Texsox

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 10:03 AM) Parental involvement and early education are way more important than the school the kid attends. I felt this as a parent and I still believe it as a teacher. In fact a very good poster and I went to battle over this a few years back and sadly he used it as an excuse to stop posting. YOU are responsible for your child's education until they stop. You may subcontract the authority to teachers at public or private schools, but you maintain the responsibility. I would never say to a parent that I know more about their child or what is best for their child. I know my subject and what I believe is important for the child to learn. You must stay involved.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 04:36 PM) Doesn't make them a charity, at least my definition. Which is an interesting discussion itself - what constitutes a charity? I agree with StrangeSox that part of PP feels like a charity to me because they are providing direct aid to needy people. Food, medical care, clothing, shelter to needy people seem like charitable works. Lobbying, research, public opinion ads, does not.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 04:31 PM) I wouldn't call NRA, PP or even some Environmental groups "charities". They are special interest organizations (NRA and, again, some env groups), or non-profit businesses (PP). The environmental groups are an odd bunch though, as some (Sierra Club chiefly) are almost full-on lobbying organizations, where as others (i.e. Nature Conservancy) are more properly non-profit businesses or charities. DuH. I should stop posting with half my brain engaged. You are correct. Which I guess may be even more of a nod to religion as supporting most charities.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 14, 2015 -> 03:18 PM) I'm not dismissing religion or religious charities but there's an awful lot of secular charity out there that you seem to be discounting. I'm sorry it came off that way. You are correct, there are a lot of secular charities. And some very large ones. Great examples would be the NRA, Cancer Society, environmental groups, Planned Parenthood, etc. But for general aid to individuals and families, religious groups are #1.

No way! So does mine.

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Dec 13, 2015 -> 02:45 PM) United way is the largest charity in the country And they support religious organizations because they find them valuable. You are aware that the United Way is just a fundraising organization that in turn sends donations to local agencies? They were created by several groups, including the Boy Scouts, to keep competing groups from fundraising at the same time. Here is a link to an atheist group that suggests not supporting the United Way because they support religious organizations. http://www.msatheists.org/2009/11/before-y...united-way.html you can find others. And from their wiki Again, dismissing religious as bad and not recognizing the good leaves out a lot.

Lots of people here drank beers at the beach this weekend. Including me. Here is the difference, how many were in the water?

Classic winter thread.

My wife teaches at a very expensive private school, I teach at a large public high school. What you get, for better or worse, at private schools are very involved parents and smaller class sizes. There will also be more character education and if that happens to line up with the values you are teaching your child, it is probably a good thing. If you have some specific questions PM me. Keep in mind that people who are unhappy are 100x more likely to post, write reviews, etc. Visit the schools, watch classes, talk with the teachers, ask about their experience and credentials. Also put on your critical thinking cap. One of the charter schools advertises that 100% of their students are accepted to a college. As a class requirement they must apply at the local community college who accepts every student. Boom 100% acceptance. There is another that achieved 100% passing on the state tests. Their entrance requirements pretty much guarantee that happening, they deny admissions to any child who has ever failed a state test. They also purge their rolls right before the state deadlines. So the kids bounce from their schools, we pick them up for a month or two, they fail the state tests, and we look like failures. YMMV

QUOTE (ron883 @ Dec 7, 2015 -> 08:10 AM) It's crazy how much better this world would be without religion. Sheep gonna sheep It would be easy to dismiss any activity that is broadly popular with this logic. What you also miss are all the good deeds that happen because people are bound by a set of beliefs. Food pantries, homeless shelters, clothing drives, etc. The charitable works of religious groups are a huge part of the social safety net in our country. Name a secular agency that is involved in basic human services that are larger than religious groups? I agree we could do without the violent extremist in some religious groups, making a statement that the world would be better off without religion dismisses the good deeds that are done in the name of religion.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Dec 8, 2015 -> 08:56 AM) Go visit a school and watch their Christmas, I mean Winter Season, play. They have colleges with Diversity Departments warning people that even a Christmas tree would be bad form and not 'inclusive'. We have a Christmas themed display. Complete with tree and other symbolic items.

QUOTE (Al Lopez's Ghost @ Dec 13, 2015 -> 12:47 PM) Eddie Gaedel was a St.Louis Brown. Not a White Sox. He came back and did promotions for the Sox, he was a Chicago guy, I know it is a stretch . . .

Really don't know why I am fascinated by this thread.

And short answer, Eddie Gaedel was easily the worse baseball player to have a Sox connection. Perhaps he was the worse player in the history of MLB. OOdd note, his autograph is worth more than Babe Ruth's.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Dec 11, 2015 -> 03:25 PM) I am not clueless. I am controversial. It does help in being controversial to pick positions you can actually defend without looking like you are clueless.

QUOTE (Buehrle>Wood @ Dec 10, 2015 -> 04:45 PM) Half this board was so convinced (Insert Anything Here) was going to be great Fixed

Perfect is not what I usually do

I'd love one of the math heads here to guesstimate how many hours the posters here have spent reading and writing.

Kansas and Kentucky are in the AP NCAA Men's Basketball Top 5

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 09:24 AM) Terrific. She needs a social worker/counselor more than to be subjected to nationwide scrutiny. Quite likely she was talking to a family member about personal business that's probably more important at the moment than school-related stuff. Im guessing the teacher had no idea about all this. Or talking to a friend at her old school, ordering a pizza. We have no way of knowing. And it really should not matter. Generally speaking I have taught students who have been victims of every horrible thing you can think of. Having a close family member in prison was really no big deal. Basically raising themselves was the norm. Where are they going to learn about society and the expectations? These kids need structure and a familiar place that isn't as chaotic as their own lives. They need to know that adults care enough about them to see that they learn good habits that will get them through school and life. A wow, your life is really bad, do whatever you like and we'll hand you a diploma at the end does the child a huge disservice. They do not have good parents, in most cases they do not have any parents guiding them. What would good parents tell their child about following rules? Don't do it, defy the teachers and use your phone whenever you like no matter what is happening in class? That's your expectation for your kids?

QUOTE (StrangeSox @ Nov 1, 2015 -> 09:07 AM) The cop is totally to blame for his own actions. She is a student, no scare quotes needed. She is a victim because she was violently attacked by a grown man. Stop making excuses for the adults 'failures. I am not making excuses for the adults. You are making excuses for the student. Sorry, she is to blame for her actions leading up to the cops being called in, just like the cop is to be blamed for his actions. She doesn't pull out her phone in the first place, and no problem. At several junctions she could have followed the rules but chose not to. Her actions contributed as much as anything to this being escalated into the mess it became. By losing site of the contributing actions we make schools even more out of control then they all ready are. The ignored three adults who asked her to follow the rules and comply with their requests. Allowing her to be blameless is a disservice to her. No wonder we are raising a generation with no regard to rules and laws.

Bush's campaign is doomed. I'm really starting to like the guy. That has to be the kiss of death in a Republican primary.

QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Oct 31, 2015 -> 11:16 PM) My assumption. Having spent four years in exactly the same situation you're describing, you definitely have to pick your battles. MY assumption is this has played out several/many times before. I've never seen or heard this happening after only one instance with a student.

LOL Warren is a team in my district when I started reading I had to do a double take.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Oct 31, 2015 -> 03:07 PM) Mainly because of her penchant for lying and her insensitivity toward people and issues. Also all those reports of what a despicable person she is. People blame the messenger rather than consider where there's smoke there's fire. Are those opinions or can you bring up specific events? We can find "reports' that negatively portray every candidate. We could also consider where there is politics there are lies.