ECC reports

I consider the Education-Consumers Clearinghouse a must have tool for understanding and interacting with the public school system. I learned about this Tennessee gem about 15 years ago and always appreciate their valuable information. Their new charts on value added are now posted and don't overlook their cost analysis report showing how Tennessee can save $121+million. In fact just scroll down their home page and check out what you've missed. And, if you can spare 'em some cash for all their hard work click here and make a tax-deductible donation.

http://www.education-consumers.org/

Hat tip: Brett via the Education-Nashville elist.

More MCC fun

Twelve Days of MCC @ Yahoo! Video

When the proposal is a ridiculous as the Music City Center is, it's gonna get mocked--and it should be.

Best Kitchen Gadget 2009

Just in time for Christmas baking, cooking and cleaning up I discovered this new style sink stopper at the Opry Mills Bed, Bath and Beyond's gadget wall. It's called a Sinktastic. I haven't been able to find a sink stopper that would actually be easy to open and close, stay open or closed and not get unplugged while washing. The last thing you want to see when you're trying to clean as you cook a big holiday feast is that your sink of hot water is gone--again! Not going to be a problem here anymore.

This two part plastic device sits in the drain and gets sucked down tight when you fill the sink with water. The top part slips easily into one of two places. Either it shuts the drain or double strains the water as it drains. It will not get undone accidentally when wrangling the pots and pans or fishing about for that last spoon in the murky depths. The silver version at the above nearly disappears in our stainless steel sink. It comes in various colors with some germicidal magic infused in it. Made in Canada. Maybe the best $5.99 I've spent in a good long time.

UPDATE: You can get them from Amazon: SINKTASTIC SILVER STRAINER & STOPPER STANDARD

2009-12-23 Education Round Up

Tennessee may submit Race to the Top application for $500 million: My BIG concern is how much more what should be our local schools will be controlled by Washington DC, Arne Duncan and his 'safe schools czar' as a part of this payoff. He who pays the piper calls the tune, ya know.

"The governor insists, therefore, that tests should be made the largest factor in tenure decisions and teacher evaluations." (City Paper) Bredesen's spot on with that. I'll reiterate my suggestion that this information be posted, along with the teacher's CV, for every parent to see.

And for a link to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) Race to the Top score card check this link from EduWonk.

Talks break down in NAACP school discrimination suit: No surprise here. It's my opinion the NAACP didn't go into either of the two meetings held willing to compromise. I'm betting they're counting on Judge John Nixon to rule in their favor. I'm hoping he doesn't. Was it done perfectly? No. Imperfect isn't a crime--else MNPS would have had many of its schools shut down years ago.

Avoid quick fixes that hurt teaching: Even if it improves the education of students? Like every good union the MNEA fights to protect their territory and works supply and demand to their favor. Their union pushes the efforts that have demanded teachers become more social engineers than teachers and refuse to recognize the reality that it doesn't take a teaching degree to teach. Gatekeeping doesn't ensure competency as we all know so well, and that's why they fight tooth and nail using those student scores to rate teachers.

A suggestion: if the union and their members want to encourage more folks to get into teaching it would help if they'd quit whining about how little they get paid, how bad the conditions are how, how under appreciated they are etc. Their students are listening and they're teaching them they've got a lousy job. Who'd want to join them?

Nashville school chief set job goals: And how is this different than the Garcia reign?

"Board members are trying to develop an in-depth evaluation tool that reflects the goals of the school district and measures the director against those goals..."

The BOE has had quite an elaborate evaluation tool that they failed to utilize on former Superintendent Pedro Garcia. What's our assurance that the BOE will develop a better one and/or use it THIS time?

Family sues Metro schools after child shocked by pencil sharpener: Not surprising. I remember a school with a pile of donated computers that couldn't be installed for lack of adequate electric service. Seems to me it was this same school that had light fixtures explode during a parent meeting. Both MNPS and Metro Nashville have failed for decades to focus on maintenance. If we cannot maintain what we have why should we take on more?

Lottery Brings In $280.2 Million For Education: Out of sales of $1BILLION dollars. When the figures are flipped and the students get $720 million instead of Rebecca Paul, her staff, the advertising and printing company, the vending manufacturing companies and the janitorial staff that has to sweep up all the scratch-off litter that'll be news.

States Struggle to Stitch Together Pre-K-20 Data: Talk about mission creep. The public school system used to be grades 1-8. Then 1-12. Then K-12. Now pre-K through 12 and coming up soon Pre-K through 20!

Private Colleges Question Kindergarten-to-Career Data Collection: I have some privacy concerns about this effort. If I'm not in the public system...why should I submit to this data collection? I'm also concerned about the breadth of the information that will be gathered. See what's emphasized in red below.
Tn DOE Spokesman Rachel Woods kindly forwarded me a copy of this grant application. I haven't had time to read all 122 pages and still wrap gifts and bake cookies but here are a couple of snips:

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the state of Tennessee propose to build a longitudinal student data system that will push the frontier in collection and utilization of P20 data and promote improvements in program administration and educational outcomes. The initiative will significantly increase teacher, school, and district-level use of near real time student data by employing sophisticated, as yet underutilized longitudinal data for predictive and retrospective identification of student achievement growth and academic risk factors.

(snip)

TDOE and its partner, the University of Tennessee Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), will collaborate with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) and the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (L&WD) to expand the P12 LDS to a P20 system.

(snip)

The project will develop a secure and adaptive database architecture that will integrate academic data on teacher/student relationships, attainment,
course completion, and test scores, as well as data on health, children’s services, mental health, and delinquency. This project envisions and plans to execute what is coined as TLDS 360: Tennessee Longitudinal Data System 360 Degree View of the Student. TLDS will incorporate data elements from other child-serving departments and will facilitate more robust characterizations of health, social welfare and behavioral conditions that influence students’ progress from earliest child care, through P12 and higher education, and into the workforce.

The Explosion of Charter Schools in America: Well, explosion in some states. Hardly a hiccup in Tennessee though by the wailing and gnashing of teeth from the educrats you'd have thought education choice folks had stabbed them in the back instead of providing a hand up for students. (Hat tip: Jay Greene's excellent blog.)

Believe in Nashville cause Santa isn't real

I love Eartha Kitt's "Santa Baby" and this new rendition made me smile. Remember, Santa doesn't really put presents under the tree and neither will the Music City Center.

Feeling hosed

Sam's Club doesn't sell real gasoline anymore. They're adding ethanol now. I've been buying gas there for years on my weekly grocery runs and have been getting a steady 27 mpg with every fill up. My ethanol laced fill-ups at Sam's are now yielding just 23 mpg and I'm searching for real gasoline that isn't owned by Hugo Chavez.

