, so I contacted Morales to get confirmation. He directed me to the show's website so I could listen to the entire interview. It was exactly as he presented it.

The situation was this. A group of TUSD students, mainly Wakefield Middle School students who had been suspended for walking out of class earlier, were invited to UA. Reporters showed up, and they talked with the students in a kind of impromtu press conference. Then, according to Morales, the TUSD students attended Roberto Rodriguez's Mexican-American Studies class at UA. The press weren't allowed in the classroom, but Morales was allowed to set up a camera, and he videoed the class. He posted excerpts on Three Sonorans.

In his radio interview, Hicks said he walked in during the "press conference." After it was over, the TUSD students were taken "behind closed doors" by "adult, college age students . . . to be taught or to get educated or to be -- I don't know."

After an interruption by Lewis, Hicks continued:

"For me, I'm like, you know what? You know, Penn State? You know, what's going on behind these closed doors with our children? Children! I mean these are, these are not adults yet, these were Wakefield [Middle School] children . . . I'm like going, this is not [confusing: indicative?] of a university, the University of Arizona statute to bring these people in, these young children in."

This quote is around the 7:30 minute mark, if you're interested, or you can hear it on the Three Sonorans post.

Hicks' Penn State reference and his repetition of the "children with adults behind closed doors" theme can be taken as nothing less than an implication there might have been some form of child molestation or child abuse going on. Few charges leveled against adults are more serious than that. Children's lives are permanently damaged when they are sexually abused. If adults are accused unfairly, their personal and professional lives can be ruined. It is wildly irresponsible for anyone, let along a school board member, to imply TUSD students who sat in on a class at UA with a prof and a number of college students in attendance could have been subjected to abuse of any kind.

I hope people on the board and/or in the TUSD administation act on this outrage. I know Mark Stegeman often reads this blog. He recently commented on one of my posts. If Mark reads this and agrees that Hicks' statement is inexcusable, he should take appropriate action. This isn't about whether someone agrees or disagrees with Hicks estimation of the Mexican-American Studies program. He made other comments during the show I thought were ridiculous, but he has a perfect right to say them. It is about Hicks hurling an implied accusation of sexual abuse at people he disagrees with to disparage their characters and dirty up the cause they believe in.

Let's stop the ongoing, illegal fast and furious gun running

by David Safier

The ill-conceived, poorly executed gun running operation Fast and Furious is over but for the shouting of Republicans who want to turn it into a political issue. But the ongoing problem of guns crossing the border into Mexico continues at a pace both fast and furious.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns has written a letter "Call[ing] on Congress to Oppose S.570/H.R.3814 – Protect Law Enforcement Authority to Fight Gun Trafficking by Mexican Drug Cartels." It's addressed to Harry Reid, Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner. Here's the beginning.

As members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a bipartisan coalition of more than 600 mayors from across the country, we urge Congress to stand with law enforcement by opposing legislation that would prohibit the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) from monitoring large sales of assault rifles from federally licensed gun dealers at the U.S. border with Mexico. These purchases are a key indicator that straw purchasers may be buying weapons in bulk with the intention of passing them on to Mexican drug cartels.

The pending legislation (S.570/H.R.3814) would block an Obama Administration initiative requiring dealers in four states – Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas – to report when they sell more than one assault rifle to a single buyer within five business days. Modeled on a 2009 proposal by Mayors Against Illegal Guns, the program is carefully crafted to generate useful intelligence on gun trafficking while minimizing the burden on gun dealers and law-abiding gun owners.

A "WHERE IS TUCSON'S MAYOR?" NOTE: The letter is signed by 600 mayors from around the country -- 3 from Alabama, 29 from California, too many to count from Pennsylvania -- and one mayor from Arizona: Mayor Sara R. Presler of Flagstaff. I understand Jonathan Rothschild is a new kid on the mayoral block, and I also know this state is pretty crazy when it comes to gun regulation, so it would take guts for him to take a public stand. But this is Tucson, Arizona's closest big city to the border, and Rothschild is a reasonably progressive guy who must deplore the way guns can end up in the hands of crazies (think Jared Loughner) and criminals with few background checks or limits on the number of purchases.

Jonathan, if you need the phone number or email for Mayors Against Illegal Guns, just say the word. I've got them.

It's official: U.S. higher ed is the best in the world

by David Safier

A poll has been taken in other countries, certainly in Asian countries, and the consensus is, the U.S. has the finest system of higher education in the world.

It's not a poll, exactly. It's students from Asian countries voting with their feet and their dollars, spending huge amounts of money to attend U.S. universities.

U of Washington is a case in point. Today, 18% of its students come from abroad, up from 2% in 2006. Most of the foreign students are from China. They're willing to pay full tuition -- $28,059 per year -- as well as airfare and living expenses. That doesn't count the cost of paying people to help them with their admission forms and essays.

U. of Washington is an example, not an exception.

By the reckoning of the Institute of International Education, foreign students in the United States contribute about $21 billion a year to the national economy, including $463 million here in Washington State.

To sum up: Our graduating high school seniors have access to the finest colleges and universities in the world. If they attend their in-state public institutions, they pay a third of what the foreigners (and out-of-state students) are charged. And apparently our K-12 education system is good enough, our students can hold their own in world-class universities. In fact, Asian students often have to learn how to master the art of thinking for themselves after attending the rote learning institutions which prepare them better for standardized tests than for ingenuity and self determination.

What we need to do is figure out a way to convince our best and brightest to go into courses of study which will further the country's intellectual and innovative competitiveness rather than signing up for the new finishing schools. "Finishing schools" used to be places for "young ladies" who wanted to learn how to catch a man. Today, they are MBA programs, which teach students the culture of the business world along with a smattering of real education so they can catch a corporation and join the one percent without benefiting anyone but themselves. The perverse incentives luring students into these program are counter to our national interest. We need fewer university-trained vultures and more genuinely educated adults. And every indication is, they can get their educations right here at home in one of the finest, if not the finest, higher education systems in the world.

