Jackson Jambalaya

Well, this Desoto Supe clearly makes the case here for ending Mississippi's extremely odd practice of electing county school supes.

While I am no fan of charter schools being set-up in place of high-performing public schools, in the failing districts and neighborhoods, they should be allowed to be given a chance to be established and tried-out as an alternative that could well work.

So you are stuck in NE Madison County. The schools suck in that area. Under your logic, the kid is still trapped.

No charters will be established "in place of" any school.

If I had my way they would be. Starting with Provine and Wingfield and a couple of JPS Middle Schools. Leave the kids in the schools, replace the administrations and change the names.

9:16, Notice that I specifically pointed-out that if any local school(s) in any area or neighborhood is underperforming, even if it belongs to an entire district that generally performs well or is highly-rated, then a charter should be allowed to replace it. Yes, the kids can stay and the administration and faculty can be replaced.

Them DeSoto teachers must be easy marks if Kuykendall can buy them with as little as permission to wear blue jeans to work.

At least he didn't mention any candidate by name this time.

Politics and religion are excluded in the professional, modern model of pedagogy. This is the primary reason education is ineffective and lifeless. My point is that the teacher must be a whole person to be believable. The liberal values of pluralistic society can be maintained if educational law recognizes fundamental teacher values and their proper classroom transmission. Teachers must have a certain measure of independence to be effective.

7:41; What bullshit. You pulled that from a philosophy paper you turned in at Millsaps, right? Do you actually believe that classroom students ponder the believability of a teacher based on some analysis of how 'whole' they are or aren't?

I'm sure, though, that we will agree the teachers most 'effective' at mind control and indoctrination are those (in liberal institutions) left entirely to their own odd devices. I believe you called it 'independence'.

Academic freedom is what its called at the college level, Shadow. At the high school level its simply a good teacher who is honest about their assumptions. Sectarian or provincial ideas are challenged at the university, but not all pupils will have that opportunity to debate universal concepts. High school instructors don't want to be debated so they should demonstrate fully the premise and purpose of their instruction. At MC they call it 'educational leadership' for their teachers on an administrative track, but the logic must extend to every high school classroom.

Can any among this audience (by a show of hands please) let us know if any of your high school teachers were 'honest about their assumptions'?

Thank you. And as Kangaroot might say, "Golf clap please".

Honesty is a value, Shadow. Teachers are role models are required to exhibit the collective values of a community. Logical honesty is an academic value and a moral value, but not necessarily a 'legal value' or an 'economic value'. If a teacher is strictly seeking their own economic value, they might not be as effective as a teacher. They might forgo teaching in their home district of Holmes County and commute to Madison or Jackson where the pay is better. See today's story on the teacher credential scam for further demonstration of honesty.

I hate to call bullshit on you over and over; however, your latest bullshit trophy is awarded for your comment "Teachers...are required to exhibit the collective values of a community." Are you sure that's your final answer and you don't want to call a friend. Teachers reflecting the values of the inner city Jackson values is precisely the driver in JPS problems.

Your attempt to draw a parallel between poorly performing employees and applicants cheating on tests is quite a flopping cannon-ball in the deep end of education. I see not every foot soldier turned in his tin foil hat to the Paul campaign.

To be fair, you are right about several things: Honesty is a value. Teachers are role models. A greedy, selfish teacher might not be effective. And, a teacher might commute for more pay. You should stop there, though.