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Coal raises human welfare abroad

EnergyBy Jim Waters June 4, 2013

In the wake of this week’s appearance of Jim Waters, President of the Bluegrass Institute, on the Mandy Connell show, this morning Bill Bissett appeared on the radio program to discuss Kentucky coal and the Bluegrass Institute’s involvement with the commonwealth’s energy sector.

And although the EPA may be hell-bent on keeping domestic power plants from using coal to provide energy to local citizens, according to Bissett, power plants from other parts of the globe aren’t facing the same kind of adversity: “I get phone calls from people every day asking, ‘How do I get millions of tons of Kentucky coal, right now?’”

And according to Bissett, the people calling aren’t just from China and India – they’re from Germany and other traditionally “greener” countries too.

But as for those in developing nations, Bissett says coal is an invaluable commodity because, “They’re literally trying to jump from the 19^th to 21^st century in a month.”

As we previously reported, it’s Kentuckians and our natural resources that have, in no small part, allowed developing nations and their people to enjoy a higher standard of life. And if freer markets and smaller governments – core Bluegrass Institute principles – are allowed to prevail, Kentucky’s energy sector can continue to grow human welfare, both home and abroad.

Full video of Jim Waters debating Tom FitzGerald at TACKLE event on Kentucky’s energy sector

NewsBy Jim Waters June 3, 2013

At an event hosted by TACKLE with TAC4, Jim Waters debated Tom FitzGerald on May 21 over the merits of the Intrastate Coal and Use Act, and which entity can most effectively weight the costs and benefits of Kentucky’s energy sector: bureaucrats at the EPA or local citizens most affected.

Check out the full video above!

Liberal blogger attacking common core

Education, Transparency and AccountabilityBy Richard Innes June 3, 2013

Well known liberal (the teachers’ union loves her) and blogger Diane Ravitch, who is a noted education historian and professor at Columbia Teachers College, posted this guest blog from math teacher Stephanie Sawyer early this year that asserts:

“I don’t think the common core math standards are good for most kids, not just the Title I students. While they are certainly more focused than the previous NCTM-inspired state standards, which were a horrifying hodge-podge of material, they still basically put the intellectual cart before the horse. They pay lip service to actually practicing standard algorithms. Seriously, students don’t have to be fluent in addition and subtraction with the standard algorithms until 4th grade?”

Wow! That seems awfully late to me.

And, this is no mistake on the part of Ms. Sawyer.

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics clearly says on Page 29 that the fourth grade is when students are expected to:

“4. Fluently add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using the standard algorithm.”

Start your week off right: It’s a ‘Bluegrass Monday’ on Louisville’s 84WHAS

MediaBy Jim Waters June 2, 2013

Summer may have unofficially started, but the Bluegrass Institute officially remains Kentucky’s first and only free-market think tank. And we love talking to big, strong voices that are unafraid to confront policymakers with the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

That’s why we will once again be on the air with 84WHAS talk-show star Mandy Connell as she hosts another Bluegrass Monday segment beginning at 10 a.m. (eastern) Monday.

Listen live online here.

Then, if you like what you hear and you think we need a voice that continually promotes free markets, individual liberty and limited — and transparent – government over the airwaves, please help support our effort.

It’s easy. Go to www.kentucky1792.com.

Help support the message of liberty across the commonwealth!

Richard Innes: Schools, Data-Mining, and Invasions of Privacy

Education, Transparency and AccountabilityBy Richard Innes June 2, 2013

BIPPS’ Richard Innes talks to Joy Pullmann about growing privacy threats from ever-expanding student databases in this Heartland Institute Podcast released on May 21, 2012.

The recording includes a real world example of how supposedly sanitizing student data does not provide adequate security. Innes points to an example where database matching allowed sensitive student data, including personal identification, to be “reattached” to supposedly sanitized data collected by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Bullitt Co. superintendent tries to explain grading changes

Education, News, Transparency and AccountabilityBy Richard Innes June 1, 2013

Along the way, some good points surface

A couple of days ago, I blogged about “School standards in the new era???”, which criticizes a scheme to reduce grading standards in Bullitt County Public Schools so students can receive (but, not really earn) more KEES taxpayer-funded scholarship money. In writing that blog, I generally agreed that the editors at the Courier-Journal had gotten the situation right in this instance.

I had a good discussion with the superintendent in Bullitt, Keith Davis after my blog posted. While he didn’t change my mind that the grading changes in Bullitt were inappropriate, in fairness I need to let you read Mr. Davis’ comments to the Courier’s editorial and decide for yourselves.

I also need to draw attention to something that Bullitt is also doing which appears worthwhile, which Davis describes at the end of his article. Says Davis:

“…our Board of Education took what I consider a huge step to actually increase rigor and student accountability by making it a requirement for graduation (with exceptions for students with special learning needs) that a student demonstrate that they have met the state definition of being either college ready or career ready.”

OK, that looks like a good step going forward. Since the state has now established measurable standards for college and/or career readiness, why should any Kentucky school graduate students who don’t meet either criterion?

There may be some reasons why this Bullitt graduation action is problematic, so if a reader can point those out, please let me know.

I also agree with Davis’ point that KEES award procedures need a review. I have heard complaints recently from other school districts about the way KEES award amounts are calculated. It looks like a number of districts – as the original Courier editorial mentions – have been playing fast and loose with grading schemes to try and get their kids more KEES money that kids with the same performance in other places are not receiving.

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