Time to dissolve political bands

Last night 60 Democrat members of Congress thumbed their noses at the very Constitution they swore to uphold and defend. I cannot think of any better evidence that they have become domestic enemies of our Constitution, the rule of law and honest conduct and so the American people. Our Federal government has become too big, too powerful and too unconcerned about accountability to mere legal citizens of each state. The only way to stop their mad rush to more power is to ensure the states and the states' citizens take it back.

Last night I started reading through the Declaration of Independence and as a result of the unbelievable actions of the Democrat controlled Congress and I recognized clearly that those with unbridled power don't have to be reasonable. I began to understand that tyranny had come back to America.

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
(snip)
...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government,
(snip)
in every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Last night's vote was not "just powers from the consent of the governed." We shut down switch boards, email systems and have flooded the mail room with Petitions for Redress to no avail. They were compelled to hide in the cover of darkness and a snowstorm to conduct their evil business. Congressional Democrats have given us the back of their hand since gaining their majority. They have vilified the very citizens that have called them to accountability and mocked them and their motivations.

Today I read a headline at Roll Call that the GOP is considering throwing in the towel on healthcare in order to be home for Christmas. Fair warning: do not expect us to go to battle for you in 2010 if you won't stay and fight this week. If you don't fight every minute, every procedure and every hill of this battle do not expect America to support you ever again. Do not consider yourself patriots. When I think of patriots I think of long cold nights with not but rags between you and a freezing death and nothing but the likelihood of lead meeting you in the morning. If you are cowed by Nancy, Harry and Barry...how can you even face those children at home let alone any veteran or voter who sent you to Washington as their advocate? And if you go home and the new year dawns do not be shocked to learn that loyalty to a party that failed to protect America in this battle to take over America resulted in the dissolution of bands to the Republican Party. Decide today if you are a politician or a patriot.

UPDATE: We need more of this over and over and over again.

On Monday, Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet) and Rep. Debra Young Maggart (R-Hendersonville) asked Tennessee State Attorney General Robert Cooper to prepare to take the appropriate legal action against the federal government in the event HR 3200, the controversial federal healthcare reform legislation, passes into law. The legislators requested this action in order to grant Tennessee relief from the unfunded mandate contained in the bill that Tennessee complies with the expansion of the federal Medicaid program. http://susan-lynn.blogspot.com/2009/12/press-release.html

From Yard Signs to FB

A remarkable shot that clearly demonstrates how far political campaigns have come since Sen. Douglas Henry (D-Nashville) first served in the Tennessee House back in the 1960's. From signs on the lawn to sites on the web.

Curiously, if you go to his FB page or his own website you won't see any bragging about how many decades this Democrat has been in Tennessee's legislature. Now, is not the time to brag about being the longest serving legislator and a life long politician.

Ray Stevens sings a letter to Congress

Thanks Ray. They're not listening to us...maybe they'll listen to you. I do think they'll be streaking out of Washington come November 2010 after all their underhanded shenanigans. Republicans...don't go wobbly. We need you to to be the party of NO!

Hat tip: Taxing Tennessee

Government competition

I saw this via Taxing Tennessee and realized this also applies to our current Music City Center debate. When government can regulate and tax its competition we suffer a loss of freedom. That goes for everything from convention centers to education. If our legislator don't understand that they should not be in the business of competing with private business we have to push back. Yes, let's vote on on Mayor Dean's convention center.

Quote of the Day

Sharlonda Buckman, chief executive officer of the network, called for criminal and civil action against those charged with educating the city's children, The Detroit News reported. (snip)

"Somebody needs to pay for this," Buckman told about 500 parents. "Somebody needs to go to jail, and it shouldn't be the kids." UPI

But it is the kids going to jail in every district in the nation when the students leave the system without a decent education and their frustration and anger result in a life of crime.

Context: "test results showed [Detroit] fourth- and eighth-graders had the worst math scores in the nation and teachers prepared to vote on whether to strike.

Hat Tip: Taxing Tennessee

Safer than at home?

Safer than at home?--The Tennessean provides lots of inches to push Schools Under Surveillance: Cultures of Control in Public Education by Vanderbilt Professor Torin Monahan. A lot of 'duh' statements in this overview such as:

"Generally speaking," [Monahan] said, "surveillance is not good for preventing crime. It's more useful for catching people after the fact."

But this statement certainly wasn't.

"Schools are some of the safest places you can be," Monahan said. Students are "significantly safer there than on the streets or at home." [Emphasis added]

Add this to the already growing pile of "expert" statements that are being collected to prove that government knows better than parents how to keep children safe and raise them correctly.

Another take on school safety: School Choice Reduces Crime, Increases College-Attendance...: According to Harvard researcher, David Deming:

Seven years after random assignment, lottery winners have been arrested for fewer and less serious crimes, and have spent fewer days incarcerated… The reduction in crime persists through the end of the sample period, several years after enrollment in the preferred school is complete. The effects are concentrated among African-American males whose ex ante characteristics define them as “high risk.”

Maybe we should say YES to choice so we can save that $2.2 million in security costs for curriculum, paying good teachers well or maybe even fixing a roof or two.

2009-12-7 Miscellany

Remedial Education: From Governor Bredesen via the Times-Free Press (hat tip: PostPolitics)

“If you are not ready to do the work at a standard four-year college, you need to go to a two-year school and get ready,” the governor said. “We need to get the four-year colleges out of the remedial business.”

No, Governor. You're wrong here. You don't push back far enough. It's not the business of higher education to remediate this problem. It's the business of K-12 school systems across the state to ensure that their graduates receive diplomas that actually mean they're ready for higher education.

A looooong time ago, MNPS offered a guarantee to employers. If the graduate needed remediation MNPS would pay for it. Seems to me this guarantee should be have been extended to students instead.

Frosty the inappropriate snowman: Just a heads up here, parents, keep that TV remote very handy.

"CBS is doing much the same thing that alcohol and tobacco companies have done in the past -- namely, using imagery in advertising that would naturally attract children in order to market an adult product," [Bob] Peters [of Morality in Media] said in a statement to FoxNews.com.

We shouldn't expect anything less, I suppose, considering our "Safe School Czar". It's long been a pet peeve of mine that an appropriate family program is polluted by inappropriate advertising.

Charter schools: still not enough freedom. And there won't be as long as the public school foxes are in charge of the whole process. From Jamie Sarrio at the Tennessean

The Center for Education Reform Monday released its annual report card on charter school laws and Tennessee earned a "D," despite changes to the law this year.

Most lights per square foot nominee

Condo living means a postage stamp sized front yard for these folks. They're certainly taking advantage of every square inch. Add to the fun---half of it flashes on and off.

The Griswolds are alive and well in Madison.

