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TODAY'S
ISSUE
Math,
science important, but more needed in "Flat World"
By Jamil Zainaldin
President, Georgia Humanities Council
Special to GwinnettForum.com
OCT. 10, 2006 -- The 2006 end-of-year test results for Georgia's
middle schoolers show that almost 40 percent of them failed to meet
basic competencies in math and science. This is troubling. Georgia's
students must improve in math and science.
Zainaldin |
However, near the start of this school year, we need to be reminded
that in other areas our schools are accomplishing little miracles
that are helping our students develop an ability to think smart---a
key ingredient of success in the new "flat world," to
borrow a phrase from Thomas Friedman's popular book.
Math and science skills are important, but more is required in
a flat world. Success depends on enterprise and ambition, knowledge
of languages and understanding of the history and traditions of
other countries as well as our own.
It was Einstein himself who warned that "pure intellect"
lacks aim. While testing our students in certain competencies is
a necessity, teaching our children about judgment, wisdom and knowledge
is just as important. These intangible attributes take a lifetime
to develop, but the journey begins in school with subjects like
history, literature, languages and ethics.
In this area, there are several positive indicators in Georgia's
educational system that must be part of an overall assessment. Let's
review some of the high points:
- A recent assessment by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute of the
states' academic standards placed Georgia in fifth place in the
nation. In the study, only 16 states, including Georgia, received
a passing grade.
- Another indication of educational progress is the New Georgia
Encyclopedia. This is one of only two fully-online state information
resources in the nation. In March of 2006, the Encyclopedia registered
nearly one million page views in a 30-day period. Who are the
foremost users? They include Georgia's public-school teachers
and students. This fact says volumes about the wise usage of the
Web by Georgia's youngsters and the preferences of our teachers.
- Georgia can also point to an extraordinary level of participation
in National History Day. Thousands of Georgia's "young historians"
in the middle and high school grades voluntarily compete each
year in local, regional, and statewide competitions by writing
essays, performing historically-based skits and plays and preparing
exhibits. Teachers and parents are involved as well. For the past
two years, Georgia's statewide National History Day winners have
gone on to compete successfully at the national finals held every
June in College Park, Md.
- Then there is the success of our social studies teachers and
school systems in competing for the U.S. Department of Education's
'Teaching American History Grants' (TAH). These grants are part
of a national initiative to improve the depth and currency of
teacher's knowledge of American history. Georgia has won eight
of these awards in the past two years, and in 2005 the state ranked
eighth in the nation in number of TAH grants awarded.
We can all agree that math and science are essential for our students.
But we can never forget about wisdom, ethics and character. Giving
our students the compass of the humanities is a critical tool for
excelling in a changing, unpredictable world.
ELLIOTT
BRACK
Scandals in American politics are by-products
of power
By
Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher
GwinnettForum.com
OCT. 10, 2006 -- Scandals seem to be a by-product of power, which
probably means we'll always have scandals. For sure we'll always
have those who seek power.
Brack |
Every time there is a scandal in government, your hope is that
perhaps some good can come out of it.
Of the current Foley Scandal, we've heard of first one Congressman
after another who got money from Congressman Foley's campaign. These
recipients are in a virtual rush to distance themselves from the
money itself. The beneficiaries out of all this are the various
charities who suddenly find a sitting Congressman giving them $2,000,
$5,000, and perhaps even much more out of the goodness of the Congressman's
generosity.
Sure, it's generosity, plus a tad bit of trying to rid themselves
of "dirty money." The Congressman giving the money hopes
this charitable gift will exonerate him in the mind of the voters.
Whether the voters of that particular Congressman can see through
this ploy may be another matter.
The many incidences of this raises a bigger question: why is it
legal for one Congresman to give money to another one? Why do we
American voters stand for such open efforts of Congressmen to ingratiate
themselves to one another?
The root problem, of course, is that money drives the political
campaigns. No elected official feels like they have enough in their
campaign treasury. They all stay on the phone, or have campaign
dinners and rallies, and even hire organizations, all to raise more
money to propel them to another term in office.
For us in Voterland, the invitations come in frequently to attend
a fund raiser for politicians. "Suggested contribution"
they tell you to come to this fund raiser and greet this politician,
"is $500 or $1,000."
Is there any doubt whatsoever that this is nothing more than an
effort to buy influence with this person, whether you give $25 or
the campaign limit?
Most of us don't really want any individual politician to write
some exemption for us into the law.
Most of us may want a politician to vote one way or the other.
But giving him money for him to pay attention to us on any particular
question seems far less like good government than it does opening
the doors to bad government.
Most of us really only want our elected officials to be open and
above board, to listen to us, but to vote their convictions. Then
we can look at their record, and if we disagree with it, we can
take action to see that they have an opponent next time around.
