Rick Santorum Answers Questions On Science, Education, & Global Warming

A representative from the group Skeptics Guide to the Government interviews Rick Santorum on science, education, and global warming.



H/T Lisa Graas

Teachers Unions Destroying Education in this Country? This is a Job for Superman

I recently viewed the education documentary "Waiting for Superman".  The film makes one thing crystal clear: that the main problem with our public school education system is the teachers unions.  It is self-evident that throwing more and more money into the Department of Education over the years has not solved the issues in relation to our educational system.  Our educational system is broken.

One person who is trying to change our broken education system is Michelle Rhee.  She is trying to pick up those shattered pieces, to repair them, and stand up for the kids so they are taught the skills to have a chance at being successful in their adult life.  But unfortunately the system and unions bucked her efforts. For decades the unions have been creating generations of children who will be dependent on the government because of the teachers having no clear incentive to teach well.  Maybe this is because the Democrats' are in the teachers unions pockets and they believe in Big Government and want to create an atmosphere where multitudes of adults are dependent on the government they put on a pedestal?

One of the main problems with the teachers unions is that the teachers have a total lack of accountability.  It doesn't matter to the unions if there are teachers who are incompetent and not meeting certain standards because as the head of of the NTA stated they are "against proposals that divide people".  This statement is bizarre!  She wants both good and bad teachers to be treated the same.  This type of thinking is exactly why our education system is so screwed up.  There are no incentives for being a good teacher.  I mean one would think that all teachers are duty bound to teach their kids properly.  But, I guess both the lackadaisical attitude and this I-am-owed-something attitude has spread so rampantly amongst all Democratically controlled sectors of employment that it has become quite infectious to the detriment of both past and present generations.  These teachers unions want all teachers to be treated like robots who were all programmed the same.  Couldn't they at least be all programmed to be good teachers instead of a preponderance of them sucking so bad I wonder how the heck they passed tests to become teachers in the first place?

Michelle Rhee founded an organization called Students First. Here is the website.  Their mission statement is:

Our mission is to build a national movement to defend the interests of children in public education and pursue transformative reform, so that America has the best education system in the world. 

Students First has put together some statistics which are quite alarming.

"The literacy rates among fourth grade students in America are sobering. In a recent report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, one out of three students scored "below basic" on the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) Reading Test. Among these low performing students, 49 percent come from low-income families. Even more alarming is the fact that more than 67 percent of all US fourth graders scored "below proficient," meaning they are not reading at grade level.

"Reading proficiency among middle and high school students isn't much better. On the 2009 NAEP Reading Test, about 26 percent of eighth graders and 27 percent of twelfth graders scored below the "basic" level, and only 32 percent of eighth graders and 38 percent of twelfth graders are at or above grade level."

It is going to be hard for our kids to compete in the global market for jobs such engineers, scientists, physicians, and creative entrepreneurs when according to an assesment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development finds that 15-year-olds in the U.S. placed 25th out of 30 countries in math performance and 21st in science performance. 

Test scores have not improved in decades. "In April 2009, Education Week reported that average math and reading scores for 17-year-olds in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) tests have remained stagnant since the 1970s. And according to The Journal, fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores "have barely budged since 1992," despite policy and investment focused on improving overall student achievement."  

This is a serious problem which must be addressed and cannot be kicked down the road because of unions demands.  And, let me take a huge leap here and say that our public education system's priority is supposed to be about the kids, teaching them the skills to excel and succeed in life and NOT about the adults.  Teachers need to be held accountable for their job performance, like other jobs.  We cannot afford to drop the ball on this as we have done in the past because if we do the United States will no longer be a global leader of innovation for our children won't even have a clue what that word means let alone understand the concepts of hard work and responsibility.

EAGLE FREEDOM LINKS -- 2-9-2011 Ronald Reagan Style

EAGLE FREEDOM LINKS

Opus #6 explains why Obama is both clueless and absent in mind, body, and spirit.

Sig94 talks about Obama's backstabbing policies and asks So this is how we treat our friends?

A Patriotic Rottweiler shows us An Egyptian campaign flyer.

JR tells us about the Inverted reality of warmism.

LarryD posts on the possibility of their being a Eucharistic miracle in Michigan.

Andrew33 asks Is Obama guilty of sedition? 

Matt posts Pundits vs. Beck: Winner, Beck

Always On Watch celebrates the Ronald Reagan centennial.

Another Black Conservative informs us that AOL has acquired the Huffington Post.

Barking Spider shows us a fiery exchange between Hannity and Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary.

BBCW posts The Patriot Act: We are all terrorists in the eyes of the government.

Subvet posts on the Death of a once great nation.

Bluegrass Pundit shows us the liar-in-chief claiming that Obamacare is not socialist.






