What I know about Bush Jr. is based on what I have read about him. Granted. Based on what I read of his business dealings (the failed oil deals, the deals cut to get the stadium for the Rangers) and his actions as governor (matters of public record) I have a pretty good idea of how he will act as the Pres. I don't need to wait and see. I wasn't surpised when Clinton got caught cattin' around, either. You hope people will learn from their past, but you shouldn't be surprised if they don't.

About the schools: Private schools don't compete with public schools. Most private schools have an agenda which is different than that of public education. Like Alex said - oranges and crankshafts. I went to Catholic grade schools and did not learn the same history that the public school kids did. High school, which was at a public school, was spent filling in the blanks. We also didn't get much science, which became a serious problem for the diocese. I am certain I didn't hear a peep about evolution. I did read a lot about the lives of the saints, though, many of which were later stated by the Pope to have been most likely apocryphal stories. Just lovely fairy tales.

You cannot fix the schools by denying them funds and calling it "accountability". First and foremost you need to find some agreement about what public education is meant to do. Then you can create some kind of plan to achieve it. And then, when you have provided the tools to achieve whatever-it-is, you can go out and see if your schools are achieving it at an acceptable level for a significant number of students. You measure and remediate. And then you do it again and again until you get it right. You don't fix it by throwing money after the "education fad of the month". And you don't fix it by caving in to pressure groups who's personal belief system is not in sync with the norm (of course, this assumes that you have reached concensus on a norm). You don't teach junk science or junk religion or junk anything. And you make sure that the people who are entrusted with making the system work - administrators, teachers, counselors, facilities workers, et al - are compensated at a level commensurate with workers in other fields. You make sure they are competent in what they do (teachers are already tested and "in-serviced" very well, IMHO) and not political appointees or burned out civil service lifers and you let them do their job.

Mostly you put the children in as diverse and stimulating an environment as possible. Let the really smart ones help those who have a problem getting it. Let those who are gifted help those who need help. This doesn't hold them back. This humanizes them. There is plenty of time in the school day to learn how to rack up SAT scores that will get you a meaningless sheepskin from some high-status East Coast MBA Factory.

I'm going home to my kids. They are extremely bright and very down to earth. They hate school as much as anyone, but they do their homework without a lot of arguments and they achieve. They don't pick on anyone (but each other). They have fine senses of humor. They don't use bad language but they've heard all the words. They have not been raised to hate or demean women - or themselves. Or anyone else. They don't need private schooling.

Goodnight, all.
Bart