2009-12-4 Miscellany

Reading List: Let's just get the worst of this out of the way right off the bat. Some of you already know that the "Safe Schools Czar" Kevin Jennings has failed in the past to actually safeguard a student. His founding of GLSEN is also well known. What isn't well known, what many parents don't even want to imagine, let alone confront, is GLSEN's recommended reading list. Gateway Pundit has slogged through the filth so we don't have to (but they provide screen shots if you want to verify their findings). From their two part blog post:

Above all, the books seemed to have less to do with promoting tolerance than with an unabashed attempt to indoctrinate students into a hyper-sexualized worldview.

As if that job wasn't being done very well by the media. Let's make it clear. Every person is valuable and no person should be ill treated. However, every parent must have the right to know what resources are being used to educate their child and have the right to veto its use.




Remedial Education: From the University of Minnesota comes a new twist for their teacher credentialing program which is designed to:

"...ensure that "future teachers will be able to discuss their own histories and current thinking drawing on notions of white privilege, hegemonic masculinity, heteronormativity, and internalized oppression."
further--
"The U, it says, must "develop clear steps and procedures for working with non-performing students, including a remediation plan." Katherine Kersten via Star-Tribune

I will never understand how this ensures that any child actually learns to read and do math.

Climategate: Science is dying--I thought this essay by Daniel Henninger at the WSJ stood out.

"Postmodernism, a self-consciously "unprovable" theory, replaced formal structures with subjectivity. With the revelations of East Anglia, this slippery and variable intellectual world has crossed into the hard sciences."

Those of us who believe in an Intelligent Designer have known for a long time that hard science had been co-opted by another type of faith. Ben Stein made a movie about it. The California University system won't allow credits acquired while using ID resources--regardless of the student's grasp of evolution. And now we have Climategate, an instance where 'scientists' purposefully hid the truth. In a better world science would be...well, scientific. It would demand facts based on replicable proofs and would welcome full review. It would not encourage or suffer for a moment another Piltdown man--Noble/Oscar prize winning or not. If all truth is relative...why bother? If you put your faith in science--it has failed you.

Bubbas named Mark

So now we've GOT to push through the Music City Center so that the new Nashville Medical Trade Center can be built. Still, we don't have solid numbers and contract for either AND MDHA is failing to do a good job of overseeing what little of this big project they've been in charge of so far.

I feel like I'm standing on a sidewalk in front of a card table while a fellow of obviously questionable character quickly shuffles three cups over and over while telling me it's an easy bet. I'd be a fool not to play. Look, Shill next to me just guessed correctly. Just find the pea and I'll double my bet. All the while the pickpocket already has his hand on my wallet.

These folks apparently believe we're the tourists that have never seen this shell game and are stupid enough to fall for it. They consider us all bubbas named Mark.

Once more, with feeling: If it's such a great deal...use YOUR own money. And to quote from the old joke---'Get your own dirt'. Don't ask Nashville to take it for you.

Missed the boat vote

The Davidson County Election Commission unanimously voted to certify the [District 5] election at a meeting this afternoon. [Former Councilwoman Pam] Murray came late to the meeting and missed the vote.

She was given an opportunity to speak later on in the meeting, at which time she said certifying the election results was an “act of injustice.” Tennessean

Give it a break Ms. Murray. One of the most important appointments of your life and you were, again, AWOL when your constituents needed you most. Despite that, the Commission still allowed you to speak and your very last act as a Councilwoman was to whine and throw this accusation at them:

“In closing, to agree with this act of injustice is like sending an innocent person to the death chamber; and (it is with) this reason I cannot consent to this election,” Murray said in a letter to the commission.

Like we need your consent. In your newly provided free time you might want to check on the phrase 'consent of the governed'.

And seriously? The Commission's bureaucratic act of affirming that the numbers were right and you lost by 2 votes was akin to killing an innocent man? Do you know the definition of hyperbole? Would you have been late to the execution also?

Time to move on, Ms. Murray. Like it or not, the voters have chosen. It's now your turn to choose. Choose to be a statesman who is still committed to improving her neighborhood--even if she's merely a private citizen.

Two a day is OK with Murray

CM Pam Murray (District 5-East Nashville) filed her election financial reports late according to a blog opposing her effort to stay in office. I'm not surprised.

Thankfully, the blogger thought to cross check the donors with the police reports. This is the kind of reporting that our regular media outlets should have done. Wonder why subscriptions are down?

Further into the blog post is more evidence that Murray is happy to take money from landowners that are a detriment to the health and safety of the people she's supposed to represent. Her three biggest donors had over 4,000 calls for police service since 2003 when Murray became a councilman. That's about 2 a day from just three businesses on desperate Dickerson Road alone. That's a huge drain on police and city resources. She's not cleaning up and improving the neighborhood she's ignoring obvious safety issues.

How does she justify not initiating an effort to shut those businesses down completely as nuisances for the good of the neighborhood and taxpayers generally? How does she justify taking campaign contributions from them?

Tomorrow is election day in District 5. Nashville needs a better quality of representation for that district. District 5 needs a better quality of representation. Hopefully, they'll get it very soon.

UPDATE: Here's the link to Murray's Financial Disclosure Statement just filed.

Garcia needs to testify

MNPS BOE Chairman David Fox (District 8-Hillsboro-West End) is exactly correct. The memos of former MNPS Superintendent Pedro Garcia are not the inviolate word of God. And considering how much weight appears to be given them I'm convinced that Garcia, himself, needs to be subpoenaed and state under oath what he alleges in the memos and be subject to cross examination.

He could have left quietly but no, he had to leave this little present. I say let's get him on the first plane back to Nashville. We're footing the bill and having to live with the consequences. I don't care of it's inconvenient for Garcia. Maybe he should have more thoroughly considered the consequences of his memos. Shades of junior high note passing! He should be man enough to come and stand by and defend his words.

The Nashville Scene seems very correct with their cover article in 2007: Best Foes Forever.

Who is William Rock?

For a man who has spent a life time, we're told, in education and is being called as an expert witness in the MNPS rezoning trial he's got a remarkably light public presence. Good thing he was friends with the plaintiff's attorney...we might never have heard of him otherwise.

William Rock is a distinguished service professor emeritus of the Department of Educational Administration at SUNY Brockport and served on the faculty here from 1968 through 1995. In 2001, he established the Annette Lamphier Rock Nursing Scholarship in honor of his wife, Annette, a lifelong nurse. This award will help support and nurture the education of nursing students at the College for years to come. He and Annette reside in Brockport. (SUNY-Brockport)

Give it a try...Google, Google Scholar, Bing, Ask, Yahoo, Cuil, Dogpile, LinkedIn--they would have nearly nothing at all on this guy if it weren't for current news coverage. How do you get to be a "nationally recognized school rezoning expert" and not have a paper trail that's on-line somewhere?

