At last, some voices of reason, not just emotion, regarding Orem's breaking off from Alpine School District.  The balkanization of a school district to appease a few tribal egos is just plain neanderthalic.  Perhaps we should divide Utah into smaller states so each of them can be more...responsive!  Utah County's getting pretty crowded...let's break it up into smaller, more responsive, counties with new, more responsive, governments.  Orem sure has grown, so it's almost time for a break up here too.  No wonder there are so many broken homes and lives in a world where the masses seem fixated on someone else meeting all their needs.  If one need is unmet then it's time for a break up, especially if it's one of my perceived or real (same thing) needs that's not fulfilled.

To break up the district because of a teacher, administrator or specific situation is as one dimensional as voting for a single-issue candidate.  But then people vote for those guys all the time.

Finally, a quote from a comment to a recent article in the Herald regarding charter schools:

For example, do you know that charter schools are built with taxpayer money, but when they are paid off, the developer owns the building, not ASD?  So we are all paying for the charter school facilities, but in ten years, the taxpayers will not own them, the builder will.  When a public school is built, the community owns it.  Not so with charters.

Also, did you know that we have an elected official who is a developer of these charter schools?  Did you know that he is responsible for much of the charter school legislation and will therefore personally profit from these schools?

I’m not sure if the quoted information is entirely accurate.  But if a portion of it is true, we need to be very cognizant of who is tweaking Utah education and what's in it for them, beyond their expressed concern for children, before we jump on their bandwagon.

SUAS

Has anyone else out there seen the movies: What the Bleep Do We Know or Invisible Children?  What a great time to be alive!  There are so many clever and decent people out there making movies and advancing worthy causes. These are confusing times, brutal times and yet science, technology, creativity and concern are allowing us to stretch our souls in new and wonderful ways.   These two movies are islands of sanity, humanity and reflection in the turbulent sea of media options that generally promote self-gratification and materialism. Try their websites, www.invisiblechildren.com and www.whatthebleep.com, for some food for the soul. 

If you have seen them, what did you think?  Is anyone out there doing the Invisible Children night commute on the 29th?

SUAS