[Rhodes22-list] Satire: Fundimentals

Bill Effros bill at effros.com
Fri May 27 11:46:03 EDT 2005


PS.  Adult ADD is Liberal claptrap.  If you can't spell, take 
responsibility for it.

Bill Effros

Bill Effros wrote:

> Bard,
>
> I believe when you are dogmatically advancing a position regarding 
> fundamentals, at the very least you can employ the fundamentals you 
> are so stridently advocating.
>
> Michael's spelling is always correct when he uses voice recognition, 
> and his spell checker won't pick up homonyms or spoonerisms.
>
> Bill Effros
>
>
> brad haslett wrote:
>
>> Bill,
>>
>> MJM's voice recognition software set the curve for
>> spelling on this list.  Those of us with adult ADD get
>> our self-esteem bruised when other's point out that we
>> can't spell for shit or are too lazy to use spell
>> check.  Here's an article that supports my position.
>>
>> Brad
>>
>>    Spelling bee protesters: "Enuf is enuf!"
>> By Carl Weiser, Gannett News Service
>> WASHINGTON -- Protesters delivered a message Wednesday
>> to the national spelling bee: Enuf is enuf!
>> Seven members of the American Literacy Society
>> picketed the 77th annual spelling bee, which is
>> sponsored every year by Cincinnati-based Scripps
>> Howard.
>>
>> The protesters' complaint: English spelling is
>> illogical. And the national spelling bee only
>> reinforces the crazy spellings that lead to dyslexia,
>> high illiteracy, and harder lives for immigrants.
>>
>> "We advocate the modernization of English spelling,"
>> said Pete Boardman, 58, of Groton, N.Y. The Cornell
>> University bus driver admitted to being a terrible
>> speller.
>>
>> Protester Elizabeth Kuizenga, 56, is such a good
>> speller she teaches English as a second language in
>> San Francisco. She said she got involved in the
>> protest after seeing how much time was wasted teaching
>> spelling in her class.
>>
>> Bee spokesman Mark Kroeger said good spelling comes
>> from knowing the story behind a word -- what language
>> it comes from, what it means.
>>
>> "For these kids who understand the root words, who
>> understand the etymology, it's totally logical," he
>> said.
>>
>> The protesters contend that the illogical spelling of
>> English words makes dyslexia more difficult to
>> overcome and helps explain why one in five Americans
>> are functionally illiterate.
>>
>> "If these people were able to read and write with a
>> simplified spelling system, they would be able to fill
>> out a job application, stay employed, and stay out of
>> prison," said Sanford Silverman, 86. The retired
>> accountant from Cleveland was handing out copies of
>> his book, "Spelling for the 21st Century: The case for
>> spelling reform."
>>
>> Carrying signs reading "I'm thru with through,"
>> "Spelling shuud be lojical," and "Spell different
>> difrent," the protesters -- who first protested two
>> years ago, but skipped last year -- drew chuckles from
>> bee contestants.
>>
>> "I can't believe people are picketing against
>> something this ridiculous," said Steven Maheshwary,
>> 14, of Houston, who successfully spelled "Zoroastrian"
>> in the bee.
>>
>> Or as 13-year-old contestant (tautologous) Rachel
>> Karas of Flint, Mich., put it: "It's just spelling.
>> You gotta learn it."
>>
>>
>>
>>  
>>
>>  
>>
>> --- Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>>
>>  
>>
>>> According to my Daddys liturature curriculi
>>> counsellors, administators have succumed to poor spelling
>>> fundimentals.
>>>
>>> Bill Effros
>>>
>>>
>>> Philip Esteban wrote:
>>>
>>>   
>>>
>>>> I am not wealthy by any stretch, but I send my son
>>>>     
>>>
>>> to private school (which
>>>   
>>>
>>>> means I probably have to postpone purchasing a
>>>>     
>>>
>>> boat).  My older boy went
>>>   
>>>
>>>> through the abysmal public school system  and I
>>>>     
>>>
>>> regret the decision to this
>>>   
>>>
>>>> day (and yes, I have taught in the public schools
>>>>     
>>>
>>> system and so has my
>>>   
>>>
>>>> wife).  The public schools have become a
>>>>     
>>>
>>> politically correct liberal forum
>>>   
>>>
>>>> for issuing condoms, undermining parental authority
>>>>     
>>>
>>> and values and have
>>>   
>>>
>>>> drifted away from teaching the fundimentals.  Most
>>>>     
>>>
>>> of this can be laid at
>>>   
>>>
>>>> the feet of the liberals (usually Democrats) who
>>>>     
>>>
>>> are in bed with the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> teacher's unions.  A union's charter is, by its
>>>>     
>>>
>>> nature, to protect the job