Chris shows us the clever Dismantling of Keith Olbermann, MSNBC, and Ed Schultz

Quite Rightly shows us Ronald Reagan telling Soviet jokes.

Common Cents shows us Bill O'Reilly's interview with President Obama.

Christopher gives us a peak into the awesome nature of Yosemite.

Conservative Girl With a Voice posts Ronald Reagan's legacy lives on.

Conservative Scalawag posts on Guns for everyone.






Matthew Archbold posts Red State vs. the CDC on abortion stats.

Tito posts on Militant Gays/Anti-Christians targeting Chick-Fil-A 

Deacon For Life posts Planned Parenthood sting video reveals disturbing NAF connection.

Amusing Bunni has a post on Snowpocalypse 2011 and please go over to her site and congratulate Bunni on her 4th Anniversary blogging.

Woodsterman has posted some wonderful music by Krista Branch.

Angel has posted on Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood 

Dave posts Al Gore and Keith Olbermann: A marriage made in hell.

Fr. Z informs us that the Obama administration rewards another nun.

LL asks a great question: Is the Obama spending freeze a scam? 

Trestin is back and The Answer to combat all the evil in the world.

Fr. Philip found some great links Coffee Cup browsing.

EconomyPolitics posts that the Explosion at the Egyptian gas terminal was in fact the work of terrorists.

Jamie shows us the beautiful Sarah Palin on horseback.

Fausty shows us the Bloody history of Communism.

Fuzzy Slippers posted Doing it sprog style 

EHVOGEL says Happy Birthday President Reagan.

Steve posts Black History Month: Clarence E. Sasser 

Hack Wilson shows us and reaffirms that Left Wing academia breeds stupidity.

Innominatus posts on Egyptian violence.

Joe exposes who is the True Party of hate.

Just a Conservative Girl posts The Minions Speak up about a success story.

Just an Artist posts a Frank Zappa song.

Left Coast Rebel gives us the latest Nanny state alert.

TOTUS posts Texas girl on gun control.

Theblogprof posts Irony: Hamtrack, MI going bankrupt but still gives 3% raises to unions. 

The Right Guy points out that Cameron is being called racist for telling the truth.

Miss Pfaff posts The States can't afford Obamacare.  

The Watcher posts on Government 'assistance' 

Kevin tells us about Acupuncture without needles.

The Malcontent asks Would you re-elect Obama as our president? 

Chris W posts on Tom Woods and his fight against federal tyranny.

Samuel post on a funny comedy.

Most Rev. Gregori posts on Obama's Christianity.

Eric Dondero posts that Rendell splits from wife and that he is "Mr. X" 

Stopsign gives us a proper rendition of The National Anthem.

Robot says Look no further for the racist calls for violence. 

Watch Dog posts that Meghan McCain is clueless.

Fuzzys Dad posts on Mandatory Arabic classes Coming to Mansfield, TX. 

Leticia posts some Funny animal videos.

LL posts on the Utopian fantasy.

No Sheeples Here! gives us a sneak peak into Iranium.

Joe asks Monarchy or Republic? A Discussion. 

Bob Belvedere posts on the fact that there is No escape  from the overreaching power of Obama.

JKShaws posts on Dangerously underestimating the Muslim Brotherhood.

Matt posts Education: Our greatest battle? 

RightHandMan posts on Spoiled milk and bad gas: something stinks.

John showed us his pick for funniest super bowl commercial.

Maggie posts that the White House pretty much says to judge Screw you and will implement Obamacare.

Eman says If he ever had a man-crush .....

Pedaling Fast posts If a liberal and a tea partier had been aboard the Titanic. 

Ponderings shows us The Grace Card trailer. 

Proof informs us that Conservative Democrats find new home in GOP.

Jill posts that the Buffalo beheader was convicted in one hour. 

Randy posts on Obama's Egypt policy. 

Reaganite Republican shows us the Virtual online Sistine Chapel. 

Euripedes posts on Obama's ideology. 

Cube shows us a most fascinating video of The cat & the crow. 

The Born Again Americans say Dumbo has gone a step too far.

The Conservative Lady posts on the Obama administration's habit of flipping the bird. 

John Galt posts on Lady Godiva - the true founder of the tea party. 

Country Thinker tells us How the housing bubble disproved "global warming" 

The Other McCain posts Death by political correctness.

 LD posts on Chaos in Cairo.

Pamela Geller posts Muslim supremacists kill Christian teenagers for reading Bible.

Steve Dennis posts that the House will vote to cut off Obamacare funding next week.

