Print
Return to online version

April 7, 2008

The Line Starts on the Left

Justin Katz

I have to admit that I've been unfair to National Education Association Rhode Island Assistant Director Patrick Crowley. From time to time I've wondered whether I've played some small role in reducing his undeserved credibility, but now I see that my efforts toward that goal are hardly measurable in comparison to his own.

I'm sure all of those ostensibly reasonable folks on the Rhode Island left who've chided me for unfair and unproductive dialog (most often not of my authorship) are preparing their statements of dismay even as I type. Mr. Walsh? Mr. Sgouros? Mr. Schmeling?

Remember, folks, this man has a significant role in our public education system.

Comments

I still think Crowley is Walsh's alter ego-going out and doing or saying the crass obnoxious stuff that Walsh hesitates to do himself.
Anyone think Crowley was a class clown in school?
The NEA has contributed to the ruination of American schools.
It is a shame that in this day and age when technology has opened so many new avenues of learning available at earlier ages,it seems public school students are regressing.
Why are other countries outstripping us in this area?Can it be because the public schools there are run for the students and not the teacher's unions?
Has Crowley ever taught in any school?
I hope not,because he would be a really lousy role model for youngsters.

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 7, 2008 11:16 PM

Hmmm - First, Justin quotes from the Princess Bride, now he acknowledges Pat's credibility. Hope abounds!

Of course, Joe thinks Pat is my own personal Grelber. Alas, Joe, I have no "meanness for the masses" or even for individuals, for that matter, but suggest you may wish to retreat to your own hollow log and ponder.

Posted by: Bob Walsh at April 7, 2008 11:48 PM

You're really outdoing yourself with the obscure cultural references. I've never even heard of a "Grelber", though I deduced from the context that it might be something similar to a Doppelgänger.

Here's a description of a "Grelber" which I found online:

...never seen except for eyes, Grelber hides out in a hollow log perched on the edge of a cliff, and dispenses insults.

Yup, sounds like Pat. ;)

PS Staying with the cultural references, might not a more current one be of Dr. Evil and Mini Me? ("the children will be permitted to learn if your school system pays us a ransom of... 1 MILLION dollars! dundundun!")

Posted by: Will at April 8, 2008 2:26 AM

Now that is a good one Will! Can we get the matching silver suits? What about the no talking thing for mini me? Not sure I could handle that, but hey, let's go with it.

Tell the boys with too much time on there hands at OSR to get photoshop working!

Posted by: Pat Crowley at April 8, 2008 7:06 AM

Will,

Really like the Dr. Evil And Mini Me comparison to Walsh and Crowley. However would not Beavis and Butt-head be far more accurate comparison given their highly dubious intellectual capacity?

Bob,

Love these obscure references of yours. Where would you be without 'google' huh? lol

Posted by: Tim at April 8, 2008 7:09 AM

At least some people here know what grelber is-I don't live a hermetic life and I don't hide behind a pseudonym,Walsh.I also don't front for anybody,because aside from my family I am indebted to no one.Typical left wing reply though-avoided answering me directly.Anyone ever notice how left wingers try to change the subject or point to an equivalent,i.e.if one mentions Chavez,they start whining about Cheney even though he's not the subject.
As far as I'm concerned Bob Walsh is doing serious damage to education as head of the NEA.He extracts money from his union members involuntarily to support left wing causes.

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 8, 2008 7:31 AM

Crowley-spelling-"there" for "their"?You got a homonym problem ducky.

Posted by: joe bernstein at April 8, 2008 7:35 AM

Pat is clearly suffering from "Extremely Small Member Syndrome". And he's the greatest spokesman private schools have in Rhode Island.

Posted by: Greg at April 8, 2008 7:41 AM

The NEA is the biggest nest of pedophiles in North America, as anyone capable of googling the words TEACHER SENTENCED could readily see.
To quote from one source "the national news media have ignored an estimated 5 million students who have been sexually abused by their public-school teachers."