Yes, Montini says, we need Bible classes, for . . .

by David Safier

E. J. Montini begins with satire, then leaves it to simply tell the truth. Here's how his column begins.

An Arizona legislative committee last week approved a bill to create an elective high-school class called "The Bible and its Influence on Western Culture," a divinely inspired proposal that needs only two minor changes.

First, the class should not be elective but mandatory. Second, it should not be taught to high-school students but to legislators.

Can I get an "Amen!"?

The rest of the column is chapter and verse, literally, teaching legislators what the Bible says and how it contrasts with what they do. Brilliant.

AFSCME creates "RAZING (workers' rights in) ARIZONA" website

by David Safier

AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) created a website, RAZING (workers' rights in) ARIZONA. On the site, you can sign the open letter below.

To the lawmakers, governors, policy-wonks, and corporate backers who are dead set on destroying unions in America:

Your latest attempt to dismantle workers' rights in Arizona will not go unnoticed.

Fire fighters, police officers, nurses, school bus drivers, home health care workers, public servants and workers of all kinds will not stand by while you scapegoat us – the people who play by the rules and do our fair share – and take away our rights by abusing your power and forcing through your extreme anti-worker laws.

No way. That’s all. NO WAY. We will fight back wherever you attack us. Because when you attack workers you also attack the work we do. Work that matters to every single person in this country – taking care of your grandparents, picking up your trash, making sure your kids are drinking clean water, putting out your fires, and so much more.

And in the end, we will win because the American people are overwhelmingly with us – they are us.

Where you see public workers and unions as a nuisance to get rid of, we see a movement. We see a movement of public and private workers, of moms and dads, of grandparents and students. We are the middle class and we will remember your abuse of power each and every time that we vote. That’s our promise.

The Koch Brothers Billionaires Meeting was (almost) in our backyard

by David Safier

OK, Indian Wells is more like Palm Springs than Tucson, but I drove there a few years ago to attend the tennis tourney, so it's not that far away.

Here's a semi-first hand report about the four day conference held last weekend, organized by the Koch Brothers for their point-one percent buddies. The report could only be semi-first hand, because the reporter, Lee Fang, wasn't supposed to know about the event, and he was shooed out of the hotel. His only contact with participants was at the Palm Springs airport.

The summit, organized by the billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, was cloaked in secrecy. Helicopters, private security, and police officers from neighboring cities patrolled the area constantly. In previous years, Supreme Court justices, some of the wealthiest businessmen in the country, and Republican politicians like Congressman Paul Ryan have all gathered at these twice annual events. The Renaissance Esmerelda, the conference venue this year, was guarded carefully with every entrance blocked and the entire 560-room resort rented out. I arrived at the hotel the night before the event, but was followed closely by security and asked to leave the next morning before the Koch meeting guests arrived.

[snip]

The most that the public knows about these meetings has been culled from leaked audio tapes, reporting from journalists like Ken Vogel, and from an invitation I exclusively reported back in October of 2010. The document I posted over a year ago explained that during the meetings, strategy is discussed, from legislative campaigns to judicial elections, and money is raised from an assortment of executives from the oil, banking, manufacturing, and real estate industries.

Lots of private planes. Lots of billionaires and multi-millionaires, all plotting behind closed doors to increase the wealth and power of the point-one percent -- the only people they care about.

Dr. Word notices: Gingrich loves the adverb

by David Safier

Dr. Word is unquestionably aware Gingrich is the original Dr. Political Word. Back in his House days, Gingrich sent countless memos to fellow Republicans telling them exactly the words and phrases to use when attacking Democrats.

It seems, Dr. W. noticed, the adverb is one of Gringrich's favorite tools to punch up a sentence. Examples in quotes from a TPM post about Gingrich's latest attacks on Romney (Romney is a tool of George Soros!):

“I do not believe the Republican party wants to nominate a George Soros-approved candidate,” he said, saying they need someone who “believes in the Declaration of Independence” rather than “somebody who is clearly against the American ideal.”

[snip]

“We think it’s the left that has betrayed the poor because their safety net is actually a spider web and it traps people in dependency.”

Clearly. Take that adverb away, and Romney is only "against the American ideal." That's Gingrich's opinion. But if Romney is "clearly against the American ideal," there's really no question. It's clear as day, right there for everyone to see.

Actually. Without the adverb, the safety net is, in Gingrich's opinion, "a spider web.” But if it's "actually a spider web,” that's far more than an opinion. Gingrich is revealing a hidden truth the rest of us might have missed. Maybe you thought these programs are woven together to create a helpful safety net, but actually, Gingrich knows better. It's a spider web. [Extra credit to Gingrich for his metaphor tweaking, turning a safety net, which is there to help you, into another kind of "net": a sticky web created to trap you until a hungry spider sucks out your innards.]

Gringrich knows all the little ways to add power to a statement. Dr. Word doffs his cap to a master.

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Ad to air during Super Bowl

by David Safier

Here's the link to a 30 second ad to be aired during the Super Bowl featuring Boston Mayor Tom Menino and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, titled, "Putting Football Rivalries Aside, Mayors Unite Against Illegal Guns."

Watch the ad. If you like it, pass it along to friends via email, Facebook and/or Twitter.

AZ Democratic Party on Republican anti-worker legislation

by David Safier

I usually don't post entire Arizona Democratic Party emails, but I'm making an exception in this case.

This past Wednesday, the Tea Party Republicans in the state Senate fast-tracked an all out assault on the middle class and working families.   A series of bills were introduced that completely ban collective bargaining and essentially eliminate the rights of workers to organize. These bills were introduced late in the night, and were passed by committee less than 48 hours later – hardly enough time to vet bills that decimate public unions.

These bills attack our most valuable public safety workers – police and firefighters.  They ban the right for teachers to collectively organize to solve our most pressing issues in our schools.

