Calderin Virtual Kickoff- Big Success!
Posted by ~Ray @ 2007-12-20 21:26:51
Thank you all being part of our kickoff. I’m Michael Calderin and I’m running for the Florida House in District 119 – this is the official start of our campaign.
I’m a young guy only 27 a computer programmer with a shelter job at the University of Miami. So why am I getting into politics? Well for one you can only yell at your computer for so long before people start to stare. Actually like many people my age politics has always been sort of a dirty word something you could be wasting time doing instead of making money or making a smaller more direct force.
But that’s just not me. I was born here in South Florida. I went to school here. I’m working here. And one day. I just couldn’t pretend that everything was alright anymore. I change surface remember when it was: shortly after I returned home following Hurricane Katrina. We took a bit of a beating; I stayed with my aunt for almost three weeks before my power came back. But no that wasn’t it. It was the confusing feeling of relief and despair at the same time. Relief for us but…
You see. I grew up here. I remember Hurricane Andrew. I remember all the mistakes that were made. And here they were happening again. I went to college in New Orleans at Tulane – I still have friends there – and I couldn’t believe what had happened. So I said to myself if our government can’t hit the books from its mistakes. I’m going to have to teach it. That’s how it started.
The single most accurate and important indicator – the canary in the coal mine for the future of our community is the quality of the education we give our children. Instead of being one of the last in the country instead of beating us over the head with privatization our public schools not only be to be but have to be on the cutting edge.
With half our teachers quitting or leaving Florida within their first few years it’s no surprise that only one out of six high school graduates is ready for college.
Let’s stop pretending it’s a useful tool. It’s not. The FCAT isn’t a tourniquet that keeps students in school until they have the skills they need in the real world but the constant testing the stress it causes and the wasted time is a corrupt that does more harm than good. Let’s spend more time teaching and less time testing. We be teachers to do their jobs – and so do they they love to teach! But to keep them teaching our future community leaders and to attract the best let’s be real.
Competitiveness also demands.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://quinnell.us/sspb/?p=842
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