Gosh! There are Democrats in Arizona! Who knew?
by David Safier I just received a press release from Paula Aboud, incoming Senate Minority Whip, about the War on Ethnic Studies. The first few paragraphs say it all: Advertisement The actions of Attorney General Tom Horne and Superintendent John Huppenthal are nothing more than political opportunism against Arizona’s schoolchildren when there are more pressing … Read more
Horne threatened school administrators and board members over ELL program he didn’t really believe in
by David Safier NPR ran a story yesterday about Arizona's mandated four-hour-a-day ELL program, which basically segregates students with limited English skills into "Mexican rooms" and insists only the English language and no other curriculum can be taught. In the story, Horne says he really wasn't so hot on the idea: [Horne] admits that he … Read more
GOP to target women and babies
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Today is the big day for racists, nativists and descendants of the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party of the 19th Century. It's "anchor baby day," when all their racist, nativist, anti-immigrant hysteria and hatred comes pouring out of the dark recesses of their souls to spew their bilous hatred for the yet-to-born innocent children … Read more
Terrific Star editorial on Ethnic Studies
by David Safier Mark this date on your calendar. It's the day I write: The Star editorial is the best piece on the War of Ethnic Studies I've read anywhere, period. Here are a few highlights. You really should read the whole thing. Whether one agrees with Tom Horne's opinion of TUSD's ethnic -studies program … Read more
Update: The Senate filibuster reform package
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: Here is a first read of the Senate filibuster reform package that Democrats will offer from Greg Sargent at the Washington Post's Plum Line, Here it is: The filibuster reform package!: Here's a copy of the filibuster reform resolution that Senate Democrats will introduce later today, sent over by an aide to … Read more
Our education future: unlimited second chances or a class-based caste system?
by David Safier One of the greatest strengths of this country's educational system — which also leads to some of its most intractable problems and its huge expense — is our system of unlimited second chances, which holds that everyone should have the opportunity to go as far in their educational attainment as their ambition … Read more
Long live The Scarp!
by David Safier When Daniel Scarpinato was putting out regular, and often infuriatingly comical, press releases for the failed Jonathan Paton campaign, I coined the term "Scarps" to describe the writing. "Scarps: Attack dog, logic-challenged rants written for Paton by Daniel Scarpinato." It looks like the Scarpster is back as the House Republicans' communication guy. … Read more