These heavy-handed bills were crafted by a conservative think tank, the Goldwater Institute - and that organization is already proudly touting these bills as ‘tougher than Wisconsin’s.’  The Goldwater Institute is funded by secret special interests and conservative donors like the Koch brothers.

We know the extreme policies crafted by Tea Party Republicans, and their organizations, do not represent the real Arizona. 

Arizona is a mainstream state.  We value the hard work and dedication of our public employees and our great state will not stand for this undue influence from extreme politicians and outside special interests.  Let’s focus on jobs, growing our economy, and putting Arizona families back to work.

The email also requests contributions, of course. You can contribute here.

Suggestion: Put the banned books on display in TUSD libraries

by David Safier

This is an absolutely serious suggestion from an English teacher with 30-plus years in the classroom who loves students and loves to see them read and think. Put the 7 books which were removed from MAS classrooms on prominent display in TUSD libraries.

Unfortunately, I don't think my suggestion will be taken seriously, unless there is a very brave school administrator willing to take a risk -- or an even braver librarian who is close to retirement or feels his or her job is secure.

The first step is to take a number of copies of the 7 books out of the dark recesses of some lonely storage closet and put them in TUSD libraries, especially at schools like Tucson High where MAS courses were taught. TUSD has argued the books aren't banned by saying they can be checked out of district libraries, but a search of the online TUSD library catalogue revealed a number of the books aren't in the Tucson High collection. In fact, there are scarce few of the books scattered around the district. If TUSD wants to make good on its claim that the books are available, it should make every effort to put multiple copies in the libraries where students can peruse them and check them out.

I think the idea should be taken further. A few copies of each of the books should  be put on prominent display somewhere right inside the library doors. Most libraries have display areas students have to walk by to get to the tables and book stacks. Put a few copies of each book in that area for everyone to see. The hope is, students will pick up the books when they come in the library, thumb through them, maybe even check one of two out. Students may go there on their lunch hours to see the books that were considered dangerous enough to be taken out of classrooms. They may even bring a few friends with them.

This is what educators call a teachable moment. Schools are all about encouraging students to read and think and consider ideas. If the MAS controversy piques students' curiosity, makes them want to peek inside a book and see what all the fuss is about, they should be encouraged to do so. Based on what they see, they may think Huppenthal and the District have made the right decision or the wrong decision. The operant word in the last sentence is "think." That's what we want students to do. Let them make informed decisions based on the evidence: the books.

Huppenthal shouldn't complain about the books being displayed. He's on record saying there's nothing wrong with the books, only the way they were taught.

It's a crime against literature, curiosity and critical thinking to lock perfectly good books away from people who might want to read them. Schools should always make their best efforts to get books in the hands of students. Why let an educational opportunity like this slip away?

Grijalva on Arizona's anti-worker bills

by David Safier

Here are a few passages from Grijalva's Media Release speaking out against Arizona's proposed anti-worker legislation.

“Blaming unions and working families for a lack of jobs is the same insulting distraction it’s always been,” Grijalva said. “These bills are a slap in the face of every teacher, policeman, firefighter, nurse and public servant who makes our lives better and only asks for the right to bargain for a decent wage. This is about a harmful political ideology, not helping the economy, and voters aren’t going to forget it.”

[snip]

“We cut corporate taxes – the jobs didn’t appear. We slashed education spending to the bone – the jobs didn’t appear. We closed hospitals for lack of Medicaid support – the jobs didn’t appear. Now we’re going to wipe out a hundred years of labor rights for public employees. At what point do we step back and ask whether any of this is really working for Arizona?”

What does Craig Barrett (Board Member) have to say about the lawsuit against K12 Inc.?

by David Safier

Craig Barrett, who is the front man for Jan Brewer's education agenda, loves to use BASIS Charter as an example of all that's wonderful about charter schools and "school choice." He's the president and chairman, so he basks in BASIS' glory. However, you never hear him mention that BASIS educates the academic one percent and has never attempted to include the rest of the ninety-nine percent of students in its schools. BASIS gets good results from students who are high achievers. Barrett is under the mistaken impression that makes the school an example of why charter schools are superior to district schools.

But Barrett is less vocal about his association with K12, Inc., a Virginia for-profit corporation that runs online schools across the country, including Arizona Virtual Academy. Barrett sits on the Board. Here are two reasons for his silence:

• Arizona Virtual Academy is one of 27 AZ charter schools put on academic probation for their poor records of student achievement. The online school is in danger of having its contract revoked if it doesn't improve student performance.
• K12 Inc. is being sued for misleading its investors about student achievement. The corporation has overstated the performance of its students on standardized tests, which tends to be low nationwide.

The lawsuit came after a number of news stories about the poor performance of online schools, most notably in the Washington Post and the NY Times.

Key among those stories was a New York Times investigation published Dec. 12 that found a mismatch between K12 student achievement and statements made by chief executive Ronald J. Packard.

During one investment conference call, the Times reported, Packard said that test results at one of the company’s largest online schools — Agora Cyber Charter — were “significantly higher than a typical school on state administered tests for growth.”

In fact, the article said: “Weeks earlier, data had been released showing that 42 percent of Agora students tested on grade level or better in math, compared with 75 percent of students statewide. And 52 percent of Agora students had hit the mark in reading, compared with 72 percent statewide. The school was losing ground, not gaining it.”

What's good for BASIS is good for K12, Inc. If Barrett is an honest man, he will talk publicly about the problems with K12 Inc., an educational corporation whose board he sits on, as well as the successes (with a limited slice of students) of BASIS charter where he is president and chairman.

K12 INC. BLAST FROM THE BfA PAST: A few years back, I conducted an investigation which revealed K12 Inc. took student essays and outsourced them to India to be graded without the parents' knowledge. The story went national, and K12 Inc. was forced to admit the practice and discontinue it. The takeaway: Education and for-profit EMOs (Education Management Organizations) are a bad combination. When a company can make money by cutting back on services to its students or lying about their achievement, no good will come of it.

