I’m supposed to believe that charter and other ‘private’ schools get better results, despite all of the studies that say that isn’t true. I supposed to believe that the teachers in those schools are better than public school teachers because they can be fired at will, are paid lower salaries, receive no benefits, and are working for schools with extremely limited histories.

Look, school teachers, like everyone else in any field is looking for the best job package available. Going to college is expensive and you need the most money you can get to pay off your student loans. Why on earth would the most qualified new teachers cast aside the better pay and benefits of a public school system to work for what amounts to a start-up?

Almost all of the problems of the public schools are related to poor management, not the teachers. In most school systems the top management are elected officials, not professionals. Most of the critical decisions are based on politics, not on the needs of the school system.

The conventional wisdom is that ‘you can’t solve these problems by throwing money at them’, which might be true, but you damn sure can’t solve them when you keep taking money away, year after year, which is what is occurring in Florida and throughout the US.

Position: 15.4N 63.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [325°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 175 miles [280 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1007 mb ↑.

Currently about 185 miles [ 295 km] South-Southeast of St Croix.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Barbuda, St Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Montserrat, Saba, St Eustatius, St Maartin, St Martin, Guadeloupe, Desirade, Les Saintes, Marie Galante, Martinique, and St Lucia.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Puerto Rico, Culebra, and Vieques.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 25.4N 72.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Stationary.
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb ↑.

Currently about 265 miles [ 425 km] East-Northeast of the Central Bahamas.

Patty is fading as fast as it sprang up.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Lutu At Leisure

I beg your pardon!

[Editor: Lutu doing what cats do best and most often – nothing.]

Friday Ark