An Eye Full Of Iris
Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 05:07AM Einstein's definition of madness is said to be: doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Funny. I thought that was the perfect definition of fishing, as in dragging a Mepps until the chrome peals off. In that case, label me guilty.
And in another clear cut case of over doing something over and over again I have to point out that this is my 200th article for NHinsider. Not something I aspired for – just a case of random bad weather and an occasional “I can't sleep” combined with what comes through my email.
Here is some new stuff that popped up on the screen.
Governor Lynch has a real bad idea that forcing to stay students in school until they are 18 is good for NH. That is not so. It is an unworkable, one size fits all scheme that slaps home schoolers right in the face.
And so did the Chairperson of the Senate Committee hearing this bill Tuesday. Her name is Iris Estabrook. She is a ticking time boob of nastiness and elitism. And as you could have guessed a huge supporter of government controlled schools.
She got off on, an off to, a good start at showing the public why getting your kids out of a government school, asap, may be a good idea, for people who care about education, by running the “public hearing” on SB18 like a power hungry egomaniac.
Here is a sample of one of about a dozen emails I got from a people who wanted to speak at the hearing:
“I agree the proceedings were really a disgrace and a sham. Senator Estabrook's conduct was deplorable. John Simmons was chided, rushed and harassed by Estabrook then rebuffed when he tried to complain about how little time was being given to the "public". When I spoke I submitted a mountain of written testimony and references to save time, then when attempting to make five concise summary points was rushed along at every turn. The body language was also incredible. Bill supporters who spoke faced a friendly, patient, smiling, almost reclining Madam Chair nodding in rapt agreement. When Rep. Joe Guthrie was allowed to speak by accident, she nearly fell off her Chair, leaned forward with a scowl and blurted ,"I thought you were a supporter!!" She then scolded him and rushed him along. She was slightly more graceful with Nathan Greenberg, the Londonderry Superintendent.
I compiled names of attendees (attached). The last column flags all Senators, Reps and those in The System (my best guess). Everyone else then represents the "public", 15 of 18 opposing the bill, 11 of 28 in favor. Using this accounting, only two people from the "public" actually spoke at the hearing.”
What I noticed about the hearing was not the antics of Estabrook, but who was AT the hearing.
In the back of the room, quietly taking in all the examples of bad behavior were home school students. They got an eye full of how our system works as well as the type of people who are running it.
This is where our conservative activists come from. These young people learned a real lesson from Estabrook and will in their ever increasing numbers and better educated fashion, alter education in the future.
They want no part of this circus Iris Estabrook gets her power trip from. Their children will not be part of it either.
All they want is a good education. And Governor Lynch should let them alone so they can achieve it.
Just another thought:
Why do we insist on calling a hearing on a piece of legislation a “public hearing”?
The PUBLIC hardly gets a chance to speak. If they do it is LAST. After all the elected officials and lobbyists the committees cater to – and long after the meters have run out, are finished rambling on.
Good luck! Half the committee is usually gone and the ones remaining are clock-gazing.
Reader Comments (22)
My article is about ARROGANCE, the increasing exhibition of which will sink the fledgling takeover of the Statehouse by the far left.
E. This is exactly what I expected. But this is what the public needs to see.
Ed's right. In this post he is attacking Iris Estabrook, of all people, for her supposed arrogance. The slam on the Governor was only in passing, and only in the post because Ed can't help doing that whenever he puts fingertips to keyboard. So you really have to excuse him. He could be writing about Federal milk-price support policy and would somehow manage to slip in a dig about the Governor.
As for keeping kids in school or some sort of training program until they are 18: This is clearly a great idea that is long passed due, and has nothing to do with home schoolers. It has overwhelming support in the House and Senate, and will be NH law by June.
As the Governor said in his speech, we set the 16 year old age limit back in a time when most kids left school to work on farms. That isn't the case anymore. Most kids will leave school and work in industry. They need more training than farm kids did.
And about "one-size-fits-all"? Please. This is a meaningless phrase that no one is sugesting.
So much for a governor who cares about kids.
So much for majority who is fair and lets the public speak without intimidation.
At least the Republican majority provided a much better climate in the statehouse, whereas it's downright hostile now.
What a mess they are making of our beloved NH.
The government knows this is the best way to mold voters who will fall into their traps when they are voting adults. That's all they really care about folks...The rest of us have no such advantage over our kids, especially if we cannot afford to homeschool or send to private school.
It's all part of the propaganda mill.
Lets mandate students learn something!
Like mandate they read at grade level. Where is Governor School Superintendent on that issue? Or is this really just about keeping seats warm.
What really galls the education industry is this:
Home schoolers are often over-prepared for their adult lives before government school students. That is sad but true. You need look no farther than the national spelling bee or other COMPETITION.
But the government school kids have to stare at the mirror and say, why am I being left behind.
Then there is the problem with just plain old politics.
Didn't Shaheen get spanked late in her career for having something like 25% dropout rates? I remember something like that being a factor in her failed Senate bid. My sources remind me of that little Shaheen problem the GOP wailed her on.
Since the Lynch team is Shaheen-light I think we have a clue as to why Gov. Lynch wants this so badly.
Having an educated workforce and society is no longer an option. The competition of the world marketplace is a far stronger adversary than the Soviets ever were. By allowing our citizenry to fall back (as all of you argue) you are guaranting that our nation would be doomed. Thankfully, you lack any rational level of support from the public. Go back to your bunkers fellas.
This has nothing to do with not having an educated workforce, and has everything to do with ensuring that those that are capable of being educated and desire to be educated, get a better education. By weeding out people that don't have what it takes we stop wasting resources. I didn't realize that this type of position was so "extreme". Ever heard of efficiency and competetition?
I guess i'll crawl back to my bunker although I'm not a registered Republican.
I cartainly agree with you that the folks who post here are far outside the mainstream. I don't know that this is true about the Republican party as a whole. From my casual observation of the Republicans in the House, 90% are to the left, in some cases far to the left, of the tin-foil hat characters that post here.
Nate: The Governor is not proposing that everyone take college prep classes until they are 18. That would not make any sense. He is proposing alternates- tech school, trade training, etc., for those without the aptitude for college type work. His central point, though, is that everyone needs 12 years of education and/or training to be effective in today's world.
I cartainly agree with you that the folks who post here are far outside the mainstream. I don't know that this is true about the Republican party as a whole. From my casual observation of the Republicans in the House, 90% are to the left, in some cases far to the left, of the tin-foil hat characters that post here.
Nate: The Governor is not proposing that everyone take college prep classes until they are 18. That would not make any sense. He is proposing alternates- tech school, trade training, etc., for those without the aptitude for college type work. His central point, though, is that everyone needs 12 years of education and/or training to be effective in today's world.
I do see a school system that has destroyed our population's ability to think for themselves.
But then again isn't that what government education is all about? Forget learning 'things' that might be helpful in life, it's all about attitudes and values, but not necessarily thei one's you'd think.
What is a "time boob"??????
By the way, she is a decent hard-working person who gives at least 50 hours a week to a job that pays her the grand and munificent sum of $100 every year, or about 4 cents an hour. That is roughly one tenth what we pay our prisoners in the HOC, and they don't have to put up with the vitriol and abuse that characters like Ed spew.
I don't happen to like the politics of some of the people in the NH Senate, but I respect there involvement and the sacrifices they make in both their families and their careers.
I agree- Iris Estabrook does more in one month for NH than all these right wing cry babies do in a lifetime.