Originally excised from a LVRJ Forum
You misunderstand.
A movie theatre is *private* property. The operator sells you a ticket. He can *eject* you for being noisy. If you don't like his rules, go someplace else. A public school is *public* property. Free speech rules apply. Every time. That's what the constitutional gurarentee is all about.
Here we go, again. The government creates a right out of thin air and the next thing you know, some minority class which just wants to be left alone must defer to a majority who wishes to "exercise" that right. In the case of public education, kids who don't want to be there are *forced* to sit quietly in a classroom for 6 hours (or else). Sorry, but there's NO WAY you can deny those kids a right to speak on their phones, especially if they're being considerate. If their inattention disturbs you, too bad.
The same goes for drivers.
Once again, BIG Government creates conflicts which only lawyers debating ad infinitum can resolve. You know, questions like:
"Should guns be allowed in public schools?", and
'Should Hotel Thayer be required to offer Kosher food?'
Resolutions of which would inevitably *reinforce* BIG Government. To use the classroom example, some Judge who knows *nothing* would issue a ruling which "balances" rights, but he'd NEVER sign an opinion which observes that the government has set up a situtation where conflicts are inevitable and if the government would just butt out of education the entire problem would go away.
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Charitable Foundations
Originally attempted to post in a LVRJ Forum. Four times.
Board trustees said the transitional allowance will be funded with donations from the Lincy Foundation, the charity of Kirk Kerkorian
The foundation gave the district $13.8 million in 2008 to use for empowerment schools .. Jones recently got Lincy's permission and School Board approval to use $375,000 in leftover funds on consultants .. a $1.8 million grant from the Lincy Foundation to pay for an outside analysis of the reorganization of the district
I'm very impressed that KK dropped out in 8th grade. We know how *he* really feels about public education. It's no surprise that his Foundation agitates for the OPPOSITE. I'll bet you the *majority* of business tycoon granted foundations end up like that. My favorite one is probably the Duke's, which must be the world's most aggressive anti-smoking organzation.
Sooner or later these foundations come under the control of idiot princes who need the mental tranquility and peer acceptance which flow from backing PC causes. They also believe it rehabilitates the family's reputation.
Odds are that Lincy is just a big trust account for Linda and Tracy, that its CEO makes $1M++, and all the girls' personal expenses -- including travel and wardrobe -- are billed to it.
Hey, LINda & TraCY! How was the wedding?
Board trustees said the transitional allowance will be funded with donations from the Lincy Foundation, the charity of Kirk Kerkorian
The foundation gave the district $13.8 million in 2008 to use for empowerment schools .. Jones recently got Lincy's permission and School Board approval to use $375,000 in leftover funds on consultants .. a $1.8 million grant from the Lincy Foundation to pay for an outside analysis of the reorganization of the district
I'm very impressed that KK dropped out in 8th grade. We know how *he* really feels about public education. It's no surprise that his Foundation agitates for the OPPOSITE. I'll bet you the *majority* of business tycoon granted foundations end up like that. My favorite one is probably the Duke's, which must be the world's most aggressive anti-smoking organzation.
Sooner or later these foundations come under the control of idiot princes who need the mental tranquility and peer acceptance which flow from backing PC causes. They also believe it rehabilitates the family's reputation.
Odds are that Lincy is just a big trust account for Linda and Tracy, that its CEO makes $1M++, and all the girls' personal expenses -- including travel and wardrobe -- are billed to it.
Hey, LINda & TraCY! How was the wedding?
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
How Many Teachers Does Clark County Really Need?
"Free" education combined with compulsory attendance has completely distorted the demand for teachers. It's not hard to estimate by how much.
If we abolished truancy laws probably 65% of CCSD students would dropout immediately, and not look back. That's ~200,000 kids who would refuse to go to *any* school -- academic, sports, arts, etc -- under any circumstances.
If CCSD charged actual cost for its "services" (~$12,000/kid*yr) it would immediately find itself noncompetitive with private schools. Sponsors of ~100,000 motivated, not destitute CCSD kids would find private alternatives, ranging from "classic" 180 d/y 6+ h/d schools down to 1 h/w schools. On average, about 1.5 h/d x 4d/w x 31 w/y.
