text:
The much-discussed documentary "Waiting for Superman" focuses on low-income children languishing in low-performing schools that ask too little of them. The film "Race to Nowhere" trains its cameras on middle-class children striving in high-achieving schools that expect too much of them.
Born out of first-time filmmaker Vicki Abeles' concerns over the demands on her children, the documentary is a montage of over-scheduled kids working at a literal fever pitch to be smarter, faster and better to get ahead in what has become an arms race to win admission to top colleges.
"I didn't think when I had kids, the only time I would see them is 20 minutes at dinner," says Abeles.
"Childhood has become indentured to test scores, performance and competition," she says.
"I started to make some changes in my home, but the pressures on my children and family felt more systemic and beyond my control. We face an epidemic of unhealthy, disengaged, unprepared kids trying to manage as best they can."
In the film, parents confess their contributions to the escalation, pushing their children to do more after coming home from open houses at high schools where they hear that the only students admitted last year to Yale or Harvard had a full AP load. At the first sign of a stumble, parent rush in reinforcements, hiring tutors.
In their efforts to measure up in competitive private schools, Abeles' children, now ages 16, 14 and 11, began to complain of headaches and stomachaches, and every night became a battle to complete hours of homework.
When Abeles finds her daughter doubled over in pain, a trip to the emergency room produces a stark diagnosis: Stress. Her once carefree children are tense, tired and losing confidence that they can do anything right, says Abeles, who documents her children's personal struggles, especially those of Jamey and Zak.
But the real moment of revelation comes when a well-liked and seemingly well-adjusted 13-year-old girl in her community commits suicide over a math test grade. "When something like that happens, you can't help but worry about your own kids," says Abeles.
The most poignant comments come from exhausted students struggling to excel at everything and still maintain their health and their sanity.
Eating disorders abound. A student explains that she stopped eating because it made her sharper, more alert. A teenage boy says that he doesn't even have time for a lunch period because of all his advanced classes. Another says he lives on lettuce to maintain his 145-pound wrestling weight.
A therapist talks about the rise in "cutting," in which teens slice their own flesh in despair. One girl rolls up her sleeves to show the therapist what she carved into her forearm that morning: "Empty."
At a forum on stress, a teenager cautions parents that the worst question they can ever put to their children is "And?"
"I'm in three AP classes. 'And?' Well, I do sports. 'And?' Well, I work at the theater. 'And? What else are you doing?' I'm in three clubs. 'Well, you know what looks really good — community service.' Everyone expects us to be superheroes. 'Why aren't you doing more for your community? Why aren't you working harder at school?' I think parents need to step back sometimes and say to their children, 'You're doing a really good job.'"
But that student's plaint is followed by counselors who explain that to get into the top colleges today, students really do have to do more because of the increased competition for slots.
The film has its heroes; An AP biology teacher who cut the homework in his class in half and found scores on the AP exam rose. Principals who abolished homework in elementary schools, based on research that shows homework only begins to benefit kids in middle school, but only when it does not exceed an hour a night. Parents who reclaim family time in the evening and stop dogging their kids on grades.
There is a wonderful segment with Matt Goldman, a founding member of the theatrical trio, the Blue Man Group, which won a national following with its blue heads, creative antics and combination of art, music comedy and science. (To me, Goldman's comments resembled those of regular Get Schooled poster Ed Johnson.)
While a movie or Wii game might seem the next evolution for the wildly popular act, the Blue Man Group chose a unique encore. Its members, all young parents themselves, launched a quixotic school in New York designed on the premise that children's curiosity, creative expression and self-awareness are paramount.
"Why can't we have children who love going to school all the way through 12th grade?" asks Goldman. "Why can't we have happiness be as important a metric as reading skills and math scores? Kids come to school with a love of learning. Why don't we not take that out of them?"
By Maureen Downey, for the Get Schooled blog
December 4th, 2010
2:24 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Maureen Downey, Homework Master. Homework Master said: http://goo.gl/iGI4M "Race to Nowhere" or Waiting for Superkids. – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) http://dlvr.it/9hvKg [...]
December 4th, 2010
6:09 am
Thanks Maureen. I'm glad that someone is airing this important side of the education story.
December 4th, 2010
7:03 am
YES! Whatever happened to just being a kid? One trailer has a mom who says that her greatest fear is that her kids won't be as successful as she. I think that most middle class and upper class parents push their children not for their children's sake, but for bragging rights.
December 4th, 2010
7:27 am
I teach middle school science to high achievers. There is no reason for it not to be fun and engaging at this age. Let the drudgery up come later, as I'm sure it will. This is the time for excitement and making science interesting, and at the same time, building up of some skills that will be of benefit later on. Although some teachers load them up, I don't give much homework because I find it is just not necessary in eighth grade science. I've got happy kids who look forward to coming class, and happy parents, too, when they see the CRCT results that their children get in science in my class. It's more fun for me, too, doing it this way. I got into teaching later in life and maybe I have a different perspective. You can have things at a very high level and not overload them with what amounts basically to busywork at home.
December 4th, 2010
8:06 am
It's true, the pressure on high school kids has become outrageous. There are a lot of posters to Get Schooled who seem to think standards have been lowered. For kids who are currently in school, that is simply not true. The class of 2012 (current juniors) and younger have been slammed with a math curriculum that would challenge many a college student or adult. And for what purpose? This one size fits all mentality is unnecessary and dangerous. We don't need a society of mathmeticians, we also need artists, musicians, media specialists, first grade teachers and plumbers. None of those fields require a mastery of pre-calculus, but yet we are trying to demand it of every student. I say trying, because already we are seeing that this is not a possible feat, and the state, for example has approved new math classes for the fourth year, including mathematics of finance. This is not a lowering of standards, but rather a recognition that different students have different interests and strengths.
The truth is most students are not geared nor destined for Harvard and Yale. One can be very succesful in life after attending a local technical college, I once read that those most likely to become millionaires or innovators are the "C" students. They're not so hung up on fitting the mold I guess. Just some food for thought.
December 4th, 2010
8:20 am
You can step off the treadmill and still raise intelligent, successful kids. I did, and started a non-profit to help others do the same.
December 4th, 2010
8:47 am
To net the education debate out; poor kids and their teachers aren't doing enough. Middle class kids and their teachers are being asked to do too much.
December 4th, 2010
8:48 am
We don't have a lot of high-achieving kids who are pushed to over-succeed. What we have are kids who are behind who literally have to trot from class to class scheduled to "make up for" years of being behind. We have kids with 2 EIP classes in addition to push in assistance from teachers (EIP math, EIP reading, ESOL, SPED). They have regular grade level instruction and are pulled aside every day for 20 minutes of needs-based instruction, too. What they don't get is Social Studies or Science, and they are so over-scheduled FOR YEARS that they never have a relaxed moment. The kids on level also are rushed from class to class. Thank God they are now mandated to have time for PE, art, music, and 20 minutes of recess. Our teachers constantly have to demand that the kids hurry up! No time for reflection except the 15 seconds in the morning mandated by the legislature. (Supposed to be 60 seconds but we don't have time to waste!)
December 4th, 2010
9:28 am
I wonder how much of these pressures stem from the Great Recession and parents' anxieties about their children's future job prospects? There's always been concern about this, but I can't help but feel that it's been amplified. A little anxiety is good to motivate achievement, but we need to construct a world where not getting into a top-tier college is not the end of the world…quite literally in that one young woman's case.
December 4th, 2010
9:57 am
@ScienceTeach- teaching gifted students can be a wonderful experience. Teaching the same content to students who are unmotivated,or, come with and IEP's for an assortment of learning disorders can be the most challenging- yet also- the most rewarding:)
December 4th, 2010
10:04 am
I believe we can place the blame for our over anxious children squarely at the feet of their over anxious parents. It starts when they are 4 years old and in organized sports, dance and music lessons. Then it only gets worse. Children in elementary school have activities four afternoons a week and on the weekends. Summer time comes and do kids have down time? No, they still have to be up at 7:00 am to go to whatever camps or daycare have been scheduled for that week. And for what? To get into an elite university? Didn't we just have a column this week (here or somewhere else in the AJC) that shows that five years out it doesn't matter where you attend college? In the meantime, the joy of childhood has been abandoned for what?
It also seems that everyone lives in Lake Woebegon. No one is raising an "average" child these days. Parents have spent so much time telling their children how wonderful they are—the parent even believes it.
December 4th, 2010
10:08 am
Here's another film that is mentioned on John Merrow's blog. The link is below. This is the type of elementary school experience that I would want for my own children.
December 4th, 2010
10:20 am
When my oldest was in the 4th grade, I took him to the Dr. for stomach pains. Basically, he told me I had a stressed out kid who was on the verge of developing an ulcer. Talk about a defining moment. Here I was, an educator who thought she was providing a balanced schedule for her children along with high academic expectations…I thought I was doing it "right."
We backed off the after-school stuff and I backed off the "bring home all A's" expectation. Stomach pains disappeared.
Success and money are great but if you are dead at the age of 45 from a heart attack or plagued with stress-related illnesses, it just isn't worth it. Why would we wish that on our children???
