Kansas Won't Follow Court Order

Surprise, surprise......actually; not so much. Kansas has been in contempt of court since February of this year concerning an order to recalculate the budget for all the public schools in the state. Last week, the Supreme Court gave the Kansas legislature until June 30 to comply, or public schools would not be allowed to open this fall for the 2016-2017 school year. Instead of following the court's order, Governor Brownback, (R) determined that the legislative session should end as scheduled, despite the fact that their job is not done. If a private person reacted this way, it would be contempt of court.

Kansas Public Schools And The Supreme Court

Here we go again. The Supreme Court of Kansas has ruled, once again, that the Republican dominated Kansas legislature has failed the public schools in Kansas by refusing to properly fund them.

The Supreme Court ruled in February of this year that the state is not adequately funding the schools, and the legislature pretended to fix the problem. The court has now ruled that an acceptable budget for schools must be passed and in place by June 30, or schools must remain closed. The schools must remain closed? That seems like a tall order in a country where all children under the age of sixteen years are legally obligated to attend school, except in rare cases wherein children have graduated early. It seems much more likely that Kansas public schools could go into receivership.

The crux of the issue here is the distribution of funds between richer and poorer school districts. Kansas, in an ongoing effort to resist Brown vs. the Board of Education, continues to craft its geographic school districts in a deliberately unequal manner. The Kansas legislature could easily remedy this by consolidating schools, county by county, eliminating the need for multiple school boards and multiple administrations within a county. All of the counties and their school boards would answer to a central authority, the state. This would save money, and make equitable distribution much more possible. If the Kansas legislature would just accept this, and stop resisting the Constitution, the Supreme Court would not have any reasons to stop public schools in Kansas from opening in August for the school year of 2016-2017.

People In Kansas Boo Governor Brownback

Surprise, surprise. The republicans who thought Brownback was nifty when he led some silly-assed public prayers (some people will fall for anything) are now disenchanted with his Republican approach to the educational needs of children. The only reason the grownups here can be blamed is because they were all warned that the education budget would take a big hit if Brownback were re-elected; the real victims are the children.

A solution that has been resisted, so far, by Northeast Kansas is consolidation of all the public schools in Kansas. Instead of a bunch of small, largely disenfranchised and independent school districts run by uneducated morons with more interest in downloading porn than in educating children, school districts could be divided by counties; the way other states manage schools. All counties would answer to the state for all matters, from curriculum to finances. Academic requirements would be the same at all schools, rules would be the same for everyone, and there would be no push to keep tiny, under-performing schools open for nostalgic reasons, despite their inefficiency. Requirements for teachers would also be the same at every Kansas school; no more hopping from one "independent school district" to another when a license or qualifications to teach are lacking in one district, but not another. We could also eliminate any unnecessary positions held by untalented former teachers, such as "curriculum adviser". (What the hell is a curriculum adviser, USD 380? Just fire the dumb bitch!) because every school would teach the same subjects. Think of all the money that could be saved if every county just had one school board, instead of three or four! Marshall County Kansas has two and a half school districts and school boards! Half of USD 380 is in Marshall County, the other half in Nemaha County, for a county with less than ten thousand people! Just cut off the dead wood and employ one school board.

Rather than booing Brownback after voting for him, maybe Kansas should look long and hard at the way other schools in the nation are run. Stepping out of the comfort zone of doing things that don't work and amount to nothing, such as public prayer and multiple school districts in each county, will probably help a lot more than blaming a politician who's been bought and sold by the Koch Brothers, for the problems in Kansas public schools. Maybe someone will start picketing Kansas Department of Education to stop answering to politics and make some of these changes for our children.

Another Day In Court For Kansas Christians

Citizens for Objective Public Education, in Kansas, are at it again. After being told by the Honorable Judge Crabtree, of the Kansas Supreme Court, that there is no merit to their lawsuit and it's claim that teaching evolution to students in Kansas public schools has created an inordinate number of atheists among the Kansas youth, they have decided to appeal Judge Crabtree's ruling.

These folks need not only to learn about science, but also about the judicial system. Their revised complaint is that atheism is a religion and that teaching science to children is exposing them to a religion.....!Where's the eye-rolley when I need it? Atheism has never been listed in any library of religious beliefs anywhere in the world, and will never meet the criteria for such a thing.These cuckoos are the same ones who teach about Judaism by showing the Charleton Heston movie, The Ten Commandments in sixth grade social studies, and openly teach children at the same grade level that President Obama was not born in America.... another topic that should be given a rest. Atheism is not a religion, and science is a necessity in order for Kansas children to compete with students, and eventually marketplaces, in the rest of the world.

