Trump Staff Picks, Co-Conspirators and the Revolving Door of Departures

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

...Proud of Rand Paul on this one. John Bolton is a likely candidate to cause World War 3. Disappointed in Trump for even considering him.

The conclusion is that these picks aren't actually coming from Trump. He's largely checked-out and is more interested in his bizarre obsession his "brand", Tweets and the fun of doing attention-getting campaign speeches. Pence is attending the daily security briefings and doing the transition tasks.

It seems that not only do we have an irrational President-elect, it also seems that he's outsourced his duties to other people.

These picks are coming from Pence's connections and big donors to the Republican party recommended by Priebus. They're largely right-wing megadonors or they're selections from a Rogues gallery of right-wing ideologues.

This isn't going to end well for anyone.

 

[Vitamin]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...ll-block-trumps-nomination-of-bolton-to-state

Proud of Rand Paul on this one. John Bolton is a likely candidate to cause World War 3. Disappointed in Trump for even considering him.

Rand Paul doesn't get to vote on whether or not Bolton gets a job at State again. Trump's not picking him for a position that needs Senate confirmation.

I'm frankly more appalled that you think having a Secretary of State whose sole experience is being the CEO of Exxon, makes any sense at all.

 

[Kulindahr]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brief...ll-block-trumps-nomination-of-bolton-to-state

Proud of Rand Paul on this one. John Bolton is a likely candidate to cause World War 3. Disappointed in Trump for even considering him.

Yeah. I had no problem with Bolton at the U.N., where things are more a circus than anything anyway, but at State? No.

 

[Kulindahr]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

So we're looking at a cabinet made up primarily of generals, vulture bankers, and big donors. It's like mid-twentieth century South America.

 

[Sausy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

At Education it's a misconception by some on the left that charter schools are all a horrible thing... they're not if they are wisely administered and supported, but there is a great disparity on standards and results. But they should complement, NOT replace public schools.... the performance of many poor public school systems should get challenged, and charter schools can provide a service.. they are not private, for profit endeavors nor should be. The thing about Betsy de Vos is she and her husband are right wing ideologues who support vouchers, or "school choice" that directs money to schools that are private or denominational/religious and really takes funds out of the public school system. Betsy de Vos has long advocated private schools... has never shown any interest in bettering the public school system, but undermining it. In her case, along with those on the "school choice" right, the kind of charters supported are dangerous because there is no rigorous standard of merit, of qualifications. Many charter schools do a remarkable job, but de Vos is the worst kind of representative for reform one can put up. Her kind of charters indoctrinate and proselytize, absolutely not the mission of public education. She's not bad because she promotes charters.... flexibility and adaptability can be a plus. She's dangerous because she aims to destroy meaningful public education. Donald Trump has unleashed every extremist element on the right in the hopes of a remade America.... an unrecognizable, mean spirited one.

 

[MystikWizard]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Rand Paul doesn't get to vote on whether or not Bolton gets a job at State again. Trump's not picking him for a position that needs Senate confirmation.

Are you certain about that? Here is another article claiming he does.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/rand-paul-john-bolton-232477

I'm frankly more appalled that you think having a Secretary of State whose sole experience is being the CEO of Exxon, makes any sense at all.

I personally don't recall showing support anywhere for Rex Tillerson for that position, but at first glance, it would appear there is strategy behind the appointment in which they are attempting to use Tillerson's ties with Russia to defrost the relationship between the U.S. and Russia to gain their influence in dealing with the Middle East and North Korea.

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

At Education it's a misconception by some on the left that charter schools are all a horrible thing... they're not if they are wisely administered and supported, but there is a great disparity on standards and results.

That's a bit broad. There's a lot of confusion between charter schools, magnet schools and vouchers. Most parents want their child to attend the best school possible, whether they are conservative, liberal or somewhere in the middle.

Whether they are willing to pay for it is another question.

Each of these things - magnet schools, charter schools and vouchers is ultimately controlled at the local level. It's states that have ultimate control on how each of these is implemented. And it is the states that are responsible for ensuring quality- particularly in charter schools where private (and often for-profit) entities exercise management and control. You're absolutely correct: some states haven't done a very good job of overseeing quality of education at charters.

The thing about Betsy de Vos is she and her husband are right wing ideologues who support vouchers, or "school choice" that directs money to schools that are private or denominational/religious and really takes funds out of the public school system.

Bingo.