December 4th, 2010
10:25 am
Justbrowsing, you're absolutely right, and believe me, I put my years in with those kids! My first three years we raised science CRCT 20 percentage points. And we did it in the classroom, not with erasers. Nobody particularly seem to care though, and I quit for a couple of years, then came back. It always strikes me as funny when people say they hate having to "teach to a test", etc., and that is what we must have done to get those kind of scores. As anyone who can teach knows, teaching to a test cannot be done. Impossible. What you can do is be creative about teaching what is going to be on it, and of course, a lot more. You just have to figure out what to do to engage them, and give them chances for some little successes to get them going. Homework? Forget about it, maybe 25% compliance, so figure some other way. That was what made teaching those kids so interesting. It was challenging, hard, exhaustive, sometimes depressing, but you are right-absolutely rewarding. That's why all this obvious CRCT cheating and the responses to it are so disheartening. But I tell you, these high achievers present their own challenges, believe me, and it is really rewarding with them, too. One of the big differences is the parents. They simply won't tolerate an incompetent teacher for long, or one who is not on top of their game. I'm convinced when all parents get as demanding of teacher quality as they are, things will change.
December 4th, 2010
10:35 am
Ugh, That was my HS experience. I'm trying so hard not to start that parenting style with my own kids. At the middle school where I teach, HW is only 5% of their grade; the students know it really doesn't matter if they do it or not. What they are assigned by me is only practice to make them study anyhow – I teach in a Title I school. So, only if a lack of HW completion is affecting their grade/acheivement do I remediate at lunch.
December 4th, 2010
10:42 am
The previous comments are so true about these kids schedules. They are packed with not a lot of time to really socialize together. I know they make up for it with Facebook, etc. but to me that's not the same. A lot of science classes are made up of talking with me and each other. Just communicating. I do teach basic skills, of course; how to take good notes, how to use them with the book open, highlighting, getting it from a page to a neuron effectively, and how to outhink the test makers. The technical part of actually learning something effectively is probably the most important thing that they will take with them, but also having a class that is relaxing, intellectually challenging, and with open communication of ideas and creative thinking seems to be just what they need from me with all the other stresses they have going on.
December 4th, 2010
10:59 am
I am at a West Cobb HS and we work with stressed out kids everyday. Our guidance dept. and admin constantly push more AP courses. In fact, the leadership is pushing to be certified as an AP school. They have sugested that every student should take at least one AP course in HS. Every Student?!?! Most kids are expected to take as many AP courses as they can, participate in clubs, be successful on the field, attend tutoring, and volunteer in the community. While none of these things would be a bad idea in themselves, trying to do each every day or every week is causing a lot of kids to be stressed. Some classes have required afternoon sessions because there is not enough time during class to cover all the state DOE requires. It's a real shame that this level of stress begins so early. Yes, all the hs school level de-stressors are present in our area. In an effort to relax (like their parents often do) students are finding adult ways to handle the stress.
December 4th, 2010
11:00 am
Go to PBS website and check out yesterday's (Dec. 3rd) Jim Lehrer News Hour. They have a segment about college grads and their futile job searches. Very sobering.
December 4th, 2010
11:22 am
@Kim…thanks for the link.
December 4th, 2010
1:00 pm
It is interesting and ironic to see the divide between underachieving and overachieving students. The middle ground (like middle income) is becoming more and more sparsely populated. Being an "average" student simply is unacceptable these days.
When I think of what it took for me to get a full scholarship to Clayton State College in 1986, it pales in comparison to what colleges require now. I was the editor of the school paper, took a few AP classes, sang in chorus, got straight As and went to Governor's Honors. That would be laughed at now. Today, I'd have to also volunteer in the community several hours a week, be on the Student Council, run track and start a fundraiser of some kind. WHEW!
We don't ask adults to carry this kind of load in life. Why do we ask our kids to do this? Does every child have to attend Harvard or MIT? NO! For one thing, who could afford to?
I sent my first year and a half at Clayton State, then transferred to UGA to get my BA in journalism and a master's in English. Yes, I do get some snickers when I say I went to a community college. But I don't care. It was very challenging and my professors cared about how I was doing. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I was able to work and go to school at the same time, learning with a diverse group of students from young people like me to "nontraditional" students returning to complete their education. It gave me discipline and a wide experience that no Ivy league school could have provided.
So let's quit expecting every child to be a Rhodes Scholar. Let's quit obsessing on grades and prepare them for the real work world by letting them job shadow and do internships so they can see what they're preparing for. Let's give them hand-on opportunities so they can get their feet wet. This is a lot more sensible than shoving them into an expensive four-year cocoon that does nothing to prepare them for the changing job market out there.
December 4th, 2010
1:01 pm
P.S. I apologize for "sent" instead of "spent."
December 4th, 2010
2:23 pm
I sent my child to UGA and saved all that private school tuition. When she got through school, I turned everything we had saved for college over to her. She had a new car (no payments) and money in the bank for grad school. She loved UGA and also worked part time in a cutting edge genetics research lab, so she came out with 2 years of paid work experience as well. Most of her friends who went to private schools, many to ivy league or very selective colleges, will have college debt for years and years – or their parents have the debt.
I've never seen the Return on Investment in expensive private colleges. I went to one for two years and then to a big state university for two years and couldn't see how one was superior to another. I wish my parents had just sent me straight to the big university in the first place and given me the money so I could invest it on my own. My daughter is so thankful she has dollars in the asset column instead of the debit column, especially in this economy. This was a good life's lesson in thrift for her.
This is not a post knocking Emory or Harvard or Duke or Spelman any of those other fine schools. If it's not a financial strain to write that tuition check, go to it. But if it's going to put you or your child into debt in this economy then some serious thought needs to go into the decision. I know the high school counselors all tell the kids, find the college that is right for you and shoot for the stars, but when that child comes out of college with huge debt on his/her shoulders, that counselor is not responsible for paying it off. Unfortunately, I know too many parents who just enjoy saying "Sally is at Yale" or "Harry is at Georgetown". For middle class parents, that's become a very expensive statement.
December 4th, 2010
2:27 pm
The classes in high school and college that I always looked forward to and loved were the ones where the teachers and professors sometimes strayed away from the scripted curriculum. They would digress, you might say. They'd talk about their own life experiences, or maybe their take on current events. Sometimes it related to the class matreial, often not.
One of those little asides by my high school sociology teacher 40 years ago was so beautiful and profound that it has been with me every day since. Bottom line, if you're a teacher don't be afraid to be yourself and let your hair down now and then.
December 4th, 2010
3:09 pm
re: "Why can't we have happiness be as important a metric as reading skills and math scores?
As much as I hate to break up the kumbaya granola social here but the next time a prospective employer treats happiness as important as the job skills associated with reading & math, then it might be elevated on the scale.
December 4th, 2010
3:35 pm
I hear you but I doubt that the middle class kids stress is coming from school. The demand to perform without the acceptace of family is excruciating. The real issue is not the pressure of school but the poverty of life outside of school that allows school to become all important.
December 4th, 2010
5:33 pm
@Dekalbite: Agreed! The funny thing is there are just as many good/great public colleges as there are private colleges. Don't get me wrong. Being accepted into the Ivies is great, but it is just as tough to get into those at it is to get into North Carolina, UCLA, and to some extent UGA and Tech. I have friends that went to Ivies and friends at other schools. The Ivy friends are no richer and happier than the rest of us (I went to Tech, FYI).
However, I have to point something out. The plight of the "average" kid is a bit less problematic to me than the plight of the below average one. I have every bit of faith that an "average" kid will eventually find a place in life that won't make him/her stroke out but will allow him/her to be happy. That kid is likely to make it in life. The below average one (more than likely to be poorer than the average one) is fortunate to graduate high school. These kids don't get the class options. They get Math I. Then, Math I again and again until they decide to quit because they can't pass the class. I worry more about them, because they are more likely to be the unproductive members of society.
December 4th, 2010
11:16 pm
If the students are stressed out, it is because they/parents have made poor use of their time. They are squandering it on activities/studies they have no natural talent for. Everyone has a certain bent, be it music, art, drama, math, social skills, etc. The goal of true education should be to develop this talent to its fullest. In home school circles, this is called "delight directed studies". Students are motivated and excel because the learning is based on what they are naturally successful at. This is why Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. He had been allowed to pursue his "passion" for math and computing K-12 and had acquired the necessary knowledge to start a successful business at the age of 19. While others would have been stressed out following Gates' particular course of education, it was a natural fit for him. Of course there will always be unpleasant but necessary tasks, however, those things we delight in and are best equipped to do should be the majority of our work. Just recently I had a very engaging conversation with an 8th grade home schooler. She confided in me that math was not her strong suit, but then enthusiastically told me that it is her dream to be a novelist, and she is already writing her first one. She has parents who make sure she has ample time to develop this talent during the home school day. And this is not unusual. I have another home school friend with two children who are just as enthusiastic about writing. They know that in a traditional school there would not be the large chunks of uninterrupted time to pursue such work.
As for the filmmaker mom, she should home school her children and pass on her talent to them. Why record their/her public/private school failure? Creative types excel in home schooling because they are independent creative thinkers.
