tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.comments2023-09-09T08:45:47.599-05:00Monologues of DissentHeather DuBois Bourenanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08246539896761826597noreply@blogger.comBlogger607125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-28602811800413333862015-12-17T20:58:03.576-06:002015-12-17T20:58:03.576-06:00Teachers are the best letter writers! Thanks Ryan...Teachers are the best letter writers! Thanks Ryan Clancy for telling Scotty the truth!Pearl of the Antilleshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10625116424805645087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-88169515939725082022015-12-17T20:25:51.280-06:002015-12-17T20:25:51.280-06:00Very well done. I can't believe that guy got a...Very well done. I can't believe that guy got and held that position. What are people thinking? Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09458962158551893505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-22310009644668019452015-12-17T19:36:44.858-06:002015-12-17T19:36:44.858-06:00Oh, you have SO brightened my holidays with your l...Oh, you have SO brightened my holidays with your letter! Sarah Backushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07871187075639537469noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-58354996514315316722015-12-17T17:52:27.422-06:002015-12-17T17:52:27.422-06:00Brilliant. Brilliant. harrydoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07182040401446096467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-52151816353019473752015-12-17T17:29:50.564-06:002015-12-17T17:29:50.564-06:00Ryan wasn't nearly as harsh as he could (and s...Ryan wasn't nearly as harsh as he could (and should)have been. I congratulate him on his sense of restraint. If I had written that letter, It would not be publishable. I despise what Walker and his minions have done, and continue to do to our once politically honest and progressively minded state. It will be a great day when democrats again control the legislature and governors office. Until then, we will continue to suffer under his and the legislatures demagoguery.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-28327896966140649452015-12-17T17:04:44.428-06:002015-12-17T17:04:44.428-06:00Thank you first for you years of dedicated teacher...Thank you first for you years of dedicated teachers so sad you had to leave. Good luck with your efforts to find our governor another job I stood on very cold corners to recall him and worked for both that ran against him and if he is stupid enough to run again I will back that person as well. Sincerely <br />Gerry Brylski <br /> Geraldine Brylskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17723895170777525568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-71188282399495956752015-12-17T16:15:42.768-06:002015-12-17T16:15:42.768-06:00Bravo Mr Ryan (sic) Congratulations on a "sp...Bravo Mr Ryan (sic) Congratulations on a "spot on reply" to Mr Scott who failed in his bid to become a presidential nominee. Nevetheless, I doubt that this Yahoo (a la Jonathan Swift) will understand your message. Thank you for posting it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-33190807104596841372015-12-17T14:28:24.353-06:002015-12-17T14:28:24.353-06:00simply awesome!simply awesome!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07293760540875433671noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-13353195333930759372015-05-20T20:08:25.385-05:002015-05-20T20:08:25.385-05:00Democracy means you vote. It also means accessibl...Democracy means you vote. It also means accessible and accurate elections, as well as a free press. We need to address the monopoly conservatives have on voting machines before we talk about stirring the polls. How do we unrig the wisconsin electoral process?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-24922990567859583632015-05-20T19:55:35.005-05:002015-05-20T19:55:35.005-05:00I was driving all day today but heard a brief radi...I was driving all day today but heard a brief radio news report on the Milwaukee private commissioner proposal. That's of course an appalling measure, totally antidemocratic; but what really upset me was an audio clip of Rep. Dale Kooyenga, the measure's Assembly sponsor. I only heard a bit of it, but it sounded like he was claiming that a breakdown in central Milwaukee neighborhoods from crime to welfare was the fault of the public schools and that his measure is the only way to save children. I think he even mentioned shootings at one point, which is fear-mongering of the worst sort What does public education have to do with the declining social safety net? And what will private schools do differently to prevent all those problems? Not a clue from the Republicans, because there is nothing in that measure that would deal with the social and economic investments necessary to improve the external environment that urban miniority kids live in 24-7, regardless of which schools they attend. If anything, this measure takes more money out of the city. And now the GOP lawmakers are making noises about expanding this utterly foolish and counterproductive idea beyond Milwaukee's borders, as they did with vouchers. Racine next, then which public district after that? Schools run by unelected czars without clear oversight: What could possibly go wrong? Meanwhile, Republicans are creating yet more mechanisms for weakening public education in Wisconsin, then blaming public education for being too weak. Ghastly and awful.Man MKEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00531054697577604925noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-73235479943536848652014-11-10T13:46:45.065-06:002014-11-10T13:46:45.065-06:00This is awesome!This is awesome!