If ever the United States will improve its democratic republic,
it will change the rules to make money far less important in any
campaign. The unfortunate aspect is that this will have to come
out of the Congress, who would feel they would be voting to cut
their own throats in making such an improvement. Only when enough
voters get fed up with the depth of the insidiousness of our current
laws will we see such a change. It may never happen.
For us, we would be happy currently to get the law changed in one
way: make it criminal for one elected official's campaign to give
money to another. After all, if you contributed to a politician,
you gave to him or her. You did not give to this person to throw
money after another politician. Making it criminal for one elected
official to give campaign money to another politician is a first
step.
ABOUT
OUR SPONSORS
 The
public spiritedness of our sponsors allows us to bring GwinnettForum.com
to you at no cost to readers. Today's sponsor is the Gwinnett
Philharmonic - performing regularly in the Performing Arts Center
of the Gwinnett Arena. The Philharmonic's 2006/2007 season continues
with a November 9 presentation of the Inman Piano Trio, featuring
music by Dmitri Shostakovich and Paul Schoenfield. On December 12,
the Philharmonic presents a Christmas concert by the Atlanta Symphony
Brass Quintet, and tickets are also available for the January 27-30
family concerts. For more information, visit: www.gwinnettphilharmonic.org.
For tickets call Ticketmaster at 404-249-6400 or visit the Gwinnett
Arena box office in person.
FEEDBACK
10/10:
Government changes to "for millionaires by millionaires"
Editor, the Forum:
Recently I read an article online regarding the President's misleading
use of the terms "Islamo-fascism and Islamo-fascists."
The article
(http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006610010424),
written by John Cox, which appeared in the Florida News-Press on
October 1, mentioned several myths regarding the abuse of this term.
The author neglected to succinctly define fascism as well as failed
to mention that the entire Republican leadership and many Democratic
Party leaders are egregiously using this term now. Everyone wants
to be seen as strong on terrorism and running for election just
about.
Fascism was originally popularized by Benito Mussolini before World
War II Italy. It is the merging of state and corporate interests
combined with a strong patriotic nationalism. The former Soviet
Union was totalitarian under Stalin. After his death, it was really
more fascist than anything.
If you have read Marx and Engels you would know that there was
never anything that followed true communism. This is why many communists
in America who went to Russia in support of the Bolshevik Revolution
were sadly disappointed upon their arrival there and quickly became
disillusioned with the new Soviet State created after 1918.
Islam has absolutely nothing to do with fascism. Terrorists are
a very small minority within Islam. The reality is that many Muslims
globally now hate the United States and Al-Qaeda. Prior to the invasion
of Iraq many simply hated Al-Qaeda. If one follows the trail of
campaign finances in this country, you can see that we are now much
more closely akin to fascism and a fascist state than even Mussolini's
Italy was.
Another recent article online (http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/01/us/01judges.html)
outlined a 4-3 judicial ruling where every judge took campaign contributions
from the same side they voted for in the case. I remember when judicial
campaigns were not partisan and did not take campaign contributions.
Much has changed in America these days. No longer can our votes
be tracked or even records kept of them outside of proprietary voting
systems from companies whose own executives have promised certain
candidates a victory. I think people should look long and hard at
just who our so-called public servants are working for. Certainly
they are not working for our troops, first responders, teachers
or the poor. "For millionaires by millionaires" is how
our government works today.
-- Roger Hagen, Lilburn
UPCOMING
Junion
League fashion show to benefit local charities
The Junior League of Gwinnett and North Fulton Counties invites
girls and their special guests to celebrate the spirit of American
girlhood at the American Girl(tm) Fashion Show on Saturday, November
11, at the Gwinnett Civic Center. Show times are 10 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
and 4:30 p.m. Proceeds from the show will be used for the League's
charities, primarily benefiting Georgia's foster children.
The Fashion Show provides a look at how generations of American
girls have used clothing to express their own unique style and personality.
Each show includes refreshments, party favors and door prizes, and
a raffle for prizes.
The fashion show is recommended for girls five and older. The general
seating cost per person is $28, part of which is a tax-deductible
contribution and includes the fashion show, refreshments and party
favors. To order tickets, go to www.jlgnf.org
or send a check and self-addressed, stamped envelope to: The Junior
League of Gwinnett & N. Fulton Counties, Attn: Fashion Show,
P.O. Box 800294, Roswell, Georgia 30075. Please specify your first,
second and third choice of times.
