Thursday 9/29/05

Gov. Bredesen receives RIF "Gift of Reading" award.

Washington, September 27, 2005 — Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF^®) today recognized four individuals and one company for their respective work supporting children’s literacy during the inaugural “Gift of Reading” awards ceremony, sponsored by Capital One, at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium. Rebeca María Barrera, founder of the National Latino Children’s Institute; Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen; the Committee for Economic Development; Hugh B. Price, former president and CEO of the National Urban League; and James E. Rohr, Chairman and CEO of the PNC Financial Services Group were presented with engraved crystal books for their significant achievements in expanding literacy and educational opportunities for our nation’s at-risk children.

(snip)

While many elected officials say they place a high priority on education, Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen’s actions stand out. And it is his encouragement of reading initiatives and expansion of access to the state’s pilot pre-K program to every 4-year-old in Tennessee that have led RIF to honor him. From RIF press release.

And from the Chattanoogan.com comes this quote from Gov. Bredesen:

“My number one priority as Governor is providing the best possible education for our children,” Bredesen said. “And the best investment we can make as a state is to ensure that Tennessee’s children have the tools they need to succeed in school and in life. [Emphasis added.]

He'd have really earned it if he was using his own money. Maybe WE can at least rotate displaying that award (a crystal book) amongst the people that actually are paying for it all.

And his words of support for education would mean more if he had actually voted (one way or the other) in the recent referendum to increase the sales tax rate in Davidson County "for education".

Getting BEP'd on the backside

Roger Abramson has an article in this week's Nashville Scene that is worth a read. A great reminder of what Nashville Mayor Purcell said and then what he did regarding the Basic Education Program. History can be such an inconvenience dontcha know.

But things are different now, as they often are when it’s your ox that’s getting gored. So we’ll have to forgive the governor if he smirks to himself a bit when he hears Purcell complain about a state funding mechanism that he himself put into place when he and his right-hand man were muckety-mucks in state government.

BEP headache coming on

Just reading this article from the Fayette County Review makes my head hurt--what must it be like for folks who actually HAVE to make sense of this?

A representative from the Tennessee Department of Education responded to questions last week from members of the Fayette County Commission and School Board regarding the state's Basic Education Program requirements. [Take two aspirin before clicking here.]

More beyond the core mission

Creative Liberty blogs about a recent health survey done by Vanderbilt Hospital on Metro Nashville Schools and asks some very good questions about the real purpose of the survey, some explanation of why the survey questions are off base and provides some reasonable answers to why 'failing' may be a good thing.