December 5th, 2010
12:23 am
Ah….some of this information about "stress" is true, but I have come to believe that it may be overstated in some cases. If you examine the amount of time kids spend in activities that interrupt studying — Facebook, constant texting, Skype, video games and more — in many cases, the kids are spending LESS actual time in focused, concentrated study. They don't know how to concentrate for more than two minutes without stopping to text, take a call, or Skype with someone. If you took all of that time out, and counted just "focused" time, you might see that they have more time than they think.
Having said that, it's sad that kids have to have been "formed" by the time they go to college — to know who they are and what they want to do. Ridiculous! We now know, with more research to support the findings than ever before, that teenagers' brains are really not "cooked" yet. Since we know they aren't really "adults" from a brain development standpoint until about age 25, why in the world are we (1) giving them MORE freedom than college students in earlier generations and (2) asking MORE of them in deciding who they are and what they want to do for their life's work? It's TOO SOON.
December 5th, 2010
7:52 am
Children aren't accessories that you wear or flaunt. "Race to knowhere" is also about bragging and gloating. "MY child got accepted to _____________." At what price? That is not what true education is. On the other hand, I agree with Just Wait. As a supplemental teacher, I am suppose to turn my students who barely know their facts into a math genius using the DOE frameworks and pass the CRCT thank you very much (or your aren't an effective teacher).
December 5th, 2010
8:13 am
We have a rule in our house: only one activity at a time. My son had to choose whether to play soccer or take art classes this past fall. I can't handle driving two children to three different activities each week, and I know that they can't handle it either.
Stress is a very real disease. Touting a degree from an Ivy League school isn't very presitgious if you're dead at 40.
December 5th, 2010
11:06 am
As long as public school curriculum is being mandated by the Board of Regents, this is what you can expect. Did you know that only 20% of the jobs in the work force require a college education? Yet we continue to mandate that all children be college ready when they graduate from high school. Does one need precalculus in order to be successful? Not at all! How about a machinist, an electrician, or a bus driver? These people are all contributing members of society and pay for public education, but we devalue their contributions by telling children that they must somehow reach the same academic standards of physicists and neuro-surgeons. I don't know about any of you, but all I teach is average kids. Some are good in Math. Some excel in sports. But they are all just average kids. Instead of cutting each other's throats for some ambiguous, abstract noun like "success," I think they should be developing friendships and learning to get along in society. Oh, and by the way, when I take that approach with my students, I find they are much more apt to produce in the classroom. Less stress equals an atmosphere which is much more conducive to learning.
December 5th, 2010
1:16 pm
@Just a teacher: Unfortunately, your belief held true in our PAST economy; an economy that included manufacturing jobs. Our past ecomonomy welcomed the hardworking high school graduate to its factories and manufacturing plants. And in return those workers bought stuff (homes, cars, vacations, clothes) so our economy flourished. Sadly, this representative democracy decided to send our jobs oversees and now those hardworking high school graduates do not have jobs!!!! There are good jobs in America but many of our students do not qualify. They do not qualify because they have not prepared themselves academically. Bill Gates speak about the many openings for the educated skilled worker. He also sadly reports that the American students are not prepared for those jobs.
I understand there has to be the next bus driver or machinist. I hope my son will be one of the students that will qualify for one of the jobs that Bill Gates speaks about.
What is wrong with schools shooting for the stars with College ready curriculum? Should a kid decide that he wants more than to be a janitor or bus driver, he will have the preriquisites to do so. If he decides he does not want to go to college, what's wroing with having the knowledge he has acquired. I think it makes society better overall!!!
December 5th, 2010
4:07 pm
Several have acknowledged that there are too-low expectations for lower socio-economic status students and too-high expectations for middle class students… but I haven't yet read anyone acknowledging that this is true in the same school. It was certainly true in my high school. There were plenty of students who weren't being held to crazy standards. On the other hand, I was stressed out during and after high school (typical overachiever–highest SAT in the school, high GPA, took AP classes and joint-enrolled with the local college to take college classes during my senior year, and extra curricular activities out my wazoo, including over 13 years of piano lessons and heavy church activities). I completely cracked under the pressure. Every parent's nightmare: I dropped out of college after three years just to learn to *breathe*. (I'm working on my Ph.D. now–all is well–but it took some time, a change of schools in which most of my credits were lost, and part-time attendance with full-time work to get there).
Oh, and about the top Ivy Leagues–if you get in, your tuition will likely be waived by the school, no loans involved. One of them (I think Yale?) eliminated tuition for all students. If you get in, go.
It's the "middle" schools where students get really squeezed. (Around here, that's Emory or Duke). The students are expected to be every bit as high achieving as in the Ivies, but the schools don't have the depth of resources to waive tuition for everyone. Bottom line, though: don't assume you know whether you can afford a school or not until you look at the financial aid offers–and be sure to ask about how it scales with tuition increases.
December 5th, 2010
4:50 pm
I realize some kids are stressed trying to pack in the AP courses, but just as many if not more are stressed over the outside activities. What concerns me with this post is we simply are not raising the bar for our children. I encourage everyone to read Dr. Healy's book "Endangered Minds: Why Children Don't Think And What We Can Do About It" . In the text are samples of tests given over the years. The dumbing down of our kids is real. These type posts give parents the validation to tell teachers they are requiring too much from the students. Homework should be assigned to reinforce what was taught or if a student is struggling with a particular concept. I hear neighbors complain about school work all the time, but never think about the 5 days a week their child is involved in various sports.
December 5th, 2010
5:31 pm
I'm thrilled to see this post, Maureen. Thank you. When I was a senior in high school, I took the ACT to get into college. I made an ok grade and was accepted to the college of my choice. Once in, I had to take a different kind of test to get into the school of architecture. This test was totally different from the ACT. It tested the 'right side' of my brain. I aced that one, and was one of the first two women in the school of architecture (I'm dating myself). Since that time, I have always fought to have tests that measure kids' assets, whichever side of the brain they come from. It's ok to push kids. It's good to keep them busy. But if we'll nurture their passions, their strengths and their talents, we'll find that we won't need to push them quite as hard.
Sitting in desks, all in a row, studying the same curriculum, at the same pace, is not the way to excite our children. We DESPERATELY need educational reform.
December 5th, 2010
6:30 pm
December 5th, 2010
6:33 pm
Thank you so much for changing the conversation to what really matters. I would suggest everyone look at Finland and how they approach education and maybe why they are in the top three performers in the world.
December 5th, 2010
8:50 pm
"Oh, and about the top Ivy Leagues–if you get in, your tuition will likely be waived by the school, no loans involved. One of them (I think Yale?) eliminated tuition for all students. If you get in, go."
Well, that will be news to my friends who paid/are paying tuition at Yale and Princeton. Where do you think those Ivy Leagues get the money to have such small class sizes, pay professors big bucks just to do research (although many do get grants in the sciences), and aid students who are needs based? Yes. They have large endowments, but the endowment are not big enough to give every student a free education. I know my husband and I made too much money to get financial aid for my daughter, but truthfully, we would still be paying for her education if she had gone to an elite private school. That said, these schools do a pretty good job of putting together aid and scholarships for students who's family income is fairly low.
December 5th, 2010
10:04 pm
Yong Zhao eloquently expresses the ideals of many home schoolers. We have seen first hand that what he says is true. Under Mao and the Communists, the Chinese people were greatly oppressed and persecuted. He sees where America is headed with our public school system and heavy handed government. We should heed his warning. While his ideas are best implemented in a home school setting, other creative models are being utilized such as the university model. Thanks for posting.
December 6th, 2010
5:53 am
Good and well-needed article, Maureen. My own children have never missed a moment of having a great time in school. They love their high school and both are very capable of making nearly All A's, if they really want to. (And, by the way, this high school consistently ranks in the top five public high schools in Georgia as far as academics are concerned.) But, my senior son told me a few months ago, "Dad, yes, sir, I could make all A's but I wouldn't have a life." This pretty much summed it up. Human are social beings, and I have often that said all of my children have been social butterflies in school, but this too is very important. There's nothing wrong with having wholesome fun. My youngest son this year decided that he's going to make a lot of A's and is doing quite well. (Remember that I have always said that motivation is a social/cultural phenomenon. He's decided that he wants to go to Juliard. Did I even spell it correctly. He told his grandmother that it costs $50,000. I think that she jokingly responded, "Let us pray." Ha!) Trying to get my senior son to give up a single Saturday for just a little tutoring for the SAT was impossible. I gave up. He took the exam Saturday, and he'll be O. K. He always scored very well on standardized exams in elementary school and did quite well on the PSAT, but if his score is just so-so, well, it's a decision that he made not to give up much of his social life.
I am a social being. I have lots of friends and like being around people. So, I guess some of this has rubbed off on them. So what if they don't blow the top off of the SAT. So what if they may go to a community college. Just about everyone in my family started off at Columbus State University from whence we hail. (My Dad started at Auburn and graduated from Auburn because Columbus State was not founded until 1958, and Dad graduated from Auburn in 1948. But, we have all earned several degrees from various institutions (Columbus State, University of Georgia, Georgia Southern, West Georgia, Troy, Mercer, Peabody/Vanderbilt). My aunt and uncle graduated from South Carolina and Miami. Other close relatives have graduated from Auburn and Florida State and LaGrange. It really doesn't matter where you graduate from undergraduate school, as long as it is a legitimate institution. But, I think too many parents try to live their lives through their children's lives. I heard just last night at Public two mothers talking about their daughters getting in (I presume UGA) and talking about which sororities that they wish to be a part of. They were just so excited, and I was just trying to pick up drinks, chips, and dip for the Auburn-South Caroline game. Ha!
