Attack!

They say a good defense is the best offense, or is it the other way around? Either way, Michael Moore was being quite defensive on the front page of today’s Missoulian. It seems that another genuine, hardworking citizen has been driven from public office and the paper of record must feel [...]

The race to the bottom

This is how much we are investing in the future leaders of our state:
Average education and related expenses per FTE student
at public research institutions by state, 2006
(Source: The Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity, and Accountability)
The key figures to look at are the ones in black at the end of each [...]

Taking on the workers

I love it when a number of my interests intersect in one post. A superb post over at Education Week captures everything that is wrong when people criticize the unionized nature of this country’s school system. As Diane Ravitch suggests Unions are Not The Problem:
I must confess that I have always [...]

I’m here to cooperate with you a hundred percent.

Every few years it seems the Republican-dominated state legislature takes a swipe at the Montana University System. This year is no exception, with Brian Schweitzer joining in the fray. Either the universities get 3% more or tuition will have to go up. Predictably, there are legislators who suggest that universities [...]

Shoot the messenger?

Pogie, over at Intelligent Discontent, has done some excellent spading on the Montana Meth Project. I won’t steal the thunder of that post (go read it, I’ll wait right here), but I know what comes next. Peg Shea, the ever-so-highly-remunerated Executive Director of the project, will belittle our erstwhile blogger!
That’s [...]

Proper behavior

The students at Sentinel High School are, apparently, learning an important civics lesson. Unfortunately, they may be learning the wrong one. Instead of valuing good public process, they may be learning how to whine about government and its inevitable mountain of paperwork.
In order to tell the world about their oh-so-important high school activities, [...]