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Britney Reported Headed to Rehab Again
Aired October 3, 2007 - 20:00:00 ET
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, superstar Britney Spears`s alleged string of wild and erratic behavior -- did it cost her custody of her two toddler boys? That`s right, just 48 hours ago, music icon Britney Spears loses custody. And within the last hour, both sides have squared off in court. What happened in court today, and why? Stunning reports that on the day the ruling comes down taking her sons away, was Spears back out on the party scene? Are Spears`s children really in danger, or is it all hype, with Spears`s ex raking in alimony at $20,000 a month? That said to be cut off in just 30 days. At the heart of this legal battle, two little boys. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: D-Day has arrived for Britney Spears in her custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline, legal eagles waiting to see the latest move Spears will make after being ordered to give up temporary custody of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James Monday. Late this afternoon, K-Fed showing up to court sporting a shaved head and an eyepatch. Despite prying eyes of the media, Spears nowhere to be seen entering court. The hearing got under way with Federline being sworn in. According to sources in the courtroom, that`s when attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan filed a motion for the hearing to be closed to the public. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: And tonight: Cleveland 911 answers a frantic call to find ages 4 and 2-year-old little sisters floating in the family tub. Prime suspect, their own mother. Police reveal the 22-year-old mom drowned the girls in the tub, then telephones Dad to say the girls are resting at peace. At the time of the drowning, she`s showing zero emotion when taken away in cuffs, but today, in court with the cameras rolling, she breaks down, the judge setting a multi-million-dollar bond and sending mom to county jail. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bond is set at $2 million for the Ohio mother accused of drowning her daughters in a bathtub. Twenty-two-year-old Amber Hill bowed her head and wept during her first court appearance today. On Monday, police say, Hill called the girls` father and told him the children, age 2 and 4, quote, "are at peace." He later found his daughters in the bathtub. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The victims in this crime are the ages of 4 and 2 years old. What is seemingly more egregious and heart-rending with regard to this matter is that the victims are the defendant`s own children by birth. And it is alleged that the defendant did, in fact, drown these two babies in the bathtub in their own home at her own hands. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. First, superstar Britney Spears loses custody of her toddler sons. And today, in the last hour, both sides squaring off in court. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Britney Spears lost physical custody of her two children on Monday. This came as a direct result of a judge`s order because Spears at that time failed to provide proof that she had a California driver`s license. Now, fast forward to today. She apparently went into Van Nuys, California, department of motor vehicles, and did follow the proper process of -- for obtaining that driver`s license. So that`s a step in the right direction. And we`re told by her attorney that that`s really one of the reasons that the judge decided to pull -- to yank that physical custody status. It`s only temporary until further order from the court. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is the order from the Los Angeles County court granting Spears`s ex-husband, Kevin Federline, physical custody of 2- year-old Sean and 1-year-old Jayden. In the end, it wasn`t really about Spears anymore, it was about them. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kevin wants to maintain the custody that he has as long as he can until he believes that some other order would be justified and favorable to his children. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She definitely will be having visitation with the kids and that will be soon. There will be monitored visitation by Ms. Spears on a schedule agreed upon by counsel between now and October 26. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: We have just received sound from a presser that went down outside the courthouse, both sides squaring off in court today, Kevin Federline in court, Britney no show. Out to Kareen Wynter, CNN correspondent at the courthouse today. What happened today in court? KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, there, Nancy. Well, you know, it`s really ironic, but can you believe this is happening, Kevin Federline a shining example here of parenthood? We heard from his attorney after that court proceeding. It lasted about two hours and 45 minutes, Nancy. And he basically said that it was important for Kevin to show up today because this was, quote, "the first day of custody" for him as a result of that order from Monday. What happened in court today? Well, it was a closed-door proceeding, the attorney also providing some details, Nancy, that there was a lot of evidence presented from both sides. And you know, quite frankly, that`s why it took so long. He also went on to say that they are very happy, that today`s ruling was justified regarding the order handed down, and that the kids are in good condition, Nancy. GRACE: Let`s go out to the lines. Jan in Canada. Hi, Jan. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. I love your show. I`m a big fan. GRACE: Thank you, dear. What do you think about Britney and Kevin Federline and this custody dispute? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I saw it coming, and I truly believe that she had no intention of being a good mother. I thought the whole thing of her having the children was kind of a backlash to Shar. GRACE: Got a question. Do you really think Kevin Federline is a better dad? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he has more experience, we`ll just put it that way. (LAUGHTER) GRACE: You`re seeing video from X17online.com (ph). Now, this is, I guess, a nanny with the two boys after they were handed over to Kevin Federline. All that went down on Monday. Both sides back in court today. Back to Kareen Wynter, CNN correspondent at the courthouse today. Now, typically, in a case like this, somebody can sit in court and hear what`s happening. Did one of the lawyers make a move for closed doors and everybody had to leave the courtroom? WYNTER: Absolutely. You got it, Nancy. We had our supervising producer, Jennifer (INAUDIBLE), in there just monitoring everything that was going on. And here`s what went down. There was members of the media allowed to go in, and they saw Kevin Federline file in with his attorney, didn`t really say much at first. And then his attorney filed that motion to have the media kicked out, have them removed. And that`s really been the frustrating process in covering this case, is that not only is it in federal court, Nancy, but a lot of proceedings have been closed, the transcripts sealed. And so it`s been, you know, picking at straws here, trying to get information. But the big thing resulting from this whole case today is that Kevin Federline`s coming out on top, getting primary physical custody of... GRACE: Who would have thunk it a year ago that Kevin Federline would win out as the better parent? I`m hearing we`re just getting sound in from that presser. This is after the court proceeding today. It`s all about the legalities of child custody. Take a listen to this. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There was argument by both sides, and extensive argument. That`s why it took us three hours to get out here. And you can imagine that the petitioner`s counsel argued strenuously to have the judge withdraw the entirety and the substance of the orders that were made on Monday. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is joint physical custody of these two kids, but Mr. Federline has primary custody. There will be monitored visitation by Ms. Spears on a schedule agreed upon by counsel between now and October 26. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: I want to go now to Ruth Hilton, the deputy editor of "OK!" magazine. Welcome, Ruth. Ruth, what was the point of today`s hearing? We just had the judge`s ruling taking away custody, stripping Britney Spears of custody on Monday. So what was today all about? RUTH HILTON, "OK!": Well, today was all about Britney`s lawyer (INAUDIBLE) trying to reinstate some visitation time for her and for Kevin to say, actually, no, and fight back. So you know, what surprises me, and I`m sure what surprises many people across the country, is that Kevin was there and that Britney didn`t turn up. It seems a very strange move for someone who wants to have her kids back, in all honesty, because, as we all know, this isn`t just a war in court, this is also a PR war. So you know, it`s a very, very strange scenario this afternoon. GRACE: You`re seeing video from TMZ.com. Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight out of Philadelphia jurisdiction, Joe Lawless, out of Atlanta, trial lawyer Renee Rockwell. I can tell you this right now. And I didn`t have to go to some presentation class to tell me this, to teach me this. When you`re in court, when you have something important going on in court, Renee, your client better be there. In every case I had, I had either the victim, if the victim was alive, or the victim`s family or the victim`s friend, someone representing the victim in court. It was a huge mistake for Spears not to be there. RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, there`s only three places you need to be if you`re not in court -- in rehab, in the hospital or in the morgue, or in jail somewhere. You`ve got to be in court because if you`re not in court, the judge... (CROSSTALK) GRACE: I couldn`t hear the third place. Where is the third place? ROCKWELL: Rehab, the hospital or the morgue. GRACE: I was just about to say, the casket is always an alternative to showing up in court. This hurt Spears today, Lawless. There`s no other way to put it. And listen, I know it`s not a legal argument, but for him to care enough to come to court -- I want to know, where was Spears today when he`s in court? And I am definitely not saying that I think Federline is a great parent, but I mean, at least he dragged himself to court today, Joe Lawless. JOE LAWLESS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Sure. Well, if you`re the petitioner and you`re trying to get the court to reinstate visitation, you want the judge to see it, to decide whether or not the judge thinks you`re a responsible parent acting in the appropriate manner. And to not show up manifests some kind of disrespect for the process. But I agree with Renee. I think that there`s something going on in Britney Spears`s private life that we`re going to hear about. She may be planning another trip back to rehab, which would not be the worst idea in the world for her. GRACE: Well, certainly, she didn`t go today during the court hearing. Could she have possibly made a pit stop there at the courthouse? Back out to Ruth Hilton, deputy editor with "OK!" magazine. You know what? I need to hear an excuse. Lie to me. I don`t care. Tell me the dog ate her homework. Tell me she had a flat tire. Tell me anything why she didn`t care enough to get to that courthouse today. HILTON: I can tell you exactly where she was this afternoon because we had an "OK!" magazine... GRACE: Do not