We need to allow our children to be children and to enjoy high school — actually enjoy it and be able to look back on these years with fond memories. I think that it is unconscionable that the health and bodies of children are actually being damaged due to the stress put on them. There's nothing wrong with matriculating to Kennesaw State, Southern Tech, Clayton State, Gordon Junior College, Truett-McConnell College, Berry College, just to name a few. This notion that everyone needs to be accepted to Georgia Tech or UGA or Emory or wherever right out of high school is a little bit skewed, in my opinion.
December 6th, 2010
8:48 am
Differentiation does not work! If schools were allowed to group by ability, maybe we could match content and motivation. As it is now, there are too many students not having their needs met. I do not fault the teachers. I fault the delivery methodology, class composition, and this dumbed-down curriculum. Low-performing students need extra help to bring them closer to on-level tasks. Students in the middle aren't being asked to stretch enough. And the higher-achieving students can actually sleep through some of their classes.
Formalized education is not a factory producing widgets. Until we embrace the fact that students differ in aptitude, ability, and motivation, the school systems will continue to warehouse the majority of kids.
I don't care what color your skin is or where you come from. We need to take the PC talk out of the classrooms and actually assess where children currently are (and I'm not saying use the CRCT — what a joke!). Then we need to actually TRACK their progress so that they can move into whichever class level would be most beneficial to them in the latter years.
And I know somebody is going to respond and say MS and HS is grouped by ability. My answer is… somewhat if you consider Advanced Content classes. However, classes are still determined by a student's age, not knowledge gained. When I was in school, grade demarcation was not as finite. However, my schools also did tracking so they could tell my parents what trajectory they thought I was on. Think about it. This was done before; it can be done again. BUT… of course, you'd also need to get rid of the horrid math curriculum. What a piece of crap! This one path, with no flexibility in doubling up classes or concentrating on each math topic (Algebra versus Geometry) individually, will never meet the needs of the majority of students.
December 6th, 2010
9:04 am
New Yorker magazine reviewed Waiting for Superman. I think their review was spot on:
This hot-under-the-collar documentary devoted to the failure of the American school system is both touching and misleading. The writer-director Davis Guggenheim follows five families, scattered across the country in urban areas, as they attempt to get their children into charter schools. The children have a moving beauty, and when they and their parents have to submit to the humiliations of a lottery system in order to get into a charter the effect is enraging. Guggenheim mixes the narratives with two other strands—an animated exposition of the dismal performance rate of American schools, and impassioned interviews with such reformers as Geoffrey Canada, of the Harlem Children's Zone, and Michelle Rhee, the chancellor of the Washington, D.C., school system.
The movie leaves the impression that charter schools are the only salvation for these children (and, by implication, for all American children), but, in the real world, charters do no better as a group than district schools, and often do worse. What's needed is a new film that discovers why some charters work and others don't, and that considers how the reforms in the best of them can be scaled to much larger schools.
December 6th, 2010
9:38 am
The people writing the articles and messing with their kids, sound like a bunch of Obamaites trying to screw up our kids to bring our Great Country down to a level where we won't or can't compete with the toughest to world has to offer. Folks, it's a jungle out there and only the toughest and smartest survive. The muslims are already plotting to take over our country and we're playing right into their hands by letting idiots like the ones writing the column above have space to use to brainwash our children into being non-competitive……makes it easier for them. These kids are the leaders and hope for the future of our great country. I don't think any of us want a bunch of leaders who can't handle the stress of the job. Maureen, please check out the real agenda of these folks before you use their dribble in your columns
December 6th, 2010
9:44 am
Oops, that review doesn't really belong here. I thought it was interesting, though.
December 6th, 2010
9:46 am
@American Patriot:
Parents have been hovering and pushing kids to the extreme LONG before Obama took office.
December 6th, 2010
10:48 am
Here's a thought…my son is the one who pushed private high school. Not mom and dad. I told him he would probably go to public school for high school. He begged me to let him go to this very challenging private high school. We were a little reluctant. Thought by the time he was able to go to HS he would be able to be challenged enough via honors and AP classes. No mom and dad please let me go to xprivate. We agreed, now freshman year was challenging but got through it with two B's. extra curri. band/sports etc. This year sophmore year has been a little different with many b's. I keep telling him to let go of some of his extra curr. back off so many honor classes could have waited to start AP next year as junior. Us the parents are the ones that are stressed in this situation!!!! The funny thing is my child loves this school and still doesn't want to leave. I keep telling him that this is what he wanted and that is why we expect the grades to come first. By the way, it isn't just the ivy schools that expect you to take almost all AP classes. UGA and tech expect at least 4 to 5. Tech won't except anything less than 5 with 5's on the exams. How is a parent not suppose to be stressed. It is one thing if a student isn't capable, however, when you have a student that wants to and has proven very capable are you suppose to just say o.k. go sink or swim??? Some school not challenging enough some over the top! Where is the happy med range?
December 6th, 2010
11:55 am
@Maureen, I would love to know the answer as well. My child was recommended for this AP class as a sophmore with honors pre-calc, honors chem etc. this AP class is being taught by a teacher that previously taught it at a local college. They don't even get a study guide. Her grading of essays is totally subjective. She has made it nearly impossible to pull an A or even close to a B. I fear that these normally high motivated students will want to back off AP next year because of it. I am now questioning the thought process of these teacher's that think since they are honors an AP classes that the students shouldn't need it taught to them. I am sorry, however, believe since it is private school the teachers should have more time for individualized help.
December 6th, 2010
12:47 pm
My brother's two oldest children went staight to UGA because of HOPE and other scholarships. His youngest daughter (who may be sharpest of all!) decided that she'd stay in the area and first attend Columbus State. She seems to be quite happy.
Some parents just put entirely too much emphasis on getting in "the right school." Don't be like the overbearing father in the fictional "Dead Poets Society." Let your kids be themselves. It's hard. I have to keep reminding myself that my children are not me. Aren't you guys glad?! Ha!
December 6th, 2010
1:32 pm
mystery poster
December 6th, 2010
9:46 am
@American Patriot:
Parents have been hovering and pushing kids to the extreme LONG before Obama took office.
@Mystery Poster – This is very true, but this is the first time I've seen the issues discussed in a public forum…..is there a correlaltion?
Maureen, since you allow space in your blogs for this kind of dribble, do you agree with what being said? and if you do, are you ready for the consequences?


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Oscar Niemeyer 101
In the 1950s, Brazil decided it would be a perfectly reasonable idea to move the capital to the center of the country's interior plateau (read: nowhere). To facilitate this sensible endeavor they enlisted Oscar Niemeyer—an ardent communist and proponent of modern architecture who, alongside his buddy Le Corbusier, had co-designed the UN building in New York—to build a crazy spacepod city in the middle of the Planalto. Brasilia provided Niemeyer the perfect template to test out all the theoretical business he and his modernist colleagues had been cooking up for the past two decades. Together with urban planner Luis Costa, he designed a functionally integrated city full of massive concrete mushroom buildings and swooping aluminum spires and twisty overpasses and skyways and symbolic edifices and designated "sectors" where no one would ever have to watch out for traffic or wait at a stoplight. It's basically the bastard child of Alphaville and Albany, NY, and to this day remains a benchmark in what we really hope the future is going to look like. It also sealed his reputation as one of the century's most influential architects and certainly its most influential Brazilian. Then an anti-communist military junta seized control of the country and kicked him out.
Read more at Motherboard.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Warning About Home Tests for STDs
October 26, 2011|
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warns against home testing kits for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
October 26, 2011|
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) warns against home testing kits for HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases.
October 25, 2011|
Last week researchers released the first non-invasive prenatal test for Down syndrome, and more such tests are expected in the coming months.
October 21, 2011|
The claim that drinking three glasses of milk per day confers cardiovascular benefits has been withdrawn from a year-old press release issued by a Dutch research institute.
October 20, 2011|
The widespread bacteria known to manipulate host reproductive output can do so by ramping up stem cell division and consequent egg production in Drosophila.
October 19, 2011|
This is not an ancient one-eyed species, but an animal suffering from a rare congenital condition known as cyclopia, which has been documented in a variety of species, including humans.
October 19, 2011|
A Gulf of California fisherman brings home a baby dusky shark with only one eye.
October 19, 2011|
Researchers find an antibody that may protect against a virus similar to the one featured in the movie Contagion.
October 18, 2011|
Data from the Phase III trial of a malaria vaccine breeds hope for immunization as a possible weapon against the dreaded disease.
October 16, 2011|
The largest virus to be sequenced prompts researchers to consider whether giant viruses were once full-fledged living organisms.
October 5, 2011|
Some pain-relief placebos work in part by activating a cannabinoid receptor, stimulating the same pathway as marijuana.