Here is the complete article:

1-26-2007

* Print This Article
* Forward to a Friend


National Media Largely Ignore Public-School Sex Scandals

from staff reports

Some estimate 5 million students have been involved.

The mainstream media have heavily covered sex-abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, but some say the national news media have ignored an estimated 5 million students who have been sexually abused by their public-school teachers.

Terri Miller, president of Stop Educator Sexual Abuse, Misconduct and Exploitation, suggested a cover up by school officials.

"Reports aren't being made by administrators when these allegations come to light," she said. "They are allowing too many teachers to quietly resign and move on to go molest somebody else's children."

Miller says the percentage of teachers who molest students is small, but when they're allowed to quietly resign, it casts a cloud of suspicion over all educators. She called it 'passing the trash' and said school administrators should be held to account.

Bob Unruh has kept a running list of teacher-student sex scandals for WorldNetDaily.

"The procedures are not really set up to publicize and let people know about predators," he said, "but really to conceal and to protect that person's tenure or protect a job, or allow them to resign and move on to another location."

Bob Knight, director with the Culture and Media Institute, said the media have been no-shows on covering the larger scandal.

"If the media treated the school scandals they way they treated the Catholic Church," he said, "they'd be calling for reforms, top to bottom, they'd be questioning the validity of the institutions themselves."

If you enjoy reading stories like this one, sign up for the free CitizenLink Daily Update e-mail. You'll get news and commentary from Focus on the Family Action delivered right to your computer.

Citizen Magazine

Citizen Magazine

Citizen gives you information no one else offers—stories that set the record straight on the issues that affect your family, your neighborhood, and your church—plus stories of local heroes who've overcome great odds (and their own fears) and stood up for the values you cherish, along with practical steps that help you make a difference.

Subscribe to Citizen
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000003744.cfm

Posted by: mike at April 8, 2008 9:00 AM

we won't even mention the Central Falls Democrat councilman, teacher and soccer coach caught scoring more than a goal with a student under the red bridge.
Or this from today's NY Times:

Ex-Lawmaker Is Sentenced to Prison

*
E-Mail
* Print
* Reprints
* Save
* Share
o Digg
o Facebook
o Mixx
o Yahoo! Buzz
o Permalink

Article Tools Sponsored By
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 8, 2008

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A former state lawmaker was convicted Monday of mishandling thousands of dollars in charitable contributions and fraudulently obtaining a $150,000 loan and was sentenced to six to eight years in prison.

The former lawmaker, Thomas Wright, the first member of the General Assembly to be expelled from office in 128 years, was immediately taken into custody. He winked at his wife, Joyce, as he left the courtroom.

Mr. Wright, Democrat of Wilmington, was convicted of three felony fraud charges as the jury concluded that he had misused or mishandled donations from two companies totaling $7,400 and used a bogus letter to take out a loan to build health care offices and a museum commemorating the 1898 race riots in Wilmington.

He faced four counts, but jurors decided he did not mishandle a $1,500 donation from the AT&T Corporation.

During the trial, Mr. Wright denied doing anything illegal and attributed his mistakes in part to sloppy record keeping.

He is the fourth member of the State House to be convicted or plead guilty to a crime in state or federal court since 2006, including former Speaker Jim Black.

Posted by: Mike at April 8, 2008 9:33 AM

I'm not going to ascribe sexual motives to it, but the obsession with Pat Crowley...man, it's getting creepy.

Posted by: rhody at April 8, 2008 11:37 AM

Pat,

Be careful what you wish for.

Will

PS You think we do that ourselves? All of OSR's photoshopping is outsourced to a thriving non-union sweatshop in Calcutta...

Posted by: Will at April 8, 2008 12:09 PM

Rhody, it's like pointing and laughing at the monkey in the zoo.

'cept monkeys are smarter. Crowley shoots his own movement in the face every time he opens his maw...

...or raises his finger.

Posted by: Greg at April 8, 2008 12:23 PM