Claudia’s Chapter

CAEYC Conference September 27, 2008

Today was an exciting and productive day.  Wendy presented our SchoolChapters software to a group of Early Education Professionals at the annual CAEYC conference in Cromwell, CT today, while I manned our ‘booth’.

Person after person greeted me with shock at what our patent-pending system can do, The fact that we’re listed as the so-far only approved electronic method that incorporates NAEYC’s criteria was deemed extraordinary.

It will be days of follow-up calls and webinars, but I think it will ultimately be worth it for the education community.

Fed Bailout of AIG at a Staggering $85 BILLION!-wear’s your pinky now? September 16, 2008

OK, I am the very first to say that I am not an economics expert or even a well-scripted, quasi-informed, Palinesque, go-to person  on the economy.  That being said, I do have some thoughts on the latest Wall Street meltdown.

We currently have a system that allows very smart, mathematically inclined individuals to present completely theoretical algorithms to CEO’s in the pursuit of  approval to enact said algorithms with REAL money.

The common folks to whom Palin has been positioned to appeal would call these complex economic strategies GAMBLING.

Excuse me…they would call them gamblin’.

The current party has been a long-time advocate of zero regulation, which of course, has helped perpetuate the larger deals.

Now in the 11th hour of failed attempts to gain credit..the very group that is completely against regulation is now stepping in with $85 BILLION of our tax-payer dollars to bail out AIG.

OK, if I am correct in my thinking, this is a complete and utter contradiction. How can you be against regulation, but FOR government bail-out???

If they think that the government should step in, in an effort to save the larger economy from the potential fall-out, why not be pro-regulation in the first place??

Isn’t regulation just an opportunity for government to extend its hands just far enough that a bailout would never be necessary?

When a small, 250-person division of AIG, based in Wilton, CT can bring down the entire corporation, I have to imagine that someone was simply replacing the words “we’re gamblin, yeah baby” with “this is a moderate risk transaction, sir”

The ripple that the government seems inclined to contain is not an uncontrollable natural phenomenon..It’s the cold reality that debt is debt, no matter how complex the algorithm.  What better way to face the winds of change and propel economic leaders to prudent thinking then with the cold slap of the wave of reality?

Note to Republicans: PTO is not a resume builder! September 8, 2008

Thomas started Kindergarten last week, and aside from what you might imagine would be a typical new-parent’s pride in the transition to school, I can’t believe I found myself thinking of the Presidential candidates in a strange, parallel-universe -type-of-way.

Thursday was an orientation for parents to learn about the school’s curriculum and, you guessed it, meet the PTO.

After stopping by the various extracurricular tables covering the art programs, Quest, foreign language and PE, I made my way to the PTO stand. 

I was greeted warmly with a kind enthusiasm from two parent volunteers who were looking for new members.

Based on Palin’s current role as governor and VP candidate, I thought admittance to my PTO might be really challenging.

I worried that my nerves would get the better of me as these senior PTO officers began to push enrollment paperwork my way.  In addition to an annual fee of $10, I feared the type of questioning I would encounter.

Was I really ready to be a member?

I mentally prepped for a quiz on the religious and political sects in the Middle East.

My mind went blank as I tried to prepare for a dissertation on the current state of the economy…

What percentage of the federal discretionary budget was spent on the military versus earmarks???

I inhaled deeply as I prepared for their pending disapproval and rejection…

When I finally tuned in to what they were asking me I heard..

“We welcome everyone to the PTO here…Any skills are welcome.  Our biggest project is the annual party…”

My emotions were mixed as I realized that I felt a great sense of relief knowing that I really was qualified to help out…and I simultaneously felt nauseous as I thought about what the Republicans view as ‘leader-of-the-free-world-resume building”…

It’s not a diss to PTO members.  Dealing with difficult parents is probably challenging.  Dealing with the deadlines of annual fund raisers and activities requires a great deal of organization and commitment.

But I don’t think running the PTO qualifies as a step towards the White House in lieu of an advanced degree or any evidence of command of economic and foreign policy.  In fact running the PTO could possibly be so time-consuming that I’d bet Sarah Palin didn’t have any time to figure out the intricacies of globalization, the state of the environment, governing a pluralistic society, managing foreign policy or critically thinking about the economy.

In fact I think I might have to make time on the PTO secondary to helping to ensure that it’s Obama and Biden 2008..not McCain/Palin…