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Grim fantasy RPG Lords of the Fallen releasing on Halloween
Halloween is a pretty apt time to release a grimdark RPG like Lords of the Fallen, and that's exactly what's happening this October 31st. City Interactive's game is proudly inspired by Dark Souls, and after watching quite a bit of in-game footage this appears to mean 'chunky, thunky combat and the ability to lose experience upon death'. I've attached a recent trailer that affords us a proper look at the game.


text:
There was no time for downtime at the Dakin Farm Distribution Center in Ferrisburgh Monday.The one-time family farm stand is now selling Vermont favorites by Internet and phone around the world.With orders in hand folks along the gift package assembly line were hard at work on the cyber-shopping holiday. Patty Prime's been handling the post-Thanksgiving rush for years. "I just love the momentum, it keeps you going," she said.Monday Dakin Farm plans to pack 600 orders-up from about 250 a day just two weeks ago. It's boosting staff from 7 to 11 along this busy stretch to meet the demand. "We just verify down through the list that we have everything and then we package it up, seal it with tape, put a tag on it so they know where it's shipping to and move it on down the line," Prime said.The company owns two retail stores but Monday the majority of its sales don't come from foot traffic. In the last five years Internet sales have jumped from about 25 to 50 percent of Dakin's overall bottom line. Cyber Monday orders could easily top those that come in for entire months of the year outside the holiday season. "It's an important day, there is a lot of e-commerce we are involved in, we're doing a lot of seasonal holiday marketing with Google," said Sam Cutting, Dakin Farm's President.Dakin said he has his eye on 50,000 orders for the month of December, the bulk of which will most likely come in online. "We embraced it in 1995 and we have poured our resources into the Internet ever since them, so that's been a long time. Every year it is our fastest growing medium," he said.And the folks on the front line of filling the holiday orders want people to know that whether they place their order by call, click or visit, they're being packed with care along Route 7. "There are real people behind this. Everybody is doing the best they can do to get out what they can do and make sure that it gets there undamaged and ready for them to consume," Patty Prime said.Cyber Monday is just the start for the team at Dakin Farm. The company estimates it could fill 6,000 orders on the last shipping day before Christmas.
PO Box 4508
Burlington, VT 05406-4508
Primary Phone: 802-652-6300
Primary email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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World Wetlands Day 2008 -- Greece
We celebrated for the 11th consecutive year the WWD in Evros Delta Visitor Centre on Friday, 1st February.
The activities that took place were:
- Powerpoint presentation on "Healthy wetlands - Healthy People"
- "Turtle" Handicraft
- Competition with questions on the message of the day
- Distribution of posters and stickers
- Guided tour in the wetland
200 schoolchildren participated (from 5 schools of the area). The event was covered by 3 local and one national TV channel, local newspapers and radio stations.
We reproduced the poster and the sticker "Healthy Wetlands - Healthy People", a copy of which is sent to you by post.
Thank you once more for the inspiration on such a wonderful day.
-- Eleni Makrigianni


text:
Sandra, in a word we had an AMAZING trip! We can't thank you enough for the services rendered; the level of professionalism and the quality of the services was beyond any expectations we had prior to our travel. I could write a book on all the things that went well and brought smiles daily to our faces. Know that I intend to recommend your organization to all my friends and colleagues and trust me--the people I am associted with travel routinely for business and pleasure. Again, it was absolutely a dream holiday and we wish you continued success well into the future.
Viva Peru --Viva Brazil.
Best Wishes, Ken and Mona.
Dear Sandra, I wish to thank you for a very good trip to South America. Everything worked very smoothly and all the guides and transfers did not fail to meet us. Travelling from Singapore to a strange and far away continent such as South America, we had a lot of apprehension and uncertainty and were very pleasantly surprised that everything worked in accordance with the travel itinerary without any hitch. We were happy with the services of all the guides who were all very professional, particularly the guide in Buenos Aires (Her name sounded like "Lelaina").
As a whole, we had a fantastic time and the choice of hotels that you made were excellent. El Calafate was the perfect end to the whole journey and Posada Los Alamos is really a wonderful hotel.
Thank you! I will certainly recommend your services to my friends who are keen to visit South America. Cheers, Shirley


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The Silver Lining
David Glenn is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network -- entries represent the personal opinion of the blogger and are not formally edited.
Amid the bright lights of the North American Auto Show in Detroit, perhaps its brightest star treads the boards quietly. Volkswagen AG (NASDAQOTH:VLKAY) has consistently defied the expectations of the market, Volkswagen heads into its third year of consecutive months of year-on-year growth, which has moved the German Automaker into third place among the automotive royalty, behind Toyota and perennial leader General Motors (NYSE: GM).
Not content just to show at the party, unnamed Volkswagen officials point upwards predicting the company to be in the number one spot by 2018. Bold talk you say? Perhaps, but in one of the toughest automotive markets of the post war era and with the European financial crisis on her borders, Volkswagen AG sold 9.07 million vehicles last year, setting a new sales record, with profit up by 11.2%. Volkswagen CEO, Martin Winterkorn, was humble in saying, "Volkswagen performed extremely well in difficult conditions," which is CEO speak for, we're good and we know it!
Dizzy Dean used to say, "It ain't bragging if you can do it." Volkswagen's credit position has allowed the automaker to offer discount financing terms, winning sales from domestic rivals. Volkswagen's achievement should be viewed in the lights of both Mercedes and Porsche, lowering their sales forecasts in the second half of last year. The BMW group also posted quality numbers up 8% over 2011, but their small unit numbers make BMW a walk on, in the presence of Volkswagen's celebrity.
Sergio Marchionne CEO of Italian Automaker Fiat remarked on the overall market in a New York Times article last summer, "I've never seen it this bad," he said, which is CEO speak, for it sure beats the hell out of me! then added, "It's a bloodbath of pricing and it's a bloodbath on the margins." He's acknowledging that those in a good financial position are likely to prosper, at the expense of the less prosperous.
The South Korean automakers posted average year-to-date sales downward 7.5% in September. It would appear to be a flight to quality in the market, as both Mercedes and BMW (Xetra) sales have been strongest in their top end products. GM and Ford Motor Co. reported their best sales numbers in four years, only they haven't been particularly good years and should be discounted accordingly. The secret of GM's success has been in the Chinese market, where GM set a sales record of 2.6 million cars last year. GM's success has not been unobserved, as Volkswagen leadership eye the Chinese market hungrily and will first need to conquer the Asian market before moving from the ranks of pretender to contender.
Can Volkswagen AG continue upwards against downward market pressure and take the number one automotive top spot in five years? As we've witnessed in our own domestic market, there have been winners and losers, the losers faded away and the winners consolidated their positions, as winners in the market place. It is logical to assume then, the same clearing process among Europe's automakers. Consumers are holding on to their automobiles longer than ever before and the flight to quality should continue.
Daveparts has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends General Motors. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Is this post wrong? Click here. Think you can do better? Join us and write your own!


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Attack the trails protected from the elements with the Nike Zoom Wildhorse GTX. This neutral trail shoe features a Gore-Tex lined upper to keep out the wet, while a low-profile midsole provides cushioning without weighing you down. The lugged outsole provides versatile grip, so you can take on any trail, no matter the surface.
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Important Shipping Note: U.S. sales only.
Weight: 9.4 oz (size 9)
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Available Widths: D=Medium
How It Fits (based on width D)
The Zoom Wildhorse GTX is a minimum feature, minimum neutral trail shoe designed for daily training in all weather conditions.
Copyright © 2014 Running Warehouse. All Rights Reserved. Contact Us
Site Map | US: 1.800.606.9598 | email@example.com | Careers


text:
Article Last Updated: Friday, February 22, 2013 4:20pm
Sam Green/Cortez Journal
Beth Beck bundles up to walk her dog, Wister, Wednesday afternoon as the snow dumps on Cortez along Montezuma Avenue. Official snow total measured by Jim Andrus was 1.7 inches Wednesday and another 1.4 inches Thursday. For the month of February Cortez is at 92 percent of total moisture.
By By Sarah Elizabeth Walker Moore
Email announcements to firstname.lastname@example.com and include "Community Calendar" in the subject field. Items submitted less than two weeks in advance will be less likely to be published. Entries may be edited for length and content.Friday, Sept. 19Local author Amy Cook holds a book-signing for her debut paranormal romance novel "Edge of Instinct" at the Cortez Public Library, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.


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Home control and automation systems often play subtle roles behind the scenes of more glamorous audio/video systems. Home theaters and killer speakers are the eye and ear candy of a home, but the controllers and programming that make those devices work is often a lot more cutting edge and impressive. Here we've selected some of the more unusual and over-the-top home control applications featured on Electronic House throughout the past year.
If you think your home system compares to one of these, drop us a line to tell us about it, and be sure to let us know who installed the system.
Follow Electronic House on Facebook and Twitter.
The Yamaha A-S801, A-S701, A-S501 and A-S301 all feature the company's ToP-ART concept.
Outfitting a condo with invisible speakers, motorized hidden TV and a Total Control automation system.
Everything in 4K is better when it's bigger. Check out these top 4K TVs


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Menomonee Falls School Board Member Lori Blodorn will resign from the School Board within the next few weeks as she accepted the position of human resources manager within the School District.
Blodorn, whose Board seat is open in the spring election, will replace the current Human Resources Manager Ken Kuberka.
