The Last Stand
Comments by wissbecklarry
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On Cyclist recovering after being hit
(anonymous)
June 25, 2008 at 9:10 a.m.
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There seems to be an imperitive among bicycle riders: “Once underway thou shalt never come to a complete stop nor permit your foot to touch the ground.”
On Future uncertain
(anonymous)
June 13, 2008 at 11:57 a.m.
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A couple of additional observations from inside “The System.” All the people running the Steamboat Springs School District from the Board of Education to the first year teachers, have a college education. Indeed they cannot be hired (nor apparently elected) without a college degree. In this circumstance, it is a natural human reaction to place inordinate value on “higher education.” I'm guessing that 90% of the educational effort at the Steamboat Springs High School is designed to push students into college. Thus it becomes the University's responsibility to prepare the young for “Life in the 21st Century.”
The Steamboat Springs High School is presently looking for a teacher with a college degree who would be willing to work half time as an Industrial Arts (Shop) teacher and half time for the District's Maintenance Department. Let's hope they don't find someone incompetent at both.
Most any mention of technology in the educational community translates to computers. Computers are great. They don't make sawdust, get grease under your fingernails or get the lawn mowed or the car fixed…Wait!! Is that sarcasm seeping in? Immature mind alert!
And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I'm getting out of the “system” after only one year. Teaching is a lot, A LOT, harder than it looks from the outside.
Some of the problems in our schools are ingrained and pervasive. Wishing it weren't so is no more productive than blaming Mike Knezivich or Dr. D for our problems.
On Future uncertain
(anonymous)
June 13, 2008 at 10:26 a.m.
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Hey, food chain:
Wonderful use of sarcasm in your posts. I should mention a lesson I learned while teaching at Steamboat Springs High School. Sarcasm doesn't work on immature minds. And more's the pity.
On Huge support for all-day kindergarten
(anonymous)
April 28, 2008 at 6:56 p.m.
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How exactly do these hispanic folks avoid paying taxes?
On Nine arrested in drug bust
(anonymous)
March 26, 2008 at 6:06 p.m.
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sbvor-
You should read a book titled “How to Lie with Statistics” by Darrell Huff. It would disabuse you of the belief that statistics and facts are the same thing. Earlier editions of the book have some humorous illustrations by Irving Geis. They would be wasted on you as you have no sense of humor.
And if you respond to this by posting another link to a Mallard Fillmore cartoon I'm not even going to bother opening it. Mallard Fillmore cartoons may or may not show that Bruce Tinsley has a sense of humor—They most certainly don't show that you have one.
On Martin L. Lamansky: Right to fair process
(anonymous)
March 26, 2008 at 3:43 p.m.
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I was at the staff meeting when Principal Mike Knezevich sought to address rumors about his status. While I was not taking notes and cannot quote him word for word, my clear recollection is: He said that he has been through many evaluations during his 20 plus years in education. His most recent evaluation was the first to rate him less than “good” or “excellent.”
He said his most recent evaluation (apparently from Dr. Smyser) was unsatisfactory. He said the unsatifactory evaluation was accompanied by three options: Be fired, resign or work to improve the areas where he had been adjudged unsatisfactory. He apparently chose option three.
As personnel evaluations are buried behind some strict walls of secrecy I'll (we'll) probably never be able to check whether his past evaluations were actually “good” or “excellent.” Judging from his five year history of contract renewals here in Steamboat one would have to presume his past perfomance has been pretty good.
A shorthand version of that process would be: Good, Good, Good, Good, Good, you're fired!
With an almost brand new School Board, a brand new Superintendent, (And another to follow), five? new prinicpals in the past five years, and more than 50% of the high school staff with fewer than three years experience, our school system is in a state of turmoil.
If we are to prevent the turmoil from continuing perpetually somebody out there needs to take a deep breath and start practicing the art of administration.
Firing folks and endlessly looking for better replacements is not working out that well. Did I mention expensive?
In the interest of full disclosure, I am among the probationary teachers at the High School. And when I encounter problems I most often start working on them by taking a deep breath and thinking.
On Brent Boyer: From the newsstand to the laptop
(anonymous)
March 22, 2008 at 9:30 a.m.
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Brent - Back, briefly, to your original question. I am among those who relish both the online and hardcopy editions of your paper. I am old (mature?) and still get pleasure from the sensual aspects of a newspaper. The feel of the newsprint, the smell of printers ink. (And while it's probably not very intellectual I like reading the comics and doing the crossword puzzle.)
On to the online edition. I read the online twice a day. Once around 5AM (before I go to work) just to make sure nothing major has happened overnight. Then I read it again about 5PM to get some perspective on the day's events from the bloggers. Also, its nice to be able to revisit a past story edition which I may have missed or failed to pick up on some nuance requiring a re-read.
Now on to the sbvore bashing. (One of my favorite parts of the blogs, BTW.) My major problem is his lack of a sense of humor. Perpetual “outrage!!!” is boring and ineffectual. While I really believe that sbvore is beyond redemption, I would recommend a large dose of Mark Twain or Benjamin Franklin for a proper and effective method of expressing “outrage!!!!.”
On Roger Watson: Epley misinformed
(anonymous)
February 11, 2008 at 5:08 p.m.
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As long as we're bore bashing:
Has anyone noticed that sbvore's “Challenge” is similar to a “Manifesto?”
Google Ted Kaczynski, compare and contrast.
And Kielbasa, be careful opening your snail mail!
On Superintendent ad posted
(anonymous)
February 7, 2008 at 5:26 a.m.
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I'm encouraged by the School Board's recent discussions over the all day Kindergarten proposal. It seems they are going to gather information, take public input, THINK about it, and then set a policy. That policy will be implemented by the Superintendent.
That has long been the proper division of responsibility. It seems to me the new School Board is on the right track. This new recognition of its proper role should go a long way toward turning into a governing body instead of a personality cult.
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On Tubers inundate wildlife area (anonymous)
July 8, 2008 at 6:44 p.m.
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Thanks for the picture. When I read the headline I expected to read about some idiot planting potatos in the wildlife area. ogsfdtmnytcwp (Old Guy Suffering from doing too many New York Times Crossword Puzzles.)