Arsenic tainted Fools Gold

by David Safier

I receive the Goldwater Institute Daily Emails. Know thy enemy. I pay most attention to the anti-teacher, anti-school-district tirades. But lately, G.I. has put out a barrage of emails about the evils of unions and the "common sense" solutions to cutting their power. It's been the buildup to the recent draconian anti-union laws making their way through the legislature.

Here's an excerpt from today's daily email, which is neither about education nor labor. The topic is a bill which the email says "would wrest money from oil companies." What caught my eye was the Ayn Rand-crazed intro, which indicates where these folks are coming from. Combine right wing extremism with adolescent, utopian libertarianism, and you get a poisonous brew.

Part one of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged ends in despair, as the oil fields of entrepreneur Ellis Wyatt burst into flames. Wyatt Oil, once a successful business that created jobs and launched an economic Renaissance in the western United States, had fallen victim to stifling taxes and government regulation. No longer willing to surrender to bureaucrats, Wyatt abandons his once-thriving business.

Page by page, Rand’s apocalyptic masterpiece is coming true right before our eyes. The most recent eerie similarity involves a bill introduced in Congress to create a “Reasonable Profits Board.” Yes; I am serious.

Goldwater Institute is dictating the Republican agenda in Arizona. They've succeeded, and continue to succeed, on the education front. They're working on the anti-labor front. They write the bills. They testify in front of committees. And their Republican legislative acolytes eat it up. This multi-million dollar institute staffed by talented, intelligent people making six figure incomes is dangerous and increasingly powerful. Predicting, I imagine, the current Republican super majority in the legislature won't last, G.I. is shifting into overdrive, pushing as much through the legislature as it can cram in this session.

Lori Klein: We're giving police, firefighters "new freedom"

by David Safier

Seriously. It's in quotes, so I have to assume Sen. Lori Klein really said this about the draconian anti-union bills making their way through the legislature, bills which, according to someone from the Goldwater Institute, would make the Wisconsin legislation look "moderate."

Republican Sen. Lori Klein, who sits on the Government Reform Committee, told the union members that the legislation wasn’t designed to hurt them.

“This is not an attack on them,” she said. “But it is a way to give them new freedom.”

New freedom from decent compensation and benefits. New freedom from union protections against politically motivated attacks and firings. New freedom to be at the mercy of whatever Tea Party whim is the extreme right flavor of the day.

Do you think the American Revolution would have happened if Jefferson, Washington and Franklin offered the colonies Klein's version of "new freedom"?

Good thing I have lots of space on my hard drive

by David Safier

Otherwise, I'd be running out of room to save all the articles about the MAS controversy I come across. It's being covered nationally and internationally, blogs and traditional news media. This story isn't going away.

Did the folks at TUSD do any serious strategizing about this? Did they wonder what might happen to the District's already poor reputation if it becomes the poster child for restricting the critical thinking and education of its students, especially in the area of Hispanic-based education when Hispanic students make up 60% of its population? The restults could not possibly be good.

I think, for the record, much of TUSD's reputation is a bad rap. It's had all kinds of administrative screw-ups over the years, but they've been overplayed by The Star which, for some reason, has been in the business of bashing Tucson and its schools. As usual, much of the city's other news media followed The Star's lead. But this. It isn't TUSD's fault people like Paton, Horne and Huppenthal decided to hop on the MAS-bashing train to promote their own political fortunes, but could the district have been handled the situation any worse?

Romney, "Self Deportation" and Mexican American Studies

by David Safier

OK, this one is just for fun. I was watching Rachel Maddow a few minutes ago. She was talking about the satirist who created the term "self deportation" in California a few years back to take the state's proposed draconian deportation laws to their logical extreme, the kind of thing satirists love to do. Maddow pointed out, "self deportation" is now a Mitt Romney platform.

That was good enough for me. What could be better than self satire at that level: Romney adopting the phrase meant to satirize people like him.

But then she had the satirist on, a guy named Lalo Alcaraz. I sat up. I knew that name! He's the guy who created the should-be-classic-by-now Ethnic Studies poster. This poster was created in 2011, long before the books were packed up from classrooms and sent into storage. It's damn near prophetic.

The book, Ethnic Studies, being burned at the stake as a heretic. Doesn't get much closer to home than that.

Alcaraz, by the way, is the creator of the daily comic strip, La Cucaracha, "seen in  scores of newspapers including the Los Angeles Times (syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, home of “Doonesbury” and “The Boondocks.”) Lalo has produced editorial cartoons for the L.A. Weekly since 1992 and also creates editorial cartoons in English and Spanish for Universal."

Epic ALEC Stooge Fail

by David Safier

Every teacher has stories of students handing in too-good-to-be-true research papers where, in the midst of brainless copying, they neglected to take out phrases like "(See page 473)." It looks like Florida Rep. Rachel Burgin was one of those students.

Burgin, who the Daily Kos post describes as "a 29 year old former legislative aide and graduate of Moody Bible Institute," introduced a bill telling the feds to reduce corporate taxes. It's a copy from ALEC model legislation. But when you take their model bills, you're supposed to remove passages like this, which Burgess left in:

WHEREAS, it is the mission of the American Legislative
Exchange Council to advance Jeffersonian principles of free
markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty,

Someone noticed her error , so:

The next day, Rep. Burgin quickly withdrew the bill hoping that no one had noticed and then re-introduced it 24-hours later, with a new bill number (HM 717), but now without the problematic paragraph. Nobody seems to have noticed until now.

Plagiarism earns you an "F" in most classes. In the legislature, it can earn you corporate donations and a bright conservative future.

(h/t to Azazello for the link.)

A view of the MAS controversy from across the pond

by David Safier

There's a wonderful column by Gary Younge in the UK Guardian about the MAS controversy. It's worth reading the whole thing, but I'm going to jump around the column as I include a few excerpts in this post.

