"the current policy is complete discrimination toward students whose families don’t have the funds to pay private tuition costs"
"discrimination"? That is such a loaded word and it is not correct to use it when the issue is not race, religion or any other arbitrary difference between people.
The ability of some people to pay for more than others is not discrimination.
The valid question regarding full day kindergarten is it's educational value. Will it result in better prepared first graders or not? From what I can tell, school district would be better off identifying at-risk preschoolers and get them into language skills and structured environment so they can do better in kindergarten. Full day kindergarten appears to be of limited educational benefit because the kids tire.
Mr Earley, I had an Apple ][ with a manual tape drive prior to floppy drives being available. I was a lead programmer writing assembly language code for an international data network that predated the internet. I know something about the value and importance of technology. (I am old school enough to wonder if MCSE after your name is an ironic joke because no one we would want to hire would admit being a MCSE).
Anyway, "it motivated the students to engage in the learning process as opposed to being a passive classroom attendee" is just doublespeak for "despite all the money being spent on it, we cannot show it makes a difference". A good teacher could be given a stick and a dirt floor to write on and can create an engaging learning process and not let students become passive classroom attendees.
It is not as if studies are unable to show that there are things under a school's control that does make a difference. Having teachers knowledgeable in the topic they teach matters. Small classes for the youngest students matters. Teachers having high expectations of students matters. Yes, there are things like educational level of a student's parents that are out of the school's control, but there are things that have been shown that makes a difference. A school can do things that are popular, but have no impact upon education, or they can focus on what is known to make a difference.
By resigning now then her Trustee seat will be filled in April's election instead of being appointed by the Town Board. So resigning is actually a responsible move if she questioned her ability to put in the time to serve out her term.
Dynamics of county commissioners could change from 1 SB resident to all being essentially SB folk. It has been a while since there have been contested elections, but "localness" is often enough as much of an issue as Democrat or Republican. Rural parts of county have, in the past, been as concerned with candidates being too SB. So those that lean Republican in West Routt might vote for Monger as not being too SB over a SB Republican candidate.
My criticism of the Steamboat Institute is it's lack of involvement in local issues. Not that they need to give an opinion on everything, but surely their philosophical viewpoint does not only apply to national or international issues.
Not that they need to give their opinion on everything, but no opinion on fracking? No issue from airline subsidies to MainStreet tax where their philosophical perspective suggests an opinion?
The critical important change is that now a business, office or retail, can move into an existing commercial building (in downtown Oak Creek) without taking weeks or months to get Planning Board and Town Board approvals. And is thus like Steamboat, Hayden, Yampa and the rest of Routt County.
Another important change are that the existing houses and apartments in downtown are no longer grandfathered nonconforming uses, but are now allowed uses. And a lot of cleanup of the land use code so it is clear and far less ambiguous and thus land use in Oak Creek should be far less arbitrary and capricious.
The initiative basically took the viewpoint that the planning process was so onerous, arbitrary and capricious that the sort of uses that exist and have been approved in the recent past are allowed without waiting weeks and months. The ordinance 615 is the result of meeting with Mary Alice, an experienced planner, and Jeff, head of planning board, and fixing the ambiguous and illogical stuff. It took the initiative's one page list of more severe changes into five pages of changes fixing the underlying issues in the land use code.
Some of the approved changes suggest similar changes for the rest of the land use districts including removing silly stuff like it making a big difference for the planning review process if a remodel includes a structural change. As if Oak Creek Planning Board was a bunch of structural engineers and also the building codes dept.
Boatbug, Please find the studies that show that technology in schools results in better test scores or better education.
New York Times some months ago reviewed an Arizona school district touted by Obama as having great technology and even that school district could not show that the technology made any difference.
The Education Dept and so on have consistently not been able to show that computers in the classroom enhance learning.
I don't recall the budget game being an option to defund the city manager so foolish to think the survey was meaningful. That might have had an unanimous response.
The survey was a comical representation of the budget where the option for every item was either fully fund or no funding. And the city manager thinks people's choices have meaning? The appropriate and accurate description of that sort of thinking would get this posting deleted.
Steve, Only because California is in violation of EPA clean air standards is California allowed to set emissions standards on vehicles. California cannot alter national vehicle safety standards.
If the State of Colorado can set standards for oil drilling then that is the place to take this fight to get the rules changed. Otherwise, Routt County is stuck on shaky legal ground when trying to regulate and there is enough money in drilling and royalties for affected people to sue the county for violating state law.
And it is quite rare for state government to ignore valid concerns of wealthy counties and wealthy property owners.
The idea that there is something wrong about fracking fluids being trade secrets doesn't make much sense. It is accepted that fracking fluids are not allowed to contaminate groundwater and that any contamination would be bad because of the benzene and other typically trace chemicals in the natural gas. And the fracking fluids are clearly recognized by the drillers and manufacturers as different fluids having different results depending upon the geology and so certainly are likely to include trade secrets. It makes sense that the fluids are registered with the State so if there is any contamination then it can be compared against the fluids used in any nearby wells.
Lea Treanor: For all-day kindergarten
"the current policy is complete discrimination toward students whose families don’t have the funds to pay private tuition costs"
"discrimination"? That is such a loaded word and it is not correct to use it when the issue is not race, religion or any other arbitrary difference between people.
The ability of some people to pay for more than others is not discrimination.
The valid question regarding full day kindergarten is it's educational value. Will it result in better prepared first graders or not? From what I can tell, school district would be better off identifying at-risk preschoolers and get them into language skills and structured environment so they can do better in kindergarten. Full day kindergarten appears to be of limited educational benefit because the kids tire.
