If you were the Leader of the State of Washington ........ (Seattle: limo, high school)

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by Andy

Wrong. I want art and music 100% elective. Sean wants it mandatory.

I thought you wanted it removed from school completely and instead taught through other means? Music and arts SHOULD be offered in schools. At the elementary level there should be mandatory introductory classes (maybe a couple of times per month), and thereafter those who are interested should be offered to continue with arts and music education throughout the rest of their school career as an elective opportunity, alongside the mandatory core classes.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by cjg5

And as for Latin, well, foreign languages in general should always be offered.

It has been awhile since Latin has been a foreign language.

Learning Latin > singing songs and finger painting.

[cjg5]

Originally Posted by Andy

It has been awhile since Latin has been a foreign language.

Learning Latin > singing songs and finger painting.

It may be largely defunct (still some speakers out there) but it is a great gateway to the rest of the Romance languages. And I stand by my comment that foreign languages in general should always be offered. I took a year of Spanish in high school and wish I'd done more. I would love to be fluent in more than just English, and the ability to speak foreign languages is a good skill to have in general.

Also, art and music is more than singing and finger painting. Learning how to play instruments, music appreciation (many don't have it these days), drawing and graphic arts, photography (which serves as a good tie-in for Journalism, another good elective), and so much more.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by cjg5

I thought you wanted it removed from school completely and instead taught through other means? Music and arts SHOULD be offered in schools.

I think its funding and time commitment should take a distant back seat to other disciplines. Schools where we are failing on the basics most certainly SHOULD NOT be stealing away time and resources on frivolous art and music.


As schools are well funded, yet crying for more revenues, it is up to the private community to step up its effort to fund art, music, sports, and other great, but non-essential programs.

Unless we reform the schools, there will not be the adequate resources, instruction, or time for art & music programs. Since the Teacher's cartel is very connected with & heavily supports the one party that has controlled Olympia for over a quarter of a century, I do not foresee any meaningful school reform anytime soon.

[Andy]

Originally Posted by cjg5

It may be largely defunct (still some speakers out there) but it is a great gateway to the rest of the Romance languages.

...and beyond as Latin based words have infiltrated scores of languages. Learning Latin would have served me much better than sitting on a hard floor singing insanely stupid folks songs K-5.

[sean98125]

School isn't just about knowledge. It's also about cognitive development. It's about engaging parts of the brain that would otherwise lay fallow. Study after study shows that music education has very positive benefits for kids, just like foreign language education. It's important for students to learn advanced math not because they are going to use it later in life, but because it helps to increase neural density. Neural density = intelligence.

You might not think that you got anything out of your music education, Andy, but you did.

[sean98125]

And back to the leader discussion:

New law: No transportation project can result in a net loss of traffic carrying capacity along the route. Traffic projects that increase travel time must be offset with a project that reduces travel time along the same corridor.

[DevanXL]

Originally Posted by Andy

Learning Latin would have served me much better than sitting on a hard floor singing insanely stupid folks songs K-5.

Why don't you understand Art is more then singing and finger painting? You know how much inteligence and discipline it takes to play and learn symphonic music? I played the string bass for 8 years and it's not easy at all. Graphic design art provides a gateway to kids for the tech, film, and game industries. Photography helps in journalism. Video Arts also can provide a gateway to a career in the TV/Film industry. Preforming arts, test your mental capabilities, and kids not only can express themselves but gain confidence in public speaking and leadership. Alot of the things you learn from art will stick with you long after you basic pre-calculus skills have faded. It was enlighten, Truly test our will. Music is more then singing while Visual arts in more then finger painting. I do thing foreign language should be taught at a younger age though and science and tech is important in schools and should start to be taught more widely.

[freewest]

1). Anyone going to college on taxpayer's dime must get a job in their major field of study within 1 year of graduation. Otherwise, any taxpayer-subsidized student loan interest goes to 25% APR.
2). Order all federal taxes be collected by state tax collector (if not already). Then once a year, the state house can decide how much to send to D.C. The rest stays in Washington state. In exchange, WA does not ask for a penny of D.C. money (keep it for national defense, intrastate infrastructure, international representation, done).
3). All K thru 12 curricula handled by local districts. State funding depends on results. Make stupid kids, get stupid nothing.
4). Whenever a judge or parole board releases a criminal early, or with a light sentence, that convict must live in the home of said judge or parole board for 2 years. Or at least next door.
5). Would move to a more user fee system for government services. Like the road taxes (drivers license fees, gas taxes, registration fees, etc.). If you use the parks, pay a fee (or get an annual pass). If you use bike trails, same thing. If you fish, license fee. Now I know these already exit, but the fees are not self-sustaining. So charge more, and get them to be self-sustaining, e.g., all hunting and fishing license money goes to game management, so no money from general tax revenues goes to game management. Same for other stuff, so your tax money will not go to bike trails if you do not use bike trails. But if you do, then you pay a high enough fee to support building and maintaining the trails.
6). Anyone getting welfare, food stamps, corporate welfare, or other form of "free" money, must visit the homes of every taxpayer in their county once a year and kiss their ****ing asses.

[kanhawk]

Originally Posted by sean98125

And back to the leader discussion:

New law: No transportation project can result in a net loss of traffic carrying capacity along the route. Traffic projects that increase travel time must be offset with a project that reduces travel time along the same corridor.

On that subject, I'd have more round the clock construction in high traffic areas in order to rapidly finish those projects instead of stretching them out for months while nothing gets done on weekends and evenings, even if this means higher costs.