Boondoggle: High-Tech High School In Phoenix
Boondoggle: High-Tech High School In Phoenix
Date: Thursday, January 21, 2010 3:58 PM
<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 2073 -- 1/21/2010 >>>>>
I wrote an article recently for Vdare.com [link below] that describes how and
why the state of Arizona is on the verge of going bankrupt. Emphasis was put
on the role that the education of illegal aliens is playing in the budget
crisis. The City of Phoenix has similar financial pressures -- they are even
contemplating pink-slipping hundreds of police officers and even more
supporting staff. Cara Liu reported for KPHO the following:
Phoenix Police To Get Pink Slips?, 1/20/2010
As the city of Phoenix struggles with dramatic budget woes, all
departments are being asked to make cuts. That includes the
Phoenix Police Department.
Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Trent Crump confirmed the
department has been asked to prepare to cut as much as 15 percent
of its budget -- about $70 million.
Phoenix seems to have big wads of cash to spend when it comes to schools that
nobody wants to attend. Case in point: Phoenix spent gobs of cash to build a
school called CREST for the purpose of educating and training today s students
to become the unemployed techies of tomorrow. The problem for the school is
that few students are interested in attending.
High-tech school off to slow start
A new high school expected to boost the number of Arizona s science
and technology professionals has attracted interest from only about
half of the number of students it plans to enroll in the fall.
The Center for Research in Engineering, Science and Technology hopes
to enroll as many as 150 students in its freshman class when it
opens in northeast Phoenix in fall 2010, but so far slightly more
than 60 students have submitted applications for the "small,
specialty" school.
Now for a stupidity test: both the City of Phoenix and the State of Arizona
hire large numbers of H-1B and L-1 visa holders for staffing and computer/IT
maintenance. Click here to see a Labor Condition Application from Phoenix to
hire an H-1B employee for a $17 per/hour position at the city parks. In
addition to importing foreign workers the city also offshores work. So,
considering how Phoenix is undercutting STEM professionals that are Arizona
residents and U.S. citizens, why are they trying to get more kids to get
educations in fields Phoenix won t hire them for?
I received commentary about this fiasco that has so many good points I decided
to use it here (with permission of the author):
<<<<< Begin guest commentary >>>>>
"Wow, these people are really obsessed with the idea of getting more kids
into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers. They built
this new high school in NE Phoenix especially for that purpose. Since not
enough kids are applying to go to this school, the district is now "working
with marketing people" to try to convince more kids from outside the district
to enroll. What the heck, it s a free public high school specializing in
science, math, etc., and they have to try to market themselves to convince
more parents and kids to partake in this free science education?
Phoenix proposed a grant two years ago to encourage Phoenix high schools
to offer programs that could increase the number of high-school graduates
planning to pursue STEM-related careers and post-secondary education. Having a
limited number of students graduating from Arizona colleges entering STEM-
related fields is a major threat to Arizona s economy, said Phoenix Mayor Phil
Gordon at the school s groundbreaking, This has been about job creation,
too, he said. Now we get to put lots of people to work.
Rather than complaining about the limited number of students graduating
from Arizona colleges entering STEM-related fields , why don t they bother to
consider the career prospects/outcomes for the Arizonans who DO graduate from
Arizona colleges with STEM degrees? And it seems fairly obvious to me that it
is not a limited number of students that are earning such degrees, but a
rather large number of students, in significant excess of the demand for
workers with these skills in Arizona.
Predictably, the readers comments at the bottom of the article ridicule
Arizona kids for being too stupid for this wonderful new school that has been
built for them, and for not jumping at the opportunity to attend such a
school. I disagree. I think maybe the kids should be applauded for not falling
for the stupid scam the adults are trying to sell them on. Maybe the kids are
smart enough to notice that the influential adults (politicians, education
policy makers, etc.) pushing this idea are not scientists or engineers
themselves, but almost certainly come from law or business backgrounds. If a
STEM career doesn t lead to power, influence, prestige, etc., then what does
it get you? Answer: scientists and engineers work in the service of major
business and political interests over which they can exert only very limited
influence or autonomy.
Probably the kids thinking on this matter is not that complicated though.
I m guessing the main reason that more kids aren t enrolling is that they want
to stay at their current school (whether the education there is good or lousy)
because they already have an established peer network there, and that is
probably the most important thing in most adolescents lives."
by "Adam in Tempe, Arizona"
LINKS:
Vdare blog version of newsletter
http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2010/01/21/boondoggle-high-tech-high-school-in-phoenix/
http://www.vdare.com/sanchez/100114_budget_crisis.htm
Close The Schools And Dump Criminal Aliens On Obama s Doorstep! -- My
Suggestions To End Arizona s Budget Crisis
http://cmweb.pvschools.net/pvhscrestweb/
CREST High School
http://www.jobdestruction.info/ShameH1B/Library/Archives/AZLCA.htm
LCA for Phoenix park job
ARTICLES COPIED:
http://www.azcentral.com/community/nephoenix/articles/2009/12/20/20091220EDCREST1220.html#reply19019560
High-tech school off to slow start
http://www.kpho.com/news/22278907/detail.html
Phoenix Police To Get Pink Slips?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.azcentral.com/community/nephoenix/articles/2009/12/20/20091220EDCREST1220.html#reply19019560
High-tech school off to slow start
CREST in northeast Phoenix still aims to enroll 150 for its 2010 freshman
class
The Arizona Republic
A new high school expected to boost the number of Arizona's science and
technology professionals has attracted interest from only about half of the
number of students it plans to enroll in the fall.