Kansas Lawsuit Against School Board Dismissed

Citizens For Objective Public Education, in Peck, Kansas, determined last year that public schools in Kansas were teaching our children too much evolution and not enough creationism. So naturally, they went to court. Their damage, for which they demanded compensation, was that all of Kansas public school children had been encouraged to become atheists. Where the hell is the eye-rolley when I need it?

Yesterday, the Kansas Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit. Judge Crabtree, apparently, was unable to see a large number of  young atheists running amok in the state of Kansas, and was also unable to connect any rampant atheism to science classes in public schools. Also there's that pesky constitutional right to freedom of religion or lack of religion, and to separation of church and state. Not to mention Abington v. Schempp, 1963 which disallows any bible thumping of any kind in public schools nationwide and the show of religious preference that accompanies bible thumping. Judge Crabtree was quite insistent upon proof that there had actually been any damages caused by the rare occurrence of Federal Law being properly followed in Kansas public schools, and the good Christians of Peck were unable to prove that a little book learning had damaged their children in any way, so the lawsuit went bye-bye. He noted, as well, that since schools in Kansas are not consolidated, and there is no actual approved and adhered to curriculum in Kansas, but small, generally unqualified school boards deciding curriculum in public schools, such a lawsuit would be a waste of time, anyways.

This is why Frankfort, in USD 380, continues to teach about the Jewish culture by showing the movie, The Ten Commandments, to sixth graders and pronouncing them "informed" about Judaism after the children fail to identify the Jewish holiday about which the movie was made! Once again....eye rolley, here. Using Hollywood and the entertainment industry to define and stereotype a culture is, unfortunately, as predictable in Kansas as using a poorly translated collection of biblical hocus pocus to teach science.

Paul Davis And His Running Mate, Jill Docking

Jill Docking spends a lot of time on the discussion of public schools and education in Kansas. Maybe some of us should put together a list of our own questions for her, and see if she has time to answer them, the next time she and Paul Davis are is this are together.

 

 

A Person Who Likes Abusive Cops

"You need to pack up and leave town.... there is surely there is a place for you, but it's definitely not here! You add nothing to the community"........This is part of a comment left for me under this post, concerning police brutality and abuses of authority. I can only assume that this person, whose IP number revealed an address and identity of someone from whom better demeanor than anonymous threats is expected, was in approval of the police coming to my house and battering me because a county attorney did not like my testimony concerning a case she wanted to win. There was more to the comment than I have reproduced here, but the commenter proceeded to attack my family in the rest of it, so I cut it short of the mention of the others in my home. All I am willing to say about that part of it is this: my husband is one of the best neighbors you could ever have; if you want to be a creep to him and the rest of our family, it is certainly your loss, not ours. As for this person's approval of law enforcement battering an older woman because of her penchant for the truth and justice, it reaffirms the opinion I have had of this Northeast Kansas community for quite some time. I can live anywhere I choose in MY country. I am also entitled to my Fourth Amendment rights, as those who disregarded them are about to discover. It is not up to any dingbat Northeast Kansas, undersocialized, WestboroBaptistChurchMember lookalike to determine where I can live. And it does not matter if I stay or go; the county will still be held accountable for the injustices done to yours truly and family.

Someone else had a few words to mince with this person, and those go as follows:

 "You won't get past me. I am all over this situation.And I am a force to avoid. Believe it.You see, you ignorant fool, I am protected by ten-thousand angels. Yes, I am. And I will gladly send ten-thousand demons after YOU.I know all about your threats. I know what you are trying to pull here and I'm warning you...it will never happen.Juli and Keith are my friends. You don't mess with my friends. I am on the West Coast, right now and that is working to my advantage. And I am totally capable of contacting the right people if you so much as stare at my friends the wrong way.If you are involved in the County government or affiliated with law enforcement, you better watch your step. Because right now, I am watching YOU. I and several other key people are keeping a sharp eye on what is transpiring in Frankfort and in Marysville, Kansas. And if you get stupid (more than you already are)and step out of line, I guarantee that you will OFFICIALLY regret it."

