[Vision2020] Why I'm going to vote Yes on the Levy

[keely emerinemix]

Donovan, the district can't "promise $1.5 million" of any amount to non college-bound students.  First of all, the enormity and complexity of NCLB and state regulations means that all enrolled kids have to be taught certain specific curricula.  Second, and most important here, schools are not in the business of deciding who is and who isn't a college-bound student.  To their credit, they teach the very best to the very most; anything else, such as tailoring curricula to the presumptive experiences in or out of college upon graduation, harkens back to the nauseating days of the 60s and 70s, when "tracking" was a common practice.  Minority kids, poor kids, kids who struggled academically -- the school decided they were on the "shop track" and funneled them to what we now call voc-tech classes.  Kids like you, kids like me -- we were "tracked" as college-bound, primarily because we were Anglo, didn't struggle enormously in school, and had parents who could and would agitate for "better," more academically-oriented classes.  Woe be it to the Mexican American student in Tucson in the mid-70s who wanted the college track and who aspired to be a physician or lawyer or engineer; the clear message, with a wide-eyed appeal to "the best for the student," was tracking based on demographics that denied individual promise.  It stunk then.  Thank God one of the very few benefits of NCLB is that it would illegally stink now.

keely




Date: Sat, 10 Nov 2007 15:52:21 -0800
From: donovanjarnold2005 at yahoo.com
To: mike_l_f at hotmail.com; vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Why I'm going to vote Yes on the Levy

Mike,     You are little nicer than me. I want to see MSD dedicate the money first, then I would support them. I don't understand why they cannot promise $1,500,000 of their $7,000,000+ cannot go to non college bound students. I don't think that is unfair to ask.     They promise nothing with the taxpayers money except to spend it.      Best,  
Donovan

Mike Finkbiner <mike_l_f at hotmail.com> wrote:  My son graduated from Moscow High and I know several teachers who have 
worked in the district.

We are not identical to Pullman, but I get very tired of hearing that we 
can't compare ourselves to them. Only a few miles apart, both are small 
towns next to a university. Pullman has made more opportunities available 
for
 their students in both voc-ed and dual enrollment. It may be difficult 
for us, but I feel that if we do not expand our offerings in both areas we 
will continue throwing away many students who don't fit into the average 
college bound mold.

I'm going to vote yes on the levy, but after that - if the school district 
can't convince me that they are working VERY HARD to improve dual 
enrollment opportunities with the U of I and add more vocational education 
opportunities - in the future I will be voting No.


-Mike



Mike Finkbiner
mike_l_f at hotmail.com

Disclaimer: No trees were harmed in the sending of this message; however, a 
significant number of electrons were slightly inconvenienced.


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