Within CCSD the *real* aggregate demand is only ~18.6M h/y of instruction, not including the 3,000 or so hopelessly poor kids which CCSD would have to teach as part of the state's safety net.
Clark County already has ~34,000 kids in traditional private schools. ~36.7M h/y. When all those new privates open for the 100K influx, it's certain that the established schools will lose share. Over time, > 50%. But for starters, assume 5,000 (15%) leave. Net, that aggregate demand is:
~33.5M h/y [31.2M+ (5,000 x 4d/w x 3 h/d x 39 w/y)]
Therefore, in ALL of Clark County, the real demand for K-12 education services is ~52M hours of instruction per year.
Since each teacher works 2,000 h/y, as a first approximation the demand for teachers is ~26,000. Of course that would be for a 1:1 ratio and NOBODY ever mentions a CSR of *that* extent. 18:1 is a little more realistic. Therefore, a reasonable, ballpark guess is
1,444 teachers. That's right.
This estimate sounds *very* reasonable. It indicates that, as a result of unnecessary regulations, CCSD employs > 10X as many teachers as it should. Which is typical where government work is concerned.
If we abolished truancy laws probably 65% of CCSD students would dropout immediately, and not look back. That's ~200,000 kids who would refuse to go to *any* school -- academic, sports, arts, etc -- under any circumstances.
If CCSD charged actual cost for its "services" (~$12,000/kid*yr) it would immediately find itself noncompetitive with private schools. Sponsors of ~100,000 motivated, not destitute CCSD kids would find private alternatives, ranging from "classic" 180 d/y 6+ h/d schools down to 1 h/w schools. On average, about 1.5 h/d x 4d/w x 31 w/y.
Within CCSD the *real* aggregate demand is only ~18.6M h/y of instruction, not including the 3,000 or so hopelessly poor kids which CCSD would have to teach as part of the state's safety net.
Clark County already has ~34,000 kids in traditional private schools. ~36.7M h/y. When all those new privates open for the 100K influx, it's certain that the established schools will lose share. Over time, > 50%. But for starters, assume 5,000 (15%) leave. Net, that aggregate demand is:
~33.5M h/y [31.2M+ (5,000 x 4d/w x 3 h/d x 39 w/y)]
Therefore, in ALL of Clark County, the real demand for K-12 education services is ~52M hours of instruction per year.
Since each teacher works 2,000 h/y, as a first approximation the demand for teachers is ~26,000. Of course that would be for a 1:1 ratio and NOBODY ever mentions a CSR of *that* extent. 18:1 is a little more realistic. Therefore, a reasonable, ballpark guess is
1,444 teachers. That's right.
This estimate sounds *very* reasonable. It indicates that, as a result of unnecessary regulations, CCSD employs > 10X as many teachers as it should. Which is typical where government work is concerned.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Trade Ya' New Taxes For Old Ones
Originally posted in a LVRJ Forum
In the next biennium new taxes will generate, at most, ~$3B. In the same period *old* taxes will generate ~$5B. Do you know what that means? By exchanging the old taxes for new ones we could cut the current size of government by ~40%! Not bad.
No old taxes!
In the next biennium new taxes will generate, at most, ~$3B. In the same period *old* taxes will generate ~$5B. Do you know what that means? By exchanging the old taxes for new ones we could cut the current size of government by ~40%! Not bad.
No old taxes!
Friday, December 17, 2010
Fibbons Portrait
Originally posted in a LVRJ Forum
Hang Fibbons' potrait in the Ladies Room, and abolish that elitist Arts Council.
Rushworth should have painted the backside of Fibbons' horse.
Hang Fibbons' potrait in the Ladies Room, and abolish that elitist Arts Council.
Rushworth should have painted the backside of Fibbons' horse.
Both Sandoval & Jones Support Education "Stamps"
Originally posted in a LVRJ Forum
Why are political conservatives, a group associated with opposition to food stamps, housing stamps and other forms of social welfare programs, also associated with SUPPORT for education stamps (vouchers)?
