Monday, July 30, 2007
On teacher accountability
"The taxpayers want some accountability for the tax dollars we spend and see wasted in our schools. No Child Left Behind is a way to gauge success or failure."
"Are the same teachers not the ones who also teach the students who perform high above proficient level and into the advanced? Do we say good job for that?"
"This community has the right to take the school administration, teachers and unions to task. The are paid by the taxpayers to educate our children. They have failed! They don't teach, they don't maintain the buildings, but they whine! They whine about NCLB because it is a way to measure the success of our students, which should be the ultimate goal of our schools. Unfortunately, the ultimate goal of our schools is to assure that every teacher has a gold-plated retirement and medical package that will eventually bankrupt our community."
"All the district bashing is a waste -- I wish that all the people who took the time to write a letter bashing the schools would also take an hour to work in a classroom, and see all the wonderful things that are happening there."
"Why stop bashing teachers? They are the ones who get job guarantees called tenure, they are the ones who have the union backing them on everything (except for quality of education), they are the ones my kids see every day. They must be held to the absolute highest level of performance. The best way to do that is to require results. NCLB requires results."
"Before you criticize my child's teacher, I hope to shout you take a look at how each child is being parented. There are children in my child's class who have every video game out there hooked up to televisions in their bedrooms. They come to school without breakfast, completed homework, no at-home reading, not enough sleep -- and people want to blame a teacher."
On downtown trolley
"I am sick of paying for this trolley! I am sick of never seeing anyone on it! Eleven riders an hour could take the bus! ... Put the money for better use."
"This is a waste of money, manpower, diesel and gas, damage to roads and contributes to global warming with no benefit. The Napa County Transportation and Planning Authority is out of control."
"When the huge, five-story hotel gets built, as well as high end shops, the trolley will carry the tourists more. I can't wait until the downtown looks like a thriving area instead of the dump it looks like today."
"The tourists who come to the valley from all over the world are attracted to this valley because of its vineyards, wineries and world-class restaurants, spas, etc... The hotels will draw them downtown -- to sleep. Then, we'll have even more drunk drivers making their way back to their downtown digs after a day of wine tasting ... Downtown Napa will never be able to compete with the rest of the valley."