The Center for Research in Engineering, Science and Technology hopes to enroll
as many as 150 students in its freshman class when it opens in northeast
Phoenix in fall 2010, but so far slightly more than 60 students have submitted
applications for the "small, specialty" school.
CREST will be part of the Paradise Valley Unified School District but will be
open to students who live outside the district's boundaries. School officials
have visited every district eighth-grade science class to talk about the
school. Quantcast
"We're working with some marketing people that are helping us understand the
best way to go forward with sharing this with students outside of our district
right now," said Kathy Lahlum, an adviser to the school.
The school, on the campus of Paradise Valley High School at 40th Street and
Bell Road, will focus on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Phoenix proposed a grant two years ago to encourage Phoenix high schools to
offer programs that could increase the number of high-school graduates
planning to pursue STEM-related careers and post-secondary education.
Having a limited number of students graduating from Arizona colleges entering
STEM-related fields is a major threat to Arizona's economy, said Phoenix Mayor
Phil Gordon at the school's groundbreaking.
"This has been about job creation, too," he said. "Now we get to put lots of
people to work."
School officials hope to partner with professionals in the Valley's
technology- and engineering-related industries to provide instruction,
internships and community service activities.
"I retired recently after 47 years working for some of the electrical-
equipment manufacturers in the area, so I'd be interested in helping in
whatever way I can," said Peter Kienast, a former electrical engineer who has
worked with Arizona Public Service and Salt River Project.
"I feel like what they are trying to do is a very good thing."
The school will have a hands-on curriculum allowing students to research and
develop biotechnology projects while spending a lot of time in laboratories,
possibly at local colleges and universities. Officials have met with
individuals in the state's university communities to ensure that CREST
students will transition seamlessly into the schools' STEM programs.
"I've heard nothing from the sustainability and biotechnology sectors,"
Lahlum said. "I'm pushing really hard in that direction, with plans to do that
right after the beginning of the year."
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
http://www.kpho.com/news/22278907/detail.html
KPHO.com
Phoenix Police To Get Pink Slips?
Cara Liu
Reporter, KPHO.com
POSTED: 8:55 pm MST January 19, 2010
UPDATED: 6:47 am MST January 20, 2010
PHOENIX -- As the city of Phoenix struggles with dramatic budget woes, all
departments are being asked to make cuts. That includes the Phoenix Police
Department.
Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Trent Crump confirmed the department has been
asked to prepare to cut as much as 15 percent of its budget -- about $70
million.
"There's a lot of anxiety amongst our employees," said Crump.
The department would not give an official estimate as to how many positions
could be on the chopping block. The department currently has about 380
positions that have not been filled. But layoffs, impacting sworn officers
currently working in those jobs, would be unprecedented.
However, rank and file officers told CBS 5 News their commanders have said the
worst case scenario could mean a cut of 440 jobs. Some said privately that
many are very worries about either losing their jobs or being transferred to
different jobs.
"What people have done, and why this anxiety has started is because
(people) are doing math," said Crump. "We have to get to the number of $70
million and this is how many people it will take to get there."
The department is looking at other ways to save, including consolidating
squads, according to police. Furloughs and pay cuts could also help save jobs,
but so far it s unclear which measures the city will employ to balance the
budget.
"If we take the worst case scenario for the city, which is what we are
planning for right now, yes -- we could see hundreds of police officers laid
off," said Crump.
In that worst case scenario, junior officers would be the first to go, and
more than a hundred detectives could move back to patrol.
The department also acknowledged that deep cuts would mean it would take
officers a longer time to respond to crimes and solve cases.
"I think it's safe to say if we eliminate positions, something's going to
give," said Crump.
The police union, PLEA, has told members if layoffs are imminent, it will
devise a list of concessions in pay and benefits -- and allow members to vote
on what they re willing to temporarily give back to save jobs.
Public safety managers have been asked to prepare for up to a 15 percent cut.
Other departments are looking at possible cuts of up to 30 percent.
A draft budget is due in early February. A final decision is expected in early
March.
If there are layoffs of police officers, they are expected to take place in
April.
Crump said the city s timeline is forcing them to start making preparations
now.
"We don't want to wait until the eleventh hour and be unprepared -- for the
process of dealing with our employees, with transfers into different work
units, (and with) where we're going to make the cuts and what type of cuts we
are going to make in the eleventh hour. We want to be ready for it,"
said Crump.
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