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Hey! It's my first Russ Olson Raspberry of the 2010 Legislative session! Whoo-hoo!
Republicans hate big government... except when they can use it to push around the people they don't trust. State Senator Russell Olson (R-8/Madison) proves this point with his vote in committee today for Senate Bill 24. This measure allows Pierre to establish standards, timeframes, and even a recommended form for teacher evaluations. SB 24 also creates a more complicated teacher licensing system.
Lake County's favorite Republican had a perfect opportunity to stand against the creeping crud of centralized government control. Senator Olson could have made a real stand for local control. He could have said, "Hey, those principals and superintendents are good people! I bought them donuts during the last campaign! I trust them to properly evaluate their teachers."
Instead, he voted right along with Democrats Sandy Jerstad and Ben Nesselhuf to expand Pierre's control of education.
Where is the brave Tea Party candidate who will challenge Senator Olson for his state senate seat and fight for real limited government?
Hide Fido (by Andy Horowitz)
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I coined Noem as the ‘Palin of South Dakota’ when she ran for the state
house, seems I nailed it; America: meet your new Secretary of Homeland
Security. Sh...
1 day ago
Cory,
ReplyDeleteI am with you on this issue. But it passed 7 to 0. Don't we need 7 Tea Party candidates?
Hey, I'll handle my district, you handle yours. ;-)
ReplyDeleteCory,
ReplyDeleteI very much doubt that you will work for a Tea Party candidate in your district.
Sorry, let me clarify: I'll handle encouraging the fervent anti-government, anti-incumbent activists in my district to find a candidate and test their views in a real campaign against a supposed Republican who represents a lot of what you think is wrong with the GOP party establishment.
ReplyDeleteCory,
ReplyDeleteWhat are your thoughts on the "Race to the Top" education plan? I went to the Department of Education's website and saw that South Dakota is one of the 41 States to submit an application...and since they are going to take the top 40, I imagine South Dakota might have a good chance of getting in.
joe nelson
I place "Race to the Top" in the same pile as this small state measure. I am pleased to hear on NPR that some school districts around the country have refused to participate, as they have realized the cost of gathering the necessary data to apply is greater than the funding the program would provide.
ReplyDelete"Hey, I'll handle my district, you handle yours."
ReplyDeleteThen Cory said this:
"I'll handle encouraging the fervent anti-government, anti-incumbent activists in my district to find a candidate and test their views in a real campaign against a supposed Republicanwho represents a lot of what you think is wrong with the GOP party establishment."
Would your principle of handling your own district also apply to you handling the Democrat establishment reformation, while I deal with the Republican establishment reformation?
Kudos for CAH on this. The state has no business mandating how local schools manage the education of their students and evaluating teachers. At most the state could give guidelines for a state certification for recognizing what it considers good teaching or learning - but only if that certification was optional and not tied to any funding.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with encouraging fervent anti-government anti-incumbent activists. T-Party members should support everything that hammers apart partisanship.