"Means testing" vouchers just means hiring *more* CCSD bureaucrats AND private school administrators to certify who has limited means. It means more test cases for lawyers to argue over process; more activist judges to decide what is "fair".
More "education" money diverted to non-teaching activities. Higher private school cost structures and higher tuitions. More government. Higher taxes.
How about parents who actually *have* kids take the responsibility for educating them? We need to go back to the inexpensive, little red schoolhouse model, where parents joined together to hire/board a teacher and kids actually learned to read and write quite elegantly by 6th grade, instead of the bulky, expensive, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic model we have today where HS graduates who can't even read their own diplomans are encouraged to enter college and educrats make out like bandits.
You want vouchers? I'll give you vouchers.
The absolute minimum amount of government required by the Nevada Constitution REQUIRES would cost ~$100M/yr (and probably less). Everything else is PORK which the legislature could simply vote out of existence.
Tax revenues are currently running ~$2.5B/yr. The legislature chooses to spend ~all of it on pork. Send us VOUCHER (rebate) checks instead.
It works out to ~$1,000 per resident.
Why are political conservatives, a group associated with opposition to food stamps, housing stamps and other forms of social welfare programs, also associated with SUPPORT for education stamps (vouchers)?
"Means testing" vouchers just means hiring *more* CCSD bureaucrats AND private school administrators to certify who has limited means. It means more test cases for lawyers to argue over process; more activist judges to decide what is "fair".
More "education" money diverted to non-teaching activities. Higher private school cost structures and higher tuitions. More government. Higher taxes.
How about parents who actually *have* kids take the responsibility for educating them? We need to go back to the inexpensive, little red schoolhouse model, where parents joined together to hire/board a teacher and kids actually learned to read and write quite elegantly by 6th grade, instead of the bulky, expensive, one-size-fits-all bureaucratic model we have today where HS graduates who can't even read their own diplomans are encouraged to enter college and educrats make out like bandits.
You want vouchers? I'll give you vouchers.
The absolute minimum amount of government required by the Nevada Constitution REQUIRES would cost ~$100M/yr (and probably less). Everything else is PORK which the legislature could simply vote out of existence.
Tax revenues are currently running ~$2.5B/yr. The legislature chooses to spend ~all of it on pork. Send us VOUCHER (rebate) checks instead.
It works out to ~$1,000 per resident.
$300K Superintendent Opposes Cuts. Big Surprise.
Originally posted in a LVRJ Forum
Instead of assigning schools letter grades, Jones prefers a student growth model that was developed in Colorado while he was education commissioner.
More gimmicks. More $450/d consultants. More empire building. More $300K+/y Superintendents. More deck chair rearranging. How many more generations of young people are we prepared to ruin before we admit the obvious: public education is a CATRASTROPHE and CANNOT be reformed.
We homeschool. No consultants, teacher days, vouchers, whatever.
No PhDs, MBAs, CFAs, etc.
No constant whining about underfunding and calls for more taxpayer dollars.
No football chit-chat, special ed, lesson plans, analyses, ratings, federally funded presentations, photo-ops, whatever.
The kids are doing just fine, thanks. And we do it all for a *fraction* of what CCSD is charging.
Instead of assigning schools letter grades, Jones prefers a student growth model that was developed in Colorado while he was education commissioner.
More gimmicks. More $450/d consultants. More empire building. More $300K+/y Superintendents. More deck chair rearranging. How many more generations of young people are we prepared to ruin before we admit the obvious: public education is a CATRASTROPHE and CANNOT be reformed.
We homeschool. No consultants, teacher days, vouchers, whatever.
No PhDs, MBAs, CFAs, etc.
No constant whining about underfunding and calls for more taxpayer dollars.
No football chit-chat, special ed, lesson plans, analyses, ratings, federally funded presentations, photo-ops, whatever.
The kids are doing just fine, thanks. And we do it all for a *fraction* of what CCSD is charging.
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