Category Archives: EDUCATION

#NCGA Bill Filed To Fund Common Core Commission

Posted on February 3, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Senate Bill 14, Acad. Standards/Rules Review/Coal Ash/Funds., was filed at the North Carolina General Assembly and referred to the committee on appropriations/base budget the same day.

The bill handles funding for three separate items, one of them being the Common Core Academic Standards Review Commission (ASRC).

It has been a battle for the commission to get the funding they need to operate properly and are now approaching their 7th meeting on the 16th of this month.

KEEP READING…. Continue reading →

Posted in Academic Standards Review Commission, EDUCATION | Tagged ASRC | 1 Comment

#AmplifyChoice: A Look At Two D.C. Schools

Posted on February 2, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Last week was school choice week and a number of journalists and bloggers convened in Washington, D.C. for the Amplify Choice conference, hosted by the Franklin Center.

On the first day of the event, we were given an inside look at two D.C. schools which offer a choice outside of the public school system for parents, Archbishop Carroll High School and Achievement Prep Charter School.

Both schools exhibited an atmosphere of elevated expectations from all parties, a sense of community and an overall sense of excitement of the students to be there. A persistent theme at both schools was that of concerns for safety of the students and how a safe environment vastly improves the ability of students to engage, learn and excel in their studies.

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Posted in EDUCATION | 3 Comments

#MoralMonday Coming to New Mexico

Posted on February 2, 2015 by Liberty Speaks

The American Federation of Teachers of New Mexico (AFT-NM) and the National Education Association of New Mexico (NEA-NM) have announced the ‘United Voices for our Students rally’ in Santa Fe on February 16th as part of a Moral Monday March.

Both organizations have expressed stern opposition to the new teacher evaluations and high stakes testing of students that feed into the evaluations. The AFT-NM and NEA-NM have both filed petitions and lawsuits against the reforms.

There is common ground with these two groups that anti-common core advocates have already embraced. The OPT-OUT movement which, opposes high stakes testing, is spreading across the U.S. at a very fast pace. Coalitions of parents, educators, teacher unions and medical professionals, regardless of political party, have joined the fight to eliminate the K-12 high stakes testing.

However, it is the Moral Monday banner this rally is flying under that could derail and muddy the issue in New Mexico.

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Posted in Academic Standards Review Commission, Common Core, EDUCATION, Liberty Speaks, Moral Monday, Occupy 2.0, Protests, Testing | Tagged Moral Monday, Opt Out, Reverend Barber | 3 Comments

#DM7 Article: Fair Share 2015: Ripping Off The Middle Class

Posted on February 1, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

This is a reposting of my weekly Da Tech Guy column, Fair Share 2015: Ripping Off The Middle Class. By A.P. Dillon Since Obama took office, he’s harped on wealthy Americans needing to pay “their fair share“. Millionaires need to pay up. Get … Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), EDUCATION, Government | Comments Off

Rant Mode On: Passing Stopped School Buses

Posted on February 1, 2015 by A.P. Dillon

Rant Mode: ON.

There are some things in this world that really set my hair on fire. Watching people blow by a stopped school bus is one of them. I’ve watched people speed through my neighborhood and I yell at them to slow down nearly every day as I drop off and pick up my son from the bus stop. Often times I see that it is a parent in their mini-van, with their kids inside, blazing up my street doing 45 in a 25. Somehow, that’s worse.

KEEP READING — SEE THE NC LAWS ON PASSING A STOPPED SCHOOL BUS & THE BARRIER ALLOWING DRIVERS TO GET AWAY WITH IT. Continue reading →

Posted in A.P. Dillon (LL1885), EDUCATION, NCGA | 8 Comments