Kudos to HCA

From the folks at Post Business comes word that an employee union, Service Employees International Union, wants to set medical protocols that WE might have to suffer the consequences of.

Union officials say the policy [employees not inoculated against the flu must wear masks] should have been subject to negations (sic-I assume negotiations) since it affects employment terms, but HCA has declined to bargain. HCA officials said the policy is part of their comprehensive infection-control program to protect workers and patients, and they plan to continue moving forward with it.

The medical experts thinks protecting their patients from possible infection is a good idea. Who on Earth is the SEIU to make medical decisions that could endanger the rest of us? What's next? No more Hep B shots? TB test? Hair nets or rubber gloves? Just wait until the SEIU starts throwing their weight around via Obamacare. Lord have mercy on us all.

Is this the change voted for?

Tweets all over the courtroom

The Tennessean's education reporter Jaime Sarrio is also tweeting the rezoning hearings. For those of you who tweet (or set up an RSS feed from these tweets) you can follow the rezoning hearing at both

http://twitter.com/tncourtroom
and
http://twitter.com/NashvilleJeff

Should be very interesting to compare these two streams.

Any others?

Tweeting rezoning hearing

The Metro Nashville Public Schools rezoning hearing this morning is being tweeted by Nashville Jefferson.

Check his twitter page: http://twitter.com/NashvilleJeff

1. Plaintiff witness Mrs. Spurlock testifying about allegedly falsified school choice form choosing John Early for her daughter
2. Defense: No discriminatory intent; choice abrogates any discriminatory impact.
3. Plaintiffs: Rezoning goals stated by the Board are "subterfuge, pretext, a facade"
4. Filling up now -- and it looks like Mark North will be repping the School Board today

Wishful thinking?

What does CNN know that we mere mortals don't? Or is it just wishful thinking on their part?

CNN has already scrubbed the mistake but Google has it cached.

Some heritage more valuable than others

Spot on editorial about the fairgrounds in the City Paper this morning. Larry Woody nailed it.

'There is a theory we have no trouble embracing that some of Nashville’s “progressive” movers and shakers are eager to shed the city’s perceived Hee-Haw image — namely, country music, stock car racing and country-bumpkin fairs and flea markets.

“First they moved the Grand Ole Opry out of town, and now they’re running stock car racing out,” Denson said. “They’re doing away with the history and tradition that made our city so unique and special. It’s sad to see.”'

Again, Nashville focuses on proving to the world we're not hicks. It's a serious mistake to turn our back on our heritage. And whatever happened to "dance with the one that brung ya?" The fact is ordinary people live here, pay taxes, attend humble events at the fairgrounds and yet get the back of the hand from their own government--well it's palm side up come tax time though.

'Dean said he realized the decision to close shop was difficult, but “given the inability of either [track or fair] to support itself financially, it is simply time for us, as a city, to move on.”'

So is this the bar for deciding what comes and goes in this city? Or does that bar get raised and lowered depending upon how favored by our betters the project is?

“I once heard somebody say that the city doesn’t need a ‘playground for race drivers.’ Well, the city sure has a lot of ‘playgrounds for golfers.’ What the difference?”

Or tourists at a convention center.

Do they think that forcing the closing of the fairgrounds will feed the Nashville and Music Center Convention Centers business? I doubt it. The fact is those venues are too expensive, too inconvenient and not suitable for many of the events now held at the fairgrounds. I can think of one annual convention that will probably move out of the city if this happens. I don't think it'll be the only one.

"Metro officials seem anxious to close the fairgrounds, yet what they intend to do with the property remains unclear. Proposals have ranged from building low-income housing to creating another business park."

Because that whole Metro Center project worked out so well? I believe someone already has big plans for the fairgrounds and Mayor Dean knows exactly who it is. We the people just aren't privy to it yet.

Go Gotto

CM Jim Gotto (District 12 Hermitage) wants us all to see the Music City Center numbers (so do a lot of other people).

"If, in fact, these contracts are giving away the space or heavily discounting it, then that doesn't bode well for being able to pay the operating expenses of the convention center," said Gotto.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau said the details of what each group is paying for exhibit space and hotel rooms needs to be a trade secret for competitive reasons. WSMV

"Competitive reasons"--right.

From the screen shot I can only assume that there are discounts and incentive numbers that have been whited out. How on Earth can councilmen or taxpayers evaluate the wisdom of this huge financial commitment without those numbers? How can I believe Terry Clements, lobbyist for the Convention & Visitors Bureau, who said just last Thursday there were no freebies when I can't see the actual numbers? They'll let the Council peek at the numbers but they can't walk away with copies? No. Without hard copies available to keep convention proponents accountable over time NO Metro councilman should vote for this boondoggle. You want taxpayers to cosign for $1 Billion dollars but we can't see all the details of the deal? I don't think so.

And further, we're not supposed to be concerned about the convention center numbers and that half of the conventions aren't actually going to fully utilize this 'needed' larger facility because it's the hotel rooms that bring in the money?

You want to keep the particulars of the deal private? Use your own money.

Well of course he wants the MCC

Dan Brodbeck of American Constructors, Inc. opines his support for the Music City Center. His opinion would carry more weight if:

1. He actually owned property in Nashville.
2. He could prove that those construction workers would be Nashville citizens and not transients moving in to take advantage of the jobs for the three years of building.
   
3. He could prove that those long terms jobs were the kind that could actually support a family and not just minimum wage hospitality ones.

Indentured Servants

From yesterday's Tennessean:

"The [Music City Center] debate centers on a simple question: Can the city afford the most expensive project in its history, particularly in these tough economic times?

Metro had about $2.3 billion in debt at the end of the 2007-08 budget year, including $1.7 billion in obligations to be repaid with property tax revenues. The city's debt has grown by about $650 million over the past decade.

The convention center project would add at least as much money to the debt load in one year. Critics said that could put Metro in a tough position."

Ya think?? Add that $2.3 billion to the $1.3 TRILLION the Obama administration also has us co-signing for (not to include the $1 TRILLION health care bill) and we have become indentured servants --not taxpayers.

And you just have to love the part where the debt is being repaid over 30 years...but there are no guarantees the MCC will be useful for 30 years. The Nashville Convention Center only lasted us 20 years. Does this feel like a 'fleece agreement' or whole life insurance to anyone else? All the money is made up front by a few and the rest of us are left holding the debt for an aging facility that drops in value the moment we drive it off the lot. If this is such a great deal...let them use their own money--not ours.

From earlier in the article: "That [debt] would make it extremely difficult to build schools, renovate libraries or reinforce bridges."