>>>   
>>>
>>>> of its members.  The teacher's unions are no
>>>>     
>>>
>>> different and they get a pass
>>>   
>>>
>>>> for illegal political activities as well (by the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> way, I am also a union
>>>   
>>>
>>>> member since 1976, though not the teacher's union).
>>>>
>>>> More liberal claptrap is the canard that more money
>>>>     
>>>
>>> means better education.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Washington DC spends in excess of 15k per student
>>>>     
>>>
>>> and has a 50% drop out
>>>   
>>>
>>>> rate.  The public school system is failing.  When I
>>>>     
>>>
>>> went to school in the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> 60s we routinely had 30+ children per class and we
>>>>     
>>>
>>> received a fairly good
>>>   
>>>
>>>> education.  That was before the curriculi
>>>>     
>>>
>>> degenerated.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Some examples:  Punishing a child for pointing a
>>>>     
>>>
>>> french fry and saying bang;
>>>   
>>>
>>>> allowing a child to be assaulted daily (even though
>>>>     
>>>
>>> he complains to several
>>>   
>>>
>>>> teachers) but kicking the assaulted child out of
>>>>     
>>>
>>> school for writing Kill
>>>   
>>>
>>>> "[Name]" with no sanction to the aggressor; not
>>>>     
>>>
>>> allowing pictures of the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Minute Men because they carry guns; the recent
>>>>     
>>>
>>> issue of a principal not
>>>   
>>>
>>>> allowing the picture of a recent graduate in the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> school (the assignment was
>>>   
>>>
>>>> to bring a picture of a graduate of the school in
>>>>     
>>>
>>> his job or school) because
>>>   
>>>
>>>> that student is a US Marine in Iraq and was
>>>>     
>>>
>>> carrying a weapon; the schools
>>>   
>>>
>>>> in our area stopped having award ceremonies for
>>>>     
>>>
>>> kids who did extremely well
>>>   
>>>
>>>> because it "isn't fair to those who don't get
>>>>     
>>>
>>> awards" or it "hurts the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> self-esteem". . .
>>>>
>>>> This doesn't begin to scratch the surface.
>>>>
>>>> As for fund cutting, that is ridiculous.  Cutting
>>>>     
>>>
>>> the amount of increase is
>>>   
>>>
>>>> not "cutting" funds.  When the federal government
>>>>     
>>>
>>> (under the liberal Clinton
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Administration) can require Medicaid to fund Viagra
>>>>     
>>>
>>> (in general, not just to
>>>   
>>>
>>>> sex offenders as recently covered in the news) then
>>>>     
>>>
>>> they don't need more
>>>   
>>>
>>>> funds for other things.  You can argue life saving
>>>>     
>>>
>>> medications for people
>>>   
>>>
>>>> unable to afford it, but why should we pay for
>>>>     
>>>
>>> someone to have sex?  Then
>>>   
>>>
>>>> they come after us for more taxes for schools and
>>>>     
>>>
>>> the like.  Then the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> schools don't teach the fundimentals.  Once upon a
>>>>     
>>>
>>> time a person leaving
>>>   
>>>
>>>> highschool learned to be a good citizen.  College
>>>>     
>>>
>>> opened their horizons to
>>>   
>>>
>>>> the deeper meanings of our history, liturature,
>>>>     
>>>
>>> math and science, but first
>>>   
>>>
>>>> the basics.  Not anymore.  Now they get condoms;
>>>>     
>>>
>>> Billy has two daddys; they
>>>   
>>>
>>>> learn about the "Nine" amendments to the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> Constitution (leave out the Second
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Amendment); they can have "holiday celebrations"
>>>>     
>>>
>>> and can study every
>>>   
>>>
>>>> religious holiday activity except Christian
>>>>     
>>>
>>> holidays etc.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> There may still be a few good public schools in
>>>>     
>>>
>>> this country, but they are
>>>   
>>>
>>>> far and few between.  An indicator is the teacher's
>>>>     
>>>
>>> unions opposition to
>>>   
>>>
>>>> standards.  They don't want to be held accountable
>>>>     
>>>
>>> and it shows.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> There is more and you are deluding yourself if you
>>>>     
>>>
>>> ignore them.  I know
>>>   
>>>
>>>> teaching is a tough job and unfunded mandates eat
>>>>     
>>>