Many of these advocates of vouchers are looking for a way to subsidize private and religious schools with public dollars.

The line is already blurred, though. For example, Harmony Schools is a charter public school operator that is associated with Fetullah Gülen, a Turkish Muslim cleric who has been in the news a lot. The public is always surprised to learn that a Muslim cleric is a major operator of successful charter schools in the US.

 

[mikemizanin729]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Shes a rich douche bag WWE Christian cunt

Money her and her husband earned themselves.

 

[Sausy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Thanks, KaraBalut. My point is in seeing here in one post a criticism of Betsy de Vos is that she's for charter schools, which guts public education and destroys the teacher's union. Charter schools can be used for good or ill in regards to the public school system... I think having the kind of challenge it presents where there are many badly underperforming districts can be a value. Most are part of the public school system, but of course are run independently and there's a lot that can be said for the flexibility provided. That said, they aren't in themselves a magic bullet and the best way of improving public schools overall isn't providing funding for vouchers that are used by religious or private interests outside the public school system. Betsy de Vos has never shown in any capacity devotion to a strong public school system. Improving standards, pushing states to maintain certification and quality in all aspects of public education... whether magnet, charter, regular... one can be a strong proponent of accountability and a supporter of the incredible efforts made by so many teachers in really trying circumstances so much of the time. Betsy de Vos is an ideologue with an agenda that doesn't value public education... and Trump putting her at Education shows a great deal just how warped his concept of "making America great again" is... he doesn't get the things that actually make America great. A people who will have the opportunities to make the best of their lives.


I read some of the info on Gulen... very interesting. On a positive note, despite his being persona non grata to Turkish President Erdogan(accused by Erdogan of being behind the coup attempt that nearly toppled his government a few months back)...there is much to like about his movement which eschews radicalism and has no ties nor is supportive of terrorism. At least his interpretation of Islam seeks to embrace the modern world while more fundamentalist branches of Islam promote schools that do their best to rail against modernity, especially secular and Western values. And his schools have been found, so far, not to be pressing a religious agenda. But religious concerns are not irrelevant... and we know Christian groups are trying to subvert the very notion of public education, like those supported by the De Vos family. I wonder though, if Trump or many others would, if they knew about Gulen and his charter schools, to point fingers and cast doubt on his intentions while demanding accommodation to much more traditionalist Christian oriented schools.

 

[Benvolio]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

The Department of Education needs to be shaken up by his appointment. Many Americans believe our public schools are doing a poor job teaching what they should be teaching. They seem to have developed the mind set that their primary function is to teach children to be liberal democrats. Political correctness trumps all, and in recent years they have moved the extremes of teaching kids that if you are white you are racist and privileged. They are in effect teaching liberal racism, i.e. anti white racism. All mention of Christianity, even by students is forbidden; history, civics, democracy and economics are largely the story of white oppression; science is global dominated by global warming theory. It is hard for those not in schools to know to what extent the schools do these things; we learn just enough to be outraged.
Unions by public employees should be forbidden. They are no more than price fixing conspiracies against the public, agitating against the taxpayers, and protecting teachers from accountability.
NO ONE is against public education; that falsehood is just another way of insulating the current system from criticism and reform. What your hearing is criticism of the Department of Education. If you were to read the Constitution, nothing authorizes the Federal Government to meddle in or control education. It is a power reserved to the states. It is another way the Federal government has subverted our democracy; simply buying the power away from the local governments; promising federal money if thy surrender their democracy.

 

[rareboy]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

^ Total bullshit.

The scary thing is that it is likely the agenda.

 

[MakeDigitalLove]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

I feel dumber for only reading a portion of that.

 

[Kabluey]

I feel dumber for only reading a portion of that.

So fucking stupid. But I guess that's how racists roll. Fixating on race as though it's the only thing taught in the classroom.
It's this kind of extremism that led to schools being used as places of indoctrination in Afghanistan.
People like Ben (and Bannon) start simply wanting to control what others think along their own extremist and racist mindset.

 

[Kulindahr]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

The thing about Betsy de Vos is she and her husband are right wing ideologues who support vouchers, or "school choice" that directs money to schools that are private or denominational/religious and really takes funds out of the public school system.

In most places -- I've never heard of an exception -- the amount of the voucher for a single student is actually less than the public school has available per student, so the departure of a vouchered student to a private school is a net gain in funds for the public school. So if a district isn't spending excessive amounts on administration and overhead, vouchers aren't a loss for the public schools at all.