Have you seen how badly maintained many of our schools are? Do you remember that new storm water bill you just got to pay again for what was supposed to have been repaired years ago? Do you want your hard earned dollars (those of you currently fortunate enough to be earning dollars) committed to your family's welfare or as a 'backstop' for the financing of an unnecessary tourist destination? We do need infrastructure upgrades. We do need major repairs to many of our public schools, we do need public safety equipment. Most of all we need city planners and policy makers who are willing to lift their gaze from the downtown core and its "urban vitality" and look around at the whole rest of the county where there are more than enough legitimate needs that need immediate attention.

MCC need not found

I've been cruising around the Music City Center website and I kid you not the link at the bottom of this paragraph is dead.

The NEED – Nashville wants to take advantage of an attractive downtown to draw visitors who bring tax revenue to our city. Nashville operates on two main sources of tax revenues – property taxes and sales taxes. By growing the convention business, Nashville can expand the sales tax revenue from visitors and thus depend less on property taxes from citizens. To learn more about why Nashville needs a new downtown convention center, please visit the By the Numbers page.

Actually, what happens when you click on that link to go to a page called "theneed" their server says: theneed.php was not found... That's what I've thought all along.

It's also interesting to note that in order to persuade Nashville to build a new convention center they've got to denigrate the current facility. And if they fail to get their new center they'll have to figure out how to undo all those negative comments in order to keep business flowing to the still quite serviceable 20 year old Nashville Convention Center.

Which begs the question---how long will this new Center be competitive? Will it also be obsolete in 20 years?

Convention Center sales pitch

Last night, Thursday, I attended a hastily called neighborhood meeting regarding the Music City Convention Center. According to Dianne Hunter (she's the woman on the far left next to the wall) she wanted "to get the clear hard facts not filtered through the media." To get those 'clear hard facts' she had a friend hook her up with Terry Clements one of seven lobbyists for the Nashville Convention & Visitor's Bureau (CVB) and she invited Council Lady Karen Bennett (District 8 Inglewood) to a small meeting in a local restaurant.

At 6:49 pm on Wednesday evening a note was posted to a neighborhood listserv providing minimal notice to the community of the meeting to be held 23 hours later. Bennett responded with a note early the following afternoon stating:

"I was contacted several weeks ago by Ms. Hunter wishing to speak with me and bring a couple of her friends with her concerning the Convention Center. I told her I would be happy to speak with her but until we have the financing portion of the package that there was really no way of having an informed conversation."

Hunter apologized at the end of the meeting for the miscommunication and the poor choice of the venue. She stated that she had asked a few people to attend and told the restaurant manager there would be between 12 and 15 people. Clearly though, considering how the table was set up to seat no more than 10 and the placement of the video screen they didn't expect the twice that number that did show up. It was a terrible venue for anything other than an intimate few who could sit close together since the meeting was in the main portion of an open restaurant with music, chatter, kitchen noise and all hard surfaces.

Councilmen in attendance included Bennett, CM Michael Craddock (District 4-Madison), CM Jim Gotto (District 12 Hermitage), and CM Mike Jameson (District 6-East Nashville) .

There were also two representatives from Nashville Priorities in attendance.

Bennett was allowed to speak first and made it very clear that this was not a meeting she had called. She stated that she was holding her own community meeting on Tuesday, January 12, 6:00 pm at the East Precinct. At that time the all important financial information would be available for the community to evaluate. She also admonished the CVB saying that several of these sorts of one sided meetings were being held across the city that confused constituents about who was hosting these meetings and put councilmen in a difficult spot. This tactic needed to end.

Clement began his PowerPoint presentation, which was not viewable by a full third of those in attendance, by stating that 'if you don't travel much you may not know the power of the Nashville brand'. I'll admit it came across as talking down to those of us who haven't had the opportunity to travel as extensively as he had. It came across as "We're the professionals who know this subject. You're unsophisticated. Trust us." Not a good start.

He went on to say Nashville had lost over 300 meeting by not having a larger facility. He stated the Music City Convention Center (MCC) will compete for 70% of the convention market. Glaringly obvious to me was that being in the competition doesn't equal money in the bank from winning. He did say that Mayor Dean had given them permission to start selling space not even yet approved and that if we didn't build the facility there were penalties that would have to be paid to those convention clients. Clement stated they had pre-sold 227,000 hotel rooms over 8 years, had 22 clients on board, denied that anyone was getting any space for free (hotel rooms swapped for convention space kinda thing), couldn't say how they determined the room or space rates and didn't know what the break even point was. Great, they put the cart before the horse to ensure that taxpayers have additional incentives to approve the MCC. I have little patience with this tactic.

Clement was very careful to say visitor taxes will 'primarily' fund the MCC but his slide omitted the word 'primarily'. Also careful to emphasize that property taxes will not fund the center. If he mentioned sales taxes I didn't hear it.

Another slide said the center had been 'vetted for 11 years' which is false. It's been talked about for more than a decade but never fully vetted. We're still waiting on solid numbers. Clement himself stated "the financial package is not complete yet. Hopefully, in November."

The PowerPoint was filled with pretty renderings of the facility, there was a lot of talk about the LEED roof, the proposed roundabout, urban vitality, and jobs that would be created. Of course when Clement was asked what the average salary of an MCC employee would be he had no idea.

Jameson and I both asked for a copy of the PowerPoint but Clements avoided promising a copy saying he thought it might be too large to email.

While there were several very polite questions and even a few from Hunter who seemed mostly concerned about the LEED aspects and traffic I did go a bit 'town hall' on Clement. I started by stating that I didn't think government belonged in the convention business at all. I continued by pointing out that our federal government was putting us into debt for $1.5 Trillion dollars, that the state government was only too happy to throw money away, and now, during economic hard times (and I provided a personal example) taxpayers were supposed to co-sign for more debt? How was this facility going to benefit my family and my neighborhood? Clement had already mentioned Nashville's stormwater problems and I reminded him of that expense, that our police and fire needed equipment and raises and that the sales tax monies, that fund public schools, were on the line for this MCC. Why should I support this over those other and more vital government services?

He couldn't answer. He was professionally polite and attentive but there is no way you can make a case for the MCC getting in line ahead of the family grocery bill, public safety or public schools. He was wise to not even try. I dearly hope the Council understands that 'build it and they will come' was fine for a Hollywood movie but it's not the way to run a city.

Wrong Rex

The City Paper's anonymous gossip creates some mud for slinging but doesn't have the facts to back it up.

Seems Mrs. Michael Craddock dared to get a job with a land developer her husband, as Metro Councilman, worked with during the development of the Home Depot in Inglewood. According to the CP Gossip: "Craddock backed the development because it meant job creation," Wrong Rex.

From my fist person observation Craddock backed it because the neighbors backed it. They had two hard choices and chose Home Depot as the lesser of two evils. One choice being an apartment complex guaranteed to house a transient population. The other a stable, accountable corporate entity with a remarkable business record. Which would you choose to live next to?