say... HILTON: ... reporter... GRACE: ... the tanning booth! Do not say the tanning booth! HILTON: This time, it wasn`t the tanning booth. She drove to her place in Malibu. She picked up a Starbucks. She went to the gas station. She waved at paparazzi. She laughed, she smiled. She had her little puppy, London (ph), on her lap, having a lovely old time. Then she went back to her place in Beverly Hills. That`s where she was when this was all going down in court. GRACE: You know, Brian Russell -- Dr. Russell -- psychologist and child custody evaluator -- he is joining us tonight -- help me. Help me understand what she was doing sucking down a latte when the most single most important thing in her life was being taken away from her in a court of law. BRIAN RUSSELL, PSYCHOLOGIST, CHILD CUSTODY EVALUATOR: You know, Nancy, I`m as puzzled as you and my fellow panelists are. GRACE: Oh, no. No, no. No, no. You`re the expert. I`m just a trial lawyer. You`re supposed to be able to look at this and figure out some kind of a psychological or psychiatric reason why she would rather be pumping gas and sucking a latte than being in court. RUSSELL: You know, I would think that she would have to have received advice, and I don`t know why her counsel would have given her this advice, but to stay away from this thing today. That`s the only -- that`s the most logical explanation I can come up for you, Nancy, because she does seem like she wants this custody. And so to have not been there and stayed away from it, I would -- I think the most likely explanation is that was on the advice of counsel. Now, why they would have advised that, given that we all are in agreement that it hurt her not to be there, is anybody`s guess. And maybe my fellow panelists have a thought on that. GRACE: Out to the lines. Cherie in Massachusetts. Cherie, I got to tell you something. I don`t care what my lawyer would tell me or if I was concerned about the paparazzi, the press making fun of me or laughing at me or saying I`m fat or I don`t fit into my costume, like they always say about her. I would let the courthouse fall down around me before I would not show up at a hearing about taking my children away. What`s your question, Cherie? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, Nancy. Love you, love your show. And congrats on your babies. GRACE: Thank you. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just -- actually, that was my question. Could the lawyer have made arrangements and we just don`t know about it and she actually got permission not to have to be there? GRACE: Well, it`s my understanding -- let`s go out to Jason Kennedy with E! news. He`s the news reporter at the courthouse today. It`s my understanding that she didn`t have to be in court. Is that correct or incorrect? JASON KENNEDY, E! NEWS: Exactly right. She did not have to be here. She was not required. One thing Kevin Federline and Mark Vincent Kaplan, his attorney, said was it was important for Kevin to be there. The first time he had full, physical custody of his kids. So it wasn`t necessary for Britney, but that`s going to change this next hearing on October 26. Both Kevin and Britney will be required to be right here at 1:30 PM inside, and maybe things could change. But if Britney can smile about any of this madness for her that`s been going wrong, is that she can see the kids, but she has to have supervision. They`re still working out some other details right now. She needs to require a few things that the judge is going to make her do in order to see those kids. GRACE: I find that very, very interesting. Out to Mike Brooks, former fed with the FBI. You`ve seen a million cases of children being mistreated, child custody hearings. And the reality is, in a civil case -- this is a civil case... MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Right. GRACE: ... very often, in fact, typically, both sides don`t have to come to court. Their lawyers go in and handle it for them. But this is -- this strikes to the heart of a mother, I would think, that your children are being taken away from you. I would have gone in there with no makeup, my hair pulled back, dressed from -- a black dress from neck it wrist to toe, and beg the judge, holding, waving the Bible, begging to have my children back. BROOKS: Nancy, she -- she needed... GRACE: I don`t understand it. BROOKS: ... to be there. You know, come in, say you found God, say you`re going back to rehab, like everybody else does. But this was -- this was a major -- a major coup for the Federline camp. You know, Kevin, I`m saying, you know, he`s not getting -- he`s not getting custody because he`s father of the year, but it`s because of her decline and her bizarre behavior. But she needed to be there today, Nancy, because that -- I tell you, those judges, as you know -- you`ve been in front of many, like I have -- it means something to them to show that you really care. GRACE: Well, you know what? You know what, Mike? This whole time, I think it`s six of one and half a dozen of the other. See, we know Britney Spears`s faults because the paparazzi`s always on her. She can`t get away from it. So we know everything that she allegedly does wrong. We don`t know what Federline is doing. We know he`s sponging off Britney. That`s all I do know about him. I do know that he`s hired a nanny that is apparently giving attention to these two children. I can see that with my own two eyes. But we don`t know what`s behind closed doors with Federline. So I can`t pick which one -- this is a toss-up, which one is the best parent. (LAUGHTER) GRACE: But I do know this, if you don`t care enough to come to court, that speaks volumes to me. To Ruth Hilton with "OK!" magazine. Ruth, we just heard that part of the judge`s ruling is the only way Spears can see her children is if the visit is monitored. Do you mean that there is something in those court records that suggests she cannot be alone with her children? HILTON: Well, I mean, that`s the case they`ve been trying to build up, even with the Tony Barretto stuff, you know, from last week and his campaign over the weekend, you know, the substance testing, all of those things -- you know, she`s supposed to do parenting classes, counseling to do with addictions. I mean, there are a lot of ticks she has to put in that checklist before he`s going to let her back with the kids by herself. It`s -- it`s pretty damning. It really is. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Swarmed by the paparazzi in this footage from Hollywood.tv (SIC), we see Britney Spears leaving a Malibu restaurant with her two young children. Less than 24 hours later, the pop princess learned that they would be taken away from her. This is the order from the Los Angeles County court granting Spears`s ex-husband, Kevin Federline, physical custody of 2-year-old Sean and 1-year-old Jayden until further order of the court. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: That video from Hollywood.tv.com. (SIC) I want to go straight out to the lines. Erica in Tennessee. Hi, Erica. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How are you? GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just wanted to know if she will have to pay him alimony and child support. GRACE: Oh, honey! Erica, Erica, Erica. See, that`s the fly in the ointment. Is this all about him getting more money? He`s already getting $20,000 a month, Erica, in alimony, or as they say, marital support. That is set to be cut off in November, and now suddenly, there`s all this commotion about getting full custody of the children. And it`s my understanding -- let`s go to the lawyers, Renee Rockwell, Joe Lawless -- if his custody time is increased, his marital alimony or support, Joe, will likely be increased, as well. Yes, no? LAWLESS: Yes, it will be increased. But I think, really -- I don`t know if this is as much about money for Federline as it is Britney Spears going into a spiral. From what I`ve seen in the last six or eight months - - and I`m not a Kevin Federline fan -- this kid has stepped up and tried to at least do the job as a father. And if she`s making more money than he is, whether it`s Britney Spears or some woman who`s a lawyer and her husband`s a ditch digger, she`s going to have to pay for the support to support the kids. GRACE: Renee? ROCKWELL: Absolutely. And that`s a pretty expensive baby-sitter that she`s got there. She`s lost her kids, and now he`s going to be going to the bank. He doesn`t even have to work now. All he has to do is stay out of the public and not screw up in front of the cameras and he`s going to be fine. GRACE: Out to Ruth Hilton with "OK! magazine. Ruth, what about reports of rehab? HILTON: Yes, we heard earlier today that her team seem to be making the progress they need to be getting her into rehab. In "OK!" this week, you can read about how Jamie Lynn (ph) and Brian (ph), her brother and sister, tried to stage an intervention. Now it looks like she may be checking into Crossroads, which, of course, is Eric Clapton`s facility in Antigua. This is a tough plan. This is not your, you know, "Go up the road a few miles out of LA" plan. This is seven days without any phone privileges. This is, like, get down, even, you know, to the point where they force you to stop smoking. So if -- you know, if she does it, it`s going to be a pretty impressive move for her, actually. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TONY BARRETTO, FORMER SPEARS BODYGUARD: I believe that Britney loves her children, but I was concerned about some of the behavior which I believe endangered them. I hope that because of this new court order, Britney will seek and receive the help that she obviously needs so that one day she could be reunited with her children. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: That is fired bodyguard Tony Barretto speaking out against Spears. Who can take him seriously? He`d be shredded on cross-exam. He said this after he was let go. If he was so worried about the kids, why not speak out then, and then spoke to the press, not just the cops? I want to go to Jason Kennedy with "E!" Jason, Ruth Hilton just said that going to Crossroads is a very impressive move, but isn`t Crossroads the same place she left last time? Hasn`t she been at rehab four times? KENNEDY: Yes, she checked in and out of a rehab facility here. She went to Crossroads, checked in for something like 24 hours, I believe, in March. Now the question is, how long is she going to stay there, if she actually goes there? Now, that`s a very intensive rehab place, very intense rehab place. She`s supposed to be back here, like I said, on October 26. So those reports have really not been confirmed, really, if she`s going to be going there in the first place. I think that`s something we still need to wait and see if that`s going to happen. But hopefully, she lasts and stays there for a while. GRACE: To Brad Lamm, addiction specialist. Brad, what do you think of Crossroads? BRAD LAMM, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: It`s a terrific treatment program. It has a rich history of doing great work for people who are struggling with drugs and alcohol. It`s a non-profit. They`re in it for the right reasons. If she goes there, I think it`s a good start. GRACE: If she finishes. LAMM: Well, you have to stay to get the treatment. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is joint physical custody of these two kids, but Mr. Federline has primary custody. There will be monitored visitation by Ms. Spears in the schedule agreed upon by counsel between now and October 26th. