Comments

Good Thought Visionary wrote on Mar 4, 2010 7:57 PM:

" I support getting out of the 3rd world. We need 3G/4G. Free TV would be great too. Maybe some jobs too. "




21st Century Visionary wrote on Mar 1, 2010 9:28 PM:

" Focusing on the REAL topic and question being asked here (i.e., "What would you attempt to do for the Kern River Valley if you knew you could not fail?"), I would place repeater towers up on Mt. McCoy, Shirley Meadows and other high points around the KRV to pull in better over-the-air reception of HDTV signals from L.A. and Bakersfield, as well as cell phone/3G or 4G service. "




Hey Whatever wrote on Mar 1, 2010 1:42 AM:

" You must be a product of CA schools. You want more more more for poor poor poor performance. How about firing a bunch of poor teachers to start change??? "




Whatever wrote on Feb 27, 2010 7:23 PM:

" Utah and Iowa's teachers and administrators do not earn as much as California's. 25% of their student's are not English Learners. California should be at the top of monies per student because the needs here are far greater than other states. In a classroom with 30 students that is $15,420. "




Anonymous wrote on Feb 24, 2010 8:59 AM:

" Ensure that all people receiving food stamps, and unemployment are screened randomly for drugs. Watch what happens next. "




California School Spending wrote on Feb 24, 2010 1:22 AM:

" Contrary to the LIES from the teachers unions, California spending on K-12 is average for the country. CA spending is $9152 per-pupil-year, or around $300K per classroom of 30 kids for 9MONTHS of work.

National average is $9666 per-pupil-year. States with GREAT schools, like Iowa and Utah tend to spend MUCH LESS per pupil. In fact Utah spending is DEAD LAST in the US per-pupil-year, and Utah students scored 1117 on SATs, CA students only scored 1013 and the national average was 1016. NY spends the MOST and scored only 987. Money is NOT the FIX. "




John Perry wrote on Feb 23, 2010 5:58 PM:

" The Graduate Record Exam is required prior to entering the Masters Program.
Historically two groups have scored last on this test.
Experienced teachers going for their Masters in Education score second from last.
Teachers or administrators going for their Masters in Education Administration score last.
No one is denigrating the children. They only respond to the quality of the program and the ability of their Teachers.
When do we start demanding the education our children are entitled to?
California K-12 is ranked # 50 out of 50.
Corporations are moving off shore in search of adequately educated workers. "




Re - in English Please wrote on Feb 22, 2010 11:28 PM:

" Okay let me try this again. Yes, you are right in the aspect that kids have a tougher curriculum then they did thirty years ago. Unfortunately, other countries and states have done a better job. The competition and expectations have increased at a much faster rate the our education systems ability to meet those standards. California has the highest percentage of English Learners and more pupils per student. We out spend other states because we have two million more students then the next closest states. "




NO SAT RECENTERING wrote on Feb 22, 2010 9:24 PM:

" Read "A Historical Perspective
on the SAT® 1926–2001" There's been no so-called "recentering" or "recalibrating". "




John Perry wrote on Feb 22, 2010 4:12 PM:

" I would give every K-12 teacher a competency test or SAT test and fire evey teacher that does not pass with an above average score. This is the very thing their Unions fight against.
In English, you failed to mention that the SAT was RE-CENTERED at least twice to insure more children would receive a better score. They were also awarded 100 points for signing their name correctly.
California spends more money on education than Communist Red China spends on it's military.
Third World countries beat our best and brightest children in ALL International competitions. "




In English Please wrote on Feb 21, 2010 10:17 PM:

" What exactly does "Its not that we are educating are children less than 30 years ago, rather than other countries are educating their children more" mean? It's not really a sentence.

Nationally, SAT scores have gone from 994 in 1980 to 1027 in 2005. I guess that pretty much shoots your theory of decline in the rump.

Why is it that you intellectual wannabees just want to trash the US students? Just because you were a poor student, don't project on the rest of us. Move to Canada. "




whatever wrote on Feb 21, 2010 12:48 PM:

" What the heck does the color of the student's skin have to do with jack diddly. While those numbers may have held good for the last ten years try going back 30 years ago when California was on top of education. Its not that we are educating are children less than 30 years ago, rather than other countries are educating their children more. The California Educational system needs a big shake up. Our kids need to be able to compete or they are going to suffer the consequence of our failure to do right by them. "




Michael Rupert wrote on Feb 21, 2010 8:08 AM:

" If I could do one thing for the Kern River Valley, knowing I could not fail, I would definitely work on making the town as a community. There are so many in the Valley that seem to seclude themselves, or carry on an angry disposition towards the rest of the valley. The older people mad at the younger people, and visa versa. The white people mad at the other ethnicities that visit the valley. The valley could be such a beautiful place if we could just put a cap on all the hate that circulates throughout. "




Check your stats wrote on Feb 19, 2010 9:21 PM:

" In the last 10 years, the fraction of white students needing remedial English at CalState schools has held constant at 28%. For all students, it's 47% needing remedial English, also constant across the last 10 years.

