I have never thought of this before, but how does the salary system work when a public school teacher is elected to the legislature? Does the teacher have to take a leave of absence without pay for the duration of the legislature? I assume they receive the nominal legislative salary, but that must be painful if that is the way it works.

On the policy side, how do we protect the universal right to a free public education in the face of increasing pressure for "privatization" in nearly every other aspect of society?

Good Luck, Ben!

Look at him. Definitely a terrorist.

Public education is a liberal democracy's crowning success in overcoming our natural tendency to focus on short-term concerns. What could be more future-oriented than to ensure that kids are prepared to carry on our society?

And yet ... public education is under attack by the me-first anti-tax factions, and losing the battle in most major cities.

I don't agree that it's a "funding" problem. I think it's deeper than that. I think the problem is public disaffection with government (taxes, PERS, corruption, you name it) that leads in turn to a reluctance to provide tax support.

I hope that Ben and the rest of our current and new leaders will understand how important it will be to exercise strong, public leadership and get people believing again that good government -- including well-funded public education at all levels -- is a good investment. Let's get out into local communities at every opportunity and sell it!

from votebencannon.com

"Ben took a position teaching Humanities to 6-8 graders at the Arbor School of Arts and Sciences, an elementary school in Tualatin."

Arbor School is private, not public.

As an Arbor alumnus from about 10 years ago, I knew for sure when I heard that Ben was working there that was clearly a special talent. Good luck, we're all rooting for you!

Question for Ben:

With China's economy racing at 10% annual growth, poised to exceed ours by 2050 and perhaps double ours by the end of the century, does he think more than 0.5% of our high school graduates should have at least two years of high school Mandarin? Or more than 35 (0.044% of total enrollment)of our Oregon Univesity System students should be spending a year abroad in China?

Thomas L. Friedman's wrote in the NY Times and The Oregonian that "I still believe that when the history of this era is written, the trend that historians will cite as the most significant will not be 9/11 and the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be the rise of China and India. How the world accommodates itself to these rising powers, and how America manages the economic opportunities and challenges they pose, is still the most important global trend to watch." Does Ben agree. And will Ben support, in Friedman's terms "a surge in protectionist legislation, more Wal-Mart bashing, a slowdown in free-trade expansion and increased calls for punitive actions if China doesn't reduce its trade surplus" or making "the kind of comprehensive changes in health care, portability of pensions, entitlements and lifelong learning to give America's middle class the best tools possible to thrive?"

Does Ben have a China policy?

Good luck, Ben!!!

How much of the "China policy" questions are about federal rather than legislative issues?

However, having worked with visiting Asian students, I would hope that rather than the teacher-union bashing we've seen for lo these many years the next legislature would spotlight all Oregon schools and private institutions which actually provide a way for Oregon kids to learn about Asian language and culture and maybe even meet visiting Asian students.

Ben Cannon gives me hope.

To Ben (and Evan),

I hope you will protect the voters right to act when the politicians do not.

Also, will you support strong measures by Oregon to help halt global warming? Do you teach about global warming in your humanities classes? Do you teach them that some of these places they are learning about will be severely impacted by global warming?

Paul, even a concern about global warming leads to the issue of teaching more Mandarin in our schools.

Rich Read in his Oregonian (11/24/06) article “China’s dirty exports: Mercury and soot” writes: “The enormous dust clouds gather in the Gobi Desert. They sail on Siberian winds to China. They pick up mercury, aerosols and carbon monoxide spewed by Chinese coal plants and factories.

“Then every five or six days in spring, eastern China flushes like a gigantic toilet. The dust plumes, now as large as countries, ride high over the Pacific Ocean, pushing hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and ozone.

“They reach Oregon in less than a week, sullying springtime views at Crater Lake and scattering dust as far as Maine. Researchers climb an ice-encrusted ladder atop Mount Bachelor's Summit Express ski-lift tower and collect the evidence.

“Beyond the views, China's contaminants affect Oregon in two key ways:

“A growing amount of the greenhouse gases that trap heat, shrink Northwest glaciers and raise ocean levels comes from China.

“A substantial share of the mercury that pollutes the Willamette River, making fish unsafe to eat, has traveled thousands of miles across the Pacific.”

So how do we, and our next generations, work with China on environmental issues? Can we look to our national government for leadership? Would it help if more Oregon students learned Mandarin and spent time in China? If yes, what does that mean for educational policies at the state level in Oregon where currently less than one percent of high school graduates have had two years or more of Mandarin? What should we be willing to do?

Ben?

I was hoping you would have taken up Kari on his offer to start a dialogue...

....there are some good questions above.

That is what I enjoy about this blog... the comments.