Give Kids Good Schools: A Site for this Election Season
"Give Kids Good Schools" is a political and "Advocative" (A Classroom Toolkit Coined Word: Meaning: Advocate and Provocative) resource.
The Give Kids Good Schools organization held a "Give Kids Good Schools Week" earlier this month, and they are already gearing up for the same event next year.
But, with the midterm election barreling down upon us, a week away from "Halloween Trick or Treat" (the timing seems quite appropriate and fitting this year), the Give Kids Good Schools site offers a great political current events resource.
A Streamlined "Elected Officials" Contact System
Give Kids Good Schools offers E-mail and other contact information so that you can take action and communicate your concerns at about the only time of the year that elected officials really field your communication efforts.
But, use E-mail instead of calling by their offices by telephone since most of these "public servants"are tying up their telephone lines with those dunning, outgoing campaign calls that interrupt your family's dinner and wake you up just as you fall asleep.
Sidebar
(Actually, this can't be true (Halloween Trick!), since no public servant would do such a blatantly illegal thing such as use your tax dollars to feather their own nest for another term of office, would they? (I'll have to check with congressional ethics consultant, Jack Abramoff on that one, as soon as he gets out of jail.)
The Give Kids Good Schools Site
Link to the Give Kids Good Schools .Org site
Link to the Give Kids Good Schools Week Campaign
Link to the Give Kids Good Schools "Find and Contact your Elected Officials" Resource
Link to the Give Kids Good Schools "Ten Questions to Ask Elected Officials" Resource
Link to the Give Kids Good Schools "Sign the Pledge" Page
Check up on your school or district with the School Matters .Com site (Courtesy of Standard and Poor's) [Answer: Standards are Poor (No pun intended)]
Ready for Next Year?
Give Kids Good Schools is already gearing up for Give Kids Good Schools Week 2007.
Why don't you, your students, and your students' parents join them?
And, while you're at it, why don't you all ask your elected officials "Why walking the talk support for education" is so very difficult once they win an election.
Extra Credit!
Here are some math problems and Web Quests that are appropriate for this "Trick and Treat/ Election Season"
Math
- How many jailed congressmen were also lawyers or judges? Create a Venn diagram to show the relationship.
- A congressman takes $100,000 from a lobbyist for allowing the clear cutting of a National Forest, and $50,000 from another lobbyist for allowing cattle to graze for free on grass land that used to be a National Forest. Which lobbyist bought a vote? Which lobbyist got the best value for his money?
Formula Writing
- A freshman congressman is invited to 700 swank parties a year. Two parties were scheduled last night. Write an apology letter from the congressman to the lobbyist holding the party that was not attended, explaining all the reasons that the lobbyists should still "contribute" the money.
- Write a complaint letter to the president stating that his request for a 50% cut of the gate receipts for the "$1,000 a plate dinner" is too high. Document why even a 25% share is too much money for the value of the service the president renders in bringing rich influence brokers to the table.