According to the District, Blodorn will officially start her new job in January.
The School Board will also decide in January how to handle the vacant seat. The Board can either appoint someone who would then have to run for election in April, or run with six members until the election.
More than 75 candidates were reviewed for the human resources manager position. A handful of candidates were interviewed, according to the District.
The hiring team was impressed with Blodorn's dedication, commitment and knowledge to the District.
"We are confident in Lori's ability to assist in the positive progression that the District has and continues to undertake in the human resources arena," said Director of Human Resources Christiane Standlee.
Blodorn holds a law degree from Boston College. She has worked for law firms in Colorado and Boston. She has served on the School Board since 2010, including serving on the Personnel Committee. Last April, she was selected as vice president of the School Board.
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After the Georgia World Congress Center Authority approved the outline for a new $1 billion downtown stadium for the Falcons on Monday morning, word spread quickly to Athens, where state legislators are holding their biennial summit. The AJC's Greg Bluestein was on the scene and he described the reaction as "cool but not icy" as he surveyed lawmakers, who would need to vote to approve raising the GWCCA's debt limit. From Bluestein:
House Speaker David Ralston said the stadium's supporters need to make a forceful argument about why the new facility is needed – and he doesn't think they've made that argument quite yet.
"This is more than about the Falcons. And because of that, we have to proceed very carefully," Ralston said. "It's a tough economic climate and for the state to undertake any sort of investment, I think we have to move cautiously."
State Rep. Ed Lindsey, an Atlanta Republican and one of the House's leading lawmakers, said he has to be convinced the stadium meets the Congress Center's economic development mission and he needs a commitment that the state won't be on the hook to repay any bonds that fund the project."In terms of infrastructure improvements, a lot of other projects are ahead of a football stadium," he said.
State Rep. Harry Geisinger, a Roswell Republican, said he would likely be voting in favor of the project based on its economic development potential.
"When you look at all the facets of the issue and realize that most of it will be paid for by Arthur Blank – and in the end we [the state] will own the stadium – it's a good deal and it will bring a tremendous amount of tourism to Georgia," he said.
"Some are taking a kneejerk position asking what the government is doing," he said. "But what the government is doing is providing jobs and revenues."
Democratic leaders, meanwhile, suggested they were equally cautious about throwing their support behind the deal – at least for now.
"This investment is a very large economic responsibility for the citizens to take on," said House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. "I'm currently agnostic about it. But we have a lot of critical issues to take on this year and we need better information to make sure we understand the proposal."
One lawmaker who has long since made up his mind is state Sen. Vincent Fort, an Atlanta Democrat who is one of the most outspoken critics of the new stadium proposal. He worries that the state could be on the hook for costly off-site infrastructure improvements, and fears that the process hasn't been transparent enough.
"I think it's a problem that all this is behind closed-doors," said Fort, whose district includes parts of downtown Atlanta. "I'm just burned up that the public and the media have been excluded from the conversation."
Taxpayers are expected to pony up $300 million for the project, but as today's AJC piece notes, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed has said there could be another $200 million worth of infrastructure improvements in the area.
Count Zell Miller among the new stadium's supporters. In a Marietta Daily Journal op-ed, the former governor and U.S. Senator calls it a good deal for Georgia.
Based on the Georgia Dome's track record, the return on the state's investment in a new stadium will be more than significant.
There is no doubt the Georgia Dome has proved its worth. Our focus now is on whether we will continue to be recognized as the sports capital of the South and a premier tourist destination. Is it worth a $300 million investment for a $1 billion dollar asset that will be owned by the state and publically funded by a hotel-motel tax that is paid for by tourists, not residents?
I say "yes." The time has come to cast an eye to the future. This is a great deal for all of Georgia, and we can't afford to pass it up.
Want to have lunch with state Sens. Jeff Mullis and Judson Hill? It will only set you back $1,000. The AJC's transportation guru Ariel Hart obtained an email invitation to the fundraiser for the Transportation Committee chair and Senate Caucus vice chairman, to be held Thursday at The Blue Ridge Grill.
Proceeds from the "Private Lunch Transportation Roundtable" less than a month before the session begins go to Hill's campaign. Is this a sign of Mullis making moves now that his friend Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle is back in power?
(Updated 9:47 a.m. — previous version incorrectly stated which campaign got proceeds.)
Monday's Tom Price for Speaker rumors caused quite a stir around the Georgia and national media and blogs. A Price spokeswoman sort-of shot it down by saying Price "is not running for Speaker." As NRO's Robert Costa points out, he did not write that Price was running in the present tense, but could run in the future. As for Costa's contention that leadership is worried, two separate top leadership aides told me Monday that they are not concerned about Price. Take from that what you will.
House Speaker John Boehner showed his strength last month when the candidates he was backing won the conference chairman post (beating Price), and the conservative Republican Study Committee chair (beating Rep. Tom Graves of Ranger). For that support to collapse, Boehner would have to seriously anger the right. Cue Dave Weigel from Slate:
Boehner can engender that anger with either 1) a bad deal or 2) an early deal, which looks bad, because more could have been negotiated with more time.
So we're all here until New Year's Eve. Yippee.
- By Daniel Malloy, Political Insider
For instant updates, follow me on Twitter, or connect with me on Facebook.
December 11th, 2012
10:26 am
There are many better uses for this money than a stadium.
December 11th, 2012
10:28 am
A billion dollar stadium to replace a perfectly good one so that a billionaire can charge more for seats.
Seats that are predominantly bought by corporations and then written off, so the bill for the corporate titans' entertainment partially falls to the taxpayer.
At a time when we are struggling to make tax revenue meet basic needs on both a state and local level.
"Some are taking a kneejerk position asking what the government is doing," says the state representative.
And they think that "improving communication" will restore voter trust in government.
December 11th, 2012
10:36 am
Seriously?!? Here's a big "F U" to all the crooked and corrupt a-holes who voted for this! I wish I had no conscience like you morons and could be bought off as easily!
December 11th, 2012
10:37 am
We need to hurry up and build this new stadium to provide jobs for Atlanta's illegal immigrant population.
December 11th, 2012
10:38 am
Boycott the Falcons.
December 11th, 2012
10:38 am
If you're going to build it, for God's sake put it somewhere easier to get to! Anywhere!
December 11th, 2012
10:43 am
Imagine the angry screams of "Socialism!" if they wanted to spend a billion in taxpayer dollars to build public schools and hospitals. Uh, schools and hospitals employ people year round, by they way, and provide services we actually need, but that's not how the wannabe aristocrats who run this state want us to live.
December 11th, 2012
10:52 am
We can't afford a full school year for Georgia's children, but we can provide the backing for a billion dollar stadium so millionaires can make more money entertaining their millionaire friends, who will write off the expense as business expenses, thus "allowing" the common folks to pay increased taxes to make up for those business writeoffs. Humm. I would say the reception should be Antarctica-type cold.
December 11th, 2012
11:03 am
Trying to be objective, I googled "publicly financed sports stadium" hoping to get the pros and cons of the public benefit compared to public cost. I encourage everyone to do the same. What you'll find, at least from about the first 20 results which is what I went through, everyone from Bloomberg Financial to sports writers have nothing positive to say about any benefit to the public accruing from these deals. It is typical republican big business interests who love nothing better than public risks, private profits, which is what these deals entail. They scream about 'creeping socialism' every time some measure helping the disadvantaged, the sick, the unemployed is put forth, but suddenly go into karl marx mode when a billionaire asks their assistance in creating more wealth for himself at the expense of the public.
Their selling point is that we will 'create jobs,' which is true. We are going on the hook for $300 M to create several hundred jobs for a year or so. Then , they crow, we'll eventually own the stadium, a great deal, getting a $Billion stadium for less than half that. Except the stadium won't be a $B stadium when we take it over. It will be 20-25 years old, in need of repairs and upgrades and arthur blank will be tugging at our sleeve threatening to leave town again if another stadium isn't built.
December 11th, 2012
11:05 am
The Ga Aquarium cost $300 million to build, and it sees upward of one million visitors a year. Can't we see some sort of data on the economic benefit of the $300 million taxpayer investment in a new stadium versus the $300 million (not from taxes) that was spent to build the aquarium?
December 11th, 2012
11:14 am
The only problem with Blank, Zell Miller, and other supporters' arguments re economic benefit is that all objective studies to date have cast doubt on their alleged "facts" re positive economic benefit for anyone except Arthur Blank, and the cadre of politicians receiving pricey perks. Most of their alleged benefits would remain if the Dome remained. Further, the cost allocations already show that it is at least a $1.2 billion project counting infrastructure costs rather than the $1 billion figure being bandied about and the mix would therefore be 58% private, 42% public rather than the 70/30 being claimed. The $200 in uncounted infrastructure costs would not be paid by hotel tax but would be paid by local taxpayers—i.e. Atlanta. As to the claim that the hotel tax is painless because almost all is paid by folks from out of state, I would first have to see a link to the studies they say exist; I have read descriptions of other studies that disagree. There are a lot of Georgians who stay at hotels in Atlanta. Second, a tax is a tax and no matter who paid it, the legislature could as easily approve a redirection of its proceeds to more important infrastructure priorities. Or even just eliminate it and help the local hotel industry by reducing what it has to charge guests. After all most conventions could give a hoot about a stadium or would be perfectly happy with the Georgia Dome and Atlanta would be better able to attract them by lowering our hotel rates. It kind of reminds about promises to remove the toll on GA 400 after the bonds were paid. Even though I have heard Arthur will have heavy alimony payments with the divorce from his 2nd wife, it is hard to feel terribly empathetic. Just say no and let Arthur Blank build his new investment at his own risk at a site he purchases. It is called free market capitalism.