Regarding the destruction of Evergreen I never heard Craddock say Evergreen had to go. The destruction of that historic property was the end of a long and convoluted story. All of us working on preserving it and working with the developer clearly understood we didn't own the property and Moore did. Clearly Moore was not going to preserve the property. Clearly we were stuck with Home Depot. What I saw was Craddock ensuring that the neighbors were heard, that their concerns were addressed, that Home Depot didn't just throw up a concrete box with day laborers haunting the entrance and that they preserved the two historic cabins that had not been razed.

Kudos on finding work at all Mrs. Craddock. I'm in the hunt myself and have put the word out and completely understand 'any port in a storm'. Considering Mr. Craddock's position it'd be hard to find any employer that didn't have some connection to Metro government, the council, or Craddock's real estate business. Should she have recused herself from all those potential employers? I wouldn't ask her to.

Per Pupil Spending

The EIA has their latest charts of school spending by district out from the '06-07 school year. Here's Tennessee: http://www.eiaonline.com/districts/Tennessee.pdf

Nashville stats include enrollment of 73,731 and per pupil spending of $8,561. That's an increase of 18.8% since the '01-'02 school year for only 8.9% more students.

Tough to budget

If we hadn't kept the thermostat at 78 degrees, faithfully used the clothesline, turned out lights and gotten a new HVAC unit last year, I've no doubt we'd be in this woman's shoes with a sky high electric bill and no way to pay it before the disconnection was ordered. Thankfully, we managed to keep ours (a family of 6) under $250 all summer.

It's very tough to regulate utility usage. Budget billing, being charged equal payments during the entire year, can only go so far. Until someone creates an inexpensive meter that says how much money has been spent or manages to 'budget' the weather it's going to continue to be a tough call.

It's been decades since I applied for utility service but it seems to me I had to have a good credit history. I'm not sure I'd extend payments six months but having a previous history of paying fully, negotiating a plan with NES based on past credit history and the customer's current budget (and not on some arbitrary NES demand) and following that plan should keep disconnection at bay.

Here's the web page for the NES Power Board: http://www.nespower.com/boardmembers.aspx. You might want to contact them.

Just a reminder of their previous attempt to take our change for their charitable work: Increase In Rates Not Enough.

Also note, Leo Waters formerly of the NES board is moving on to the convention center board.

Tweeting

Maybe I have time for 140 characters every now and then. http://twitter.com/kaybrooks

Personal Update

I've avoided explaining my light posting hoping that our life would soon revert back to something resembling normal and I could resume soon. However, it looks like we may have a new normal.

Our life has been a bit of a roller coaster ride since Christmas. Back then, my husband, our family's major breadwinner and the patron who supports my community activism, was unexpectedly laid off. A week later he was hired by a former employer (at a lower rate). Two months later he was laid off (at least we had a clue this time). Both layoffs were for lack of work in an specialized industry we now understand is very dependent upon credit being readily available. Within a week he went to work on a commercial renovation project that lasted about six months (at a lower rate again) and has been expectedly laid off.

While I enjoy blogging--it doesn't bring enough to pay the bills and so I've polished up both our resumes. We're both hitting the bricks and pixels looking for work. If you need an excellent finish carpenter, millworker, bass player or a politically busybody mom with great office and administrative skills let us know at KayBrooks@gmail.com.

I'll still be able to eek out a few posts now and again but for this immediate season my focus must turn from my passion about educating children and government issues to those people I hold near and dear. I have the blessings of a supportive husband, amazing children and a church family that really does walk closely with us on the journey. They make the journey bearable and worth finishing well. I hope you're similarly blessed.

So, I'll post when I can, when I can't stand not saying something and when I have a few minutes. Thanks for reading and for your patience.

Paper clips say it all

The downside to term limiting presidents is that they can arrange much of this to really hit us when they're safely out of office and completely unaccountable.

Debt is bad. It's that simple. Don't do it.

Hat tip: WhyHomeschool.blogspot.com

Text of Obama's speech to school children

The White House has released the text of Obama's speech to school children scheduled for tomorrow. Pretty boring stuff for the most part.

A couple of snips and comments.

"But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn’t have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.

Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don’t have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. ..."

Can we go back to that part about how you got into law school?

Moving on--he was fortunate. He wasn't cobbled by a failing public education system--the very place many of these children will be listening from. Agree with what Mrs. Obama taught him or not she was effective in creating a president with a little help from her friends. She saw to it that he went to good private schools and got what he needed to succeed in his world.

Where you are right now doesn’t have to determine where you’ll end up. No one’s written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future.

Well, except for the part where I'm selling your future down the drain with 12 Trillion in debt. We've pretty much mapped out a slavery situation for ya there.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day.

[Insert your own pithy response to his lack of experience here.]

What we will never know is what the original text may have been had there been no venue for the opinions of concerned citizens and parents.

UPDATE: How many times does he say:

I, me, my = 80
You/Your= 203 (about 10% of the words)

The speech kerfluffle

There is so much more to be upset about in our public education system than a 20 minute speech by Obama and some badly prepared lesson plans. Instead of taking children out, parents with children in public schools should go into those schools for this event. The system can easily work around your child’s absence for this speech. They can easily marginalize you as a reactionary nut for withdrawing your child. By being there you make it clear that you support efforts, from the top down, that encourage your children to value their education. You also make it clear to the system that you're watching them and will hold them accountable.

And then plan on returning over and over again. If you're in the school regularly you will discover so much more that needs your attention and you will have your first person testimony as evidence of the real problems. It’s more important that parents spend time learning what goes on day-to-day than react to a speech from the supervisor of the US Department of Education. When you find excellence reward it, point it out, and encourage it. Otherwise, reveal those teachers and staff that obviously need to be in another line of work. Find the incompetent management of resources. Attend school board meetings and out the regular rubber stamping of the administration. When was the last time your school board actually asked about anyone on the tenure list before approving it? When was the last time they asked a serious question about a contract, a textbook, a new policy? Read your child’s textbook and do some googling about its inaccuracies and/or bias. Find out what’s in those daily lesson plans. What organizations with what POV are your children subjected to while in school? Whether to have uniforms or candy in the lunchroom are such minor and foolish issues to waste the finite educational lives of children on when in loco parentis has allowed the government so much control over children, their minds and their hearts than parents realize.

Parents, if Superintendent of US Schools Obama’s speech caught your attention—great, but don’t waste your time focused on that. Don’t major in the minors. There is real work that needs to be done. Start in your child's classroom and don't quit until people who believe like TN House Rep. Tommie Brown (D-Chattanooga), featured in the video above, are no longer in charge of your family's life.


(Hat tip: Rep. Stacey Campfield for the video.)

