Politics seems to demand simple messages – slogans so simple everyone gets it and goes along with it. Such is the simplicity of “No Child Left Behind.” Who could disagree with that? No child left behind: no child allowed to fail.
But life cannot be reduced to mere slogan; nor can public education.
The premise of NCLB [...]
Archive for August, 2007
Failing Schools? Blame No Child Left Behind
Posted in all politics is local, schools, tagged education, NCLB, No Child Left Behind on August 30, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Ya know what would be cool? Bike lanes.
Posted in development, urban renewal on August 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Bike lanes. Kill two birds with one stone. Between obesity on one hand and global warming on the other, why not encourage the people of Independence to ride bicycles more often by establishing formal bike lanes on the Independence Square.
Boulder, CO has a lot of bike lanes that appear to be well used, even during [...]
Not with a bang, but a whimper
Posted in schools on August 29, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
The realignment process for seven Independence schools has begun in earnest, as according to this Independence Examiner article, Victor Calahan and associates delivered petitions to the Kansas City School District’s Central office.
I see it as a necessary change to revitalize western Independence, and it is my personal hope is that the process works smoothly, and everyone [...]
A Vision for the Future
Posted in vision on August 17, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
I wanted to lay out the vision I have as a citizen for the future of Independence, Missouri. Here is my wishlist:
Create a diversified economy that can withstand turbulence in various market downturns.
Promote a balance of investment in property and facilities such that older areas of the city continue to thrive and improve along with [...]
The Case for Slowing Down Retail Growth
Posted in current state on August 16, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Independence has, over the past twelve years, evolved as a retail hub in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Here are some of the figures:
With $1.6 billion in taxable sales, Independence is the fourth largest retail market in Missouri. This represents a 2.2 percent increase from 2001, and a 49.6 percent increase from 1995. The city [...]
Wide Open for Change
Posted in development, hca, schools, urban renewal on August 15, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
For decades, the subdivision I grew up in, with its Leavittown uniformity and its blue-collar sensibility, was surrounded on three sides by trees and farmland. The small industrial park to the east of us was well-hidden by our neighbors in between, and frankly, it just wasn’t as interesting as the woods around us.
Growing up on [...]
