tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post116109515901108473..comments2023-12-23T13:25:43.770-08:00Comments on Rob Kremer: Taking bias to a new levelRob Kremerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13842508120324878364noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1162130201337632382006-10-29T05:56:00.000-08:002006-10-29T05:56:00.000-08:00Oh Rob, I don't need to have "guts" or "cajones"...Oh Rob,<BR/><BR/> I don't need to have "guts" or "cajones" to start a charter school. Frankly, taking money away from schools that work (and many of ours do) is not something I would want to do.<BR/><BR/> How many charter school organizers have the cajones to find ways to help the thousands of students in public school through adequate funding of their classrooms?<BR/><BR/> Frankly, the folks who complain the most about public schools have yet to teach in them and realize the great things that do happen every day. <BR/><BR/> You pretty much backed up my arguments in saying that being in the classroom is not the same as chartering a school being pointless. No, Mr. Kremer, your diatribe about Oregon public education is pointless.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161657239235366832006-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:002006-10-23T19:33:00.000-07:00Anon 6:21 - You should read more carefully. I didn...Anon 6:21 - <BR/>You should read more carefully. I didn't "take credit" for starting the schools I listed. I said, to quote: <BR/><BR/>"I am the co-founder of four public schools, and have assisted in the start-up of dozens more."<BR/><BR/>This is 100% true. You, of course, have no idea whether my effort in each of them was "tiny" or "huge." In many of them it was substantial, in some it was a small role. In each of them, I "assisted" just like I wrote.<BR/><BR/>It is beside the point, anyway. The point being only a few of the 35,000 licensed teachers in Oregon have the guts to start a charter school, and I have been very proud to help the ones that do. They are truly special.Rob Kremerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842508120324878364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161652860055454922006-10-23T18:21:00.000-07:002006-10-23T18:21:00.000-07:00Rob, I didn't count "dozens" on your list. The ti...Rob, I didn't count "dozens" on your list. The tiny effort you likely exerted for most of those you listed hardly warrant your "taking credit" for starting them. Why not just be honest and take credit where you truly should, instead of trying to convince people you're responsible for starting most of the charter schools in Oregon?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161360422401901092006-10-20T09:07:00.000-07:002006-10-20T09:07:00.000-07:00Anon 7:06I'm not sure what your point is. You don'...Anon 7:06<BR/><BR/>I'm not sure what your point is. You don't "do it for the money." OK, but you do get paid, right?<BR/><BR/>By the same token, I don't "do it for the money," although I do get paid. <BR/><BR/>Frankly, if it was just about money for me I could make much, much more that I do by being an education activist/entrepreneur. I have a BA in Economics and an MBA, both from the University of Chicago, and I spent 8 years in the investment banking industry in Chicago before moving back to Oregon. <BR/><BR/>This is not about money for me, either. <BR/><BR/>Now, the other question you ask is completely irrelevant: "when was the last time I ....."<BR/><BR/>I'm not a classroom teacher. I could ask you a litany of similar questions (when was the last time you fought like hell with a district bureaucrat who was trying to jack your charter school around?) but what is the point? <BR/><BR/>You don't pretend to be a charter school activist and I don't pretend to be a classroom teacher.<BR/><BR/>Your final comment: "Being in the classroom is just a bit different than chartering a school," is also pointless. <BR/><BR/>Not sure what you are implying by it, although it appears you are trying to stake out some kind of moral high ground. <BR/><BR/>Ever tried to start a school from scratch? Not to minimize teaching in the slightest, but there are 35,000 licensed teacher in the state, and only a select few of them have the cajones to start their own school. I have been proud to help them.Rob Kremerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842508120324878364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161359777241449922006-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:002006-10-20T08:56:00.000-07:00Anon 11:14I have indeed been involved with donzens...Anon 11:14<BR/><BR/>I have indeed been involved with donzens of new public school startup efforts. <BR/><BR/>I am co founder of a four school network of Arthur