Monday, December 29, 2008

Obama Educational Change

The winds of change are blowing from a new direction. President Obama talks about education changes that we need. In a study done of educational leaders of this country here is the results.


70% believe that the new president will make a difference in Educational Technology in Schools

30% don't believe that he will make any difference


Lets give him a chance to become the change agent and lead us in a new direction and a strong future for all of are children.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Missouri: Schools Takeover Upheld by the supreme Court

An article that has been run by the Associated Press on December 18, 2008 said this “The Missouri Supreme Court has affirmed the state takeover of the St. Louis school system, which has struggled for years with poor finances and student test scores. The decision on Tuesday backs the appointment of a three-member governing board that has run the St. Louis school system, Missouri’s largest school district, since it lost accreditation in June 2007. Members of the elected school board have remained in office but are largely powerless. Elected board members had urged the Supreme Court to invalidate the Missouri Board of Education’s decision removing the district’s accreditation. They also sought to strike down the state law allowing the transfer of powers to an appointed board if the St. Louis district lost accreditation. The Supreme Court rejected all their arguments, essentially ending the power struggle.” This precedence will allow other states as Michigan to take further control of Detroit Public school if they don’t get there act together. NCLB is here to stay, so we can embrace it and use it to make are systems responsible and do what needs to be done to help are students or just sit back and wait for the state to step in take control.

The problems with the Universal Service Fund (USF)

Be for I begin a rant about the USF program and how it is just another tax let me say that it has help us and many school to get internet to the district. Now for why I think the program should be dismantled and start over at square one.

1. The USF was first started in the 1934 to help provide phone service were phone service was not cost effective for the phone companies. It allowed equal access to all citizen rural and city. So when Snowy and Rockefeller came up with legislation to allow school to reduce cost of phone, internet and server equipment. They were to give a higher priority to rural schools and oh by the way let’s include those poor schools that have high free and reduced rates. Well this sounds good till you look at the statistics and a majority of priority two money ends up in the in city school, why would this be as rural school were to be the priority not the city schools. Well were are the free and reduced rates the highest, it is the inner city school in the rural Thumb of Michigan the highest school is in the 70% on the USF matrix. Were inner city Saginaw schools are 90% reduced rates schools. Well then we will implement a three in five year rule so that everyone will have a chance at the priority two money, right? Yes this will fix the problem well it is five years into that and guess what we still don’t see any priority two money even at 67%. SHOW ME THE MONEY.

2. Why do we get money for phone service? How many of you had phone service before USF program started 12 years ago. We did and we still have the same service that we had then. In fact this has not in my estimation helped us free more money up to help wire or get technology in are school system. So stop paying for phone service and place this money to a better use. Such as allow us to buy fiber plants between the school system so we can consolidate services increase the access of internet and cut the phone companies out of there monopoly dictatorship.

3. Why do we have to fill out so many forms for priority one service as the internet and phone service? Reduce the form filling for priority one services as Internet and if they decided to keep phone service against my just recommendation as seen in number two.

So stop the insanity either give the tax payers a break and get rid of this USF Fee on are phone bills. How does that saying go as it relates to the USF Fee? If it walks like a duck, quaks like a duck then it must be a Tax, Oh ya I mean a duck.

USF Year 12 Important Dates

It is that time of year again to start the new USF process. Just recieved your last check for year 10 USF. You are in the middle of year 11 USF with all paper work done till June 30, 2009 when you have to submit your BEAR 472. Well clock is ticking on your 470 and 471 window. Don't miss the dates or your cariage will turn into a great orange pumkin.


Last date to post

Form 470 for the FY 2009
application window: Thursday, January 15, 2009

Form 471 for the FY 2009
application window: Thursday,February 12, 2009