All right, I can see your point. But, I'm still not sure I agree with it. I think a lot of the reason people focus on language skills is that it's an easy way to cover up our xenophobia. And, as much as I hate to, I'll be the first to admit that I find it more difficult to work with someone who has ESL. But, I also think that someone that has ESL brings a lot to the table as far as fostering respect for diversity. The person in question has stated that English is not his first language. To be fluent in a two languages speaks to this person's intelligence. I strongly doubt he's some stupid guy who blundered his way into the position.
-Deanna ----- Original Message ----- From: "s. isaac dealey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 4:28 PM Subject: RE: Re: Re: Re: Exciting.... > No, just the language. The reason being that language skills directly affect his job as an administrator, i.e. the ability to communicate. That's what an administrator needs -- strong communication skills -- beyond which, if he's not superbly proficient in math or science he can communicate with his staff to answer pertinent questions for subjects in which he's less proficient (i.e. should our schools be teaching x scientific principal). Granted that he claimed a large part of the problem lied in punctuation, which doesn't need to be test-accurate on a day-to-day, "send a memo" basis. But that ties into my second problem. He earns 6 figures. That's too much money to spend on someone who's less than "the best" at what he does for a living. And yes, I'll admit my reason for saying that has partly to do with my being bitter about my own finances. > > How many people on this list are earning 6 figures (USD) and at the same time don't consider themselves at the top of their professional field? > > Is that a hand I see back there... no back there in the far back of the auditorium, there on the 2nd balcony near the fire-exit... yep... the superintendant. :) > > Isaac > > Original Message ----------------------- > And, should he also have a high level of proficiency in math, science, > social studies and history? How about art or shop, or home ec? <---I'm sure > there's some more PC term for those last two. > > I'm not sure that a superintendent, who does no actual instruction, should > have to have the same skill sets as the teachers who are actually teaching > the subject. I'm sure I couldn't possibly pass a test that a high-school > math teacher would. But, I might be a darn good adminstrator. > > Okay, I would completely suck at being an administrator. But, I'm a bad > example. > > -d > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "s. isaac dealey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "CF-Community" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 1:40 PM > Subject: RE: Re: Re: Exciting.... > > > > I dunno ... maybe I'm just not good at "suffering fools" (the definition > of fool of course always being a subjective personal definition), but I > think in order to be getting a salary of 6 figures as a government paid > school administrator, you'd better damn well have a pretty adept command of > the national language. If you're earning 6 figures doing something else > that's not education or language related (translator for instance) like > construction, etc. I don't care -- but I'd like to know that when the > government pays someone a salary well in excess of 3x what I've ever made in > a year to make sure that kids get taught English, I want that person's > command of the language to be _indomitable_. (exaggerating for emphasis of > course -- although it's true he makes more than 3x what I've ever made). > > > > Original Message ----------------------- > > er...does not correspond to idiomatic English > > > > Dana Tierney writes: > > > > > Well it seems to me that if his English was all that broken he would not > > > have made it to superintendant. There are a good many fluent or native > > > English speakers, possibly including me, who could not pass a test on > > > formal grammar in English, because we have not had to learn it. Are you > > > really clear on when to use me and when to use I? The "correct" answer > does > > > correspond to idiomatic English. Same thing with which and that. > However, > > > if the guy has been suspending teachers over this and he can't pass it > > > himself, that smells of hypocrisy unless this is one of those mandated > > > tests we are seeing so much of. Personally I am opposed to high-stakes > > > testing, especially for children, but this is just another instance of > its > > > idiocies. > > > > > > Mind you you get no argument from me on the quality public schools ... > even > > > the best are far more concerned with keeping students' behavior in line > > > than they are in academics. > > > > > > Dana > > > > > > Heald, Tim writes: > > > > > > > The guy said he had problems with the rules of English, because it was > his > > > > second language. > > > > > > > > I don't want him in charge of my son's school district. This is why > my sons > > > > will both be attending private schools. > > > > > > > > Timothy Heald > > > > Information Systems Specialist > > > > Overseas Security Advisory Council > > > > U.S. Department of State > > > > 571.345.2235 > > > > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > > From: Dana Tierney [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 1:55 PM > > > > To: CF-Community > > > > Subject: Re: Re: Exciting.... > > > > > > > > > > > > I don't think not passing the test means he is incompetent I think it > means > > > > the test isnt measuring what it is supposed to measure. > > > > > > > > Dana > > > > > > > > s. isaac dealey writes: > > > > > > > > > How does an incompetent person get a 6 figure government job? ... > > > > > > > > > > Original Message ----------------------- > > > > > Hmm, it ought to kill the superintendent, not you. > > > > > Well, his job anyway... > > > > > /Ben > > > > > > > > > > > This kills me. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/08/03/superintendent.test.ap/index.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?forumid=5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/index.cfm?method=subscribe&forumid=5 Signup for the Fusion Authority news alert and keep up with the latest news in ColdFusion and related topics. http://www.fusionauthority.com/signup.cfm Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5