Sincerely,
Ruthie Rader

This is but one of many messages I have gotton from quite a few different parts of the country about this situation. It seems that abuses of citizens by law enforcement and the rest of the judicial community have touched a raw nerve in the population's collective subconscious. I had no idea how many people would react to the pictures of the contusions left on me by that Marshall County Undersheriff, and I had no idea how emotional of an impact the situation could and would make. Please believe me, person who approves of police brutality, most people who share our nation are not happy about things like this. And the Constution is clear: I am under no obligation to be a clone of you, or of the congregation of Westboro Baptist Church, in order to enforce and enjoy my Fourth Amendment rights. If my insistence upon equality and respect is why you think I "add nothing" to this community, you need to realize that the most beautiful people in the world do not look anything like you. In fact, your comment, in connection with your particular role in frankfurter stand village, has nudged the school district just a little bit closer to consolidation. I do know the spot from which your signal reached me. As this is a small community, information from my tracker, a little investigative snooping, and a map of the place in this town that has used your IP number recently was all I needed. I also know who you are.

 

George Carlin Explains Why Schools Do Not Teach Critical Thinking

George Carlin makes a very valid point here.

Local Person Wants To Defend Racist Mormons

"Please read this. You might gain some insight into Mormons views on racism in their PAST."


Okay, local person who wants to think racism is acceptable if it can be properly disguised or hidden; I got your comment. I did not publish it in it's complete form because it contained a link to a site defending the blatently racist and ignorant statements and doctrines of the Mormon church, and I am not here to defend such crap. If God is really who the gospel of Matthew says he is, then, believe me you.....all of the Mormon gibberish is nothing but a bunch of crap. You stated to me that the racism is in "the past". Then you gave me a link citing that this "past" is 1978! In my world, 1978 was not that long ago. In fact, my world is largely made of things I learned in 1978 and before that! 1978, while in the past, is part of the RECENT past. So is 1956, by the way; the year Brown vs. The Board of Education in Topeka was won in the Supreme Court. Yet Kansas schools remain unconsolidated in an ongoing effort to ignore the Constitution. Coincidence? I think not!

Here are some racist excerpts from the book of Mormon, which you seem to wish to defend. I'm gonna have to tell you now, though; I would be completely embarrassed and humiliated to support this nonsense or be in any way associated with an organization which so recently promoted it and only stopped promoting it because of social pressure. A doctrine that is central to a religion is central to that religion. It cannot change just because of outside peer or social pressure......and didn't St. John state, in the biblical book of Revelations, that it is blasphemy to change or add stuff to the new testament scriptures, anyway? Hmmm?

"Mormon scripture: God curses bad races with black skin
2 Nephi 5:21
"And the Lord had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him, that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them."
Alma 3: 6"And the skins of the Lamanites were dark, according to the mark which was set upon their fathers, which was a curse upon them because of their transgression and their rebellion against their brethren, who consisted of Nephi, Jacob, and Joseph, and Sam, who were just and holy men."
3 Nephi 2:14-15
" And it came to pass that those Lamanites who had united with the Nephites were numbered among the Nephites; And their curse was taken from them, and their skin became white like unto the Nephites."

What the hell kind of word is "delightsome", anyway? That sounds like something a pervert would say while committing a crime!

 

Cross Curricular Third Grade Math

Every time I think I must have nearly seen or heard it all, something else totally new, stunning, and completely bizarre reaches out and grabs my attention. This goodie from Gwinnett County, Georgia, did it to me today. Would you believe that in Georgia, third grade math incorperates lessons that are obviously designed to desensitize students to human trafficking and encourage racial disrespect? They teach with word problems, such as, "If Frederick gets two beatings a day, how many beatings does Frederick get in a week?" Also, there are questions in the math lessons describing work done by slaves, and the trading of slaves. You can read more about it here.

Where to begin........Oh! I know! Let me first say that these math problems are at a first grade level, not third grade. Back in the dark ages, when yours truly was in third grade, students were learning long division at the third grade level. Not about how many beatings an illegally trafficked, undocumented human being working with no identification or wage would get in a week's time. Geesh! And we wonder why we, as a population, have so many problems with violence, crime, and education that does not really educate our children..........

This is one more reason why parents need to really watch what children are learning in public school. The very existence of "educators" paid by taxpayors, who are willing to teach this kind of stuff is offensive. The distinct need to question authority becomes more urgent in cases like this, and I hate to see a third grader put in such a position.

This is what Gwinnett County Schools had to say for themselves, "In this one, the teachers were trying to do a cross-curricular activity," Gwinnett County school district spokeswoman Sloan Roach said.".....Yahoo News

A "cross-curricular activity"? Okay, for a bonus question, maybe the third graders should calculate the number of angels that can dance on the head of a pin!