And the NONRESIDENTS have an 80% need for remediation - because - nonresident means illegal alien, not a kid from Oregon.

I cannot understand what your agenda is BOB. "




A Few Observations wrote on Feb 19, 2010 9:01 PM:

" Regarding the post "Bob Walker wrote on Feb 19, 2010 6:46 PM" - that post is incomprehensible. I reread it several times and it continues to be beyond understanding.

Regarding BOB's continued defamation of kids, might I suggest that the fraction of Whites in California fell from 76% to 69% to 63% from 1980 to 2000 during the time that he cites as our children's overall need for BONEHEAD classes. Could it be that California is doing a GREAT job with its large non-English speaking population. Get off your NEGATIVE rants. "




Bob Walker wrote on Feb 19, 2010 6:55 PM:

" To the person who thinks "we" are keeping up educationally. "We" are ranked somewhere between 45th and 50th in the USA in K-12 education.
We might have beaten Louisiana. Is that your idea of keeping up in a state that used to be in the top 20?
And what's your real name? Why are you scared to use it? What about the First Amendment makes you need secrecy?
What is free and democratic about secrecy? What is conservative about hiding? "




Bob Walker wrote on Feb 19, 2010 6:46 PM:

" The morning SAT scores quoted are correct, but not the ones used by the CA university system to figure out why 73% of accepted incoming freshmen needed bonehead math and English to simply start their classes.
They gave them them the afternoon SAT specific inventory of knowledge tests, the ones where there is no multiple choice or true false, you need to fill in a blank with the correct answer.
Oh yeah, how come all the posts here are afraid to use their real names? Ben Franklin and the lads weren't. Hmmmm. "




Valley Res wrote on Feb 18, 2010 9:03 PM:

" It seems some spew out facts like lightening on whatever subject we have here. The spewing of facts is incomprehensible and meaningless without some sort of dialog. BW seems to have an arsenal of "facts" at his ready but they are meaningless to most of the people who read and try to absorb them. And, many "facts" can be questioned as to their validity and truthfulness. "




Education Facts for Bob wrote on Feb 17, 2010 9:59 PM:

" I'm tired of people like BOB who tear down our state and students.

In Fall 1985, the average SAT score for an inbound California college student was 904.

In Fall of 2008, the same number is 1014.

Come on BOB, get with it. You may think the kids are dumber than you. You may think that Europeans are smarter than you. But the reality is, California college students have HIGHER SAT scores NOW than nearly 2 decades ago. FYI - national scores went from 906 to 1017 same period. We're keeping up. "




Whatever wrote on Feb 16, 2010 10:18 AM:

" Whether or not you agree with Mr. Walker there is some validity in the fact that our education system is lacking. In the last 30 years California has gone from the top 10 percentile to the bottom 40 percentile. In a country that is already under educating our kids that spells trouble. Its a matter of keeping our competitve edge which we have slowly been losing. I don't think this is a liberal or conservative issue. I believe this is just how it is and we have to ask ourselves; how do we fix it? "




mad732 wrote on Feb 15, 2010 2:20 PM:

" Unless you can prove it to everyone your truth is an opinion. "




Truth wrote on Feb 15, 2010 12:06 PM:

" Bobbie Boy: You will find most of what Bob Walker preaches very liberal. Also most of what he quotes has been "altered" by other liberals so that it fits their agenda. Our hope is that enough voters will stand up and vote correctly and get the "moderate Republicans" out of Congress also on November 2010, then once again the "Red Menace" will be buried for another 40 or so years....Hooray, then we can again be a country of compassion, caring and free enterprise thinking--no government intervention into our lives!!! "




Bob Walker wrote on Feb 13, 2010 7:04 PM:

" Interesting that you say I presented no facts when I presented the two grade inflation of knowledge base by the University of California system from 1960-2000 intheir incoming freeshmen students.
Those are facts, written in English, which one can only suppose you either don't speak, or because those facts don't fit your rant, you "skipped."
Your retorts are a classic example of the problem.
I'll move on as you chose not debate, nor offer facts. "




Bobbie Boy wrote on Feb 12, 2010 6:59 PM:

" Isn't that EXACTLY what I said, the REQUIREMENT is 2 languages. There is no available data on how many more. Since the REQUIREMENT is 2, it's DOUBTFUL that the average is very much above 2 languages. You make random assertions without support, and then you have the audacity to be a whiner when somebody calls you on it with facts? Poor baby.

