You've got to love Louisiana Representative Barbara Norton. You might remember her - she's the one who had her godson, rapper Hurricane Chris, perform on the floor of the Louisiana Legislature. Norton represents the 3rd district and is a Democrat.
In her latest attempt to impersonate a State Representative, Mrs. Norton introduced HB 1437 which "requires school boards to provide for the noon dismissal of students transported by school bus on days when the expected high temperature is 100 degrees or higher." Norton has never worked for one day in education, as far as I can find. She is retired from AT&T. It's another example of someone with no education background telling educators how to do their job.
Stop for a moment and consider the logistics of this, if you will. Louisiana law requires that there be 360 instructional minutes per day for a minimum of 177 school days.
School cafeterias are planning lunch for an expected number of students each day.
Teachers plan lessons and exams for their daily classes.
So what if between August 10 (when school begins) and, oh say...September 30, the period of time when we're likely to have 100 degree days around here, Little Johnny and 250 or more of his friends are dismissed at noon but the rest of the kids who walk, drive, or are driven to school, stay in class? Do they have to make up that instructional time that they missed? When? At the end of the year (when temps are warming up again...)?
Think of the logistics for teachers - getting work and tests made up, lessons re-taught, library time rescheduled, computer lab time rescheduled (but only for those students!).
Isn't this discriminatory against non-bus riding students? Or against the bus riders? I mean, you're singling out a single group...
What about those poor cafeteria workers and all those abandoned lunches?
It boggles the mind.
Barbara Norton boggles the mind.
Her bill came up today in the Legislature. It was "Involuntarily Deferred" in committee, which means in essence that it is dead.
Rest in peace.
I have an idea. On the first day that the temperature hits 100 degrees in Baton Rouge, send Ms. Norton home on a bus.
ReplyDeleteFunny how things change.
ReplyDeleteThe building where I went to elementary school in Southern Oklahoma was the same one my mother had attended as a child. It had banks of windows without screens across the whole side of each classroom.
In the summer, the windows were opened and and the hallway doors were opened and it drew nice breezes through all the classes.
Because we weren't acclimated to refrigerated air, we didn't notice. Of course, back then the stores and government buildings had ceiling fans, and at home we had evaporative coolers.
This building is still in use today, but all the windows have been blocked and bricked over for the addition of refrigerated air conditioning, and it's been extensively renovated.
I was always told the eyes are a window to a person's soul. Just look at the picture you put up of old Barbara, you can see in her eyes all her cylinders aren't firing.
ReplyDeletePat, I also grew up in the "no AC" days. It was hot. It was miserable. In fact, the very first vote I ever cast was for the sales tax to AC the Bossier Parish Schools.
ReplyDeleteThank goodness kids have AC now. But, we all know how ridiculous this idea is...I mean, everybody except Babs.
Ummm...I think you are quite kind to describe Barbara Norton as "mind boggling." She just continues to "one-up" herself in the idiot contest.
I thought that the schools had air conditioning. What has happened to this world. In the 50's we would sit in an unairconditioned room and when writing have the paper disolve on our arms. People need to man up.
ReplyDeleteAndy,
ReplyDeleteBabs won "Idiot of the Year" last year with the Hurricane Chris debacle. She's going for the repeat.
G.R., if anybody can go back to back, it is definitely her.
ReplyDeleteHow can we forget that joke of representation or as you so aptly put it, her latest attempt at impersonating a state representative"? She should abdicate. Someone should just show up in her stead right now, damn the elections. Total stooge.
ReplyDeleteAndy,
ReplyDeleteWonder what she has planned for next year's three-peat? What ever it will be I'm sure it will be inspired with little effort.
Red, I don't think abdication is in her future. She finally won a seat this time. She has been running for a seat, any seat, for several years. She's run for school board, city council, parish commission, Duchess of Earl, state representative...
Don't recall who she ran against to win this time, but if she was the better of the two, it doesn't say much for her opponent.
I think it's time for CHANGE.
ReplyDeleteI have a son in Winn correctional center with less than a year, he has attended some classes, It's overcrowded, why can't he come home, that was what Bobby Jindal quoted,ms p.
ReplyDeleteAll of you people that are making comments about state rep. norton why haven't you tried to do something that you think will better the situation since you don't think state rep is doing the job how many times have each of you ran for office, as far as the kids situation is concern some of those kids are yours' or they are related to you somehow but I guess you'll are not concerned about the heat talking about when you went to school back when, get a grip, grow-up and stop complaining and see if you can do better.(no) because if you could you would hsve been in her position. I bet you'll are the first in line for the shoe giveaway, HA,HA, do something beside hate,
ReplyDelete