[Mb-civic] Aloha

[JACK LAYTON]

Aloha Michael:

We're back in business with verizon e-mail, it was really strange being partially cut off for about a week, feelings of isolation, we're so dependent on this machine!

Enjoyed your remarks on MB Blog!

Just finished going through today's articles and was interested in the one about Bill Gates on education.  I did have to chuckle at his comment that school systems designed 50 years ago are obsolete, if only the school systems of today were anywhere near as excellent as the Nantucket School system of 50 years ago we wouldn't have so many problems!!!  We were in school all, day, had three years each of Latin, French, Spanish. We had classes in history, problems of democracy, chemistry, biology, algebra and trig, on and on.  Along with academics there were all kinds of sports and after school activities at NO cost to parents.  Today the money in education goes to administration (in Tucson the top administrator get a quarter of a million a year), consultants, curriculum developers, etc.  Education doesn't need any more money thrown at it, but lets take a good look at how enormous amounts of money are spent.  Having special needs children in the regular classroom is a loose-loose situation.  It took me a year to learn how to teach deaf and hard of hearing children, and a year to learn about mentally handicapped children, and two years working on developmental learning problems.  My thought is it's time to take special needs children out of regular classrooms and have trained teachers of each handicapping condition teach them with all children together, for art, music, PE, lunch etc.  The Mickey Mouse curriculum out there to day is an insult to the children!

Looking at the big problems of Medicare and Social Security, for a solution we need look no  further than the excellent programs enjoyed by our Congress.  These programs are efficient and cost effective!

Didn't know the Army was having a problem recruiting, the Air Force isn't.  My grandson, who graduates in May and reports at Lackland Air Force Base of June 14th found several programs he wanted full with people waiting.  

I too am a multiply reader!

Hui Hou, Bette

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