Ohio School Report Cards: WTF (Wow That’s Funny)
An abject, egregious behemoth, which focuses on achievement, progress, gap closing, graduation, early literacy, college, career, workforce and military (war?) readiness. Test scores are not the apotheosis of schooling or learning. It’s a cavil policy developed by the miscreants of the corporate oligarchy and state board of education.
It’s a fact that if all of the teachers and administrators from Chagrin Schools (4.8/5) and West G Schools (4.7/5) were transferred to Chardon Schools (4.3/5), Kenston Schools (4.2/5), Berkshire Schools (3.66/5) or Cardinal Schools (3.0/5) for one-year, academic achievement and test scores would not improve significantly. The same analogy would apply to elementary and middle schools.
How about changing homes for one year? Psychologist’s and social psychologists would really be interested in this paradigm research investigation. The epilogue of “Teacher and Child” by Dr. Haim G. Ginott states, “Dear colleagues: I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness. Gas chambers built by learned engineers, children poisoned by educated physicians, infants killed by trained nurses, women and babies shot and burned by high school and college graduates. So, I am suspicious of education. My request is: Help your students become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters, skilled psycho-sociopaths, educated Eichmanns. Reading, writing, math are important only if they serve to make our children more humane.”
What the teacher is-is more important than what s/he teaches: Karl Menninger MD. The worst sin? The mutilation of a child’s spirit: Erik Erikson. You can get all As and still flunk life: Marian Wright Edelman.
David Hancock
Chester Township
Demand Fair Districts
Ohio is now in the process of creating a new map of congressional districts, the only state mandated by law to do so now. Fair is fair. The new map should accurately reflect Ohio’s voting preferences—average 55% Republican (R) to 45% Democrat (D). The Republicans in the statehouse are on track to do the opposite.
The Democrat map in Senate Bill 259 and House Bill 442, presented on Sept. 22, shows eight seats leaning Republican and seven leaning Democrat (about 54% R, 46% D). Over 80 other maps were submitted as well.
The Republicans have yet to introduce a map. And when they do, they will ram it through at the last minute to avoid scrutiny and public comment.
It is rumored that the GOP plans to reduce the Democratic seats to two or three.
Republican rhetoric dupes Ohioans into thinking the Democrats “gerrymandered” its proposed map because it increases the number of Democratic seats. Wrong. It reflects how Ohioans vote. The gerrymandered map is the current one—with 10 Republican and five Democratic seats (66% R to 33% D).
Last year, Issue 1 (to create an independent redistricting commission) failed, in part, because of misleading ballot language and Republican rhetoric that duped Ohioans into thinking a “No” vote on Issue 1 was a vote against gerrymandering.
And here we are: A Republican supermajority General Assembly (“GA”) that will use gerrymandering to create unfair, unconstitutional districts that favor Republicans. If the GA approves maps that are anything but a nine (R) to six (D) or an eight (R) to seven (D) split, then that’s gerrymandering and the GOP lied to the public.
We are in danger of losing our republic. Congress is willingly handing over its power to the executive branch. We need more Democratic voices in Congress to stop the rush to authoritarianism.
Don’t like what’s going on in Washington? Contact State Sen. Sandra O’Brien (614-466-7182, email: O’Brien@ohiosenate.gov) and State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur (614-466-1405; email: Rep99@ohiohouse.gov ) and demand they vote for fair congressional districts.
Anne Houdek
Burton Township
Trip to Mars
President Trump is quoted as saying, and I paraphrase, “James Comey is a dirty cop, everyone knows this.” Many of us citizens feel Mr. Comey has had a sterling reputation. How dare the President say this about an individual who it seems he has instructed his justice department to indict. Trying to influence the jury Mr. President?
Many feel the real dirty cop is Mr. Trump, perhaps the dirtiest president in the history of our country. And the members of the House and Senate who put up with his likely illegal or unconstitutional actions should hang their heads in shame. The citizens will remember at the midterm if we still have a democracy/republic in which we are still allowed to vote.
Maybe I should expect a lawsuit from mister Trump shortly . . . or maybe he will order Elon Musk to send me on a one-way trip to Mars?
John G. Augustine
Parkman Township