By the way, I speak English French and German and I'm a graduate of a high school in the LA basin. A high school where the surnames were very Hispanic. "




Bob Walker wrote on Feb 11, 2010 7:24 PM:

" The California University system, biggest in the nation and one that allows a lot of out of state students in, noticed in 1980 that of the freshmen they had accepted, 73% had to take bonehead math and English to get up to starting their freshmen classes.
So the university gave them all the afternoon SAT tests where one must know the answer and fill in a blank.
There had been a one grade inflation since 1960. In 2000 there was another grade inflation making a 1960 "C" student a 2000 "A" student. "




Bob Walker wrote on Feb 11, 2010 7:18 PM:

" to nameless EU googler. Two languages is the MINIMUM requirement. Why not Google France, Belguim, Norway, Denmark etc. and see what they actually graduate with? Your post said it all, "It seems". "It seems" would not pass any grade even in our schools as proof in a debate. Where is your proof?
And I am not slamming the kids at all. I'm pointing out what the adults in America have let occur in our schools. The kids don't sit on school boards, or pay taxes, or vote. "




EU Languages wrote on Feb 9, 2010 9:51 PM:

" A quick google search of language requirements in EU public schools shows that the mother tongue and ONE (1) language are required. The assertion of every child speaking 2 or 3 langugages seems like it's "technically" true, but only because TWO (2) languages are mandatory. Surely SOME speak THREE (3), but there's no reason to believe it's pervasive. It sounds like it's just a little BS story to make the valley kids seem even more behind than they actually are. KVHS is a "5" API, a tiny bit better than COMPTON. "




Bob Walker wrote on Feb 9, 2010 7:01 PM:

" To the person from Sweden.
Your country is always the "odd" throw in Europe. The kids in France, Belguim, Nederlands, Spain, Germany, Italy,England and a few more, do speak more than two languages and are not electricians unless they want to be.
Speaking “only” two languages is somewhere between one and two more than most American kids speak coming out of high school.
Your country also stood aside and let the Hitler's troops walk through to attack and kill the Norweigans in WWII. "




KVHiker wrote on Feb 8, 2010 1:25 PM:

" I would build a road that goes from Fay Ranch Road to Bartolas Country that could be accessed by the public. "




Trey wrote on Feb 5, 2010 10:59 PM:

" If you want to enter the 21st Century with a Walmart Super Center and Home Depot, why live here? Just move to Bakersfield so the rest of us here can enjoy the serenity and small town ambience. If you want to be like the big cities, move there and leave this community to those of us who love it the way it is. Who cares whether or not Walmart has a city in China manufacturing goods? A Walmart is the worst thing for this small community. "




Walmart wrote on Feb 5, 2010 4:41 PM:

" I agree. Let's get a Walmart supercenter and a Home Depot. That would go a long way toward brining us into the 21st century. BTW - Walmart having a city in China is urban lore. Also, I agree with the kid that we need an arcade and place for kids. I saw the sign about the arcade and paintball place coming soon. I sure hope it gets open. "




Whatever wrote on Feb 5, 2010 12:24 PM:

" I would open a recreation center. A little something for everyone. Tumbling classes for toddlers, maybe create collebrative between the many sports for kids up here, a year round indoor pool with water aerobics for some of our citizens who find them easier on their joints, adult volleyball, cooking classes,and maybe some paved bike trails for families. The possibilities could be endless. "




some random teenager wrote on Feb 4, 2010 9:40 AM:

" I srongly believe that the this town needs more for kids. Such as maybe a skate park or an arcade. A lot of teens are becoming pot heads bcuz they dont have proper ways to manage their free. If I had the money I would do more for the kids. "




Local wrote on Feb 4, 2010 8:19 AM:

" Have everyone pick up one piece of trash off the street a day everyday. "




walmart-bad bad bad wrote on Feb 4, 2010 2:04 AM:

