Comments on: caucus doodle dooooo http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/ secrets of pantsing Wed, 03 Dec 2008 20:38:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: talena http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2350 talena Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:31:14 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2350 I did not caucus but my dad did and he agrees that it was a fubar too. Apparently no one in Texas paid attention to the record setting turnout in other states for this election or the fact that for the first time the Texas primary and caucus could actually have an impact on the nominee. Dad said that at his place no one was checking voting cards or IDs because it was so hectic. They didn't get started until 9 pm. I did not caucus but my dad did and he agrees that it was a fubar too. Apparently no one in Texas paid attention to the record setting turnout in other states for this election or the fact that for the first time the Texas primary and caucus could actually have an impact on the nominee.

Dad said that at his place no one was checking voting cards or IDs because it was so hectic.

They didn’t get started until 9 pm.

]]> By: talena http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2349 talena Thu, 06 Mar 2008 16:27:56 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2349 A POS bill called "No Child Left Behind" which basically means we mainstream everyone even if they clearly aren't ready to be in a regular education classroom and that they are required to pass a state test in order to go to high school or graduate from high school. This year is the first year that 8th graders have to pass the reading and math TAKS test in order to be promoted to the 9th grade. In my district we're anticipating a 90% passing rate of the first two chances (the third being over the summer) which means that they expect about 600 8th grade students to fail the test, then take summer school and retake the test in June or July. We're in desperate need of teachers for summer school. In my school there are 12 math teachers and I'm the only one who's agreed to teach so far. And what Becky said about administering the test is very true. You can't do anything. There are so many stories about teachers venting the teachers lounge about it and some uptight know-it-all teacher telling on them for talking about the test. Case in point, a few years ago a teacher had a student who crawled under his desk, pulling his hood over his head, refusing to work and the teacher told him to sit and his desk and get started. When the teacher was telling this to her friends in the lounge, someone else overheard, reported it and the venting teacher was written up because as a teacher, we can't "make them take the test". Apparently we aren't allowed to make them sit in a desk either. Of course that gets me started on a whole new rant about parents and administration stripping away the teacher's rights in the classroom and letting the inmates run the asylum. A POS bill called “No Child Left Behind” which basically means we mainstream everyone even if they clearly aren’t ready to be in a regular education classroom and that they are required to pass a state test in order to go to high school or graduate from high school.

This year is the first year that 8th graders have to pass the reading and math TAKS test in order to be promoted to the 9th grade. In my district we’re anticipating a 90% passing rate of the first two chances (the third being over the summer) which means that they expect about 600 8th grade students to fail the test, then take summer school and retake the test in June or July. We’re in desperate need of teachers for summer school. In my school there are 12 math teachers and I’m the only one who’s agreed to teach so far.

And what Becky said about administering the test is very true. You can’t do anything. There are so many stories about teachers venting the teachers lounge about it and some uptight know-it-all teacher telling on them for talking about the test. Case in point, a few years ago a teacher had a student who crawled under his desk, pulling his hood over his head, refusing to work and the teacher told him to sit and his desk and get started. When the teacher was telling this to her friends in the lounge, someone else overheard, reported it and the venting teacher was written up because as a teacher, we can’t “make them take the test”. Apparently we aren’t allowed to make them sit in a desk either.

Of course that gets me started on a whole new rant about parents and administration stripping away the teacher’s rights in the classroom and letting the inmates run the asylum.

]]> By: Michelle http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2348 Michelle Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:35:43 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2348 Gawd. I hate the Tx public school system. It just seems to get worse and worse. So many good teachers (my husband included) are about to quit or have quit. And about the working/schooling during voting thing: This has been my major problem with voting all along. So many people get left out because they are working two jobs, have 4 kids, maybe they don't have a car, etc...Voting probably just seems like a hassel to them. I know it sometimes does for me and I only have one job and a car! I think voting day should be a holiday where we don't go to work. And what's the nclb? Gawd. I hate the Tx public school system. It just seems to get worse and worse. So many good teachers (my husband included) are about to quit or have quit.

And about the working/schooling during voting thing: This has been my major problem with voting all along. So many people get left out because they are working two jobs, have 4 kids, maybe they don’t have a car, etc…Voting probably just seems like a hassel to them. I know it sometimes does for me and I only have one job and a car! I think voting day should be a holiday where we don’t go to work.

And what’s the nclb?

]]> By: Raymond http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2346 Raymond Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:21:43 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2346 unfortunately jessica none of the candidates left feel like nclb is that big of a problem. teachers lost that battle when edwards dropped out. unfortunately jessica none of the candidates left feel like nclb is that big of a problem. teachers lost that battle when edwards dropped out.

