Downing Street memo

Just for the record, I have nothing to do with Priuschat except to be a member like everyone else.

So IA, you can hate me too now.

And I tried to "do a spatula" on your ideas, not on you. This is the point so many of us have been trying to make with you.

 

I agree with IAP. In college you are already expected to know and understand English. Colleges/grad schools are allowed to accept and deny students based upon their adacemic performance. If you can't cut it, you don't get in in the first place. I have a professor here with a very strong Chinese accent and although brilliant, his science vocabulary can be difficult to understand. (think biosynsesis rather than biosynthesis) I still managed to learn a WHOLE LOT from his class and gained a stronger appreciation for world languages.

Primary and secondary schools are not given that option because everyone deserves an education in our great country- and it rests on each individual's shoulders as far as what we do with it. Since everyone has to attend primary and secondary schools and since at that age children are extremely impressionable, I think it really IS important that teachers are able to handle the language of our country with dexterity and ease.

We haven't had kids yet, but you can bet when we do, we won't be sending them places that teach them improper English...

 

I agree with IAP. In college you are already expected to know and understand English. Colleges/grad schools are allowed to accept and deny students based upon their adacemic performance. If you can't cut it, you don't get in in the first place. I have a professor here with a very strong Chinese accent and although brilliant, his science vocabulary can be difficult to understand. (think biosynsesis rather than biosynthesis) I still managed to learn a WHOLE LOT from his class and gained a stronger appreciation for world languages.

Primary and secondary schools are not given that option because everyone deserves an education in our great country- and it rests on each individual's shoulders as far as what we do with it. Since everyone has to attend primary and secondary schools and since at that age children are extremely impressionable, I think it really IS important that teachers are able to handle the language of our country with dexterity and ease.

We haven't had kids yet, but you can bet when we do, we won't be sending them places that teach them improper English...

 

I have nothing to do with Priuschat beyond being a member like everyone else.

And I tried not to "do a spatula" on you. I tried to "do a spatula" on your arguments and conclusions.

There is a difference between the two. And this is what people have been trying to communicate to you for the last 5 pages.

 

apparently prius04 and I were trying to post at the same time... :lol:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(IsrAmeriPrius\";p=\"104422)</div>

I'm sure its an excellent school with many fine and not-so-fine graduates (Ken Lay was a powerful business executive, the less said about Cal governors the better, and are the immigrant children the wretched, homeless and tempest tost or the scions of foreign privilege).

But I reiterate my point, the problem with public education is not the english skills of its faculty. Its much more complex than that and varies regionally. I also don't think you believe what you said, either, but were just taking a cheap shot at some red state yahoo. Or at least I hope you don't.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee\";p=\"104434)</div>

Okay, it was a stupid counter example. Here's another one. Would you send your kids to a school in which the science teacher was german and had his english syntax bass ackwards? The art teacher was french and swallowed half the consonants?

No school teaches improper english. In a truly diverse educational setting, not some private school disney fantasy, some participants don't handle english with dexterity and ease and it has almost no correlation with the performance of the school.

And, by the way, your last sentence caused flash backs to tv images of red neck segrationists explaining why they were pulling there kids out of public schools in the south. And just as a check on your predjudices, I was referring to south boston.

 

Galaxee..I am sure Secondary Schools have excellent English Departments, (maybe not in BIG CITIES)., I teach CAD you know what that is..and I can speak and spell and write good english, I just choose not to on BOARDS., and try to type like I talk. Let's just forget about the issues and assume red state yahoos (guess that is the mold for me here) are "un-educated" (just like GW ha ha ha )

 

Prius4 get off the high horse, you have directly attacked any viewpoint not directly aligned with your viewpoint, and discarded all and any valid points. Go watch FRANKIN, and just get off it, I have wasted enough time with you

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(RonH\";p=\"104439)</div>

As far as I know, Ken Lay in not an alumnus. :wink: Yes, the sons and daughters of immigrants include kids on scholarships from working class families and scions of foreign privilege whose parents’ tuition dollars and annual contributions fund the scholarships.

I agree that the problem with the public schools is complex and it varies by region. I still maintain that proper knowledge and use of the language, including grammar, sentence structure and vocabulary, should be requisite qualifications for any teacher at the primary and secondary levels.

 

Prejudices, eh? I'm not getting into that because I've been more places in life than people twice my age.