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The court heard a motion brought by Kevin Federline today to formally extend the orders which the court had made on Monday with respect to custody. And it was a very lengthy hearing, and evidence was presented by both sides. And the court is going to release its order very soon, either later today or perhaps tomorrow, and I, of course, don`t want to say anything that wouldn`t be reflected in the order. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of the other factors in her losing the kids are definitely the fact that she didn`t want to take parenting classes and that she didn`t want to take her drug testing. So everyone believed that Britney is actually going to go forward and do those things and just show that she really wants to have custody of her children. She does have a chance to appeal. Her attorneys are present. She is not present in the courtroom. And depending on what they present before the court, the judge may say that she is fit to have joint custody again. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: Man, that`s a day late and a dollar short. Just 48 hours ago, Britney Spears losing the things that should be the most valuable to her, her two little toddler sons. Today, both sides back in court, Federline shows up, Britney Spears a no-show. According to our guest, Ruth Hilton with "OK" magazine, she was filling her car up with gas and drinking a latte, waving at the paparazzi while the hearing was going down about custody of her two children. We are just getting in reports about the ruling, the actual ruling. Remember, the judge threw out all the press out of the courtroom, as he should have done when juveniles, when minors are at issue. I`m hearing that the judge has placed, quote, "certain specified dates and times when there will be monitored visitation by Spears." The judge also indicated visitation will be allowed every other day; that`s what we`re hearing about the set-up so far. It will leak out eventually. I want to go to Dr. Marty Mackary. He is a physician and professor of public health at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Mackary, if she really does have a substance abuse problem, how long will it take her to rehabilitate? DR. MARTY MACKARY, PHYSICIAN, JOHNS HOPKINS: Well, the quickest we`ve seen people turn around is six weeks, but, remember, the key to any successful rehab is, number one, a willingness or desire to get better and, number two, a complete change in their environment. And celebrities often can`t do these because they`re ordered to go to rehab, and they go right back to the same environment they came from. GRACE: What does it mean to you, Dr. Brian Russell, that she has been in rehab four times, always leaves early, one time only staying 24 hours? BRIAN RUSSELL, PSYCHOLOGIST: It means to me that she has not yet grasped the seriousness of her situation. And I think the judge, just like we saw in the Hasselhoff case a few months ago, is trying to send her a message by taking these kids away and saying, look, you need to get in here and prove and explain to me how you`re going it be different around these kids, because I`ve got to look out for them and their best interest. It isn`t about Federline being the father of the year. It`s about -- they both have strengths, they both have weaknesses, and right now her weaknesses are endangering the kids, and she`s got to appreciate the seriousness of that before she`s going to go to one of those programs and stay, like the other guest said, really take it seriously, and really be able to turn her around. GRACE: You know what, Brian? At the very beginning, the allegations that were leveled against her were things like she lets the kids drink Coke. She lets them eat junk food. I remember seeing my little nephew, who is totally orange, orange from here down from Cheetos, all right? And he couldn`t have more loving parents and more wonderful parents. So, you know, the kid gets some junk food or some Coca-Cola, those were actually the claims against her. But her not showing up in court today has really made an impression on me. Out to the lines, Cara in Florida. Hi, Cara. CALLER: Hi, Nancy. Love the show. GRACE: Thank you, dear. Thank you for calling in. CALLER: My question is, with so much of the custody battle being played out in the media, does the California courts have a program like the casa program or the guardian ad litem program, where there`s somebody assigned just to speak for these kids? GRACE: Yes. Practically everybody that has a juvenile court system has the ability to name a guardian ad litem. That`s simply a lawyer, typically, that works for the court that really doesn`t care about either side. They only represent the children. To Kareen Wynter, CNN correspondent at the courthouse today, do we know if a guardian ad litem has been appointed in this case? KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We really don`t right now, Nancy. And, again, because so much of this has been under wraps. You had the closed-door proceedings today. But I want to mention one thing. You know, people are talking a lot about Britney Spears and what she needs to do here. You know, we have to cut her somewhat of a break here. You know, she`s a child, basically, a woman now, but she grew up in the media spotlight. Also, we should be asking the question, Nancy, who are the people around her advising her? Where is her mom? Her management company recently dropped her, her divorce attorney. So just to balance it out a bit, there`s tremendous pressure on her to turn things around, but it has to start from the top down. GRACE: Kareen? Kareen? WYNTER: Nancy? GRACE: You are a fantastic reporter, but you are an enabler. You`re saying she`s a child? The two babies are the children. She`s not the child. WYNTER: They absolutely are. They are. But she grew up in front of the cameras, basically, is what I`m saying. GRACE: So? WYNTER: And, you know, the pressure to, you know, perform... GRACE: OK, you`re scaring me, Kareen. You`re scaring me. WYNTER: You know, the paparazzi constantly following her, constantly trailing her, and we don`t hear the other voice here, someone saying, what about Britney and the support system? Obviously K-Fed has some help on his end. GRACE: Kareen, I have been rooting for Britney Spears, because I thought Kevin Federline was a big mooch living off her. I`ve been rooting for her all along, but her not dragging herself to court today to me was a very, very bad move. A, it looks bad. B, it is bad. Well, wait a minute, to Jason Kennedy, how old is Britney Spears? JASON KENNEDY, E! ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: She is, I believe, 25, 26 years old. GRACE: OK, I had in my head she was 26. KENNEDY: And one of the things you mentioned here -- 25, 26 years old. But the thing is, she`s been thumbing her nose, Nancy, at the system since day one. That`s why this ruling came down on Monday that Kevin`s going to get full physical custody of the kids. So the judge has had it. Scott Gordon, he is tired of this, and that`s why he made the decision, and that`s why he`s still, as we speak on the air, going over some things to figure out if she should still get to see these children. GRACE: Brad Lamm joining us, addiction specialist, certified interventionist, Brad, now... BRAD LAMM, ADDICTION SPECIALIST: Nancy? GRACE: ... I adore Kareen Wynter, but I`ve got a problem of making excuses for people not showing up at court and thumbing their noses at that judge`s order. She did. And I`m not saying Federline is that great, but I`m saying, for God`s sake, please just come to court. Just show up. LAMM: I think that even the more important point, Nancy, as you talked about earlier, what happened to her maternal instinct? And when we have a loved one that`s struggling with addiction, that`s one of the first things that goes out the window, you know, maternal instinct that as a mother you think nothing can replace my kids. I love my kids. I would do anything for my kids. When chemicals come in to it, I think it really disrupts the order of things in your life. GRACE: I don`t expect every mother and father to feel what you feel. I don`t expect that. But when a judge says, "Do one, two and three, or you`re going to lose custody," and you don`t do any of it, and one of them is as simple as getting a license? Hold out. Out to Asia in Utah. Hi, Asia. CALLER: Hi, Nancy. My question is, do we know if she suffers from postpartum depression and maybe she`s acting out this way because she, in fact, does not want to be responsible? GRACE: That is a very interesting question, Asia. And could that explain it, Brian Russell? RUSSELL: That`s a good question, Asia. But based on the behavior that we`ve seen from this woman over the past year, this does not look like a woman who`s suffering from a serious mood disorder. This to me looks like a substance abuser. GRACE: Everybody, when we come back, 911 answers a frantic call only to find two little girls floating in the family`s tub. Prime suspect: their own mother, taken away in cuffs in court today. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) (NEWSBREAK) (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With tears raining from her lashes, Amber Hill faces a judge. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The court will set the fine at $1 million per victim, $2 million. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Accused of killing her little girls, 2-year-old Cecess Hill and 4-year-old Jannelle Cintron. Hill, dressed in a paper jumpsuit, accompanied by a chaperone is on suicide watch. She has been described by police as unresponsive and quiet since her arrest Monday, but the pain was evident at her arraignment. The 22-year-old mother listened for the first time out loud in open court for the world to hear what prosecutors say she did to her children. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is alleged that the defendant did, in fact, drown these two babies in the bathtub in their own home. (END VIDEO CLIP) GRACE: When she was taken away from the apartment in handcuffs by police, she showed zero emotion. Today in court, she broke down crying as the cameras rolled. To Phil Trexler with the "Akron Beacon Journal," why was she in court today? What happened? PHIL TREXLER, REPORTER: Well, good evening, Nancy. Amber Hill was in court today, of course, for her initial court appearance on the two counts of aggravated murder. She`s accused, of course, of drowning her two daughters on Monday. So she was there for a bond hearing and, of course, the judge set the bond for $2 million. The case will now be likely handed over to a grand jury for a possible indictment, which, of course, could include a potential death penalty specification. GRACE: Joining us right now is a special guest, the aunt of the defendant. Joining us is Carolyn Hill. Ms. Hill, thank you for being with us. CAROLYN HILL, AUNT OF MOTHER SUSPECT OF DROWNING DAUGHTERS: You`re welcome. GRACE: I know it must kill you to see her in court today. She was wearing black paper jumpsuit, which is worn by people under suicide watch in that jurisdiction. What have you heard? What was her thinking when this happened? HILL: Well, what happened when she allegedly killed the kids, or when she was in court? GRACE: When the children were drowned? HILL: I don`t think she was thinking; she couldn`t have been. GRACE: What do you think got her to that point, Ms. Hill? HILL: Her living situation, her boyfriend. GRACE: Now, am I correct that the judge ordered him to stay away from her in a court order for 18 months, and she chose to move back in with him during that time? HILL: She didn`t move in with him. She had her own apartment. GRACE: Was he living there with her? HILL: No, he wasn`t. GRACE: I`m glad to hear that. HILL: He just came there to terrorize her. GRACE: OK, you know what? That`s news to me. I thought that he was living there with her and the two girls. HILL: No, he wasn`t