>>> into budgets, but the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> schools began a downward slide years ago when the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> administators began to
>>>   
>>>
>>>> outnumber the teachers.  Recently in Virginia, the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> legislature succumed to
>>>   
>>>
>>>> pressure from the teacher's unions to leave the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> "guidance counsellors" in
>>>   
>>>
>>>> place in the elementary schools instead of
>>>>     
>>>
>>> converting most of those
>>>   
>>>
>>>> positions to reading teachers (reading scores were
>>>>     
>>>
>>> falling and we are
>>>   
>>>
>>>> producing a generation of illiterate people).  Why
>>>>     
>>>
>>> do we need guidance
>>>   
>>>
>>>> counsellors in elementary school?
>>>>
>>>> Philip
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org
>>>> [mailto:rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org]On
>>>>     
>>>
>>> Behalf Of Slim
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 5:41 AM
>>>> To: Rhodes
>>>> Subject: Re: [Rhodes22-list]Public Schools, was
>>>>     
>>>
>>> Public Radio and TV
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Philip,
>>>>
>>>> Why are you against public schools?  I admit, there
>>>>     
>>>
>>> are many problems,
>>>   
>>>
>>>> mostly caused by union-bashing, fund-cutting
>>>>     
>>>
>>> republicans; but the public
>>>   
>>>
>>>> schools are our best resource, period.  Shouldn't
>>>>     
>>>
>>> we be giving our youth the
>>>   
>>>
>>>> best that we can?  Private schools cost money that
>>>>     
>>>
>>> most do not need to pay.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> The public system is as good as the funding.  Offer
>>>>     
>>>
>>> a decent wage and you
>>>   
>>>
>>>> attract decent teachers.  Where I live, Minnesota,
>>>>     
>>>
>>> the average life-span of
>>>   
>>>
>>>> a new teacher is three years before they find
>>>>     
>>>
>>> better pay/conditions
>>>   
>>>
>>>> elsewhere.  It's abysmal.  It's a very tough job.     
>>>
>>> I know - been there, done
>>>   
>>>
>>>> that.  Have you?
>>>>
>>>> It's easy to sit back and complain, but consider
>>>>     
>>>
>>> this:  The law requires
>>>   
>>>
>>>> specifically mandated curriculum but doesn't fund
>>>>     
>>>
>>> it, and so private schools
>>>   
>>>
>>>> have to send students to the public schools for
>>>>     
>>>
>>> whatever they can't provide,
>>>   
>>>
>>>> e.g., special ed, phy ed, science, or whatever.     
>>>
>>> And then the public schools
>>>   
>>>
>>>> have to take these students, for which they are NOT
>>>>     
>>>
>>> paid, and provide
>>>   
>>>
>>>> service because it's the law.  Private schools want
>>>>     
>>>
>>> to have their cake and
>>>   
>>>
>>>> eat it too.  It's just not fair because it puts the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> public schools in a
>>>   
>>>
>>>> deeper hole than they're already in.  If you want
>>>>     
>>>
>>> to send your kid to
>>>   
>>>
>>>> private school, fine, but don't send him to the
>>>>     
>>>
>>> public school for gym.  But
>>>   
>>>
>>>> you'll have to change the law first.
>>>>
>>>> What really bugs me is that everybody thinks
>>>>     
>>>
>>> they're an expert, e.g.,
>>>   
>>>
>>>> legislators, governors, parents--none of whom have
>>>>     
>>>
>>> ever set foot in a
>>>   
>>>
>>>> classroom.  They keep coming up with nothing but
>>>>     
>>>
>>> educational gimmicks that
>>>   
>>>
>>>> do nothing but waste the valuable time and money of
>>>>     
>>>
>>> teachers.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Philip, teaching a kid to read is not rocket
>>>>     
>>>
>>> science, but it becomes
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Herculean without the proper resources.  If you
>>>>     
>>>
>>> want to see our public
>>>   
>>>
>>>> system collapse, we'll be putting our youth and
>>>>     
>>>
>>> therefore our country at a
>>>   
>>>
>>>> disadvantage.  Privatizing leads to nothing but
>>>>     
>>>
>>> discrimination and elitism.
>>>   
>>>
>>>> Is that what you really want for our country--even
>>>>     
>>>
>>> more of the "haves" and
>>>   
>>>
>>>> the "have-nots?"  Should we abandon our nation's
>>>>     
>>>
>>> entire educational
>>>   
>>>
>>>> infrastructure to accommodate you and yours?
>>>>
>>>> Slim
>>>>
>>>>     
>>>
>> === message truncated ===
>>
>>
>>
>>        
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>>
>>  
>>
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