All my friends who ended up in the teaching profession were required to take extended english and speech classes that included things like enunciation, and proper pronunciation of words so as not to give the wrong idea to kids. Things like "should have" vs "should of" and the like.

I'm not against diversity. In fact, I grew up in the most diverse part of my town. Diverse in culture, but we were all poor as they came. Which is why we were all together. Some of my best friends have family in parts of the world I may never be lucky enough to see.

I'm just saying that while in that young and impressionable stage, no matter what they hear at home, kids will pick up things they hear at school and add it to their working knowledge of our language. Sure, they can get around things like accents and understand what someone is saying. But teachers should be able to speak and write proper english.

Call me what you like. But since my future involves raising kids with no experience-based understanding of any good way to raise kids... I just want the best for the future generations of my family. Crappy English skills will kill a job interview and land you nowhere. Entrance essays to college? Forget it. I want to equip my kids with the best arsenal for dealing with the world...

 

Been there done that passed all the tests, teaching credentials both NY and Texas and Regent's diploma in NY, + regular diploma...Don't worry I can speak and write english.. Just don't want to BOTHER here on Bulleting boards. The measure here is technical on the technical sides and here I guess we just toss it up with the politics

 

gOOD night to Downing Street..I am Bushed..think I'll hang on the TECH sides..thanks Galaxee

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Fredatgolf\";p=\"104356)</div>

Thanks to you and Terry both for the kind words.

It looks however, that I was simply wasting my time with Mr. Altmann. As I noted above, he appears simply to ignore and insult instead of engaging in any kind of meaningful dialog. My attempts at establishing a more neutral tone have been met with insults.

I have come to the opinion that Mr. Altmann is engaged in fighting the "War on Terror" here, and anyone who happens to oppose his world view is the enemy. He appears to have taken Bush's statement "You're either with us or against us" to heart, and any who disagree with the policies of Dear Leader are indeed the enemy in his eyes.

It's too bad. I've had many political discussions/disagreements with people in the past, with all parties involved actually learning something. It doesn't appear that there is much chance of this happening with Mr. Altmann however. It would be nice to be proven wrong in this case, though; and as an eternal optimist I'll reserve some measure of hope that I'll be proven wrong. :mrgreen:

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee\";p=\"104459)</div>

Okay, I've diverted this topic enough for one night. I'm not some wild eyed socialist wanting to subject your children to some melting pot experiment. In my opinion, you already have the main prerequisite to your children's successful education: a commitment to getting the best. Just don't be taken in by some certificate waving nonsense. Go to open house, teacher-parent meetings, sit in on classes and judge for yourself. After all, did Yoda's english turn Anakin to the dark side?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(prius04\";p=\"103854)</div>

LOL, well, it's not what I meant, but you pretty much hit the nail on the head anyways...thanks.

 

Hey Dead thread..SEE Downing Street memo did not amount to a hill of beans.....

Let's change this thread to " Let's get Karl Rove".....

 

GW is sinking to low 40% in the polls and recent polls are saying upwards of 80% of Americans want Rove to resign.

But you are right. Downing went nowhere, and it's out to get Rove time.

 

Getting Rove will get nowhere either. His "outing" is too well planned and orchestrated.

 

Prius 04., there you go polls again, which ones...that is not what I hear...and read. The Rove matter is much ado about NOTHING. No law was broken, the woman had not been in the field for 9 years, and for the previous 5 yrs worked at Langley. Rove contacted this reported after been asked to coment on an unrelated story. To help the reporter, Rove mentioned that the VP had not sent this HUSBAND of hers to Niger, but his WIFE did have a lot to do with it. CIA confirmed this, this man was lying about it, and to boot was also lying about other facts in a book he was HAWKING., or should I say Hacking.. Rove NEVER mentioned her name, and also indicated this was off the record, just for him to get the story straight about the Vice President.

If you think Rove outed and violated this law, (1st you might want to wait for the independent prosecutor to come out with the findings), I suggest you apply the same standards to SENATOR LEAKY (Leahy) of Vermont, among others, HE personally did out numerous CIA operatives that were overseas, as well as foreign operatives, which by the way was THE INTENT of the law that is claimed to have been violated.

Suggest this is another political witch hunt... win at the polls...and PS I do not live or die with POLLS remember, POLLS can lie just like statistics.....