She's got my vote. Better than Rauner and whatever Dem gets trotted out. Literally trotted out in Pritzker's case. I've already got my house picked out in Wisconsin if/when Pritzker gets elected.

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She is literally Illinois "Michelle Bachmah".

Kind of a clown car assortment this year. Some are mathemeticians. Some are named Jeanne Ives. I don't know how it they got started. I don't know what they've done with their lives.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

Might as well try something different. This state has been a joke for too many years to count with no end in sight on the pension crisis. Rauner only cares about personal fights with Madigan. Good luck seeing any of the Dems lower the debt or address the tax or pension crisis. Everyone is fleeing this state. Almost 50% of high school graduates leave this state to go to college. And most don't come back. You think that has to do with social issues? Fuck no. Jeannie Ives could have a bunch of Mexicans carry her around on a throne like Xerxes, and she would still get my vote if she could get income and property taxes lowered.

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Rauner could be a great governor if it wasn't for the Libtards in this State fighting him at every stop. You really thing this Caller Bob is going to do a better job than Rauner? Especially when 1/2 her time will be wasted on railing against gay people(and other stupid social issues that don't mater)?

You have to justify why you would vote for someone like that. Even if the reality is she wouldn't get ANYTHING accomplished.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

We always did feel the same. We just saw it from a different point of view.

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Most of the time, you can beat a woman in an argument.

I really like Rauner. I think many of the things he's fought off from the left can't be quantified that well. I am hoping he gets 4 more years and democrats lose more seats in the Illinois House and Senate. He's a bit of a Goldwater republican. Straight up business, no bible thumping bullshit.

yup. brings his lunch pail to work everyday !

Crack jokes all you want, but if this nut job Ives wins you will be begging for someone like Rauner back.

Is it possible to get someone pro-education and lower our property taxes?

You would have to vote out the democratic machine. Illinois is pretty much fucked though. With pension obligations, the reality is they will never get out of it. It's ashame a state can final for bankruptcy because that is really what they need to do.

Pensions being Constitutionally protected might be the dumbest fucking thing ever in the history of this state.

And I love the pro-education argument. First off, who is actually anti-education? And second, pro-education is just a synonym for "throw more money at education". Chicago spends around $18,000.00 a year per student. And their test scores and graduation rate are stellar. Some suburbs spend as high as $30K per student. Illinois has some of the highest paid teachers in the country. I should know, I am married to a teacher. There is no shortage of money in education. If the unfunded pension wasn't crushing everything else, it might not be so bad. But honestly, they just need to get some actually fiscally responsible people in there who care more about the students instead of lining union pockets. People that actually allocate the money they have to what is important. Because to "pro-education" people, they never have an answer for how much money they need. The answer is always just More.

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Ives will beat Rauner in the primary.

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How much is spent on crooked real estate (development) deals, in the city, suburbs and the rest of the state? I say freeze those jackals out and make all school spending completely transparent and watch the educational accomplishments markedly improve.

Lincoln Way, New Trier, Walter Payton and countless other places are all impacted by the real estate people, good and bad.

And having sat on a local school council for 7 years and having taken an aggressively fiscal conservative lead there in favor of teachers and programs, I was disgusted by the flashy purchases made within two years of my leaving.

And that was at a school that started on probation, targeted by charter schools and that ended up making mammoth scholastic improvements

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

You can throw $100K a year at students and it won't matter.

Until the family is rebuilt in our society, education will continue to fail. And MANY teachers will be unfairly blamed for its failure.

And no amount of money is going to change that.

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Agreed.

It's a noble goal to try and pay parents and family to care, but you just can't.

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Crest, I don't disagree with your general sentiment, but it largely ignores the millions of stories of kids truly motivated by quality educational experiences and educators.

Even where there wasn't a great family structure or emphasis on formal education

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

That would be horrifying. She still isn't going to be able to stand down Madigan(Rauner already tried) and she is going to waste time needlessly pontificating on social issues that have zero importance to our state right now. Oh thank God we finally have an anti-Gay, anti-abortion Governor in Illinois now! That changes everything!

I don't think it is always that simple though. MANY schools are failing these kids.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

And just look which group wants to take away funding for early childhood education. The undisputed king of putting kids of all income levels on a reasonably fair education track

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Completely agree.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

There are thousands of kids who fight thru broken homes, bad neighborhoods and generations of poverty in order to try and succeed. And many teachers are part of their success stories.

But ignoring what works best while throwing millions of good dollars after bad outcomes needs to stop. And the sooner the better.

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I agree with both what you and Crest said. But it still does start in the home. However, I wouldn't just say it's due to broken homes. It stems from the lack of discipline and consequences kids face. Millennial parents let their kids be precious little angels that do not face consequences. That has bled into the schools, and schools are no longer allowed to discipline kids. Sure, they can reprimand them or "write them up", but ultimately, there are no consequences. And the kids know this. And that pertains to behavioral issues as well as academic. Kids don't have to do shit with homework or attempt to pass classes, yet they will still move on to the next grade.

Ultimately, education fails because we let it fail due to not wanting to make tough decisions and actually challenge kids. Whether it's fear of lawsuits from unions or parents or whomever, schools are hamstrung in that regard. But no one wants to admit that is the problem. They just say we need more money.

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Imo, where education fails is where kids aren't encouraged to see the benefits and necessity that education is. That's why early development is critical. The earlier kids realize the choices and possibilities they have, the broader their thinking becomes and the more desirous kids turn into people who want to stake out a claim in our country.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Again, early development at home can't be replaced by a pre school teacher.

Children learn about these things at home first.

If there is no hope at home, it's even harder to find at school more often than not.

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Ives is gonna call Rauner a soyboy before this is all over.

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Maybe I'm relying too heavily on personal anecdotal evidence, but I've seen plenty of those cases, and undiscussed is how many family members and friends who suddenly find themselves with the proverbial bootstraps on which to pull on.

But the discussion can't be one or the other, but what the social cost benefits are of early childhood education.

And that's better for society than dystopian planning based on the test scores of urban third graders

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

Coming from a loving home with educated parents increases the odds that the child will do well in school and life. There is no question about it. The same is true for having access to early childhood education. Those things aren't magic bullets and they don't cover up the failures of shitty schools in poor and minority communities.

I know enough parents who are sending their kids to failing schools. Not because they don't care but because they simply don't know better. It's the neighborhood school. The kids may even be doing well in the school. That will change instantly once that child goes to a school that doesn't suck. When you can take 1 school's 10 best students and place them elsewhere and they become average to above average students that's not parental failure. MANY of these awful and poorly funded schools are in poor and minority communities.

Change that and you'll start to see different outcomes. You can't continue giving poor and minority kids mush and expect the majority to turn it into a gourmet meal.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Exactly!

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.