First, the head/subhead:

Whitewashing Black History Month
Arizona's suppression of Mexican American studies fits a pattern of making history serve an exclusionary nationalist mythology

Younge explains the connection between Black History Month and getting rid of MAS courses at the end of the column.

In short, these measures [making the MAS courses illegal] seek not to teach history but to preach nationalist mythology, aimed at raising not so much open-minded critical thinkers as blind patriots. We have been here before.

"One is astonished in the study of history at the recurrence of the idea that evil must be forgotten, distorted or skimmed over," argued African American civil rights champion and intellectual WEB Dubois.

"We must not remember that Daniel Webster got drunk but only that he was a splendid constitutional lawyer. We must forget that George Washington was a slave owner … and simply remember the things we regard as creditable and inspiring. The difficulty, of course, with this philosophy is that history loses its value as an incentive and example; it paints perfect men and noble nations, but it does not tell us the truth."

I have not heard the point made any better than that.

About Huppenthal's charge that MAS courses foster resentment:

Whether teachers are fostering resentment is impossible to prove, although Latino youth in Tucson do not appear any more resentful than anywhere else. Not that there isn't plenty to be resentful about. Latino children in Arizona are more than twice as likely to grow up in poverty as whites, almost twice as likely to be incarcerated and far less likely to graduate from high school. There is, however, plenty of evidence that Huppenthal has being doing his best to make sure Latino youth have as worse a tomorrow as is possible.

Talk about teaching lessons out of school! Talk about making history! The MAS students and everyone else watching as the events unfold are getting a living history lesson about the treatment of minorities in the U.S. The story of the war on MAS courses by Huppenthal, Horne and their confederates should be required reading in any MAS class anywhere.

Praise for the new federal school lunch rules

by David Safier

Mark Bittman is the main food guy at the NY Times. He's for sensible good eating. He has a blog post today saying, while the new school lunch rules aren't ideal, they're an important step toward offering students better nutrition. Here are a few key statements.

Thirty-two million kids — 10 percent of the American population, and the future of the country —  are about to start eating better. That’s the bottom line of the new Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) guidelines for government-subsidized school meals, announced last week.

[snip]

The guidelines are imperfect (what isn’t?) but worth celebrating: this is the single most significant improvement the Obama administration has made in the realm of food. The rules will double the amount of fruits and vegetables served in schools, set limits on damaging trans fats and salt, increase the amount of whole grains served, make low-fat milk the norm and establish suitable ranges for daily caloric intake.

And, incredibly, the U.S.D.A. moves will cost less than half of the agency’s original proposal. Even more stunning is that it’s doing this by scaling back on meat — abandoning requirements that schools serve meat or “meat alternatives” at breakfast. That is perhaps most commendable; teaching kids that nutritious meals don’t necessarily center on “protein” is one of the most important steps we can take in creating a sane diet for generations to come.

[snip]

. . .a Republican administration likely would have moved school lunches even more in the direction they were headed: inferior versions of bad fast food.

[snip]

The fact that industry lobbyists are griping demonstrates that; compromise, by its nature, can leave everyone dissatisfied. But after taking a beating for generations, advocates of good food should see the new guidelines as a real victory.

For the record, Child Food Nutritionist Sen. Rich Crandall is siding with the "inferior versions of bad fast food" crowd in his arguments advocating for his federal free/reduced meals optional bill.

Worst. Republican. Bills. Ever.

by David Safier

No, I wasn't in a coma during the 2011 state legislative session. I remember the unbelievable onslaught of pro-rich, anti-poor, anti-brown, anti-women, anti-school bills proposed during that session. And even with that fresh in my memory, I have to say about this session:

Worst. Republican. Bills. Ever.

AZ Republicans go after the police and the firefighters

by David Safier

We already knew Arizona Republicans hate teachers and the unions representing them. We also knew they hate the unionized government workers who keep the wheels of state turning and provide services to Arizonans.

Now we know they hate the police and firefighters as well. They want to crush them, decimate their unions, lower their pay, lower their benefits, shrink their pensions and fire them at will. The Republicans are equal opportunity haters when it comes to workers represented by unions.

We'll find out if they've gone too far. They have enough Republicans to pass their anti-union legislation, which people say is worse than anything Scott Walker has done in Wisconsin, easily. But will the the police and firefighters make their voices heard? Will they be loud enough to make some of those Republicans sit up and take notice? Will enough Arizonans recoil from this wholesale decimation of worker protections that a sizable minority of Republicans will decide to vote against the bills, enough to block passage? Will Jan Brewer's advisors tell her to veto the bills if they make it to her desk, tell her even she can't go this far?

Arizona, like so many other states which have been taken over by the extreme right wing, is at a crossroads. If Republicans do what they want to do, it will take decades to undo their butchery -- if it can ever be undone.

Sherman Alexie on the MAS book ban

by David Safier

Sherman Alexie, a Native American who grew up on the Spokane Indian reservation and is a marvelous writer with a wide readership, commented about TUSD's book ban. First his tweet:

Here is his longer statement:

Let's get one thing out of the way: Mexican immigration is an oxymoron. Mexicans are indigenous. So, in a strange way, I'm pleased that the racist folks of Arizona have officially declared, in banning me alongside Urrea, Baca, and Castillo, that their anti-immigration laws are also anti-Indian. I'm also strangely pleased that the folks of Arizona have officially announced their fear of an educated underclass. You give those brown kids some books about brown folks and what happens? Those brown kids change the world. In the effort to vanish our books, Arizona has actually given them enormous power. Arizona has made our books sacred documents now.

I have a warm place in my heart for Alexie. When I put together a unit on Native American Literature for my sophomore English students in a suburb of Portland, Oregon, the culmination of the unit was reading works of Alexie's including stories from his wonderful collection, Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. We finished by watching the film, Smoke Signals, based on the collection. He presents harsh truth by combining brilliance and humor with an insider's view which let me see what was previously invisible to an Anglo like me. I once saw him give a talk. He may be the best author/speaker alive.