living there. GRACE: OK. Joining me right now is Bill Mason, also a very special guest joining us. He is the Cuyahoga County prosecutor overseeing this case. Mr. Mason, thank you for being with us. BILL MASON, CUYAHOGA COUNTY PROSECUTOR: Good evening, Nancy. GRACE: Sir, does this go to a grand jury, or is there a preliminary hearing? MASON: You know, the facts of this case when they`re all gathered will be presented to a grand jury, and then charges will come through the grand jury. GRACE: Bill, what exactly is aggravated murder in your jurisdiction? How is that different from murder one? MASON: The definition is purposely killing of another, and it`s that simple. In order to take it farther, which is the potential in this case for a death specification, there`s 12 other criteria that have to be met, and it has to be with prior calculation and design. So we don`t know all the facts yet. The police and investigators are still investigating. When we get them all, we will present them to the grand jury, and they will then bring forth charges. GRACE: Right. Do you present to the grand jury yourself? Do you follow it all the way through to trial? MASON: I have 210 assistants. Certain of them do the grand jury, and certain did the hearing today. So there will be many different prosecutors touching this case until it finally gets to the courtroom. GRACE: And of course, Cleveland, Ohio, is a death penalty jurisdiction. And as the prosecutor just told us, 12 criteria must be met before that decision is even broached. To Mike Brooks, it`s my understanding we`re getting a different story about cause of death. One of the little girls may have been actually strangled? MIKE BROOKS, FORMER D.C. POLICE: That`s what we`re hearing, Nancy. Again, this is all part of the investigation. Law enforcement right now is going to try to put together a whole timeline. What happened? When did she snap? What actually brought her to this? What was her motive behind this? GRACE: Whoa, whoa, did you say "snap"? Let me remind you, Mike, you may have been a fibby with the FBI, but there is no snap under our jurisprudence system, because that would cover -- you can always have a defense, "Oh, I snapped. I snapped." That`s not a defense. Snapping is not a defense. BROOKS: OK, what was her mental state? Is that better? Is that better for you? GRACE: A little bit, not a lot, but go ahead. BROOKS: Whatever. What was her mental state at this time leading up to this? What had happened 24 to 48 hours prior to this to lead her to these actions? These are all the things that law enforcement is trying to put together now, Nancy, as well as going in that apartment. And they did a thorough evidentiary search, looking for any forensics, taking pictures, and these are all things they`re going to review to come up with their case to present before the grand jury. GRACE: Back out to the aunt of Amber Hill in court today, two charges of aggravated murder, Carolyn Hill is with us. Ms. Hill, have you heard the development that one of the little girls may have actually been strangled? HILL: That`s just hearsay. I don`t... GRACE: Hearsay is in court. Hearsay is in court. It is disallowed in a court of law because it cannot be tested on cross-examination. But if this is in a coroner`s report, it is certainly not hearsay at that juncture. And I`m asking, have you heard that report? HILL: No, I haven`t. GRACE: You know, joining us Dr. Marty Mackary who is a physician. Our sources are telling us that one of the girls had hemorrhage petechiae in the eye and bruises about the neck. If that is true, I`m going to go along with Carolyn Hill, we don`t know that yet. I haven`t seen the full, entire coroner`s report. If that is true, how does that indicate strangulation? MACKARY: Well, for one thing, it will conclude that the autopsy is a homicide. All autopsies are broken down as accidental homicide, natural or non-conclusive. It would indicate a severe wrestling or struggle at the end of life, and it certainly sounds like a miserable way to go. GRACE: Out to the lines. Betty in Indiana, hi, Betty. CALLER: Hi, Nancy. GRACE: What`s your question, dear? CALLER: Congratulations. GRACE: Thank you. CALLER: My question is, last night you indicated that she had killed her children because of child abuse and/or domestic abuse. Had there been reports earlier to the police department or anyone -- family, friends -- that there was problems in the home? GRACE: OK, Betty, part of that is correct. We brought out two instances of known domestic abuse where the biological father of these two children had attacked her, but no one said that that was the reason that these children were killed. But there had been two substantiated cases of domestic abuse against the mother in the home, Betty. (COMMERCIAL BREAK) GRACE: Let`s go back out to the lines. Joining us, Mindy in Tennessee. Hi, Mindy. CALLER: Hi, Nancy, congratulations. GRACE: Thank you, dear. Thank you so much. What`s your question? CALLER: My question, did the mother have a history of any kind of depression or (INAUDIBLE) problems? GRACE: Mandy, I`ve asked and asked and asked. I`m trying to give the mom a break here. Back to Carolyn Hill, this is Amber Hill`s aunt. Ms. Hill, I asked you last night, you said, no. Did she have any history of mental illness? HILL: History of it? No. I mean, she`s been depressed quite often, and ever since she`s been in this relationship, so she`s been depressed more than over five years. GRACE: You know, I want to go out to Renee Rockwell, defense attorney. In a lot of these cases -- remember Andrea Yates` husband had her living in a school bus with five kids. I would assume that would be very depressing. But why take it out on the children? Why not take it out on the husband? RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You`ve got to ask yourself, did she really want to kill herself and then decide to kill the children? I just don`t -- it`s too early to tell. But... GRACE: Don`t start that, where I`m going to commit suicide but, no, I`ll kill all my kids instead. ROCKWELL: Nancy, but you can see a mental defect defense, and I don`t see the death penalty. GRACE: OK, I`m sure I did not ask you that. Thank you for injecting yourself on that one while the prosecutor`s here. Let`s stop to remember Army Specialist Keith Nurnberg, 26, McHenry, Illinois, killed, Iraq, on a second tour. An avid Bears` fan, loved the outdoors and fishing, leaving behind parents, Barb and Al, three sisters, grieving widow, new bride Tanya, pregnant with first child, a boy to be named after his dad. Keith Nurnberg, American hero. Thank you to our guests, but most of all to you. See you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend. END


text:
- 165Promote
Stationery Cards
Ikebanaby Joke Vermeer
Set of folded stationery cards printed on bright white, smooth card stock to bring your personal artistic style to everyday correspondence. Each card is blank on the inside and includes a soft white, European fold envelope for mailing.
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Nice orchids
Thank you very much Henrique, Lizzy, Micklyn, Tex, Deborah, Musenyo and Project m! Really happy to find this one on the HP....!!!! Must be my lucky week!! :)
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Gove's curriculum could be 'chaos', leaders warn
Reform is being rushed and standards will fall, they tell DfE
Heads' leaders have delivered a damning verdict on the new national curriculum, warning that it cannot be introduced in the time allotted, and that it could "create chaos" and result in lower standards.
Secondary heads have rejected the proposed curriculum's strict focus on content and want implementation delayed beyond 2014. Primary heads say the government has reneged on its promise to provide them with room to innovate and has failed to get teachers on board.
The condemnation came as it emerged that a senior civil servant has admitted that one of the most controversial aspects of the curriculum was written internally by the Department for Education, without any input from experts.
Criticism of the draft curriculum has been growing since it was first published in February, with history coming in for particular censure. Classroom teachers used the Easter union conferences to belittle "Gradgrind Gove's pub quiz curriculum", claiming it would lead to truanting by bored students. Last month, 100 education academics wrote an open letter warning that the changes would damage standards by promoting "rote learning without understanding".
But the latest criticism is particularly damaging because it comes in a formal response to the official consultation, from the heads who are essential to making the reform work.
Brian Lightman, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said the proposals "cannot be implemented by 2014 within the same time and resources available to schools" and called for the consultation period, which closes on Tuesday, to be extended.
The ASCL said the "vast majority" of secondaries were happy with the existing national curriculum and warned that its replacement could be "detrimental" to standards.
The proposals "could create chaos if implemented in their current form and to the intended timescale", it warned.
The union also fears that nothing is being done to address a "severe shortage" of teachers equipped to teach certain areas of the new curriculum, such as computing and languages, and has a series of major concerns about individual subjects (see box).
Worryingly for the government, the ASCL also appears to reject the idea at the heart of the reform - that the national curriculum is restricted to content and what to teach. It said that while it was helpful to specify content, "it is also essential that the national curriculum engages with how students apply that knowledge".
Russell Hobby, general secretary of heads' union the NAHT, does not oppose the new curriculum's focus on facts. But he is concerned that too many are included and that the government has failed to listen to teachers and to sell its reform to the profession. "If teachers don't believe in the curriculum it won't work," he said. "Because once that classroom door shuts, it is what inspires teachers that gets done."
Mr Hobby, who had yet to finalise the NAHT's response to the consultation, said the government had "specified the 'what' so extensively and so tightly that it has constrained or dictated the 'how'". He added: "We are still looking for evidence that the government is creating the freedom it promised at primary level."
Meanwhile, Matt White, assistant director of the DfE's national curriculum review, has revealed that the controversial design and technology curriculum was drawn up without consultation.
Asked in February who had advised on the programme of study he told a Westminster Education Forum event that it had been drafted internally without "an advisory structure".
"I'm not suggesting that it was prepared, as it were, in consultation," he said, before admitting that the DfE did not "have a body of specific design and technology expertise".
The result takes design and technology back to the 1950s by introducing sock-darning and flower arranging at the expense of vital 21st-century technological skills, according to the Design and Technology Association.
Ministers say they are now talking to the association, which wants the curriculum to be abandoned because it is "unambitious and incoherent", "completely inappropriate for a technologically advanced nation" and would make England the "laughing stock" of the Western world.
A DfE spokesperson said: "The draft national curriculum is challenging and ambitious. Extending the consultation period would delay implementation. A whole year of pupils would miss out on a more rigorous, knowledge-focused curriculum."
Subject to change
ASCL concerns:
- Art and design, music: "So cursory that teachers… are at a loss to understand how this is an improvement."
- Citizenship: "Greatly inferior to the existing programme."
- Computing: "So technical and content heavy… it almost completely removes all the practical ICT skills that students will need for adult life."
- Design and technology: "Return to more of a craft-based, maintenance skills approach, which will not prepare students for the real world."
- Geography: "Too little emphasis on cultural understanding and diversity."
- History: "Unteachable"; "will turn students away from history".
- Languages: "Proper progression between key stages 2 and 3 will become impossible for many."
- Physical education: "The focus on team games, rather than developing a good understanding of healthy living… is a major shortcoming."
- English, maths and science: "Unhelpful and potentially damaging imbalance" between knowledge and its application.
Original headline: Gove's curriculum could lead to chaos, school leaders warn
Comment (7)
Interesting that the DfE have admitted that the design and technology curriculum was drawn up without consultation. They have so far evaded an FOI request which will eventually reveal the same about history. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/drawing_up_the_proposed_national/new
Interestingly the ICT curriculum (now called Computing) was drafted over 3 months by 2 different drafting groups and was submitted to the DfE on 30th November by the British Computer Society and Royal Academy of Engineering who were commissioned by the DfE to "coordinate the drafting".
The version which emerged from the DfE on 7th February had over 50 changes to the agreed draft which had managed to bring some consensus to the otherwise diverse ICT community,including all the big IT industry players.
The BCS have explained on their website that the Minister asked for a greater emphasis on Computer Science and in their wisdom chose not to reconvene any of the 40 members of the two drafting groups.
An unknown person in the BCS,or the Minister or a civil servant edited the document and consequently not only disregarded the broad and balanced expert advice but also destroyed any confidence and trust in the transparency of the process.
The public consultation ends next week and i suspect the "overwhelming response" required for the Minister to be minded to revert to the original and agreed draft is contained in the many word documents currently flowing into sanctuary buildings which await analysis.
Unless there are substantial and significant changes to the draft which reflect the consensus and I suspect the "overwhelming response" of the public I suspect the civil servant responsible for FOI's within the DfE will be very,very busy.
The current Programmes of study neither meet the needs of the Technology Industry or the needs of all our children to become successful digital citizens and digital contributors to UK Plc.
The very narrow focus on Computer Science is not only undesirable but unless there is major investment in in- service and initial teacher training is also undeliverable in my,and many headteachers view.
I urge the DfE and the Teaching Agency to seriously give consideration to my call to "rebuild consensus,create a cohesive response and increase the momentum for teacher training"
I've copied up my response here: http://danielstucke.com/post/47723110592/curriculum-response
But in a nutshell the Computing curriculum in particular is not deliverable in the proposed timeframe and it has glaring gaps in skills and literacies that our young people will need in their personal and working lives, but at least they'll know two different sorting algorithms!
Little seems to have been mentioned or discussed about the removal of National Curriculum Levels either. Replacing NC levels in non-core subjects, where they have been pretty meaningless for years, is no bad thing. But there is no consideration how schools should measure progress in there absence and still no clear picture on how schools will be held accountable for progress as that separate document lacks clarity.
Nobody is saying change isn't needed, but ASCL, NAHT & the D&T Assoc have nailed the implications of the current proposals. We're in grave danger of a dull curriculum, glum students and an already demoralised teaching workforce losing their remaining enthusiasm for delivering learning to our young people.
Is it true that Gove is arranging for thousands of reprints of 1950s textbooks ready for his 'new' curriculum?
Being more serious I think there is a need for change, but it cannot be done effectively without involving the professionals: teachers/lecturers, university and educational specialists, etc.
For too long education has been indoctrinated with equality & diverse, the need to make sure everyone passes and the need to please and entertain our customers.
The result is school and college leavers who are unprepared for work and way behind the their future competitors in asian countries.
By seeking to please young people we are letting them down and failing to prepare them adequately for their very tough and uncertain future.
When the National Curriculum was first mooted, I spent many hours reading, thinking and eventually responding to the Science proposals as an individual.
Later I was informed that responses were divided into 4 (it may have been 5) groups and the answers coded onto a computer: statutory correspondance (100% coded), professional bodies (100%), subject groupings, unions etc (50%), individuals (25%). I guess that is not unreasonable, but I was disappointed.
On one particular item, 98% of coded responses argued against its implementation. It was implemented! The Secretary of State reported that he had carried out a consultation exercise, as required, but he was in charge.
I'm sure Mr Gove will be far more attentive.
ah Yes well,just because They have 'consulted' and noted opinion does not mean that any account is taken of it!
I am just finishing an OU M.ed in educational research, and all this is highly interesting,all research points to the benefits of wide ranging curriculum, taking account of socio -cultural aspects,,not a narrow,functional set of skills such as the 'new' curriculum. I wonder if all this is a route to segregated education again,, 'grammar' for the so called academics, with resonancs with the Dead Poet Society ethos, and technical schools for the plumbers and hairdressers of the future( no disrespect intended for either of these jobs)
Nobody has mentioned the impact on RE. Here is a summary of the consequences the Ebacc has already had on RE. (An analysis of a Survey of teachers on the impact of the EBacc )
Conclusions Religious Studies in the curriculum continues to decline since the introduction of the English Baccalaureate, especially at key stage 4 where the impact of the EBacc is at its greatest.
This impact is seen not only in the reduction of past and planned examination entries, but also in the timetable where schools report that even though the subject is legally compulsory for all students unless withdrawn by their parents, students are not always receiving their entitlement to a religious education, especially in Key Stage 4.
a. 33% of schools responding to the survey report that legal requirements are not being met at key stage 4 (40% of community and 42% of Academy schools without a religious character). (Paragraph 2).
Even though studying a GCSE accredited course is a statutory requirement of many Agreed Syllabuses, 38% of maintained schools enter less than 75% of their Year 11 cohort (see data in table 3 page 5 and appendix 2)
b. 12% of schools report that legal requirements are not being met at key stage 3. (14% of community and Academy schools without a religious character) (paragraph 2)
c. 24% of schools reported a reduction in the number of specialist staff employed to teach Religious Education. Of those, 82% stated that the introduction of the EBacc was the main reason for this change. (paragraph 3)
d. As the number of specialist teachers declines, teachers with other specialisms are being required to deliver the subject. In 47% of schools, at least one in ten Religious Education lessons and up to one in five lessons are delivered by teachers whose main time is spent in another curriculum area. (paragraph 4)
e. 54% of the schools that responded stated that they will have no entries for GCSE Religious Studies at Short Course in 2014. This represents a rise of twelve per cent over two years. Eighteen per cent reported no entries for the Full Course, a rise of three per cent over the last two years. (paragraph 5)
f. Of those schools that reported a drop in Full Course entries, the impact of the EBacc was cited as the main reason in 55% of cases in 2011, rising to 63% of cases for the 2014 cohort (students about to start key stage 4). (paragraph 6)
g. In some schools a decision has been made to cut the Short Course in favour of the Full Course. Of those schools that reported a reduction in the Short Course, this represented 23% of schools in the survey where students are due to take the examination in 2013 and 26% of those from 2014.
h. Some schools reported changes having been made to the structure of the timetable. This has been more marked in key stage 4 than in key Stage 3. The greatest impact was seen in Year 10 (the start of GCSE courses in most schools) where 19% of schools reported a reduction in provision, less time; in comparison with other subjects. Some schools also reported enhanced timetable provision. This affected 12% of schools for year 10. (paragraph 7)
i. There is a clear trend towards offering GCSE Religious Studies courses over three years instead of two, as has previously been the norm. This pattern has been introduced in 33% of the schools that responded to this question for students taking the examination in 2014 having risen from 25% in 2012. The most common mode of delivery is still 120-140 hours over two years which accounts for 41% of candidates. It is possible however, that students who are taught the course over three years might face an increase in demand since they would need to use knowledge, understanding and skills retained over a longer period.(paragraph 8)
j. 20% of the schools in our survey now attempt to deliver this course over less than the recommended teaching time. There is a growing body of evidence, including from Ofsted subject surveys, that this practice is detrimental to students' Religious Education; failing to meet the aims of GCSE courses which include developing a coherent understanding of religious beliefs, ideas and practices. (paragraph 9)
k. Subject specific training is essential for the delivery of high quality provision in any subject. 71% of the 480 schools that responded to this question reported that they had received no subject specific training in school in the last academic year. 44% reported that they had attended no training outside of school. Just over 10% reported that they had attended two days or more of training outside of school. (paragraph 10)
The consequences to our pupils' and students' understanding of themselves and each other, and of the world in which we live, are serious and increase the danger of conflict in our society and stress/unhappiness in individual lives.
A recent all-parliamentary group looked into RE provision and concluded -
FOREWORD Stephen Lloyd MP
Very few issues matter more than education. Our hardworking teachers not only impart information, they also help shape the views of the next generation. The importance of mutual respect and understanding, for faiths and belief, is crucial in a society where there are now many different religions and cultures. This is why I believe religious education is so important. ..... Despite religious education being more important than ever before, our group were informed that the subject was often marginalised in schools, and teachers undermined by the dismantling of the RE frameworks and support structures. There appeared to be fewer subject specialists now than in previous years. This is why the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Religious Education has conducted this inquiry into the 'Supply of and Support for Religious Education Teachers'.