December 11th, 2012
11:34 am
@Auntie Christ:
Who is going to be on this hook, exactly? Do you frequent a lot of Fulton Co. hotels or something?
For all of those crying that there's "nothing wrong with the Georgia Dome," you're partly correct. However, visiting NFL stadiums around the country will quickly let you know that our Falcons play in a place that's behind the times.
Georgia will own it, the Falcons will operate it and Georgia let's visitors pay 30% in order to own it.
Sorry, I'm still looking for the "bad" in this deal.
December 11th, 2012
11:54 am
socialism for millionaires and billionares…i bet AUTHUR BLANK voted for LESS GUVMENT ROMNEY TOO…the sanctimonious hypocrites…IF this money was used to build more schools thye crooked repubs would be hollering about socialism..
December 11th, 2012
11:58 am
The state will own the current Georgia Dome when the bonds are paid off The same Georgia Dome that Blank and Goodell don't think is good enough to play an outdoor sport in.
As for the Dome not being as fancy as others, do fans go to see the game or to admire the facility? I live in a 1500 square foot house that is not as fancy as a lot of houses but it's solid, warm in winter and cool in summer, and PAID FOR ten years ago
December 11th, 2012
12:03 pm
where is an independent (if there is such a thing in today's world) cost/benefit report to read?
December 11th, 2012
12:08 pm
Bob Loblaw
December 11th, 2012
11:34 am
@Auntie Christ:
Who is going to be on this hook, exactly? Do you frequent a lot of Fulton Co. hotels or something?
No, I don't frequent FC hotels, but if I co-sign for my neighbor's car loan, I'm on the hook for the payments if he doesn't have the revenue to make them. That is how I'm on the hook, exactly.
December 11th, 2012
12:09 pm
When a LARGE percentage of voters clearly say NO to a new stadium, the politicans had better listen to the voters rather than to the lobbiest or whomever pays money 'under the table.' Otherwise, those politicans will be unemployed the next election cycle!
December 11th, 2012
12:14 pm
this is a one horse town{republican} DEAL and his cabal of crooks know this..
December 11th, 2012
12:14 pm
Bob Loblaw,
Much of what you write is your opinion – and you entitled to that. However, here are some facts…
1. The GA Dome is only the 10th oldest in all of Pro Football. This is rather young.
2. The GA Dome is not even paid for yet. The State of Georgia still owes a LOT of money on it.
3. The Chicago stadium – soldier field – is over 80 years old. How can anyone call the GA Dome old in comparison?
4. The Georgia taxpayer will still be responsible for a lot of money associated with this (yes, "on the hook"). We will have to pay for the new roads, the new sidewalks, the new rail system, etc.
5. The LARGE majority of Georgia voters do not want a new stadium. This alone should be enough to say no.
Enough said!
December 11th, 2012
12:14 pm
At a time when even George Will publicly acknowledges the permanent, deadly dangers of NFL Football, we have tentacles of government ready to capture taxpayer funds in order to build a new palace for the gladiators so the taxpayers can be part of the 'joint and several liability' chain.
How stupid are the powers that be in the State of Georgia?
December 11th, 2012
12:17 pm
And, if the un-paid-for Dome is so 'behind the times', let the plutocrat(s) who own the team break their current lease and build what they want with their own money.
Football is not a government function nor a human necessity!
December 11th, 2012
12:19 pm
"Want to have lunch with state Sens. Jeff Mullis and Judson Hill? It will only set you back $1,000."
Kissing them on the mouth will cost you an extra hundred, though.
December 11th, 2012
12:27 pm
How about we let the deal go through if Marcus commits $300 million to retrofit the Ga Dome into affordable housing lofts for the middle class who can't afford to live intown?
December 11th, 2012
12:28 pm
It is a done DEAL!!!! Everyone forget about your voice or concern.It should be voted on,but it was approved behind closed doors two years ago.Welcome to how the few decide for the majority.Money,money and more money.Let the good times roll.
December 11th, 2012
12:49 pm
"…the politicans had better listen to the voters rather than to the lobbiest or whomever pays money 'under the table.' Otherwise, those politicans will be unemployed the next election cycle!"
In theory.
The reality in Georgia is that these slimy crooks get reelected year after year, no matter what they do. People aren't paying attention. Most don't even bother to vote unless it's Presidential election, and then they vote Republican "on principle" regardless of the facts, which are mostly unknown to them. Sure, there are primary challenges, but they happen in the summer, and few people bother to turn out for those elections either. Furthermore, primary challenges usually consist of one slimy crook trying to take the seat of another, for his own personal enrichment.
The reality is that we get the government we deserve, or more accurately, we get the government the crappiest, least-involved citizens among us deserve.
December 11th, 2012
12:58 pm
When the Georgia GOP and Arthur Blank agree on a deal it will be the City of Atlanta taxpayers and the city's hotels that will foot the bill — not the rest of the State. That's what you get when you have a blue democratic City in a giant red GOP Sea. But the State will end up owning the stadium even if its all paid for by squeezing those inside 285.
Life wasn't meant to be fair; but does it have to be so expensive?
December 11th, 2012
1:08 pm
arthur and others are buying votes….they have the money to influence government leaders hellbent on getting reelected
December 11th, 2012
1:13 pm
Whaaaaaa, whaaaaaaa, whaaaaaa. I no happy that they build stadium. I a big cry baby. Whaaaaaaaa.
December 11th, 2012
1:13 pm
As far as I'm concerned, if the deal falls through and the Falcons threaten again to leave Atlanta, I say " Buh-bye." Who cares? Why should the public pay the freight for these multi-million dollar professional sports "businesses." As Auntie Christ has correctly noted, this is just another example of corporate welfare. We'll spend $300 million of tax revenue for the Arthur Blank's $1 Billion project, but we'd never think of putting that kind of money into our sorry highways, education system or medical care for kids. No, let's just give the money away. There's not a damn thing wrong with the Dome, but because "little Artie" wants a new one, well, everyone has to dig deep. Bah, Humbug !!!!
December 11th, 2012
1:16 pm
make the deal interesting and only go with new stadium if falcons win superbowl.
December 11th, 2012
1:19 pm
Seriously, why don't you commenters get a life? See ya down at the all the great football and soccer games in the fantastic new stadium in a few years – unless you're too busy finding something else to complain about.
December 11th, 2012
1:32 pm
Whiny Libs
December 11th, 2012
1:13 pm
Whaaaaaa, whaaaaaaa, whaaaaaa. I no happy that they build stadium. I a big cry baby. Whaaaaaaaa.
Shouldn't you be over on wingfield's blog or drudge's, or hannity's crying about the election results. Those sites need valuable input like yours if they are to convince people that Acorn stole the election.. Hurry on now.
December 11th, 2012
1:32 pm
Agreed this boondoggle stadium is a Done DIRTY CROOKED SHADY DEAL for the tax payers.
So much for state's immigration law out the window for stadium's Atlanta's illegal immigrant population.
To you GOP's slime balls remember 2014 will be here real soon. You too shady.
December 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
I'm looking forward to a new Falcons stadium paid for by Blank (70%) and tourists (30%). If you don't attend Falcons games, you have no reason to complain. This is hotel/motel tax revenue that can only be used on tourism, and a brand new, world class facility will certainly boost tourism. The real issue is that many of those complaining are anti-Atlanta. Enjoy watching the games safe in your cul-de-sacs while the rest of us have fun in Atlanta, the greatest city anywhere.
December 11th, 2012
1:41 pm
This is obviously an example of the evil 1% exploiting the rest of us. Trying to build a new stadium for everyone to enjoy. How dare they! My college professor told me that anything a rich person does is automatically horrible. Some day when the corporatists are defeated and we progress to a vegetarian farming society, we can look back on these days of oppressive technology, progress, jobs and hygiene with a sense of relief that we escaped all that. I can't wait!!!
December 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
State Rep. Harry Geisinger, a Roswell Republican, "what the government is doing is providing jobs and revenues."
Well, can't the government find better things to create jobs and revenues than to tear down a perfectly good stadium and rebuild another one?
December 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
Don't you love it when the idiot conservative republicans cannot think of anything of substance to say? All they can say is not to whine. They have no facts, no true basis for opinion, and nothing of value to contribute….
December 11th, 2012
1:46 pm
All I hear is libs on here day after day complaining about how corrupt the politicians are. If you think they are so corrupt then why do YOU all not run for office? What is your excuse?
December 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
I agree with most of you. This stadium will be the end of the world. The end is nigh! The end is nigh!
December 11th, 2012
1:51 pm
"For all of those crying that there's "nothing wrong with the Georgia Dome," you're partly correct. However, visiting NFL stadiums around the country will quickly let you know that our Falcons play in a place that's behind the times."