MDHA Convention Center

Just want to remind folks as we wade further into the convention center land grab and billion dollar public funding of what should be an entirely private enterprise that MDHA's land grab attempt last year to condemn Joy Ford's property for a must have hotel on Demonbreun and Music Row has resulted in not one shovelful of dirt being moved since the parties came to a land swap agreement last October. Last October folks. Nearly a year now.

I shudder to think where that land owner would be if we hadn't gotten very vocal about MDHA's handling of that mess. I'm concerned that with Obamanomics and few real controls over MDHA taxpayers will get stuck with a lot of land and a lot of debt.

"The nine most terrifying words in the English language are:
'I'm from the government and I'm here to help.'"

Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States of America

I don't know about you, but this family can't afford any more government help.

Good question Motor City

Folks in Detroit are asking a great question. Why is a Detroit methadone clinic manager on Nashville's city council?

The article at MLive.com notes much of the trouble between CM Pam Murray (District 5-East Nashville) and residents of her district. They provide handy links to Nashville news reports and even YouTube video of the woman defending a recent zoning bill.

They also make mention of the brand spanking new WeThePeopleOfDistrictFive.com website for recalling the councilwoman. The recall effort's motto:

Our Councilmember should be from Music City...not Motor City

If you want to contact the recall folks email them at: WethePeopleD5@yahoo.com


With this article it looks like Murray will be fighting on two fronts now.

UPDATE: Channel 5 has a report on the petition drive. Remarkably, they managed to find Murray somewhere. I was unimpressed by her displaying a standard expanding file folder as evidence of all the work she's done in six years for the district. Not even an inch a year of paperwork.

"My true neighbors know I have done my job over there," said Murray."

What exactly is a 'true neighbor"? Exactly where do they live?

I caught a Channel 2 report with their Chris Bundgaard while making dinner but I don't see a link on their site. Pity. There was video of Bundgaard doing what so many had done before--trying to get a hold of Murray via phone and getting a full voice mail box instead.

UPDATE II: Here's the Channel 2 video.

Thanks for the link, Schaffdk.

The nationalization of your body

Mark Steyn's latest essay is about health care not surprisingly. As usual some good thoughts in there and well worth reading in full.

Here's the money quote that jumped off the page for me:

"And there's nothing you can do about it because,
ultimately, government health represents
the nationalization of your body."

There goes 'my body, my choice'.

Our National Treasure

Parody works because it's based in truth. I laughed several times. National treasure. Flushing it down our own toilets. Shear number of shovelers. I am a patriot. But when she said "I love the money fire" like she's remembering being a kid roasting marshmallows on cool fall evenings I lost it.

We're just insane to let this continue. I demand the right to destroy my hard earned money any way I see fit.

Hat tip: Lucianne.com

Fudging the numbers or simple error?

WSMV has a video report from Sen. Marsha Blackburn's (R) town hall meeting this morning. While reporter Cara Kumari describes that the meeting room had hundreds in it, that folks streamed out the doors, that the hallway was flooded with folks, that hundreds were turned away and that "900 showed up" the label at the bottom of the video view says "500 attend Blackburn's town hall."

Joker lands in Nashville

Spotted this near Broadway and McGavock Pike downtown yesterday. These Obama as the Heath Ledger version of The Joker have been popping up around the country. Florida officials have questioned one poster who admitted putting up 500. Apparently there's a contest. But the rules do warn against vandalizing property.

Once they get these cleared up could someone go after the "We buy houses" folks?

Textbooks being reviewed

It's review time for English Grammar and Composition, English as a Second Language and Foreign Languages materials used in Tennessee public schools.

If you want to see all the materials being considered it looks like the only place to do that is MTSU in Murfreesboro. In Nashville TSU is hosting the student and teacher materials only.

Here's the official press release. For some unknown reason the State Department of Education doesn't provide a list on their website of the textbooks currently under review for use by schools systems across the state. Thankfully, their Rachel Woods, once she got back into town, was prompt about providing me a copy of their Excel sheet with all the details. I'm posting the list in alphabetical order by book title below. If you'd like to see the entire Excel sheet it's here at Google docs.

Public comments should be sent to Morgan Branch, Director of Textbook Services, Tennessee Department of Education, 5^th Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower, Nashville, Tennessee 37243-0379 before the September meeting. Citizens with questions about the process may also call Morgan Branch at 615-253-3160.