February 12, 2012 at 10:03 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Our View: All-day kindergarten worthy of funding
Mr Earley,
I had an Apple ][ with a manual tape drive prior to floppy drives being available. I was a lead programmer writing assembly language code for an international data network that predated the internet. I know something about the value and importance of technology. (I am old school enough to wonder if MCSE after your name is an ironic joke because no one we would want to hire would admit being a MCSE).
Anyway, "it motivated the students to engage in the learning process as opposed to being a passive classroom attendee" is just doublespeak for "despite all the money being spent on it, we cannot show it makes a difference". A good teacher could be given a stick and a dirt floor to write on and can create an engaging learning process and not let students become passive classroom attendees.
It is not as if studies are unable to show that there are things under a school's control that does make a difference. Having teachers knowledgeable in the topic they teach matters. Small classes for the youngest students matters. Teachers having high expectations of students matters. Yes, there are things like educational level of a student's parents that are out of the school's control, but there are things that have been shown that makes a difference. A school can do things that are popular, but have no impact upon education, or they can focus on what is known to make a difference.
February 12, 2012 at 2:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Oak Creek’s Dawn Smith will leave the Town Board
By resigning now then her Trustee seat will be filled in April's election instead of being appointed by the Town Board. So resigning is actually a responsible move if she questioned her ability to put in the time to serve out her term.
February 11, 2012 at 6:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Tina Kyprios announces candidacy for District 2 commissioner
Dynamics of county commissioners could change from 1 SB resident to all being essentially SB folk. It has been a while since there have been contested elections, but "localness" is often enough as much of an issue as Democrat or Republican. Rural parts of county have, in the past, been as concerned with candidates being too SB. So those that lean Republican in West Routt might vote for Monger as not being too SB over a SB Republican candidate.
Should be an interesting campaign and election.
February 10, 2012 at 6:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Jennifer Schubert-Akin: Setting it straight
My criticism of the Steamboat Institute is it's lack of involvement in local issues. Not that they need to give an opinion on everything, but surely their philosophical viewpoint does not only apply to national or international issues.
Not that they need to give their opinion on everything, but no opinion on fracking? No issue from airline subsidies to MainStreet tax where their philosophical perspective suggests an opinion?
February 10, 2012 at 11:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Oak Creek Town Board amends land-use code
The critical important change is that now a business, office or retail, can move into an existing commercial building (in downtown Oak Creek) without taking weeks or months to get Planning Board and Town Board approvals. And is thus like Steamboat, Hayden, Yampa and the rest of Routt County.
Another important change are that the existing houses and apartments in downtown are no longer grandfathered nonconforming uses, but are now allowed uses. And a lot of cleanup of the land use code so it is clear and far less ambiguous and thus land use in Oak Creek should be far less arbitrary and capricious.
The initiative basically took the viewpoint that the planning process was so onerous, arbitrary and capricious that the sort of uses that exist and have been approved in the recent past are allowed without waiting weeks and months. The ordinance 615 is the result of meeting with Mary Alice, an experienced planner, and Jeff, head of planning board, and fixing the ambiguous and illogical stuff. It took the initiative's one page list of more severe changes into five pages of changes fixing the underlying issues in the land use code.
Some of the approved changes suggest similar changes for the rest of the land use districts including removing silly stuff like it making a big difference for the planning review process if a remodel includes a structural change. As if Oak Creek Planning Board was a bunch of structural engineers and also the building codes dept.
February 10, 2012 at 9:09 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Our View: All-day kindergarten worthy of funding
Boatbug,
Please find the studies that show that technology in schools results in better test scores or better education.
New York Times some months ago reviewed an Arizona school district touted by Obama as having great technology and even that school district could not show that the technology made any difference.
The Education Dept and so on have consistently not been able to show that computers in the classroom enhance learning.
February 9, 2012 at 5:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Survey shows matching priorities between city, some Steamboat residents
I don't recall the budget game being an option to defund the city manager so foolish to think the survey was meaningful. That might have had an unanimous response.
The survey was a comical representation of the budget where the option for every item was either fully fund or no funding. And the city manager thinks people's choices have meaning? The appropriate and accurate description of that sort of thinking would get this posting deleted.
February 9, 2012 at 9:41 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve Lewis: Is fracking safe?
Steve,
Only because California is in violation of EPA clean air standards is California allowed to set emissions standards on vehicles. California cannot alter national vehicle safety standards.
If the State of Colorado can set standards for oil drilling then that is the place to take this fight to get the rules changed. Otherwise, Routt County is stuck on shaky legal ground when trying to regulate and there is enough money in drilling and royalties for affected people to sue the county for violating state law.
And it is quite rare for state government to ignore valid concerns of wealthy counties and wealthy property owners.
The idea that there is something wrong about fracking fluids being trade secrets doesn't make much sense. It is accepted that fracking fluids are not allowed to contaminate groundwater and that any contamination would be bad because of the benzene and other typically trace chemicals in the natural gas. And the fracking fluids are clearly recognized by the drillers and manufacturers as different fluids having different results depending upon the geology and so certainly are likely to include trade secrets. It makes sense that the fluids are registered with the State so if there is any contamination then it can be compared against the fluids used in any nearby wells.
February 8, 2012 at 6:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Routt County Republicans favor Romney in precinct caucuses
Hmm, looks like Routt County Republicans are out of touch with the rest of Colorado Republicans. Looks like the locals are mostly moderates.
February 8, 2012 at 10:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )