:: So It Is Written... ::

:: Friday, March 26, 2004 ::

 

Due to Technical difficulties, it may be a while before I can update...

:: posted by Tmber :: 9:42 PM ::

 

spring break... it should be called spring busy.

On the plus side, I've got to spend about 6 - 8 hours with Big Mike in the last two days, and many hours with Brian. I've also seen "mom" and "dad", supposed to see Jenna tomorrow. Even got to play crack with Brian... almost forgot how. I'm too busy playing tag with certain people to catch up with them, but maybe soon I can pin them down for long enough to talk :)

I did run into one person that I would have never thought of... Keith T. (One of the founding members of the Kentucky Friers, ya know) :) I hadn't seen him since he graduated high school. So Big Mike and I were sitting outside talking and a car drives up and this guys gets out... he didn't recognize me, and I didn't recognize him, and yes, we've actually changed that much since high school. So he, Mike, and i all piled in my car and went to waffle house... for like 4 hours... It was great. Mike taught me the secrets of shmoozing your way into free hash browns, and Keith is still the sysGod that he was back in high school... He had 4 laptops in his car when I ran into him... There's a chance that both of these guys could end up in Po'Dunk in a year or two... Mike for education and Keith for software engineering... That would be quite awesome. KF rides again... what would we be this time? KF Legacy? Anway, for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about... too bad... you'll have to ask me some time.

Don't worry... my spring busy isn't all fun and games... I'll be back to helping plan the wedding on wednesday. Anyone got any good recommendations? for anything? :) boy, we have a long way to go (and a short time to get there... (first person to finish it gets a cookie)).

:: posted by Tmber :: 1:29 AM ::

 

ok... as per the DeSoto Appeal:

"Department of Education figures reviewed by The Associated Press show blacks, who account for only slightly more than half of the state's public school population, made up about 54 percent of students ages 6-21 in special education programs during 2002"

Ok... someone define "slightly more than half" for me, please. Because when I read slightly more than half, I'm thinking 52-53%... and then they say that 54% of the students in special ed represent this group that is "slightly more than half" of the student population. So I think... yup, that's about right. Apparently, I'm wrong.

Someone explain to me how the numbers mentioned above justify this quote: "It's easier, unfortunately in our school systems, to remove African American children and place them in special education . . . away from the general education population."

I hope there are enough educated people left in the world to see what is wrong with the above statements. I guarentee that most people that read that in DeSoto county will go, 'oh my goodness... they're right... all of our teachers are racists! I can't believe they would put so many black children in special education just because of their culture... '

Don't get me wrong... if there was a statistically significant problem over a long enough time period to account for common variation (rather than the snapshot presented in the article), then yes... I would say let's examine the problem... not go off on a crusade, mind you... just objectively examine the problem.. But looking at numbers for one time period that may or may not show anything significant and then turning and blaming the problem on discrimination is unjustified...

ya know, stupid people find new ways to amaze (pronounced 'annoy') me everyday.

:: posted by Tmber :: 9:18 AM ::