Publisher	Book Title
Holt McDougal	¡Avancemos! Level 1, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	¡Avancemos! Level 1A, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	¡Avancemos! Level 1B, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	¡Avancemos! Level 2, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	¡Avancemos! Level 3, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	¡Avancemos! Level 4, Student Edition
EMC Publishing, LLC	¡Aventura! 1
EMC Publishing, LLC	¡Aventura! 2
EMC Publishing, LLC	¡Aventura! 3
EMC Publishing, LLC	¡Aventura! 4
Perfection Learning	6 Trait PowerWrite 6-year student license
Perfection Learning	6 Trait PowerWrite 6-year student license
Perfection Learning	6 Trait PowerWrite 6-year student license
Perfection Learning	6 Trait PowerWrite 6-year student license
Perfection Learning	6 Trait PowerWrite 6-year student license
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 10/Level J Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 11/Level K Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 12/Level L Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 6/Level F Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 7/Level G Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 8/Level H Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Perfection Learning	6-Gr 9/Level I Grammar, Usage, & Mechanics Skillbooks, consumable
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Abriendo paso: Lectura y Gramática
Holt McDougal	Abriendo puertas: Lenguaje, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Abriendo puertas: Literatura, Tomo I & II Combined Package
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	America Now
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	America Now
EMC Publishing, LLC	AP Test Prep: Mastering the Advanced Placement Spanish Language Exam
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Asi se dice! L1 National SE
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Asi se dice! L1A SE
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Asi se dice! L1B SE
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Asi se dice! L2 National SE
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Asi se dice! L3 National SE
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Asi se dice! L4 National SE
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Bon voyage! 1 Student Edition
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Bon voyage! 2 Student Edition
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Bon voyage! 3 Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Bravo
Cambridge University Press	Cambridge Latin Course Unit 1 Student's Book (2009)
Cambridge University Press	Cambridge Latin Course Unit 2 Student's Book (2009)
Cambridge University Press	Cambridge Latin Course Unit 3 Student's Book (2009)
Cambridge University Press	Cambridge Latin Course Unit 4 Student's Book (2009)
Handwriting Without Tears	Can-Do Cursive - Consumable
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Catullus LEGAMUS Transitional Reader
EMC Publishing, LLC	C'est à toi! Level 1
EMC Publishing, LLC	C'est à toi! Level 2
EMC Publishing, LLC	C'est à toi! Level 3
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Chinese Link, Level 1, Simplified Character Edition
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Chinese Link: Zhongwen Tiandi, Level 2
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Cicero Workbook, A
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Conexiones: Comunicación y cultura
Handwriting Without Tears	Cursive Handwriting - Consumable
Handwriting Without Tears	Cursive Success - Consumable
EMC Publishing, LLC	Deutsch Aktuell 1
EMC Publishing, LLC	Deutsch Aktuell 2
EMC Publishing, LLC	Deutsch Aktuell 3
BETTER CHINESE LLC	DISCOVERING CHINESE Series
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Ecce Romani I (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Ecce Romani II (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Ecce Romani III (Print)
The Hampton-Brown Company, Inc. d/b/a National Geographic School Publishing and Hampton-Brown	Edge Series
Santillana USA Publishing Company	Elevator, Levels I, II, III and IV
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Encuentros maravillosos: Gramática a través de la literatura
Santillana USA Publishing Company	Energie, Levels I, II, III and IV 9-12
Perfection Learning	Essential Guide-Language, Writing & Literature, Blue, Hardback Ed
Perfection Learning	Essential Guide-Language, Writing and Literature, Red, Hardback Ed
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG NON-CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG NON-CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG NON-CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, BLUE, CORE PKG NON-CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, RED, CORE PKG CONS
Perfection Learning	ESSENTIAL GUIDE-LANGUAGE, WRITING, & LIT, RED, CORE PKG NON-CONS
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Everyday Use: Rhetoric at Work in Reading and Writing
EMC Publishing, LLC	Exploring Chinese
EMC Publishing, LLC	Exploring French
EMC Publishing, LLC	Exploring German
Cengage Learning	Exploring Journalism and the Media
EMC Publishing, LLC	Exploring Spanish
EMC Publishing, LLC	Expository Composistion: Discovering Your Voice
Zaner-Bloser	G.U.M. Grammar, Usage and Mechanics 3-8
Zaner-Bloser	G.U.M. Grammar, Usage and Mechanics 3-8
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Glencoe Speech SE
Holt McDougal	Hodges' Harbrace Handbook
Holt McDougal	Holt Advanced Spanish, Nuevas vistas, Curso de introducción, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Advanced Spanish, Nuevas vistas, Curso dos, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Advanced Spanish, Nuevas vistas, Curso uno, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt French 1, Bien dit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt French 1A, Bien dit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt French 1B, Bien dit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt French 2, Bien dit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt French 3, Bien dit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt German 1, Komm mit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt German 2, Komm mit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt German 3, Komm mit!, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, Fifth Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, First Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, Fourth Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, Introductory Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, Second Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, Sixth Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Holt Traditions, Warriner's Handbook, Third Course, Student Edition
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Horace Workbook
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt English R/1-6
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt English R/1-6
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt English R/1-6
The Hampton-Brown Company, Inc. d/b/a National Geographic School Publishing and Hampton-Brown	Inside Series 6-8
Holt McDougal	Interacciones
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Journalism Matters SE
Holt McDougal	Kaleidoskop (paperback)
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Latin 1 Student Edition
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Latin 2 Student Edition
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Latin 3 Student Edition
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Latin for New Millennium St Txtbk L1
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Latin for New Millennium St Txtbk L2
Handwriting Without Tears	Letters and Numbers For Me Consumable
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Little Book of Latin Love Poetry
Pearson Longmam	Longman Cornerstone Series
Pearson Longmam	Longman Keystone Keys to Learning Series 6-12
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Looking at Latin
BETTER CHINESE LLC	MAGICAL TOUR OF CHINA Series
Holt McDougal	Media/Impact: An Introduction to Mass Media
Cengage Learning/Heinle	Milestones Series 6-8
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	Models For Writers
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	Models For Writers
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Momentos cumbres de las literaturas hispánicas
BETTER CHINESE LLC	MY FIRST CHINESE READER Series
BETTER CHINESE LLC	MY FIRST CHINESE WORDS&I LOVE CHINESE Series
Handwriting Without Tears	My Printing Book - Consumable
Santillana USA Publishing Company	Nuevo ¡Bravo, bravo! Series 6-8 or Level 1a, 1b
Rigby, an imprint of HMH Supplemental Publishers Inc.	On Our Way to English K-5
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Ovid Workbook
Voyager Expanded Learning, Inc.	Passport Reading Journeys (series) 6-8*
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	Patterns for College Writing
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Realidades with Realidades.com Series 6-12
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print)
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Prentice Hall Writing & Grammar, Full Version (Print) Student Ediction Grade 6
Handwriting Without Tears	Printing Power - Consumable
Perfection Learning	Projects in Speech Communication
Santillana USA Publishing Company	Santillana Intensive English Series K-12
Santillana USA Publishing Company	Santillana Intensive English Series K-12
Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Scott Foresman	Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Tennessee Edition 1-6
Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Scott Foresman	Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Tennessee Edition 1-6
Pearson Education Inc., publishing as Scott Foresman	Scott Foresman Grammar and Writing Tennessee Edition 1-6
Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc.	Shurley English Series K-8
Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc.	Shurley English Series K-8
Shurley Instructional Materials, Inc.	Shurley English Series K-8
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	Song of War: Readings from Vergil's Aeneid
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	Speak Up!
Santillana USA Publishing Company	Spotlight on English Student Series K-5
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	St. Martin's Handbook
Zaner-Bloser	Strategies for Writers K-8
Zaner-Bloser	Strategies for Writers K-8
Zaner-Bloser	Strategies for Writers K-8
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, Fifth Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, First Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, Fourth Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, Introductory Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, Second Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, Sixth Course, Student Edition
Holt McDougal	Tennessee Elements of Language, Third Course, Student Edition
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	The Bedford Reader
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	The Bedford Reader
Holt McDougal	The Challenge of Effective Speaking
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	The Lanauge of Composition
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	The Little, Brown Handbook
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	The Prentice Hall Reader, AP Edition
Holt McDougal	The Riverside Reader, Alternate Edition, Student Edition
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	The St. Martin's Guide to Writing
Bedford, Freeman & Worth	The St. Martin's Guide to Writing
Pearson Education, Inc., PA Prentice Hall	The Writer's World: Essays
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Tresors du Temps Student Edition
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.	Vergil Workbook
Cengage Learning/Heinle	Visions Series
Great Source	Write for College
Great Source	Write Source Grade 10
Great Source	Write Source Grade 11
Great Source	Write Source Grade 12
Great Source	Write Source Grade 9
Great Source	Write Source K-8
Great Source	Write Source K-8
Great Source	Write Source K-8
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 10
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 11
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 12
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 6
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 7
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 8
Glencoe/McGraw-Hill	Writer's Choice SE Grade 9
Great Source	Writers INC.
Zaner-Bloser	Zaner-Bloser Handwriting K-8

*An email from the Voyegar Learning folks says: "If I may, I would like to offer a kind correction to the Voyager Expanded Learning listing in your recent blog posting. Passport Reading Journeys 6-8, should be 6-9."