[Vision2020] Questions to Ponder . . .

Sun Dec 30 19:02:36 PST 2012

Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

On Dec 30, 2012, at 6:49 PM, "Sue Hovey" <suehovey at moscow.com> wrote:

> Even more shameful than my being glad I’m retired is the sad fact that the teachers I know are not encouraging their children to follow in their footsteps.  Many of us, particularly women,  taught because our mothers were teachers before us.  Not any more.  Mothers may not want their sons to be cowboys but now that teaching has replaced postal clerking as the most dangerous profession, who in their right mind would want someone they love, to teach.  Idaho teachers have dealt with a State Superintendent who continues to demean them, state legislators who refuse to allocate funds for living wages, and school board members who covertly waxed enthusiastic over last year’s end-of-real-bargaining law, because fewer than ten districts in Idaho have restored teacher contracts to the pre-Luna Laws days.  We are so damned lucky to have the teachers we do have.  They will continue to leave Idaho because they don’t really expect things to get much better. I had coffee with a local teacher the other day who wanted to know how I managed to get my High School Bowl and other academic teams to competitions state and nation-wide.  She is tired of having to raise the funds for those experiences that make learning exciting for students.  Well, twenty years ago I did fund raising, too, but actually I had a budget to help me.  The state no longer funds buses for outside-the-class activities and the funds which the legislature grants districts no longer stretch that far.  She and I both agree it is unfair to make students pay for those opportunities.  School experiences should be available for all students, not just those who can afford the extras.    Sorry for the rant, Joe.  I’m done for the night.
>  
> Sue H.    
>  
> From: Joe Campbell
> Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 3:02 PM
> To: Sue Hovey
> Cc: Dan Carscallen ; Moscow Vision 2020
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Questions to Ponder . . .
>  
> That is the shame of it all, Sue. You're glad you're no longer a teacher. I'm glad a work at a university and not teaching primary education. Who in their right mind would want to teach primary education anymore? Less security, less pay (relatively speaking), more criticism, more things to do (in part because there are fewer resources yet more demands). And now we expect teachers to be able to guard their students against potential shooters!
> 
> On Sun, Dec 30, 2012 at 2:21 PM, Sue Hovey <suehovey at moscow.com> wrote:
>> Not really.  They do have to be fingerprinted now. But teachers, and everyone else, have considerable privacy rights regarding their mental health, etc., through HIPPA Regs.   One can buy a gun without being fingerprinted, but thinking about it for myself, I have a shotgun and a 22, yet there isn’t a grouse in Latah County that has too much to fear from me, even when I’m armed.  If I were registered to have a weapon in my class, how would I keep it secure so no kid would get to it, yet have it readily available in case I needed it? It couldn’t be stashed somewhere in the room, because teachers regularly change classrooms during the day, and no woman would ever find one quickly carrying it in her purse,  but wearing it while one teaches...there’s something unholy about that picture.
>>  
>> Should we allow 22 year old teachers to carry concealed weapons, why not let 18 year old students (who might well be crack shots) carry them, too?    I can think of a couple of  school employees (during my teaching)  I wouldn’t have  wanted to be around in the event they were packing.
>>  
>> It would be interesting should a district require all teachers to have concealed weapon permits as well as teaching licenses...”right to work” would take on a whole new meaning; not at odds, of course, with what Idahoans already believe. I’m betting our good legislature will gauge the way the wind blows and  come up with a reasonable law we can all “live” with!!  That can be Luna’s new education reform.    God, I am so very glad I’m retired.  
>>  
>> Sue H.  
>>  
>> From: Dan Carscallen
>> Sent: Sunday, December 30, 2012 12:38 PM
>> To: Moscow Vision 2020
>> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Questions to Ponder . . .
>>  
>> I believe teachers should (and already do) undergo extensive background checks
>> 
>> DC
>> 
>> On Dec 30, 2012, at 12:29, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
>> 
>>> Courtesy of today's (December 30, 2012) Spokesman-Review.
>>>  
>>> -------------------------------------
>>> Arming teachers a bad idea
>>> Knee-jerk reactions are often made by fools; for example, arming teachers with guns. Sounds like a great idea, right? However, I have some questions.
>>> 
>>> Would all teachers be required to have a gun available in their classroom?
>>> 
>>> What about teachers who refuse to arm themselves – would they be fired?
>>> 
>>> Who would pay for teachers to become certified to handle a gun?
>>> 
>>> Who would buy the guns and ammunition?
>>> 
>>> Would teachers be required to undergo extensive background checks?
>>> 
>>> How would teachers keep the guns from students or visitors?
>>> 
>>> What would stop a disgruntled teacher from using the gun on students or other teachers?
>>> 
>>> Why would someone intent on killing teachers/students even bother to bring a gun into the school (they could carry a knife, wrench, club, etc., overwhelm one teacher, and then gain access to potentially dozens of guns)?
>>> 
>>> Arming teachers only ensures that guns are available to anyone who walks through the front door. A knee-jerk reaction to solve a problem is never the answer.
>>> 
>>> Douglas Scott
>>> 
>>> -------------------------------------
>>> 
>>> Seeya round town, Moscow, because . . .
>>>  
>>> "Moscow Cares"
>>> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>>> Tom Hansen
>>> Moscow, Idaho
>>>  
>>> =======================================================
>>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>>               http://www.fsr.net
>>>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>>> =======================================================
>> =======================================================
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>                http://www.fsr.net
>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
>> 
>> =======================================================
>> List services made available by First Step Internet,
>> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>>                http://www.fsr.net
>>           mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
>> =======================================================
> 
>  
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20121230/35748ac9/attachment-0001.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 82981 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20121230/35748ac9/attachment-0002.jpeg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image.jpeg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 30203 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20121230/35748ac9/attachment-0003.jpeg>