"Lone Ranger and Tonto . . ." was among the texts used in the MAS curriculum. I don't know if it has been removed from the shelves, but the former MAS teachers have to stay away from it. What a shame. What a loss.

(h/t to Debbie Reese, writer and author of the American Indians in Children's Literature blog.)

Crandall continues to confound with his free/reduced meals optional arguments

by David Safier

Rich Crandall's latest argument for his bill making it optional for school districts to participate in the federal free/reduced lunch program: Everyone will continue to participate, so it won't make any difference.

Crandall, who chairs the Senate Education Committee, said he hasn't heard from a single district in the state that would actually like to drop the program.

"They're not going to go off now,'' he said.

Don't worry your poor little head about my legislation, Crandall says. It's not going to change anything.

The AP article makes a good catch on Crandall's argument that he won't benefit from the legislation, even though he runs a child nutrition consulting company, because he does no business in Arizona. True, he doesn't do business in AZ now, but he has in the past, something he has never gotten around to mentioning.

Crandall owns a company that works in the school nutrition business, reviewing menus and lunch programs for state governments. Crandall said his company does not currently do any business in Arizona, though his company website shows it has in the past.

Crandall said he will not gain anything if the bill passes.

Here's what Crandall's CN Resouce did for Arizona sometime in the past (the website doesn't say when):

USDA 796-2, Revision 3 Training - When the USDA released its new financial rules for the CACFP, CN Resource was hired to conduct training of state agency personnel and sponsors in several western states including Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii and California.

[snip]

USDA Provision 2 & 3 Outreach - When the USDA wanted to expand the use of Provision 2 & 3 in the National School Lunch Program, they awarded grants to several states. Two states, Arizona and Oregon, contracted with CNR to visit dozens of potentially eligible school districts and conduct a financial analysis to determine if Provision 2 or 3 would be a good fit for their NSLP.

Hmm. If Crandall's company has worked on school lunch programs in Arizona in the past, what might be the best way to work on them in the future? Maybe he could consult with districts opting out of the federal program, helping them create lunch menus without federal guidance. Is that what he plans/hopes to do? Only Rich Crandall and his closest associates know for sure, and they ain't talkin'.

Dozens of national organizations oppose banning of books at TUSD

by David Safier

It's a long and impressive list -- the organizations signing on to a Joint Statement in Opposition to Book Censorship in the Tucson Unified School District. When groups of this caliber band together to oppose an action by a school district, that's a very significant development. Here are some of the signers:

• American Association of University Professors
• American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona
• Antigone Books
• Association of American Publishers
• Association of American University Presses
• Authors Guild
• Freedom to Read Foundation, an affiliate of the American Library Association
• International Reading Association
• National Council for the Social Studies
• National Council of Teachers of English
• PEN American Center
• People For the American Way
• Reading is Fundamental
• Student Press Law Center

You can read the entire statement after the jump. Here is an excerpt which discusses two essential issues: the discretion schools have to chose certain texts and not others, which does not include a restraint of unwelcome information and viewpoints, and the validity of the term "book banning" to describe TUSD's actions.

The First Amendment is grounded on the fundamental rule that government officials, including public school administrators, may not suppress "an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable." School officials have a great deal of authority and discretion to determine the curriculum, the subject of courses, and even methods of instruction. They are restrained only by the constitutional obligation to base their decisions on sound educational grounds, and not on ideology or political or other personal beliefs. Thus, school officials are free to debate the merits of any educational program, but that debate does not justify the wholesale removal of books, especially when the avowed purpose is to suppress unwelcome information and viewpoints.

School officials have insisted that the books haven't been banned because they are still available in school libraries. It is irrelevant that the books are available in the library - or at the local bookstore. School officials have removed materials from the curriculum, effectively banning them from certain classes, solely because of their content and the messages they contain. The effort to "prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, [or] religion" is the essence of censorship, whether the impact results in removal of all the books in a classroom, seven books, or only one.

Read the whole statement, including a complete list of signers, after the jump.

NRA combines viciousness with self parody

by David Safier

This ad for the NRA store would be laughable if it weren't for the use of JFK, assassinated by rifle shots, as a supporter of the perversion of "Freedom" the NRA stands for.

The "I didn't say that," Much-louder-than-a-dog-whistle pairing of the killing a [Democratic] president with the "cost of freedom" borders on the obscene.

But then comes the self parody. How far can you stretch the concept of "freedom" to make a buck? You can sell jackets that allow the buyer to "Pursue Freedom from the Cold" ($79.95)  Further down the ad, you can buy a Peacemaker Wooden Box to "Pursue Freedom from Clutter" ($69.85). Or a Collectible Knife to "Pursue Freedom to Choose Quality." ($199.95). Or an NRA USA Long Sleeve T-Shirt to "Pursue Freedom of Motion" ($19.95)

EXTRA: ANTENORI'S VICIOUSNESS IN OUR OWN BACKYARD: For Frank, this country is a battlefield, literally, the more guns the better. What's the best he could come up with as a tribute to Giffords?

“She took a bullet for her country, just like many other people that I know, and she’s to be commended for that,” said Antenori, who served in the Army Special Forces. “Whether it’s a veteran or a congresswoman, they’re to be respected for that degree of sacrifice."

Frank, you callous son of a bitch, when you go to war with a gun in your hand, you're putting yourself in harm's way. You expect to be shot at. You know you might be injured or killed. When you are elected to office in the U.S., you should not "take a bullet for your country" from a madman who, because of our insanely lax gun laws, can buy guns easily. It's a false, obscene equivalence.

Amazing. Genuine (but shaky) old 3-D images on the web

by David Safier

Here's a image taken with a stereo camera in 1905, which, through the magic of gif animation, is rendered in a shaky 3-D.