Academies. <BR/><BR/>I (which includes my field staff) have provided advice, consultation and technical assistance during the approval, start-up, and implementation phaese to many, many others. I'm not going to list them all but I'll list a few from memory here:<BR/><BR/>City View Charter school <BR/>Four Rivers Charter School<BR/>Lighthouse School<BR/>Lourdes School<BR/>MITCH Tigard<BR/>MITCH Sherwood<BR/>Multisensory Learning Academy<BR/>Oregon Connections Academy<BR/>Ridgeline Montessori<BR/>Sand Ridge Charter School - Lebanon<BR/>Sand Ridge Charter School - Albany<BR/>SAnd Ridge Charter School - Sweet Home<BR/>SEI Academy<BR/>Sheridan Japanese School<BR/>Three Rivers Charter School<BR/>Village School<BR/>McCoy Academy<BR/><BR/>There are others I'm not recalling offhand. Good enough?Rob Kremerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842508120324878364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161353171530388772006-10-20T07:06:00.000-07:002006-10-20T07:06:00.000-07:00Rob, Most of us in this business don't do it for...Rob,<BR/> Most of us in this business don't do it for the money. When was the last time you were in the classroom, meeting with parents, helping a student who has concerns about his/her homelife, sat in a staff meeting, helped a student understand a tough math concept, prepare for a parent teacher conference, or write a grant so you could get some material for the classroom since the funds are not always available for necessities? <BR/><BR/>Being in the classroom is just a bit different than chartering a school.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161324888853936352006-10-19T23:14:00.000-07:002006-10-19T23:14:00.000-07:00Rob,I would like to challenge your claim to have a...Rob,<BR/>I would like to challenge your claim to have assisted "dozens" of schools with starting up. You are given to hyperbole, at best. If I am mistaken, then please, list the "dozens" of schools you have helped start.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161283846859427902006-10-19T11:50:00.000-07:002006-10-19T11:50:00.000-07:00anon 9:52:I'm sorry the notion that education is a...anon 9:52:<BR/><BR/>I'm sorry the notion that education is an industry offends your sensibilities. But I don't know what else you would call it. There are unions, facilities, suppliers, vendors - just like any other industry. <BR/><BR/>And yes, I make money in this industry. I haven't met a lot of people in the industry who do it for free. <BR/><BR/>And a minor correction - I AM part of the public education system. I am the co-founder of four public schools, and have assisted in the start-up of dozens more. <BR/><BR/>Finally, I don't see why it is off base to criticise the Oregonians coverage on one issue while agreeing with their editorial position on another. Am I missing something?Rob Kremerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842508120324878364noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161283049390764772006-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:002006-10-19T11:37:00.000-07:00as a consumer of public education services - both ...as a consumer of public education services - both past and present - i consider myself part of the "industry" or "business" or whatever you want to call it. and of course, every taxpayer in the state pays for the product the education industry turns out, whether they think it's a good product or not, or want the product or not. worse yet, even if we consumers took our business elsewhere, we'd still have to keep paying for the product. that is one hell of a business model - puts wal-mart, microsoft and starbucks to shame, wouldn't you say?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161276748102862982006-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:002006-10-19T09:52:00.000-07:00I'm with Anon 6:16, the Oregonian supports your ca...I'm with Anon 6:16, the Oregonian supports your candidate for governor, so your scathing comments seem ill-timed, Kremer.<BR/><BR/>There's something innately grotesque about the term "education industry," at least to my conscience, er ears. At least it honestly reflects your view of your role in education: that you make money off of it. Given that you're not actually part of the public education system, my hunch is that you have much more than two weeks each year "off."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161267738405845002006-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:002006-10-19T07:22:00.000-07:00anon 616: you've obviously never heard of the 2-w...anon 616: you've obviously never heard of the 2-week paid "holiday break" that folks in the "education industry" receive in the middle of the school year. or the one-week paid "spring break." trust me, our education folks are generally fine golfers and usually quite well traveled.