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-67046261161918536492014-10-22T13:04:29.092-05:002014-10-22T13:04:29.092-05:00You've really got to start wondering about the...You've really got to start wondering about the moral and ethical constitution of half of the electorate. Especially when you consider their self-professed religious convictions.Mark E Byehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17455336967116263035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-69422037756742816872014-10-10T16:11:02.078-05:002014-10-10T16:11:02.078-05:00Your logic is persuasive, but I suggest we account...Your logic is persuasive, but I suggest we account for the freedom that the 24,3% gain. Why should any percentage of students not be entitled to free choice? Where does the boundary of forced decisions end, and begin before we say its fair ( according to your logic). I believe that no percentage of students be denied autonomy in pursuing knowledge, thus even if only 5% were from the public schools, this 5% is still inportant, and thier right of free choice and pursuit of happiness, should be respected.<br /><br />Furthermore, another aspect of the issue is that, even parents with children formerly in private schools, are tax paying citizens, whos property taxes already go to support a government managed school system, that they are not getting value from ( their POV). They are just as entitled to enjoy, or benefit as any other parents in the community.<br /><br />Peace<br />CharlesChazzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08876816018235667746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-29620102190883749482014-03-31T08:52:58.582-05:002014-03-31T08:52:58.582-05:00I was the poor child. I got the "Lunch of Sh...I was the poor child. I got the "Lunch of Shame". I went outside instead. Fortunately my school had real human teachers that noticed this and made sure my siblings and I always had something to eat. This is the GOP- The party of deny a child something to eat. Instead of thumping on their Bibles, they should instead take sometime to read the contents, and abide by the life's lessons.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-67483113571983293322014-03-29T17:03:58.270-05:002014-03-29T17:03:58.270-05:00Waterford School District, as an elected official ...Waterford School District, as an elected official representing us you need to practice more empathy and less ignorance. Your job is not to push your own propaganda. Your job is to represent us and what we want. Not what you want. We will show you loudly in the next election that your ideas are not our ideas. <br />Empathy is the experience of understanding another person's condition from their perspective. You place yourself in their shoes and feel what they are feeling.--Psychology Today<br />Ignorance is a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education.-Merriam Webster Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-85242704115139921032014-03-28T16:42:39.712-05:002014-03-28T16:42:39.712-05:00Outrageous & absurd! Mr. Jensen is now respons...Outrageous & absurd! Mr. Jensen is now responsible for denying food to hungry children impacted by institutional poverty.Clyde Gawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07416771200572948193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-62424606217143253402014-03-28T14:11:07.786-05:002014-03-28T14:11:07.786-05:00Wow...................the board must be part of th...Wow...................the board must be part of the Paul Ryan and Robin Vos ideology that you help the disadvantaged even children by demeaning them with rhetoric and kicking them when they're down. What has happened to "Love your neighbor as yourself?" That's right there's a new political party in power in Madison and "Divide and Conquer" is the new mantra with the emphasis on conquer!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-74715966856571175272014-03-23T10:24:19.063-05:002014-03-23T10:24:19.063-05:00No worries - it's a complicated issue and I wa...No worries - it's a complicated issue and I was trying not to get into my own position too much, but rather to focus on the fallacies Rickert employs to reach his bizarre conclusion. One of the most frustrating things about Mr. Rickert is his tendency to oversimplify things to the point of incoherency so that he can adopt what seems to be a "moderate" position on everything. This does no service to the readers of the State Journal, or those looking for clarity on issue that matter very much to everyone with a stake in public education - which is pretty much everyone.<br />Heather DuBois Bourenanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08246539896761826597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-44715494177606774282014-03-22T18:21:50.014-05:002014-03-22T18:21:50.014-05:00Oh, I get what you were saying now. I apologize fo...Oh, I get what you were saying now. I apologize for taking you out of context.Aaron Camphttp://prairiebadger.