Behind the times??? Hmmmm the Packers have been playing on the same field since 1957 and have 4 rings. The 49's have been playing on the same field since 1971 and have 5 rings. Tell you what how about the Falcons wins a couple of rings than we talk about it.
December 11th, 2012
1:53 pm
As far as the new stadium goes, it is an investment not a welfare project. There is a big difference. The money is invested in a building for a pro sports team and that money creates jobs for local residents (not only at the stadium but also in the restaurants, hotels and other entertainment venues) and the money is paid back to the state.
Now welfare is like Medicaid. We (the taxpayer) pays for the health services of the poor and in return all they do is have their hands out for additional money. No return on our investment.
BTW: If we let a professional team leave then the taxes paid by all those millionaire athletes leave as well and where are you going to make up those tax dollars?
December 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
Get over it says "a brand new, world class facility will certainly boost tourism"
How? How would a single new tourist come to see a new stadium? Isn't it the events INSIDE the stadium that attract the tourist?
Now, think about that. What new events would this new stadium hold that the current stadium cannot?
December 11th, 2012
2:00 pm
i wonder how many conventions will not come here because of hotel tax? is there an analysis of the whole issue that is published and somewhat trustworthy? or do we not need no stinkin' analysis?
December 11th, 2012
2:02 pm
"Now welfare is like Medicaid. We (the taxpayer) pays for the health services of the poor and in return all they do is have their hands out for additional money. No return on our investment."
Investing in the health of our citizens will pay dividends in the future. This is a long term investment.
December 11th, 2012
2:03 pm
@Logical Dude –
I can tell you what the Georgia republican government is doing…. They are taking the bribes hand over fist to approve whatever Arthur Blank and the Falcons want – to heck with the people.
December 11th, 2012
2:04 pm
Logical Dude
December 11th, 2012
1:54 pm
Get over it says "a brand new, world class facility will certainly boost tourism"
How? How would a single new tourist come to see a new stadium? Isn't it the events INSIDE the stadium that attract the tourist?
Now, think about that. What new events would this new stadium hold that the current stadium cannot?
Let us think about it for a minute indeed. Superbowl (almost guaranteed). World cup soccer? Continued SEC championship game (Jacksonville and Jerry Jones at Dallas stadium are clamoring to at least rotate the game). Making a bid for the new College football playoff? More concerts? Future political conventions?
Now how much potential money are you willing to throw away?
December 11th, 2012
2:06 pm
The NFL is a $9 billion business. I agree that the Georgia Dome does not need to be replaced, but in the current business climate in the NFL, the Falcons would make more money with a new stadium. This is about competing with the other cities that have built new facilities, often partly with public funds. The article states the split is 30% public funds, 70% private (Falcons & NFL). With the state retaining ownership, this is not a bad deal.
I do not have a problem with the hotel-motel tax helping to fund the stadium – out of towners will mostly pay the taxes. If you're thinking that money could be used for something more important, you're right – but that same money is still being used to pay for the Georgia Dome right now. The money is just being redirected to pay for the new stadium.
I would like to see along with the new stadium a guarantee and action plan to revitalize the area surrounding the stadium, including Five Points. There is a plan to build a new multi-modal transportation terminal that would house commuter rail, inter-city and commuter bus, and Amtrak inter-city rail services. In between Five Points MARTA station and Phillips Arena a covered retail area is to be built with new office space. Jobs. Sales tax revenue. Nice.
If the area improvements become reality, and things in the area change for the better for good, then I believe the new stadium project will be worth it. This could be a big win for Metro Atlanta, not just the Falcons.
December 11th, 2012
2:07 pm
Hey kids. I have an idea. Why don't you stop occupying Wall Street and go occupy a shower? Then go look for a job. Leave the urban planning to the grown ups.
December 11th, 2012
2:07 pm
@td –
You cannot be serious! When you say that this new stadium will bring jobs, what exactly do you mean?
Do you mean the temporary construction jobs with low pay that will be gone after it is complete? If so, then what? Do you propose we tear that one down and build again?
Do you mean that there will be more concession jobs? Really? You think that the low paying concession job market will EXPLODE with this new stadium? Suddenly, there will be tons more minimum wage jobs selling peanuts?
Please stop with the typical idiot republican conservative ditto-head approach and USE YOUR BRAIN to think about issues!
December 11th, 2012
2:08 pm
Where it says "the article says…" it should say, "a previous article appearing in yesterday's AJC states…"


text:
So my wife just got a call from the Super 8 in austin, seems they've had a problem with our reservation and would like to offer us equivalent accommodations....
This aught to be good.
So my wife just got a call from the Super 8 in austin, seems they've had a problem with our reservation and would like to offer us equivalent accommodations....
This aught to be good.
Just made it back to a computer from the race. Not sure if anyone else here went but here was our observations:
First of all our "equivalent accommodations" turned out to be the travelodge at highland mall. Having lived in Austin before we thought well the location is good. Problem is the mall is abandoned and everything around it is dying. So at check in there was a cockroach 2" long just chilling in the lobby, we think he was the assistant manager. After that we go to our room and outside the building there's 3 guys hanging by a car parked sideways at the building entrance. We're like whatever and we head up the stairs where on our way to the rooms a door opens and it takes us 0.1 seconds to realize its a hooker and the three guys downstairs were her backup. In the rooms it was about as you can expect but the kickers were in our room the bifolding mirrored closet door was ordered about 2" longer than the space so it couldn't close. In my parents room they didn't even have a door. We soldiered on though since it's not as though there was much else available. The next night when we came back we met what we figured was the hotel mascot which we named Herbie, he was just crusing down the halls:
Guy was a good foot long rat but he was fuzzy. My wife went tearing down the hall to get the pic. Needless to say we don't recommend the place.
For the race experience itself:
Track is beautiful, they did a great job there. Fans were awesome. We had a parking pass and driving in all three days was pretty easy. Getting around was not overly hard but the elevation changes on the track will give you a heck of a workout depending on where you want to go. From what I hear the shuttle buses worked out well enough with the only problems being leaving the track after the race which I think everyone expected. We were fortunate to be parked near our exit at the parking lot and it helped alot. The General admission tickets had lots of locations to select a berm to see the track, turns 1, 11 and 19 had especially good viewing area's we thought (we were in grandstand at turn 2)
The problems that arose were the typical for any first time experience. They had massive electrical and data communications problems so even though they had a thousand atms few of them worked. Of course since all the networks were down none of the vendors could take credit cards. They never solved this one. Also they had 4g cell towers up but if you were on 3g you were screwed. As usual by raceday even the 4g was spotty.
On Friday for whatever reason about half the tracks food concession stands couldn't open because sudexo couldn't deliver food to them. Only people that had food were vendors that brought it in themselves in the complex from turn 12 to 19. This caused a massive migration to the other side of the track for food so moving around sucked. The other random issues were they weren't actually scanning tickets at the gate so I don't know how they came up with their attendance info. It seemed like there were more than 65k though. They were manning all the grandstands though so if you didn't have a ticket it was to the berms.
On Saturday they solved the food and it appeared to flow pretty easily comparatively. We got in quickly and out quickly. The crowd was definitely more out of towners and less alcoholic than the previous day. Qualifying ended early enough to get back to town and check things out so we did although Collective soul was playing at the track. We just couldn't hang after the previous nights festivities.
On Raceday traffic was "worse" but only in that the general admissions people all got to the track very early to stake out there places. We still made it in within 5 minutes of our usual commute time. Concession lines got really bad fairly early but the porches and the ferrari's put on a good show as a warmup. Driver parade was hilarious they were using cars from the local car club and 2 wouldn't start and another started dropping fluid on the track. Race itself was very cool and it was very easy to tell when people pitted and we saw a great pass from Kimi on the force india right in front of us as they drag raced into the esses. Leaving the track was rough but really not as bad as it could have been.
For the off track activities the fanfest downtown was pretty awesome. On Friday we went to Fado's to watch Will Buxton do a karaoke event for charity. He sang my monkey and it was pretty awesome. There were some definite ringers in the crowd singing. Totally random story I was in the pisser and there was only one urinal, as I turned around from washing my hands there was Will waiting to go next. I gave him a high ten and we chatted for a moment. Felt a little bad after that I didn't dry my hands first, but at least I washed them.
On Saturday we cruised the downtown hotels like the omni and the intercontinental. There were some nice cars in the lobbys and events going on in them but you had to be creative to poke around.
Overall I would say its a good race experience, the weather and enthusiasm helped. They definitely gouged for everything near downtown and at the hotels. Rain would be a problem as most of the track paths are connected by decomposed granite/limestone. The drivers like the track though so hopefully the crowds will keep coming. If anyone has any specific questions let me know.
Bigger Herbie photo below:
Oh man Kimi has got to be the best driver out there to drink a beer with. Not sure who made this but I'm dying over here.
Just cuz
Nice write up on the Austin track, thanks.
Merry Christmas From Kimi
Lotus unveiled their new car, Kimi looks like he's doing his best TeMu impersonation
Here's a good link with a video
Lotus E21 | Racecar Engineering
gotta say this newey kid, he might be onto something
another great write up, although as always details are sparse
Red Bull RB9 | Racecar Engineering
Kimi always kills me