Changing Educational Paradigms Must Include Stopping Unions from Having a Stranglehold on Kids' Education

For the most part, our educational system is a debacle with massive amounts of money being misallocated by school districts. Our tax dollars are going down the tubes.  During the 2002-03 school year $440 billion was used to fund public education for kids from prekindergarten through secondary school.  Unfortunately because of the misappropriation of funds in order to benefit the adults instead of the students the effects of this have produced consequences including:  illiteracy, high secondary school drop out rates in democratically-controlled areas of the United States, and in 2009 results of testing showed that ONLY 60 percent of high school students are proficient in basic science skills .  These aforementioned examples show that it is imperative that we change the educational paradigm in the United States.  One question worth posing is what exactly does the phrase "basic science skills" refer to today?  How basic is "basic"?  The fact that 40 percent of high school students are unable to pass the basic proficiency science test is highly disconcerting and unconscionable.  This is further evidence that our public schools are failing, and the teachers' unions are failing to provide children with a good education. 
The teachers union in Detroit will have nothing to do with compromising their benefits for the sake of either the school children or the city of Detroit.  The unions greedy nature may force the closure of half of the public schools in Detroit.  If the unions, democrats and President Obama actually cared about educating our kids properly they would not have been against the DC Opportunities Scholarship Program (a voucher program), and defunded it. The program was an instant hit, and according to the Dept. of Education it was working. This program in Washington D.C. was helping disadvantaged youths yet those (Democrats and unions) who claim to champion for kids quashed the program which was working.  How dare those happy and successful kids siphon away money from unions (sarcasm). 


Virginia Walden Ford is an advocate for school choice.  As an adolescent her son William started struggling with academics and eventually started getting into trouble with the law.  Then a generous next door neighbor's intervention changed the trajectory of her son's life when he offered to help pay for William to attend a local parochial school. In a matter of only months there was a major transformation: William went from being an angry kid to really enjoying the learning process. After 2 years he transferred to a charter school and graduated as Valedictorian. He enlisted in the Marines, served in Iraq, and is now working for a real estate company in the Washington D.C. area.  After seeing how much a nurturing school enhanced her son's education in the 1990's Virginia became an outspoken advocate for the D.C. vouchers bill. Unfortunately the program was cancelled in 2009 but after the 2010 mid-term elections Ford is hopeful that with the help of Speaker of the House John Boehner the D.C. voucher program will breathe new life soon. 

With all the issues in our educational system it is an absolute necessity that we change the educational paradigm in order to prevent a calamitous outcome for the United States. 




Here are two videos on reforming our educational system. The first video is a trailer for the movie "Kids Aren't cars" and the second video is on changing educational paradigms. 






RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms

Young Grizzly Slams Olbermann for 'Worst' Person Label

First my thoughts:
Olbermann, the lie teller, who practices hypocrisy quite often accuses Bristol Palin of hypocrisy since she is a spokesperson for abstinence education and just happens to be a teen mother.  I say, don't worry Bristol at least your not like Olbermann who promotes the murder of countless innocents all out of selfishness. He promotes the immorality of both men and women who claim to need a sex fix and engage in a one night stand while not taking responsibility for his or her actions.  And, no the woman or man taking responsibility does not consist of propping up, being complicit in or partaking in the act of murdering a separate human being in the mother's womb.  Taking responsibility for one's fling in the hay is doing as Bristol Palin has done and is still doing - having the child, taking care of the child by working hard to provide for her son Tripp, and loving her son with all her heart.  Murder - abortion- is NOT LOVE!!!  Murdering an innocent defenseless unborn human being is one of the coldest, cruelest, evil acts a person could do.  So you can take that and stuff it where the sun don't shine Mr. Know-It-All, selfish, arrogant Olbermoron!!! 

Here is Bristol Palin's response to Keith Olbermann as posted on The Blaze:

Recently, a left wing commentator named Keith Olbermann attacked me for being a spokesperson for abstinence education and for being an Ambassador for the Candies Foundation, which promotes teen pregnancy awareness and prevention education. He went so far as to call me “the worst person” he knows, apparently, for my efforts to educate teenagers about the real world risks of premarital sex.


Accusing me of hypocrisy is by now, an old canard. What Mr. Olbermann lacks in originality he makes up for with insincere incredulity. Mr. Olbermann fails to understand that in order to have credibility as a spokesperson, it sometimes takes a person who has made mistakes. Parents warn their children about the mistakes they made so they are not repeated. Former gang members travel to schools to educate teenagers about the risks of gang life. Recovered addicts lecture to others about the risks of alcohol and drug abuse. And yes, a teen mother talks about the benefits of preventing teen pregnancy.

I have never claimed to be perfect. If that makes me the “worst person in the world” to Mr. Olbermann, then I must apologize for not being absolutely faultless like he undoubtedly must be.

To Mr. Olbermann let me say this: you can attack me all you want. But you will not stop me from getting my message out about teen pregnancy prevention. And one day, if you ever have a daughter, you may change your mind about me.

Bristol Palin