 

[Kulindahr]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

^ Total bullshit.

The scary thing is that it is likely the agenda.

It's not "total" bullshit. In Oregon a teacher got in serious trouble for mentioning that an earthquake knocked down the city walls of Jericho according to geologists and archaeologists, just because the city is spoken of in the Bible. The teacher didn't mention the Bible, just gave Jericho as one of several cities whose walls had been knocked down by earthquakes.

 

[Kulindahr]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Money her and her husband earned themselves.

I've lost track of which "her" you guys are going on about.

 

[Benvolio]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

In the meantime a testing of students from many countries showed that US students are below average in math and only average in science and resding. http://www.usnews.com/news/politics...ern-for-us-teens-science-reading-flat-on-test
Alas did not test to show our students are experts in political correctness, racism, white oppression and privilege and socialism.
Clearly we need a fresh approach to education and Trumps appointment will bring one.

 

[Kabluey]

In the meantime a testing of students from many countries showed that US students are below average in math and only average in science and resding. http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2016-12-06/math-a-concern-for-us-teens-science-reading-flat-on-test
Alas did not test to show our students are experts in political correctness, racism, white oppression and privilege and socialism.
Clearly we need a fresh approach to education and Trumps appointment will bring one.

Nothing at all to do with religious schools that do not follow a national curriculum or anti-science school boards that refuse to teach fundamentals like the theory of evolution, the big bang or an unbiased view of history.
Teach half-witted nonsense and eventually it shows up in test scores.

 

[KaraBulut]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

Nothing at all to do with religious schools that do not follow a national curriculum or anti-science school boards that refuse to teach fundamentals like the theory of evolution, the big bang or an unbiased view of history.
Teach half-witted nonsense and eventually it shows up in test scores.

Actually, that's a problem but it's not why the scores for the US are comparatively low.

The comparisons between nations is based upon a study called PISA- the Programme for International School Assessment. The study pulls randomized test results of schools for 15 year old students in the various countries for reading, mathematics and science.

Reading and science scores in the US have been steady and the US tends to test higher on reading compared to other nations (many of which have been slipping in the past decade).

The US has always tested lower on math scores compared to other nations. Scores the US have risen since the 1990s but they've been flat or slightly declining in the past 5 years. The big issue has been what PISA tests: pure mathematics and applied mathematics. The test has a much higher emphasis on applied math. US students aren't good at applied math but we're really lackluster at pure math.

Asian 15 year olds kick ass at pure math and applied math. Because they're drilled heavily on pure math at a much higher level, they're able make that leap into applied math problems much better than the US.

People who are studying the issue in the US point to three things:

1. The US waters down pure math concepts and we have always taught math at a lower level in public schools. Curriculum has always been left to states and localities with no public standard curriculum like in other countries (i.e. those countries that coincidentally test higher on math). Source
2. Higher income kids who attend higher rated schools get more advanced math classes in high school. As such, the top performing 15 year olds in the US perform really well. The lower performing 15 years olds drag the scores down, though. Source
3. The US doesn't hire the best and brightest teachers to teach math classes in junior high and high schools... and they don't pay them well, either. With starting salaries in the $40-50K range, it's hard for public schools to compete with large corporations for hiring mathematics majors to teach in our public schools. Source Source

A few years ago, the Dept of Education and National Governors Association started promoting higher standards for math education as part of the Common Core standards. The Common Core standards are the subject of many school board meetings and parent protests. They're not very popular. The hope is by standardizing math education and teaching math concepts sooner and focusing on pure math earlier, the scores on PISA will begin to rise in the next decade.

Since the putative candidate for Secretary of Education has no background in education, no background in mathematics and hasn't really done much outside promoting "school choice" (aka vouchers for religious schools), there's no evidence that she accomplish anything to improve education for the average public school student. She's not a proponent of Common Core, so it's not clear how her nomination would improve PISA math scores in the US. Ms Devos is the chair of the Republican Party in Michigan and the combination of her political donations and the view that she delivered the state of Michigan to Trump accounts for her nomination.

 

[Benvolio]

Re: Trump Staff Picks

The professional educators have created the deficiency and aren't likely to solve it. Like all bureaucrats they will focus on their yearning for larger budgets and bigger salaries; plus their foolish focus on PC. It is easier to teach things the kids can get emotional about; racism, white privilege , global warming etc.