We have consulted with a range of individuals and organisations, with direct experience of teaching religious education, and accredited experts. We reached out to over 430 schools and have heard from
statisticians from the Department for Education and academia.
I have personally learned a great deal from reading through the evidence and listening to contributors at the meetings. I am now even more determined to do everything I can so that every pupil is taught religious education to a high standard. We hope that the Department for Education find this report useful, and incorporate our recommendations into Government policy on RE. Yours sincerely
Stephen Lloyd MP Chair of the APPG on Religious Education March 2013
1 Supply of primary RE teachers
a) In over half of the 300 primary schools participating in this inquiry, some or all pupils were taught RE by someone other than their class teacher. In a quarter of these schools RE was taught by teaching assistants.
This is unacceptable and in many cases this has a detrimental impact on the quality of RE (2.2-2.5).
b) About a half of primary teachers and trainee teachers lack confidence in teaching RE (2.6-2.10).
c) About a half of subject leaders in primary schools lack the expertise or experience to undertake their role effectively (2.11-2.13).
d) There is a wide variation in the extent of initial teacher training in RE and too many trainee teachers have little effective preparation for teaching the subject (2.14-2.16).
2 Supply of secondary teachers
a) Over 50% of teachers of RE in secondary schools have no qualification or appropriate expertise in the subject. This is unacceptable (3.1-3.6).
b) The inclusion of non specialists in the total number of RE teachers given by the DfE gives the false impression that we have enough RE teachers and skews the statistics regarding the need to train more RE specialists (4.1-4.4).
c) Secondary RE trainees on school based routes are not guaranteed places in schools where the RE staff have sufficient expertise to provide training (5.3-5.4).
d) Applications for secondary RE teacher training courses are currently 143 down on the same time last year.
The loss of bursaries for RE is among the reasons for this reduction in applicant numbers for 2013/14 (5.4-5.5).
3 Support for teachers of RE
a) In nearly 40% of schools RE teachers have inadequate access to continuing professional development (6.1-6.3).
b) RE teachers, particularly non specialists, in schools without a religious character have particularly limited access to CPD (6.13-6.21).
c) The ability of SACREs to provide support for teachers of RE at a local level has been dramatically reduced by local authority funding decisions and the impact of the academisation programme (6.31-6.36).
d) Teachers' access to CPD is a postcode lottery; it depends on the resources of their local SACRE or diocese, proximity to training and the priority given to RE in schools.
4 Contributory factors
a) A range of government policies, notably those relating to the EBacc and GCSE short courses, are contributing to the lowering of the status of RE in some schools leading to a reduction in the demand for specialist teachers (4.5-4.11).
b) Recent reductions and changes in teacher training have resulted in the closure of some outstanding university providers with a loss of opportunities for RE CPD (5.1- 5.3).
c) The combined effect of inadequate supply and inadequate access to support is that whatever their level of commitment, many teachers struggle to reach the levels of subject competence expected in the DfE's own teaching standards.
I could go on but I think these extracts will show you how serious the consequences of recent changes to the curriculum are for the subject of RE,.


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WVU QB call will take some time
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Last week at the Big 12's preseason football media days, Dana Holgorsen said that choosing the best quarterback for his West Virginia football team would be a process that could take anywhere from a day to 21/2 weeks.
Well, a day has passed.
And no, not yet.
"Not today,'' Holgorsen said Thursday.
Yes, the third-year head coach saw some things he liked about his football team, which held its first practice Thursday afternoon. He lauded its energy level and its attitude, although to expect anything less on the first day would be silly.
"They were excited and all that, blah, blah, blah,'' he said.
He liked his team's conditioning, referring to conditioning as "phenomenal.''
He even liked watching last year's much-maligned defense take its first steps, so much so that later he bristled at a questioner who mentioned 2012.
"We're not going to talk about last year's defense,'' he said. "Everyone knows what it was.''
But the quarterback situation? Well, that's simply going to take some time, he said. After just one day of watching holdovers Paul Millard and Ford Childress and Florida State transfer Clint Trickett, there's really not much to see.
"They have the ability to run the offense and throw the ball, but we're not moving the ball. We're just running plays,'' Holgorsen said. "No matter if it's a good play or a bad play, we're just moving on to the next one.
"We'll do three days where there's no consequences for any of the actions, whether it's a good play or a bad play. We're just running plays right now to get all the offense installed. Then we'll get into more situational stuff, where they've got to understand what the situation is and get us in better plays.
"That's when I'll start judging whether they can be the guy or not.''
Holgorsen, of course, has seen plenty of Millard and Childress - the former as Geno Smith's backup the last two seasons and the latter in a full redshirt year of practice. Trickett he'd not seen until Thursday except on film.
"He's good. He's seasoned. He doesn't get nervous,'' Holgorsen said of the 6-foot-3, 185-pound junior transfer. "You can tell that he's got some game experience, but right now he's got the look where he looks at me on the sideline and just stares through me because it's not automatic, which is to be expected.
"But he threw the ball good. For a guy who it's his very first practice here, I thought he did good. I'm not judging specific throws or checks or anything like that. I'm just watching them operate - getting signals and communicating them to the O-line and then executing the play so that it resembles football. And I thought he did all right there.''
So what is it that Holgorsen will ultimately look for in Trickett and the others? Presence. He said he saw that from all three on Thursday.
"You throw a guy in there that's taking snaps in our offense for the first time, and if there's hesitation and panic and nervousness and lack of communication and all that stuff, then we've got a little bit of an issue,'' Holgorsen said of Trickett. "I knew he would handle that well. It's not something that I'm concerned with with him.
"Ford and Paul possess that calmness right now too because they understand what's going on around them. I think Clint can get in the mix to be the guy because he has that in his personality.''
Junior college linebacker D'Vante Henry was also missing, but Holgorsen said that was because of personal issues. With 102 players in camp, there is room for all three within the 105-player NCAA limit.
Holgorsen said there was no doubt that Lambert would be the team's kicker, thus there was no need to bring anyone else in and take up a spot on the 105-man roster. When the roster is expanded once classes begin, someone else might compete for the kickoff specialist's job.
Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or email@example.com or follow him at Twitter.com/dphickman1.


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When Science Crashes the PartyPost Date: 5 December 2011
Listen now:
Season 2, Episode 38
In the many battle skirmishes between Democrats and Republicans, science is often caught in the crossfire. From military technology to health care to our future in space, politicians have the power to decide — often for ideological reasons — what science gets funding and what gets cut.
Actress, comedian, and political activist Janeane Garofalo joins the show to lay out the political theater as she sees it, and cedes no ground on whether scientific issues should ever be a topic of partisan debate. Neil also talks with Robert Walker, a former Republican Representative for the state of Pennsylvania who sat on the House Science Committee for 20 years.
Co-Host :
Janeane Garofalo, actress, comedian, political activist
Robert Walker, former Representative for the state of Pennsylvania (16th district)
"American Idiot" – Green Day
"Waiting For The World To Change" – John Mayer
"Dear Mr. President" – Pink Feat. Indigo Girls
"Party People" – Nelly Feat. Fergie
"Politics" – Korn
"Tea Party" – Kerli
"Which Side Are You On" – Billy Bragg


text:
Nov. 21, 2008
Recap | Final Stats | Photo Gallery
From head coach Joanne Boyle
"Just a great game," Boyle said. "I'm so proud of the (players). I was telling them how proud I am of them and thinking ahead, 'Where could we be in March?'"
"We talked about this year, finishing big games and that was the theme going in at halftime, throughout the time outs, the whole way. The (players) were committed to it and they executed it."
"I think it was great for our team to have this success without (posts) Dev (Devanei Hampton) and Rama (N'diaye). It really shows our depth and how complete our team is. It gives us a confidence to know that we can go out and win."
From guard Alexis Gray-Lawson
"I was ready for this game for a really long time. I'm at a loss for words. This is a game we knew would be a challenge. It was going to challenge our defense. As soon as we got the first stop, I was like 'Let's go.' I was so excited, after that, I was like, 'Let's freakin' do this.' "
From forward Ashley Walker
"It's great to see our team work the way it has worked without Dev and Rama. No one would expect us to do what we do. We are so small inside right now, and they are so much bigger than us. We just told ourselves, we are going to fight and grit it out and sacrifice what we need to sacrifice."
"We just wanted to make another run and show them who we are. It was like, 'OK, we're just going to keep going.'"


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אנחנו בפייסבוק
Op-ed: Israel is only place in Middle East where Arabs are entitled to full democratic rights
Eddie Yair Fraiman
Published: 04.27.11, 17:47 / Israel Opinion
Eddie Yair Fraiman
The extreme events we witnessed in recent weeks are contrary to all democratic and enlightenment principles. But they are the expected response from regimes that have already long demonstrated their total disregard for human rights and international values. Exactly as happened after Hamas took control of the Gaza strip in June 2007, these regimes have shown the inevitable outcome that results when non- and anti-democratic forces are given free rein over their populations.


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What's the ideal private cloud? The one you never have to think about. Lately I've done a certain amount of writing on best practices. And as usual, when I write about something, this means I find myself wanting to apply the root idea in all sorts of new ways....
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A 21-year-old Rochelle man is now facing murder charges in the death of a man after a fight.
Gary Rothwell, agent in charge of the GBI's Perry office, says Blake Howard is charged in this weekend's death of 45-year-old James Alexander.