Snellville sets final
input on Oak Road Passive Park
The City of Snellville will hold a final public input meeting to
discuss the proposed master plan for the future passive park to
be located at 1925 Oak Road in Snellville. The meeting will be held
on Tuesday, October 17 at 7 p.m. in the Betty B. McMichael Room
at the T.W. Briscoe Park Office. For more information, contact the
Snellville Parks and Recreation Department at 770- 985-3535.
NOTABLE
Dr.
Sandor new coordinator for UGA Gwinnett programs
Sandor |
A new coordinator for University of Georgia academic programs offered
in Gwinnett has been named. Janet Sandor, who has held leadership
positions with UGA's Graduate School since 1999, will succeed Cheryl
Dozier, who became associate provost for institutional diversity
at UGA in July. Sandor holds two undergraduate degrees from The
Ohio State University and master's and doctoral degrees in higher
education from UGA. She also has participated in the Bryn Mawr Summer
Institute for Women in Higher Education Administration.
Gwinnett Technical
College offers 6 new programs
Gwinnett Technical College has introduced six new certificates,
added to more than 51 certificate programs now offered; and one
additional new diploma program. These programs are offered as a
result of input from area employers and employees.
Among these programs are:
- Public/Private Crisis Manager certificate provides training
in emergency preparedness and management.
- Cyber Crime Specialist certificate program provides basic training
in computer forensics and cyber crime, within the fields of both
criminal justice and information security.
- Technical Communications certificate program offers training
in writing effectively for various projects.
- Basic, intermediate and advanced Cabinetmaking, as well as
the diploma program in cabinetmaking, provide tiered, training.
Certificate programs can typically be completed in one to two quarters.
Diplomas may be completed in about four quarters.
Whitley to head Gwinnett's
performance analysis unit
Matthew Whitley has been named manager of the Gwinnett County Performance
Analysis Division, Jock Connell announces. Three full-time employees
and one part-timer will staff the division.
Whitley joined Gwinnett County in April 2005 as the Capital Program
Manager in the Department of Financial Services. Prior to joining
the county, he worked in the private sector for Fortune 100 firms
MCI and The Coca-Cola Company. Whitley's experience includes over
10 years audit experience with most of those years leading internal
audit departments at both MCI and Coke. In addition to his audit
experience, he was the Financial Director for a large business unit
at The Coca-Cola Company.
He is a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and has been a guest lecturer
at Louisiana State University's Center for Internal Auditing. He
holds a BBA from Georgia State University and a master of science
in finance, also from Georgia State University.
Whitley will direct performance management systems, productivity
and operational reviews, benchmarking, and related work. He will
also oversee the work of an outside firm who will develop and manage
financial risk analysis, compliance reviews, and other internal
audit functions.
Matt, his wife Jami, a schoolteacher , and two children are metro
Atlanta natives. They have lived in Dacula for 14 years.
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RECOMMENDED
- An invitation: What
Web sites, books or restaurants have you enjoyed? Send us your
best recent visit to a restaurant or most recent book you have
read along with a short paragraph as to why you liked it, plus
what book you plan to read next. --eeb
GEORGIA
TIDBIT
National
Civil War Naval Museum located in Columbus
The National
Civil War Naval Museum at Port Columbus, formerly the Confederate
Naval Museum, is the only institution in the nation dedicated to
telling the little-known maritime story of the Civil War (1861-65).
This 40,000-square-foot facility, located on the Chattahoochee
River in Columbus, opened in 2001 and features the remains of two
original Confederate Navy ships, along with full-scale reproductions
of parts of three other famous Civil War ships and numerous artifacts.
A major feature of Port Columbus is the CSS Jackson, a 225-foot
ironclad ship built in the Confederate Navy Shipyard, which is located
less than a mile from the current museum. Though under construction
for more than two years, the ship was not quite completed when a
U.S. Cavalry column under General James Wilson captured Columbus
in April 1865. All military and Confederate government property
in Columbus was burned, including the shipyard and the CSS Jackson,
which was set on fire and left adrift in the Chattahoochee River.
The Jackson was raised in 1961 and brought back to Columbus, where
today it forms the nucleus of the museum. The CSS Chattahoochee
also burned at the war's end; it too was recovered and returned
in the early 1960s.
Special events are held year-round at Port Columbus and range from
academic symposia to living-history activities, in which an original
Confederate Navy cannon is fired over the river.
The museum's largest annual event is "RiverBlast," held
in early March on the weekend nearest the anniversary of the facility's
opening. Port Columbus also features educational opportunities;
a teacher's guide is published and special tours and programs are
available to student groups visiting the port.
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
Pain has use for you,
and produces wonderful happenings
"Pain nourishes courage. You can't be brave if you've only
had wonderful things happen to you."
-- Actress and Producer Mary Tyler Moore (1936 - ), via Patrick
Malone, Snellville.
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