GIF made with the NYPL Labs Stereogranimator

It's on the NY Library Stereogranimator site, with lots of others.

For those not familiar with this old 3-D technnique: Photographers would take two images of the same scene from angles about the distance between your two eyes. They were printed side-by-side, then you viewed them through a device that only let you see each with one eye. It's like the Viewmaster, if you remember those.

Here, they've taken the two images and animated them, so you go back and forth so quickly, you get the sense of seeing them with separate eyes. This isn't a fake. It's a genuine 3-D image. You can read more explanation and see more examples on the site.

Very bad news on the voucher front

by David Safier

A judge has given her OK to Arizona's "Education Empowerment Scholarships," which is the state's vouchers-on-steroids bill. She accepted the dual arguments that (1) creating "savings accounts" somehow launders the money of its government connection and it can therefore be used for religious education; and (2) because the parents can use the money cafeteria style, splitting it up for a variety of educational uses, that also takes away the religious education prohibition.

Of course, the decision is being appealed. But if this plan gets a final judicial blessing, it will quickly move from just being for children with educational disabilities or who have been in foster care to being available to every child in the state. That's a full blown voucher system, something which has been voted down every time it has been put up as a state initiative anywhere in the country.

Right now, even though the ink is barely dry on the original "Education Empowerment Scholarships" legislation -- it only passed last session -- an amendment, HB2626, has been proposed to broaden its scope. Children would be eligible if their school gets a D or F on the state evaluation, attended a public preschool the previous year, or -- and this could be a loophole you could drive a Humvee through -- "was deemed eligible by a School Tuition Organization for a scholarship under section 43‑1505." Who can be "deemed eligible"? There's room for interpretation here. It could add many people to the pool.

Another addition is that some of the "Scholarship" money can be used to pay for classes or extracurricular programs at public schools. That means a student could be enrolled in calculus or band during the school day and participate in a sport after school, by paying for those specific programs.

If this legislation is declared constitutional, everything changes in Arizona education -- for the worse, in my opinion, for the better in the opinion of the Goldwater Institute and every other conservative "pro choice," "education reform" advocate in the country. This will be the SB1070 of education bills, the original which is copied by other states.

Too damn much to write about!

by David Safier

I feel like I'm ten posts behind right now.

These are interesting times, to paraphrase a Chinese proverb and curse.

Fukushima, bailing wire, duct tape and assurances everything is fine

by David Safier

Since Atomic Al Melvin has put the nuke issue back on Arizona's legislative table, a few thoughts about the "perfectly safe" Fukushima nuclear power plant are in order.

The Fukushima plant was deemed absolutely safe -- indestructable -- until the one-two punch of an earthquake-tsunami hit it. Then the danger was contained; then it wasn't. Then there was no meltdown; then there was. Now, it's perfectly stable, according to the Japanese government.

Can it withstand another blow to the buildings and containment tanks, held together by bailing wire and duct tape? I've heard people say it isn't leaking, but no one claims it's safe in its current condition.

Could there be another earthquake in the area?

A 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit Japan yesterday. Nowhere near Fukushima, though, so we're all good.

Japanese university researchers predict a 70% chance an earthquake of 7.0 magnitude or higher will hit Tokyo in the next 4 years. Japan is earthquake central, on land and offshore. There's a reason we've chosen a Japanese word, "tsunami," to describe these events.

Meanwhile, Japanese farmers within a wide circle around Fukushima have been told their crops are perfectly safe. But when they have them analyzed, they find radioactive isotopes far above the allowable limit.

My conclusions: Nuclear proliferation of any kind, peaceful as well as military, is incredibly dangerous. There is no such thing as a safe nuclear power plant, since there is no human estimation and no computer model capable of predicting the kinds of disasters which can hit a plant or a building's ability to withstand any given disaster. Governments will lie to us about the dangers, before, during and after a dangerous event.

Anyone who puts their faith in the I-love-nukes crowd is a fool. Anyone who puts their faith in anything that comes out of Al Melvin's mouth . . . well, fool is far too weak a word.

American Library Association condemns closure of MAS program, removal of texts

by David Safier

The banning of the use of texts by former Mexican-American Studies teachers infuriates the English teacher in me. I understand, there are some good reasons why some books should not be in schools, but the ideas contained in them is not one of those good reasons.

But if you want to see a group of people rise up against unreasonable banning of books, look no further than librarians. They may seem like a demure group of folks, always speaking in whispers and shushing people in their libraries. But they are fierce defenders of access to books of all kinds.

The American Library Association released a resolution Tuesday condemning both the decision to get rid of the MAS program and the decision to prohibit the use of texts by former MAS teachers. You can read the whole resolution with all the WHEREASes after the jump, but here's the actual resolution:

RESOLVED, That the American Library Association:

1) Condemns the suppression of open inquiry and free expression caused by closure of ethnic and cultural studies programs on the basis of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
2) Condemns the restriction of access to educational materials associated with ethnic and cultural studies programs.
3) Urges the Arizona legislature to pass HB 2654, “An Act Repealing Sections 15-111 and 15-112, Arizona Revised Statutes; Relating to School Curriculum.”

Here's a list of the Library groups supporting the resolution:

[T]he ALA Committee on Diversity, ALA Committee on Legislation, American Association of School Librarians, American Indian Library Association, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Chinese American Library Association, Intellectual Freedom Round Table, REFORMA: The National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, Social Responsibilities Round Table, and the Young Adult Library Services Association.

My advice: Kiss your local librarian -- but be sure to ask first. These people are defenders of our freedom and strong advocates for literacy. (You might ask a librarian how they responded when, during the Bush administration, they were told they had to release lists of books patrons had borrowed if the government asked.)

A MAJOR HAT TIP: Jeff Biggers just keeps writing about the MAS story, on Huffington Post, on Salon, wherever he finds a national outlet. He puts the links on Facebook, then sends them to me and others. I got the link to the ALA resolution from his article Arizona Unbound: National Actions on Mexican American Studies Banishment. (And a literary hat tip if I'm correct in assuming Jeff took his title from Prometheus Unbound, with versions written centuries apart by Aeschylus and Shelley). He sent me links to another group of articles I haven't had time to read yet. I'll post about them when I do.