Rothwell says autopsy results concluded Alexander died from blunt force trauma.
He says the two men knew each other and got into a fight Sunday on Cherry Tree Lane in Rochelle.
Rothwell says they believe both men were under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both.
Howard is in the Wilcox County jail and the GBI continues to investigate.


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For Immediate Release
April 28, 2008
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
Kevin Favreau has been named the Assistant Director of the Directorate of Intelligence. Director Robert S. Mueller, III appointed him to this position to replace Wayne Murphy, who recently concluded his joint duty detail assignment and has resumed his career at the National Security Agency. Mr. Favreau previously served as Deputy Assistant Director for Operations Support in the Counterintelligence Division at FBI Headquarters.
Mr. Favreau entered on duty in October 1983 as a support employee in the FBI's Boston Division and later served as an Intelligence Information System Analyst. In August 1988, he was selected as a special agent. Upon completion of training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia, he was assigned to the Pittsburgh Division, where for the next eight years he primarily worked counterespionage, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism matters as a case agent.
In 1996, Mr. Favreau was promoted as a supervisor at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. in the National Security Division's Operational Training Unit, where he lectured and provided training to FBI agents and other intelligence community personnel on counterintelligence and counterterrorism issues. He also traveled throughout the country with the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) program, where he lectured to state and local law enforcement personnel on first amendment, privacy act, and federal legal issues pertaining to domestic intelligence collection, and federal roles and responsibilities in the event of a terrorist attack.
In April 1999, Mr. Favreau was promoted to the Portland Division, where he had supervisory oversight of all FBI investigations in the state of Oregon concerning domestic terrorism, international terrorism, computer intrusions, and counterintelligence, to include supervision of the Portland Joint Terrorism Task Force and the national intelligence investigation into the criminal activities of both the Animal Liberation Front and Earth Liberation Front. In September 2001, he was detailed from the FBI to the Central Intelligence Agency as Chief of Staff of the newly-created Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, an interagency strategic counterintelligence effort involving the U.S. intelligence community.
In May 2002, Mr. Favreau was named Assistant Section Chief of the newly-created Counterespionage Section at FBI Headquarters. In June 2003, he then was assigned as Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the San Francisco Division, where he had responsibility for all FBI counterintelligence operations in northern California and the Silicon Valley. In November 2004, Mr. Favreau was selected to be the Chief of the Counterespionage Section at FBI Headquarters, where he coordinated all FBI espionage and economic espionage investigations with the U.S. intelligence community and the private sector. From August 2005, until June of 2006, Mr. Favreau served as Chief of the newly-created Counterintelligence Strategy and Domain Section at FBI Headquarters. In this position, Mr. Favreau coordinated all FBI counterintelligence outreach to the U.S. intelligence community, academia and the private sector, which included the creation and oversight of the FBI's Business Alliance program, the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board, and the Critical National Asset identification process. From July 2006 until January 2008, Mr. Favreau served as Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office counterintelligence program, responsible for all matters of counterintelligence and counterespionage concern in our nation's capital and Northern Virginia.
Mr. Favreau is a native of Clinton, Massachusetts. He received a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree in Criminal Justice and Political Science in 1983 from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island, and a Juris Doctor degree from the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts in 1988. Mr. Favreau currently resides in Maryland with his wife Cynthia, a former FBI employee.
# #


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Did a 35 mile loop yesterday morning for the Ben Eckenhoff memorial ride. Old La Honda was part of it and it wasn't that bad. The scenery up Old La Honda was beautiful and reminded me of a tropical jungle. The ride up was pretty with narrow roads and the occasional steep parts to make one stand on the pedals. I did the climb in 30 minutes and 10 seconds. Not bad I guess for my first time up. We went right on Skyline and right on La Honda. It was a cool and fast descent down those two roads. That is until I noticed the exact turn where AlainP crashed. That made me tentative down La Honda but I was still able to keep up with my speed. Once down La Honda we continued on to Woodside, to San Hill and back to Junipero.
The streets were busy with cyclists and there were a couple other memorial rides that went on that day. This made the ride very enjoyable compared to my mostly solo rides around the Brentwood area. I've kept the map and might do it again nextweek.
"Of all the things I like bestos, I like asbestos." - A co-worker
"Of all the things I like bestos, I like asbestos." - A co-worker
On a side note, I drove by that turn yesterday afternoon just for kicks and it was kinda spooky not being able to see the hillside from the roadway. What gets me is that turn wasn't particularly sharp or difficult. Guess I just zoned out or was just plain careless .
Saturday, none, busy with other commitments.
Sunday I was also busy in the a.m. so I did a solo 45-mile loop in the afternoon: up Highway 9, across Skyline, down Page Mill and along Foothill back to San José. Weather was fantastic for riding today!
Saturday up the 505 and reversed the Dunlop TT route. Kept going straight on Stephenson Bridge road and ended up on Russell, which we followed into Winters. Had coffee w/some fellow club members at Steady Eddie's, then back on the flats to home.
Today was excellent riding weather. We took off a little after 8 and did a speedy Gordon Valley loop. Amazing how many grapes have been harvested within the last two weeks. I noticed trees whose leaves are beginning to turn already. Hard to believe summer's nearly at its end.
When my feet hit the floor in the morning, Satan shudders and says, "Oh, *****, she's awake!"
Visit my blog.
I was on-call this weekend, so no real substantial riding. Since I couldn't really ride too long, I took my Seven in to the shop. I did take my recumbent out, and did a total of probably 10 miles (all flat). Interesting riding ... feels weird after riding in that position.
Saturday - John Peckham Memorial Ride. Stopped by the grave site to pay my respects. (About 50 miles)
Sunday - Got up too late for the A-Ride (Thank heaven for small favors! ;-) ) Rode up Old La Honda, Skyline to Skylonda, 84 to La Honda, up West Alpine, north on Skyline, east of 84, back through Portola Valley. (65 miles)
"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ...'holy *****...what a ride!'"
"Of all the things I like bestos, I like asbestos." - A co-worker
Started out to try the Battaglin on climbs and descents. After 3 miles, the saddle had slid back 1/2 cm - this makes the second failed fix of this problem. Next, I mix a lot of sand with a little grease and put that on the clamp where it grips (or in this case fails to grip) the rails.
Turned around, went home. Fetched the Bianchi.
Took the Bianchi from San Mateo to Woodside, up OLH (27:24), and down the West side, back up 84 to Sky Londa and down to Woodside and home. 48 miles.
"Dont take life so seriousit aint nohow permanent."
Started a ride on Sunday to the Portola Valley loop at 4 PM and extended it by riding 84 to Whiskey Hill road. Then I took Arastradero on my way back on Foothill and climbed to Altamont via Elena. Descended to Foothil College and then had my mini Paris Roubaix on a section of Grant where they were resurfacing the road. The temperature was perfect, and the golden light was gorgeous against the hills.
1999 Seven Sola, 2004 Bianchi Axis, 2005 Trek Madone 5.2 SL, 2006 Merlin Works CR 3/2.5, 2009 Kona Ute, Spot Acme
I road up up pierce, mt.eden, to montebello and through the dirt to pagemill and then decended hwy 9. I'd drawn up the route on routeslip a while back and finally said what the hay and gave it a shot. That's one of the more difficult rides I've ever done. Montebello road is no joke, just seems to keep going up and not nearly as gradual as Mt. diablo.
Edited to throw in that this was on Saturday morning and I was wearing my Sweeeeet NorCal BF jersey
Montebello is broken down to: first two miles - lotsa work w/ some steep inside turns, the third mile is flattish for recovery, and miles 4 and 5 are exposed grinds to the gate with a sharp whip about 1/4 mile from the gate. That's how I always see Montebello.
Saturday: left Alameda at 8am south on Doolittle/Hesperian to the long bike trail down in Fremont. This led us to Niles Canyon where we pacelined East to Palomares. The grind to the top was interesting as I got to the top, a ghost rider was shadowing me near there ... I had not seen him 1/2 to the top, but by the time I got there, he passed by about maybe 30 seconds later. Afterwards, a teammate asked if the guy who flew by him passed me.
I thought, wow, he musta been going fast!
Down to Castro Valley and back home via Lake Chabot.
Sunday: ride with the missus, got dropped like a rock, did not let her live it down all day, and she broke down and got a new set of shoes for SPD.
I took my bike down with me to Mt View while I had to work this weekend, and got a 20 mile ride in on Friday going up Foothill to Juniper Serra and back down to Castro St and in to Moffett. I figured out why I get so much more saddle sore up here than I ever did down there. Y'all have too many damn stop lights to be on the saddle for more than five minutes at a time.
Nothing special today, just Danville Blvd out to Rossmoor, over the hill via Hillgrade, and back to San Ramon.
I've ridden at least 20 miles a day since last Sunday, and have logged 170 miles so far in that time.
"Love is not the dying moan of a distant violin, its the triumphant twang of a bedspring."
S. J. Perelman
No riding yesterday, had to drive to Sebastopol for a gig with the band. I can't say I like driving 101 up north where it's only two lanes, awful traffic.
Today I did the Ron group ride route with a right turn at Page Mill for 46 miles. Managed to shave three minutes off the HW 9 climb, 41 minutes from the concrete bridge.
