Yesterday, I got confirmation from LinkedIn that they received they received documantation, closed the account, and send condolences to all of is. I also put together the documents Twitter asked for – I say documents, but just as I had them all together, and went to upload them, it said I only gor one upload to do it all. So I regrouped, got everything into one Word Doc, printed it as a PDF, and then uploaded it. That was late enough in the day that I have not heard back from them yet.
Cartoon – 09 Quincy Loaded
Short Takes –
Crooks and Liars – Neofascist Patriot Front: Clownish Operations With A Military Edge
Quote – The Vanguard America organization marched at Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, where one of its members, James Alex Fields, mowed down an antifascist counterprotester, Heather Heyer, with his car afterward. Patriot Front’s founder, Thomas Rousseau, was photographed standing with Fields and other Vanguard America marchers. He was a Vanguard America member at the time. Click through for details, and through again for all the data if you’re up to it. Idid manage to get the accompanying video into yesterday’s Video Thread – it gives yu an idea.
Miami Herald – Black lawmakers blast plans for monument to Justice Thomas
Quote – [State Sen. Emanuel] Jones, a Democrat, cited opinions by Thomas that he said would hurt African Americans. “We’re not here talking about Justice Thomas as the man,” he said. “We all have a great deal of respect of his many accomplishments. It’s his policies. It’s his rulings. It’s his decisions that we find extremely offensive. Click through for story. Jimmy Carter has a statue already, and they are trying to use that as a precedent. Barf.
The 19th – More Black women are leading U.S. law schools and changing the conversation on race and gender
Quote – The reality she faced, which is common for many women of color, can create feelings of isolation, insecurity and frustration. For years, Nelson was conscious of how her actions might affect Black women who wished to follow. “The sense that one possible mistake will reverberate beyond oneself and impact the ability of future generations coming up behind me to have the same opportunities weighs heavy,” she said. But she is less alone now. Last year, the number of Black women leading American law schools reached a high of 28. Click thrugh for story. Seema to me that now is exactly the right time to put a progressive black woman constitutional scholar on the Supreme Court. We’ve never had so many qualified.
Food For Thought:
Just a small extra. I note that Democrats have a sense of humor strong enough to be able to laugh at ourselves, and isn’t that wonderful.
Yesterday, I confes I pretty well laid back all day. I did get a few things accomplished – but very litte. I hope I can get moving today.
Cartoon:
Short Takes –
Mississippi Free Press – Black FedEx Driver Says White Men Chased, Shot At Him During Deliveries
Quote – [His attorney, Carlos] Moore compared the incident to the shooting death of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was jogging when three white men, including a father and son, pursued and killed him in Glynn County, Ga., in 2020. “It’s just sad that it happens. It seems to be a copycat duo copying off the Ahmaud Arbery case. …. They saw this man was a Black man, and they just hauled off and shot at him multiple times, at least the younger son did. The older guy tried to entrap him. They were working concertedly to try to entrap and kill this man. I mean, they shot at him several times. It’s amazing that he survived.” Click through for details. Not that the details are all that unique. As Lona said, we’re so tired of racism, but the GQP will never be tirned of it.
Crooks and Liars – Clarence Thomas Must Resign: Ron DeSantis Regular Contact Edition
Quote: But now American Oversight has obtained evidence that Justice Thomas is in regular, direct contact with Florida’s MAGA governor, Ron DeSantis. In a pitch to his scheduling office in June, 2021, Ginni Thomas requested DeSantis’ attendance at one of her “coalition” meetings, saying: “Gov. DeSantis will be acquainted with me, as I video-interviewed him for a Leader series with Daily Caller years ago when he served in Congress, saw him at a state dinner in the Trump White House and my husband has been in contact with him too on various things of late.” Click thrugh. This is what happens when a nation takes it for granted the its Supreme Court Justices will not be out-and-out gangsters, because the mostly haven’t been. But now they are. And our hands are tied. Unless we can get a strong majority in both Houses and the Presidency, the future is looking bleak.
The Nib – Black and Red (The History of Black Socialism)
Quote – Throughout 1919, more than four million workers went on strike. Big business came up with a plan it would use for decades… To divide workers along RACE. That same year, race riots broke out across 25 cities in what would become known as THE RED SUMMER. Click through for full graphic article. The Nib is a “cartoon” site, but so much of what they do I just can’t call a cartoon.
Yesterday, I accidentally went into “Tom@7thStep.org” instead of “TomCat@politicplus.org” Trunsout there were about 1400 emails there too. Including some from subscription which also need to be closed. I had asked Nameless to close TC’s Daily Kos membership for us, and he CC’d me on th beautiful email he sent and CC’ed me on the almost equally beautiful reply, sending ondolences to all of us. I started the process to close TC’s Twitter an d LinkedIn accounts – I gave LinkedIn everything they asked for and I think they will close it – Twitter wants a little more, but I have it. But there are more accounts. Sigh. It’s Ok, it will get done.