Read the entire ALA resolution after the jump.

Rich Crandall moves from deplorable to absurd in his free/reduced meals optional argument

by David Safier

I learned long ago, whenever anyone has lots of reasons why something is a good idea or a bad idea, usually none of the reasons given are the real reasons. There's something else going on. Rich Crandall is on my "Too many reasons, too many rationalizations" list.

Crandall is sponsoring the bill that would make participation in the federal free and reduced meals program optional. Here's his lastest argument, if you want to call it that.

“You’re trying to say, ‘Hey, this is the only way to feed kids.’ And I’m saying, no, it’s not. Our Arizona charter schools show that there are numerous ways to make sure kids are fed,” Crandall said.

Unbelievable. True, charter schools don't have to participate in the free/reduced meals program. But many of our charter schools simply don't feed their students. No cafeteria. No meals. The result is, kids from families who qualify for free or reduced meals don't attend those schools. That's not an option for students attending the local district school.

Crandall has also said, if a school district doesn't provide the service, the kids can always opt to attend another school. Of course, there may be no bus service provided. If it's a rural area, the next school may be 50 miles away, and it may not offer the service either. But Crandall doesn't give a damn.

So, if Crandall's too many reasons mean he's hiding his real agenda, what is it? He insists adamantly it has nothing to do with his Child Nutrition consulting and menu planning company. But in the words of the Immortal Bard, Crandall "doth protest too much, methinks."

Quick Nuke waste dump/reprossing quote

by David Safier

From today's NY Times, an article about problems disposing of our radioactive waste:

Some nuclear power advocates argue that the United States should develop factories and reactors that will recycle some of the spent fuel. But the [Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future] said that no existing technology was adequate for that purpose, given cost considerations and the risk of nuclear proliferation.

I'm sure Al Melvin will poo-poo the quote, given the source. The NY Times is just another one of those Commie Environmental Watermelons he referred to in a recent tweet:

#azright To show the political agenda of  environmentalists, slice a water melon open. It has a thin veneer of green but is Commie red inside

The Barretts, Craig and Barbara: Power couple

by David Safier

Muckety, a website whose mission, in its own words, is "Mapping the paths of power and influence," has posted a power map of Craig Barrett and his wife, Barbara.

Craig currently heads Brewer's A-Wreck (AREC: Arizona Ready Education Council). He's a big player in the conservative Choice/Education Reform movement here in Arizona. In case anyone was wondering, both he and Barbara are big Republican donors.

Interestingly, Craig's position as head of BASIS Charter Schools isn't mentioned here. But his connection with K12 Inc., the huge national cyber school corporation, is.

Craig is very proud of his affiliation with BASIS and brags regularly about how wonderful their elite charter schools are (Sure, they have to accept everyone, but the students who end up enrolling and staying on can be called, in Occupy parlance, the Academic One Percent. The Ninety-nine Percent need not apply).

But I would like to hear what he has to say about this. K12 Inc's Arizona school, Arizona Virtual Academy, is currently one of 27 AZ charter schools on academic probation. The schools have been given conditional renewals.

The conditional renewal requires them to be reviewed annually until they meet their goals. If they fail, the state could close one or more of their schools or revoke their contract.

Mr. Barrett, what's good for your One Percent School is good for your Ninety-Nine Percent School as well. Why haven't you put your considerable energies and influence behind fixing the problems with Arizona Virtual Academy, which apparently isn't doing the job for its 4,000-plus students?

Presented almost without comment

by David Safier

From the Phoenix New Times:

Barack Obama T-Shirt (Apparently) Blasted by Arizona Kids, from Cop Facebook Page

Here's a screen shot of the Facebook page, which has since been changed.

If you can't see the picture well, 7 guys, many with guns, stand around a T shirt with Obama's picture on it which looks like it's been shot full of holes.

The Peoria Police Department hasn't decided what to do. Does this cross into the legal territory of a threat to the President?

Stegeman: Yes, the Board "approved" 3 MAS texts, but it was "meaningless"

by David Safier

A few days ago, I posted about a constituent letter Mark Stegeman sent, and I mentioned three of the books banned/removed from classrooms of former MAS teachers had previously been approved by the board (h/t to Three Sonorans for posting the document). Stegeman responded in the comments section of the post. You can read his entire comment beneath the post, as well as my comment in response to his.

Stegeman maintains the approval of the three books is "meaningless" because the Board didn't follow procedure.

The board "approved" the books in a long list of books for many different courses, in a routine consent agenda item with no attached information and no board discussion. It was meaningless from the viewpoint of oversight and very far from a proper curriculum approval, by the standards of either statute or TUSD policy.

So, it's an approval that's not an approval, according to Stegeman, even though it's there in black and white for all to see. I wonder, does the TUSD administration and the rest of the Board agree with Stegeman's assertion the approval is meaningless? Stegeman's authority rests on his one Board vote out of five, so his interpretation holds no weight by itself. I wonder if TUSD Supe Pedicone wants to weigh in on this, or if the Board wants to formally rescind its approval, which would mean the current District and Board doesn't stand behind past decisions and is willing to wipe them out retroactively. Either is possible, I suppose, but honestly, TUSD is running out of feet to shoot itself in. It should probably let the approvals stand, though that puts it in another difficult position, prohibiting certain teachers from using books it has already approved. The district can't seem to win for losing.

Later in his comments, Stegeman claims I was "factually incorrect" when I stated some of the banned texts are still being used in classes not run by former MAS teachers. My reply includes quotes from The Star and The Weekly backing up my assertion, plus a bonus quote from Huppenthal himself, who says, "The books aren't of concern at all." You can read my whole response in the comments beneath the post.