Including the ride from my bro-in-laws to Roy's Cyclery in Vacaville and using their ride map for Winters Loop I got in 46 miles today, the most I've done solo this year. Mostly flat, some rollers and some interesting hills at the end. Finished in 3hrs 2mins inclduing some short rest stops... not bad considering I'm slow... it took me a little over 2 hours to do 29 miles last time when I cut through Cantelow Rd [from the wrong side] instead of taking the whole Winters Loop route. Even saw cows, llamas, horses and some road kill including two flat snakes, 2 possums and two cats, well, one of them I believe was a cat.
What was funny was that I saw several people riding the opposite way... Near the end I found out why! The stinkin hills! The hills weren't gigantic but after going 35+ miles averaging about 16+mph, hitting hills after feeling a bit tired wasn't fun. I'll have to reverse the route next time to hit the hills first and then I can jam through the rest of it, hopefully faster. We'll see.
Oh yeah... hitting head winds for the last 4-5 miles didn't help much either. Neither did running out of fluids! But I must say, the Hammer Endurolyte pills bigbossman recommended helped a lot. Usually around mile 35-40 I cramp up big time. Not this time... Although i had slight cramps in my calfs about a 1/4 mile from the end, but I contribute that to my lack of fluids.
So I continue to train for the Waves to Wines ride at the end of the month! Wish me luck!
Next weekend NeCrO632 and I are going to try back to back rides on Sat and Sun to prep for the Waves ride. I think I'm going to talk him into a shorter ride on Sunday. I'm getting too tired to play in my softball league Sunday nights after riding more than 30 miles that same morning. lol!
This day will be over... one of these days!
"I have cancer, cancer doesn't have me."
Quote from a Kaiser commercial that reminds me of my mom.
Saturday I went up Foothill from Cupertino to Portola Valley (Risottis), left on Arastradero to Page Mill up Page Mill to Altamont down Altamont to Foothill and home.
Sunday from my house I went up Stevens Creek park ,up Mt Eden up Pierce then up Hiway 9 to Redwood Gulch. I went down Redwood Gulch and stevens Canyon,back up Mt Eden to Pierce left on Pierce and through residential and home. A good weekend of riding with some nice climbing on Sunday. Perfect weather.I attended the Chocolate Festival in San Francisco with my family on Sunday so I will need to get back on the bike ASAP.


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Prime Minister Stephen Harper is facing a decision that could fundamentally change the ordering of global affairs and determine Canada's future role on the international stage.
Away from the more pressing concern of nurturing a fragile economic recovery, governments in the Group of 20 nations, whose leaders reconvene in Pittsburgh this week for the third time in less than a year, are engaged in a debate about whether the G20 will remain the global economy's steering committee once the financial crisis has finally passed.
By historical accident, Mr. Harper finds himself in a position to play a pivotal role in determining the outcome.
As host of next year's meeting of Group of Eight wealthy countries, Mr. Harper must choose whether to expand the summit to include India and other developing countries, or exclude those nations in favour of the clubbier and less chaotic G8 structure.
The stakes are high.
For the economists who believe the crisis could have been avoided if countries such as the United States and China trusted more in each other, finding the right balance between richer countries and emerging powers is seen as vital to bringing longer-term stability to the global economy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Harper must also weigh a more parochial question: Is Canada's place in this future global order secure? As the geopolitical sands shift, relatively smaller powers like Canada aren't assured a place at the table, academic observers and former officials say.
By hosting another G20 summit next year, Mr. Harper could create momentum for a means of overseeing the global affairs at which Canada has a firm place, undermining persistent arguments that global economic, environmental and security matters are better managed by achieving consensus among major powers such as the U.S., China, Japan, India and the bigger European countries.
"Canada now has to make a very calculated and difficult decision about what it wants to do," Andres Rozental, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institution and a former Mexican deputy foreign minister, said in an interview from London. "Canada has a large stake in this issue. In the new architecture, Canada, Italy and some other countries might fall by the wayside."
Mr. Harper hasn't yet stated how he intends to approach the issue.
The G20 – conceived after the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s as a place for finance ministers and central bank governors to exchange notes on the global economy – lacks the deep roots of the G8 and therefore could be unwound if the political will to hold it together recedes, said Andrew Cooper, a distinguished fellow at the Waterloo, Ont.-based Centre for International Governance Innovation.
Leaders of the G20, which includes 19 countries ranging from Argentina to Germany to Saudi Arabia, plus the European Union, met for the first time in November in Washington at the invitation of former president George W. Bush.
The decision to convene the G20 was mainly one of convenience as the structure already existed.
But unlike the financial crises that swept through emerging markets in the later part of the last decade, G20 members such as Argentina and Indonesia had little to do with the latest financial meltdown.
That leaves the door open to configuring a new group, or proceeding with the status quo.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said in August that he will convene what he called a G14 when France takes over from Canada as G8 host in 2011.
Mr. Sarkozy's group would include the G8 countries of the U.S., Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Russia and Canada, along with China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa and Egypt.
Pierre Pettigrew, who served as trade and foreign affairs minister in the Liberal cabinets of Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin, said there remains an argument in diplomatic circles that the G8 should be shrunk rather than enlarged.
The reasoning for this is that groups as large as the G20 are unworkable because there are too many interests at the table to achieve consensus.
Since China's gross domestic product has surpassed those of every G8 member with the exception of the U.S. and Japan, most experts say it is now inconceivable to make decisions on the world economy without the Chinese government at the table. For those who support smaller groupings, that means forcing the European countries to speak with one voice and cutting countries such as Canada and Australia out of the discussion.
"It is a very critical moment for Canada," Mr. Pettigrew said. "We have to make sure we are there in that grouping, whatever it is. There are some scenarios in which we aren't."


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Murphy House
A world class golf course, Windsong Farm Golf Club
Click here for Course Photos
Rarely does an architect have an opportunity to work with superior land with the goal being great golf. Since there will not be a residential component associated with Windsong, the routing of the golf holes is only restricted by the boundaries. The rolling terrain provides a pallete that may be unmatched for any site in the Midwest.
The rolling topography with select trees and wetlands provides the backdrop for the golf course. The elevation change on the property is nearly perfect allowing views and movement within the golf holes, moving in and around a series of hillocks and valleys.
In order to produce the finest results, it is vital that the best people be involved in the project of designing the course at Windsong Farm. The firm of Fought-Lehman Golf Course Architecture was selected.
Tom Lehman
Tom Lehman's spectacular 1996 PGA TOUR season will be long remembered. He was named PGA Player of the Year, Golf Digest's World Player of the Year, and Golf World's World Player of the Year. He won the British Open and finished second in the U.S. Open. Other victories included the Tour Championship and the Diners Club Matches. He finished first on the PGA Tour Money List and won the Vardon Trophy for the PGA Tour's lowest scoring average. In 2000, he won the Williams Challenge and the Phoenix Open. In 2012 he was the Charles Schwab Cup Champion.
Tom's entry into golf course architecture is with every bit of enthusiasm, energy and drive that propelled him to become one of the world's top professional golfers. Tom exhibits more than a passive interest in the design process. He spent numerous days on site and countless hours with his then design partner, John Fought, during the design and development process. In an article in Golf World magazine, Tom is mentioned as one of the hottest names in golf course design.
Tom's natural ability to visualize great golf holes has contributed greatly to the success of Windsong.
John Fought
John Fought has accumulated quite an impressive resume in the game of golf, both as an accomplished player and as a leading architect.
After graduation from Brigham Young University, Fought enjoyed an outstanding amateur career, playing on the Walker Cup and World Amateur teams, and winning the 1977 U.S. Amateur. In his first year on the PGA Tour in 1979, Fought triumphed at both the Buick Open and the Anheuser Busch Classic, and garnered the title of Golf Digest's PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Following his brief but illustrious playing career, Fought redirected his passion for the game into the art and science of golf course design.
John has received numerous awards for his projects, including Pumpkin Ridge and Crosswater (with Bob Cupp). Together, John and Tom designed The Gallery Golf Club, in Tucson, Arizona, and a redesign of The Farm in Rancho Santa Fe, California.
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text: Home Lists The Root 100: Nominate Black Trailblazers Now We're calling on you to help us create The Root 100 2012 list of influencers and game changers. By: The Root Staff Posted: June 7 2012 7:53 PM 0 The Root 100 from 2011 Who are the black leaders in your industry, field of study or community who inspire you the most? Who are the innovators, trailblazers and tastemakers who are paving the way toward positive change? We want to hear from you! The Root is accepting nominations for The Root 100 of 2012. Submit your nominations by using The Root 100 2012 Nomination Form. The Root 100 celebrates the best young and emerging leaders (ages 25-45) who are outstanding in their fields. The list features a mix of people who are recognizable names and those who deserve more recognition, ranked according to a scoring system that measures reach and substance. As a result, our 2011 list included names as varied as pop superstar Beyoncé and law professor Michelle Alexander, rapper Kanye West and "starchitect" David Adjaye. Will you help determine who lands on the 2012 list? The aim is to select the 100 men and women ages 25-45 who are the most influential African Americans in 2012. The Root 100 will be chosen across a broad spectrum of categories: politicians and scientists, musicians and clergy members, environmentalists and civil servants, entrepreneurs and artists. So who's doing big things and working to make life better for the black community? Submit their names using The Root 100 2012 Nomination Form below! Loading... Loading... Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Get what we're watching delivered to your inbox everyday! Sign up for our daily video newsletter below. Powered by Livefyre 0