" How could any educated person that knows anything about our current economy even think about shopping at a Wal-Mart? They are one of the worst corporations there is right now. Having one up here would only further demolish our local business, putting even more honest hard workers out of business and out a job. There is a reason we pay more to shop locally, because the product is made in America and has real quality. I'm willing to pay in the short run in order to not pay in the long run. "




To KV Res wrote on Feb 3, 2010 2:34 PM:

" You do know, of course, that Wal Mart sells cheaper because they buy cheaper? (Cheaper quality sometimes, too.) And that there is an entire city in China that manufactures stuff mainly for Wal Mart? "




Mac wrote on Feb 3, 2010 11:33 AM:

" Personally I hope they never put a Squallmart up here. What a trashy store. It would not bring the valley up, but would push it further down into the gutter. "




kv res wrote on Feb 2, 2010 6:43 PM:

" I'am thinking wal mart wal mart wal mart I WOULD LOVE TO SEE WAL MART HERE then i could buy the things i need for my kids at a decent price and not be ROBBED everytime we shop here.................... "




To KV Res wrote on Feb 2, 2010 8:55 AM:

" What about the people who already have jobs at the local stores that would have to close because of Wal Mart? You want to throw them out of work? Is the entire valley workforce going to be able to work at Wal Mart? Of course not. Think for a change. How selfish and naive you are. "




kv res wrote on Jan 30, 2010 3:27 PM:

" i would get the lake water up,fix dam, get all drug dealers out of town,build a wal mart with the food department so we would not have to shop at the V store so we could help people get jobs and be able to buy clothes for my kids since you cant buy some things up here and a new full service hospital............... "




To Bob Walker wrote on Jan 29, 2010 11:55 PM:

" My family ius from Sweden. They only speak 2 languages and they are assigned their education based on testing, not interest. Mu 150 IQ cousin is an electrician. That's what the State made him. He wanted to teach. He didn't get a choice. That's NOT what I want for my kids. "




Bob Walker wrote on Jan 28, 2010 4:53 AM:

" See that our valley kids have the same education that their European counterparts have upon graduation, and the same health care.
(That means speaking and writing three languages and doing what we call college level math and free excellent health care.)
Considering this valley is about 90 percent white, our kids come from the same gene pool as the European kids. So the low educational level of our kids is not them, it is us. (Not the drug addicts, not the illegal immigrants etc-it is the people of this valley, who live and work here) "




Ann wrote on Jan 26, 2010 8:49 PM:

" What I would do if I could not fail is restore the lake levels with a quick fix-it of the dam. Restore fish stocking of the Kern River which would revitalize the fishing tourism. Lastly, I would eradicate poverty and drug abuse. Question: Can we have multiple things we would do? I sure did. Would like to add that I would like a teaspoon of Christian Love be added to every resident's morning coffee and tea. But here I am talking hypotheticals instead of real goals. Oh Well. "




True Compassion wrote on Jan 25, 2010 10:43 PM:

" Gag-Me......you are very mean! You are an insult to those who volunteer/donate with no thought of reward! You don't have a clue about what you read or write here, because you don't know what it means to volunteer your time with love. Go Gag in some other area of the world....please! "




Area Republican wrote on Jan 24, 2010 1:03 PM:

" Oh Mercy, what vitriol! Are you progressives so unhappy about the "turnaround" of some of the polls and some elections in other states? Do you see your "freeloading and hitch-hiking" on other charitys and long established state agencys floating away with the re-establishing of "real gov't subsidies and agencys?" Well, read it and weep cause it won't be long and you will all have to get a "real job" and work for a living, no more hitch-hiking on what has been established for eons,or applying for grants, wait till you see what happens in November! "




Gag Me wrote on Jan 23, 2010 9:09 PM:

" Judi, I feel you are quite patronizing with your spiel and I for one resent it. You "visit our beautiful valley" and where do you choose to live? Bakersfield. I pity you then. What is this crap you are putting forth in the form of vomit? Solicitation here in the form of what? Solicitation pure and simple. Yes? Well, it does not set well with the ones who would see past your pretense into what you really represent. "




Censorship wrote on Jan 22, 2010 8:18 PM:

" Oh my my, we don't publish the truth, do we? My post was apparently not accepted because it spoke the truth. "




My Idea wrote on Jan 21, 2010 12:59 AM:

" If I knew that I wouldn't fail, or be prosecuted, I burn down all the dope fields, bulldoze houses that are pot warehouses, blow up the meth labs, and shoot all the pitbulls. That would pretty much clean up our valley big time. "