Cartoon – 07 Portland Loaded
Short Takes –
Crooks and Liars – Beyond Banned Books: Wingers Are Destroying A Library System From The Inside
Quote – In some instances, the communications between appointed public officials betray an ulterior motive shared by several board members, who characterized their positions, as well as their reason for seeking them, as being more about changing the library’s governing policies than serving as trustees of a community resource. As a result, morale has plummeted within the public library’s leadership ranks… Click through. This is a mayor, but library boards are being targeted exactly like school boards now, and for exactly the same reasons. (Smewhat off topic – the CEO of Wonkette and her family live in Montana, but have made an offer on a home in Michigan, and things like this are why.)
Twitter Thread Reader – Mueller She Wrote – “Open and Shut” (not)
Quote – All told there were over 790 documents for this ONE GUY ALONE. Did you hear about Costello getting interviewed? Not until now. Did you know about the 2703 orders for phone and email records? Nope. So you see, these cases aren’t as “open-and-shut” as we might think. Click through for details. You don’t need to belong to Twitter and you don’t need to read endless repetition. (There is a little swipe at skeptics which I consider a bit unfair. Not everyone – well actually, no one – is an expert on investigations and/or court proceedings unless actually involved in the process – and maybe not even then.)
(Black History) The New Yorker – The Rediscovery of Florence Price
Quote – In 2009, Vicki and Darrell Gatwood, of St. Anne, Illinois, were preparing to renovate an abandoned house on the outskirts of town. The structure was in poor condition…. In a part of the house that had remained dry, the Gatwoods made a curious discovery: piles of musical manuscripts, books, personal papers, and other documents. The name that kept appearing in the materials was that of Florence Price…. The couple got in touch with librarians at the University of Arkansas, which already had some of Price’s papers. Archivists realized, with excitement, that the collection contained dozens of Price scores that had been thought lost. Click through for the full story (if paywalled, let me know – I can send a PDF). This breaks my heart. At least she has success in her lifetime, and at least we have the music now (and it is being widely recorded.) But to think of all those manuscripts just sitting in a house which was falling apart for 56 years….
Experts in autocracies have pointed out that it is, unfortunately, easy to slip into normalizing the tyrant, hence it is important to hang on to outrage. These incidents which seem to call for the efforts of the Greek Furies (Erinyes) to come and deal with them will, I hope, help with that. As a reminder, though no one really knows how many there were supposed to be, the three names we have are Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone. These roughly translate as “unceasing,” “grudging,” and “vengeful destruction.”
There has been, and has been building, a lot of concern about the future of our nation. Even if democracy survives this round of the fight, how will it fare in the next round, or the one after that, if our nation’s schools are churning out the poorly educated? And how will those students become well educated, even if they want to and have the ability to do so, if they cannot get their hands (and eyes) onto the books which contain the material they need?
This artice is addressed to those of us who have the energy, ability, and inclination to invest in the future by serving on a school board – or even on a library board. If that isn’t you, don’t immediately eliminate the possibility that it might be someone you know.
================================================================
More than masks and critical race theory – 3 tasks you should be prepared to do before you run for school board
When people run for school board these days, they often are motivated to campaign on a controverisial topic. That’s according to Ballotpedia, a nonprofit that tracks political elections in the U.S.
Three issues came up the most. The most oft-cited issue was race in education, more specifically, the teaching of critical race theory. The second most frequently cited issue was school policies on the pandemic – that is, requirements to wear masks or get vaccinations, or school reopening. The third most-cited was sex and gender in schools, such as gender-specific facilities.
As of January 2022, Ballotpedia discovered 287 school districts in 25 states where candidates took a position on race in education; 199 school districts in 23 states where candidates took a position on responses to the coronavirus pandemic; and 144 school districts in 18 states where candidates took a position on sex and gender in schools.
A worrisome trend
As a former school board member – and as a researcher who studies educational leadership and policy – I find it worrisome when polarizing issues generate so much attention from candidates. The reason I worry is that I know from firsthand experience that being an effective school board member is never just about taking a stance on a few hot-button topics. Rather, it’s about much broader issues, such as meeting the educational needs of all students in the school district.
Too often, support for candidates hinges on the positions they take on the most controversial issues. For instance, in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, speaking on behalf of his state’s Republican Party, pledged to withhold support from “any Republican candidate for school board who supports critical race theory in all 67 counties or supports mandatory masking of schoolchildren.”
As impassioned as people may be about issues like mask requirements, keeping schools open or confronting issues of race in the curriculum, running a school district is about much more than any one of those single issues. With that in mind, here are three actions that future school board candidates should be prepared to take.
1. Set district policy
A primary function of the school board is to develop, review and approve district policy. These policies can include implementing state mandates – such as establishing high school graduation requirements – or formulating a plan to evaluate teachers.
One of the most difficult tasks that school board members must do is decide how to spend the school district’s limited revenue.
The vast majority of a district’s budget – about 80% to 85% – goes to personnel costs, such as salaries and benefits for school staff. Paying for these employee expenditures is becoming more challenging because of the rising cost of health insurance.
To stay within budget, school board members may have to cut positions or programs. It’s usually a matter of assessing tradeoffs: Do we cut our gifted and talented program to keep our school safety officer? Do we cut teaching positions to make the budget, and if so, which ones?