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-21930982517655814672014-03-22T17:46:38.987-05:002014-03-22T17:46:38.987-05:00Aaron, don't get the wrong idea here. I didn&...Aaron, don't get the wrong idea here. I didn't say I personally support accountability measures (or vouchers). I also oppose them entirely. But what I'm saying is Rickert's attempt to malign pro-education camp fails to take into account that the loudest voices in this debate have been those calling attention to the issue of accountability. <br /><br />I agree with you that the focus on accountability distracts us from the real point - that if voucher schools are to be considered "public" (especially in the way Rickert suggests), they are in clear violation of the state constitution. I support an immediate repeal of the statewide expansion and gradual repeal of the Milwaukee/Racine programs.Heather DuBois Bourenanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08246539896761826597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-35462875897403285602014-03-22T17:42:32.091-05:002014-03-22T17:42:32.091-05:00thanks, Geoff! Someone else pointed that out righ...thanks, Geoff! Someone else pointed that out right away - forgot to move the decimal point. Thanks for the careful reading - I appreciate it!Heather DuBois Bourenanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08246539896761826597noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-72271742633885488562014-03-22T14:28:19.647-05:002014-03-22T14:28:19.647-05:00Heather, I have mixed feelings about this blog pos...Heather, I have mixed feelings about this blog post.<br /><br />While I admire the fact that you sharply criticized Chris Rickert for using the Wisconsin State Journal, a mainstream media outlet, to aid and abet the Republican-led destruction of public education in Wisconsin by spewing political propaganda supporting school vouchers (presumably because the advertisers for mainstream media outlets in Wisconsin have a vested interest in school privatization schemes), as well as the fact that you used facts to point out that school vouchers are a scam and a waste of taxpayer money, I strongly disagree with your support for school voucher accountability. Those who support school voucher accountability measures are effectively supporting school vouchers, since accountability measures don't eliminate the voucher programs altogether. The only true anti-voucher positions are those of gradual repeal (i.e., phase-out) or immediate repeal. In case you're wondering, I support the gradual repeal of school vouchers in Wisconsin and other voucher states/jurisdictions.Aaron Camphttp://prairiebadger.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-58455552842368893462014-03-21T20:07:51.343-05:002014-03-21T20:07:51.343-05:00I mentioned my disdain for Mr. Rickert a while ago...I mentioned my disdain for Mr. Rickert a while ago, and it also happened to be on the voucher subject. I didn't think it would prove to be one of the more popular postings on the Soapbox, but it hit like wildfire when I first published it: http://wisoapbox.blogspot.com/2013/06/chris-rickert-really-doesnt-know-what.html<br /><br />Why I even read what he writes, I'll never understand. I realize my ramblings aren't exactly that well written, but even I could do better if I only had to do two or three columns a week. Wisconsin Soapboxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09716104032399382417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-83506192562058832572014-03-21T12:10:48.703-05:002014-03-21T12:10:48.703-05:00Just a bit of math nitpicking here: 4,800 is a lit...Just a bit of math nitpicking here: 4,800 is a little over 0.5% of 874,414, or 0.005 of it, but not 0.005%. 21% (not 31%) of voucher applicants being currently enrolled in public schools means that its popularity among 0.1%.<br /><br />It doesn't make any difference to your point, just to the detail of the figures.GeoffThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317722272565026078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3211739888727662396.post-37590032636974543512014-03-21T11:17:43.429-05:002014-03-21T11:17:43.429-05:00Popularity is always used as a distraction away fr...Popularity is always used as a distraction away from the inherent problems with vouchers. Notice how almost all stories about vouchers tout their "popularity." It's all about how many people sucked into the hype...like that's a selling point? They never brag about grades, and graduation rates are manipulated and gamed so much that they're unreliable. Private schools can promise anything in their ads and brochures, and benefit from outside groups supporting privatization. <br /><br />Popularity is also one way to play on the guilt some parents feel about doing all they can for their child. Supposedly, concerned parents send their kids to private schools. With the failure rate and stories of private schools in Milwaukee, why would anyone want to invest in something that could close overnight? Those dollars are gone forever. Public school dollars will always be there, because those schools are accountable to taxpayers. Democurmudgeonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16336177394503335112noreply@blogger.com