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161263817999111602006-10-19T06:16:00.000-07:002006-10-19T06:16:00.000-07:00Rob, Let me get this straight. You are supporti...Rob,<BR/><BR/> Let me get this straight. You are supportive of the Oregonian when it endorses your gubenatorial candidate but you are unhappy when a reporter from the Oregonian gives facts. I just don't get that. Oh, and I'm glad you had a chance to play golf for a week during the middle of the school year. Most folks who classify themselves as being in the "education" industry don't often have that luxury.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161145742016668832006-10-17T21:29:00.000-07:002006-10-17T21:29:00.000-07:00You hit the nail on the head Rob.I read that colum...You hit the nail on the head Rob.<BR/><BR/>I read that column...er, story, and concluded that Betsy was either devoid of intellectual curiosity or just hellbent on slanting everything.<BR/><BR/>How could she ignore the fact that Colorado was the last state to go into recession and the first state out of it, while Oregon was entirely the reverse? (first in and last out)<BR/><BR/>Her editor must have been pissed when she discovered that the Governor of Colorado remains an enthusiastic supporter of Tabor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161139170651436202006-10-17T19:39:00.000-07:002006-10-17T19:39:00.000-07:00What I noticed was the hammer regarding how badly ...What I noticed was the hammer regarding how badly the roads in Colorado suffered under TABOR. No mention that funds for our roads are NOT tied to the state budget. I too noticed there was NO attempt to try to see how the two measures were different (and they are VERY different) - nope, just doom and gloom if the measure passes here.<BR/><BR/>I did get a kick out of the residents in Colorado complaining about the roads, the congestion. I though of our roads and how we have congestion ... then I remembered, congestion is what Metro and Sam Adams want - mission accomplished; and without TABOR too, damn we're talented up here in the PNW.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161135713350058742006-10-17T18:41:00.000-07:002006-10-17T18:41:00.000-07:00Boy, was Betsy flamed up over this post. I hope t...Boy, was Betsy flamed up over this post. I hope the Board runs something honest about Measure 48. I won't hold my breath.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161125634955889932006-10-17T15:53:00.000-07:002006-10-17T15:53:00.000-07:00One of the reasons why the subscription was cancel...One of the reasons why the subscription was cancelled long ago and the business advertising is nil.<BR/><BR/>You'd think these knuckleheads would wise up...RINO WATCHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16666276485058033772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161122979498861162006-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:002006-10-17T15:09:00.000-07:00This is the kind of thing that pisses me off about...This is the kind of thing that pisses me off about the Oregonian so much. They are LIARS!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161119367295578722006-10-17T14:09:00.000-07:002006-10-17T14:09:00.000-07:00Rob (et al.):Send me an email at don.smith@america...Rob (et al.):<BR/><BR/>Send me an email at don.smith@americanhm.com and I'll send you the email exchange I had with Betsy this morning and a spreadsheet I made to illustrate the effects of TABOR vs. M48 vs. our current system.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161111877993634072006-10-17T12:04:00.000-07:002006-10-17T12:04:00.000-07:00Thanks for such a clear explanation of precisely h...Thanks for such a clear explanation of precisely how the article was biased. I hope Betsy Hammond reads it. It would be nice if someone from the O would chime in, either to defend this article or to agree it was biased.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12596769.post-1161101378579952832006-10-17T09:09:00.000-07:002006-10-17T09:09:00.000-07:00Rob- I scanned that article today and didn't reall...Rob- I scanned that article today and didn't really put a lot of thought into it other than having an overall sense that it really wasn't at all fair or complete.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for putting your finger on exactly how it was biased. Most of us are used to just barely reading this stuff, knowing how biased it is. But I am glad someone is trying to hold them accountable.<BR/><BR/>Keep it up. For the O to not even mention the "ratchet" difference is indeed a glaring admission of their agenda. <BR/><BR/>Incredible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com