Each decision comes with consequences. For instance, cutting a gifted and talented program would make some families upset. Continued funding of a night school program might require a series of budget reductions in other areas, such as field trips or late buses.
A tough budget choice I remember facing as a school board member was deciding whether to renovate an outdated and undersized school theater. The board members all agreed the theater was in desperate need of an upgrade but decided to put off the theater upgrade to deal with other needs. The high school would soon need a new roof and boiler that ultimately took priority.
3. Select a superintendent
Selecting a district leader is critically important. So is deciding whether to keep or get rid of one. A good superintendent can make or break a district. The superintendent is the face of the school community and the district’s instructional leader.
Superintendents work with the school board to set the vision and goals for the district and then make sure they are achieved. They also hire and manage principals and other district leaders. Superintendents are expected to provide for the safety of children and staff and be good stewards of district finances.
Finding a good superintendent involves looking for leaders who have a proven track record in the areas of importance. Do they have a history of improving student achievement? Have they created a positive school climate and culture? Are they effective communicators?
If a school board chooses an ineffective superintendent, it usually sets a district back and the board ends up having to spend time and money to replace them.
A key distinction of American democracy is that candidates can develop platforms as they see fit, and it’s up to voters to decide if a particular candidate will represent their concerns. But when it comes to running a school system, it’s important to keep in mind that it involves much more than taking a stance on a few controversial issues. It’s also about making sound financial decisions and implementing policies that ensure all students get the education they deserve.
================================================================ Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone, I’m not sharing this article to be discouraging. I truly believe that any progressive, even if they need to learn in the trenches, would do a far superior job of setting policy, balancing budgets, and hiring superintendants that RWNJs, even though the latter might be more experienced. Even if only because the goals of progressives, and the directions in which they want to go, are healthier and wiser than anything RWNJs can even imagine. But all three areas are definitely something to think about. And the time to start thinking about them is, yes, before starting a campaign. Not only the district, but the campaign itself, will profit from that thought.
Yesterday, the opera house was dark. Not because anything newsworthy happend, but as part of a scheduled five week winter break The radio broadcast was a program of arias and duets recorded from Mat broadcasts during the period 1931-1941. No, the sound quality wasn’t what it is today, but compared to old 78 records, it was superb. The greatest stars of that decade were all retired (or dead) by the time I came to opera – and the greatest stars when I came to opera are all retired or dead now. Of course the same is true of theater and movies. Think “Little Caesar” (1931), “King Kong” (1933), “Camille” (1936), and 1939 with “Goodbye Mr. Chips,” “Gone with the Wind,” and “Thw Wizard of Oz” all in the same year. Remembering history may not be quite as important in the arts as it is in politics, but it doesn’t hurt either.
Also yesterday, I finished cleaning out TomCat’s Inbox … and also the “Sent” folder, the only other one which had anything in it except for the “Archive”, which is where I ave been putting any emails with information on accounts on other sites, or subscriptions, or any friends we may not have been aware of. That will be slower.
Cartoon –
Short Takes –
Letters from an American – February 4, 2022
Quote: For a long time, the idea that that economy thrives when the government supports ordinary Americans was not controversial. Democrats began to make it the centerpiece of our system in the 1930s when, after a decade in which the government worked only for the wealthy, they offered a “New Deal” for the American people. Over time, lawmakers from both major parties embraced it, believing they had finally figured out a truly American system that would serve everyone…. But in the 1980s, Republicans argued that this system stifled economic development by hampering the ability of producers to put their money where they thought it would do the most good. Instead of supporting workers, they argued, government should cut taxes to enable those at the top of the economic ladder to accumulate capital and invest in the economy. Tax cuts became their go-to solution for any sort of economic crisis. The government should support the “supply side” of the economy. Any attempt to use the government to help the “demand side” was, they said, “socialism.” Click through for the full article. The problem is that seeing is NOT believing. Messaging is believing, and the false econimic message has been so powerful that even overwhelming evidence has not been able to dislodge it.
HuffPost – Unexpectedly Strong Jobs Report Caps A Better Week For Joe Biden
Quote – This week’s good breaks: the strong jobs report (which came with corrections making the past two jobs reports look far better than they did at the time), bipartisan backing for his strategy to counter Russia, a small step toward passage of a bipartisan economic package designed to counter China and a successful operation to assassinate a terrorist leader. Click through for further discussion. This is very much tied in to the previous short take. Messaging is still the biggest problem.
Axios – HBCU presidents: Black history lessons are being “stifled”
Quote – What they’re saying: Some educators also want to reduce the focus on the usual high-profile figures. [Howard University president Wayne] Frederick told Axios that Black history lessons should include education about everyday Black heroes throughout the years — not just a handful of iconic Black figures. The lessons should include “men and women who’ve had the African American experience and who’ve done amazing things,” he said, pointing to the late Dr. LaSalle Leffall Jr. — the first Black president of the American Cancer Society. Click through for a helping of truth. What president Frederick says has also occurred to me – and I may just feature some invisible Black people in fields I happen to know about. Anyone who is aware of invisible black people in fields I don’tknow much about is welcome to send me suggestions.