]]> By: jessica http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2345 jessica Thu, 06 Mar 2008 03:34:46 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2345 i was going to make a comment about the taks test but saw it had already been done. last night in my precinct, i stood in line next to a former teacher--who quit, of course, after two years of teaching. and i am just so, so hopeful about this election, because i don't think i can continue teaching if nclb isn't seriously revised or overturned completely. former teacher and i agreed that, when this voting arrangement was devised, people were still wearing powdered wigs and signing their names in quill pens. i got in at 6:45, left, came back at 7:30, and left at 9pm. bad night to wear flip-flops. who knew i'd be in a line that stretched out to the school monkey bars for hours? i was going to make a comment about the taks test but saw it had already been done. last night in my precinct, i stood in line next to a former teacher–who quit, of course, after two years of teaching. and i am just so, so hopeful about this election, because i don’t think i can continue teaching if nclb isn’t seriously revised or overturned completely.

former teacher and i agreed that, when this voting arrangement was devised, people were still wearing powdered wigs and signing their names in quill pens. i got in at 6:45, left, came back at 7:30, and left at 9pm. bad night to wear flip-flops. who knew i’d be in a line that stretched out to the school monkey bars for hours?

]]> By: Becky http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2344 Becky Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:52:45 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2344 Here I am complaining on behalf of teachers, when Raymond's students that are of voting age would have had to attend the caucus and THEN TAKE the TAKS test the next day. What a way to introduce them to their voting rights. Can you imagine being 18, exercising your right to vote for the first time, and then finding out that it may not even really mean anything because you did not attend your caucus because you had to take and pass the TAKS test the next day in order to graduate (although, this is not their last chance)? And, that TAKS test is much more difficult than the TAAS tests we took when we were in school. The caucus system is also unfair as it does not consider the citizens who work late shifts at factories or refineries and would not be able to get out of work to participate. Just my 2 cents; I'll get down off my soapbox now. Here I am complaining on behalf of teachers, when Raymond’s students that are of voting age would have had to attend the caucus and THEN TAKE the TAKS test the next day. What a way to introduce them to their voting rights. Can you imagine being 18, exercising your right to vote for the first time, and then finding out that it may not even really mean anything because you did not attend your caucus because you had to take and pass the TAKS test the next day in order to graduate (although, this is not their last chance)? And, that TAKS test is much more difficult than the TAAS tests we took when we were in school.
The caucus system is also unfair as it does not consider the citizens who work late shifts at factories or refineries and would not be able to get out of work to participate. Just my 2 cents; I’ll get down off my soapbox now.

]]> By: Becky http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2343 Becky Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:22:46 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2343 And, originally the TAKS test was supposed to be on the 4th. It was changed to the 5th because schools are polling places. And, originally the TAKS test was supposed to be on the 4th. It was changed to the 5th because schools are polling places.

]]> By: Becky http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2342 Becky Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:20:09 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2342 Thank you! Administering the TAKS test is probably the most boring job ever, because you can not be at your computer, you can not read, you can not sit down, you can not look at what the kids are doing, and yet if you screw up on ONE thing your job is on the line. There is no way you can proctor the test if you are not rested! I wouldn't mind caucusing if it was say at 10 am on a Saturday. Otherwise, I prefer my early voting at a time and place that is convenient for me! :-) Thank you! Administering the TAKS test is probably the most boring job ever, because you can not be at your computer, you can not read, you can not sit down, you can not look at what the kids are doing, and yet if you screw up on ONE thing your job is on the line. There is no way you can proctor the test if you are not rested!

I wouldn’t mind caucusing if it was say at 10 am on a Saturday. Otherwise, I prefer my early voting at a time and place that is convenient for me! :-)

]]> By: John http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2341 John Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:13:51 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2341 I think the caucus is an awesome idea. However, I really can't believe they'd hold it the day before state-wide tests. I heard on the news that parents were sitting in line with kids studying books in the halls!! Becky's post is more evidence that it seems to have been a bit of a disgrace. Why is it at night? I can't believe they didn't know the turn-out was going to be that big. I think the caucus is an awesome idea. However, I really can’t believe they’d hold it the day before state-wide tests. I heard on the news that parents were sitting in line with kids studying books in the halls!!

Becky’s post is more evidence that it seems to have been a bit of a disgrace. Why is it at night? I can’t believe they didn’t know the turn-out was going to be that big.

]]> By: Becky http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2340 Becky Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:09:56 +0000 http://poshdeluxe.com/2008/03/05/caucus-doodle-dooooo/#comment-2340 No, what was a clusterf*ck about the caucus situation is that there are probably thousands of teachers across the state that did not participate due to the fact that they had to administer the f*cking TAKS test today. My caucus, which I did not attend due to being aforementioned teacher, did not end until 1 am. There were caucuses in Houston that did not START until 1 am. It should be a primary where each person's vote counts once, and I am writing my representative at the state level to tell him so. I know that I have friends who are teachers and because they did not early vote, they ended up not voting at all. No, what was a clusterf*ck about the caucus situation is that there are probably thousands of teachers across the state that did not participate due to the fact that they had to administer the f*cking TAKS test today. My caucus, which I did not attend due to being aforementioned teacher, did not end until 1 am. There were caucuses in Houston that did not START until 1 am. It should be a primary where each person’s vote counts once, and I am writing my representative at the state level to tell him so. I know that I have friends who are teachers and because they did not early vote, they ended up not voting at all.

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