Questions about Turkish-connected charters in Texas
June 8, 2011
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by David Safier Tucson's Sonoran Science Academy charter school gets a fair amount of praise for its students' academic achievement as well as criticism for its connections to the Turkish-based, moderate Islamic Gulenist movement. Yesterday's NY Times has a long, critical article about the 33 charters in Texas with similar ties. [NOTE: Before I go … Read more
Tucson City Council Election Update: Add Pat Darcy to petition challenges
June 8, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: I told you that Pat Darcy used paid petition circulators in recent weeks to collect his signatures. "Generally speaking, paid petition circulators have at best a 60% valid signature rate of return, which could leave Darcy short of the number of valid signatures required to qualify for the ballot." Tucson City Council … Read more
Another indication private schools [and, by extension, charters] do not provide superior education
June 8, 2011
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by David Safier You'd think if you sent your child to the private Riverdale Country School in the Bronx to the tune of $38,800 a year, that would be all the top flight education your child would need. But you would be wrong. According to today's NY Times story, you could be spending as much … Read more
In Memoriam: Bob Bland, Cochise County Democratic Party Chair
June 8, 2011
Posted by AzBlueMeanie: It is with sadness that I post about the untimely death of Bob Bland, Cochise County Democratic Party Chair. When I last spoke to Bob he was planning a cross-country drive to visit his mother back East and visit friends and family along the way. Then came the e-mail that he had … Read more
Gun violence prevention groups join in call for stronger gun laws after Al Qaeda video
June 7, 2011
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by David Safier The video by Adam Gadahn urging American-based terrorists to take advantage of the gun show loophole has led five national gun violence prevention organizations to sent a joint letter to the President Obama. Fourteen state and regional groups signed the letter as well. Here's the money quote from the letter: [W]e call … Read more
Scofflaw Russell Pearce and his friends put the “F” back in Freedom
June 7, 2011
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by David Safier How can I pass this up? Pearce is being helped in his fight against the recall effort by his buddy-in-racism, Tom Tancredo. Pearce figures he can take corporate donations, even though the state says he can't. [S]tate elections officials say Arizona law bans corporate and union donations to influence an election, and … Read more
About that reprimand of Ethnic Studies’ Sean Arce
June 7, 2011
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by David Safier Here's the basic story: TUSD Assistant Superintendent Lupita Cavazos-Garcia formally reprimanded MAS Director Sean Arce for canceling an awards ceremony for Mexican-American students. Arce wrote a formal response to the reprimand through his lawyer. Cavazos-Garcia then made the reprimand official. I read Cavazos-Garcia's reprimand and Arce's response. From my vantage point as … Read more
Weiner has got to go
June 7, 2011
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by David Safier Yesterday I called Anthony Weiner stupid but said he shouldn't resign, based on what I knew then. Today it looks like he was stupid on steroids. The silly/naughty pics he sent to women are one thing, but the lengths he went to cover his online relationships up shows a lack of basic … Read more
