Tennessee getting ready to throw poor students under the bus.

[Bruno]

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20130404/NEWS0201/304040068/TN-bill-linking-welfare-benefits-grades-passes-House-committee

After a lengthy and passionate debate, a House committee on Wednesday approved legislation that would reduce welfare benefits for families whose children are failing school.

The House Health Committee voted 10-8 in favor of House Bill 261. The measure would cut Temporary Assistance for Needy Families payments if a child fails a grade and a parent does not take an action such as attending two parent-teacher conferences, arranging tutoring, enrolling the child in summer school or taking a parenting class.

TANF payments would be reduced to the child-only grant, about $140 for a family with one child.

This bill was sponsored by Stacey Campfield, the Tennessee state senator known for this gem of a comment on AIDS:

"most people realize that AIDS came from the homosexual community – it was one guy screwing a monkey, if I recall correctly, and then having sex with men. It was an airline pilot, if I recall.... My understanding is that it is virtually – not completely, but virtually – impossible to contract AIDS through heterosexual sex...very rarely [transmitted]."[29][30] He later quoted the odds of heterosexual vaginal transmission at 1 in 5 million.

Also, the "Don't Say Gay" bill which would have banned schools from even mentioning homosexuality, and another bill that would have required teachers to report to parents if a student revealed to them that they were gay. Fortunately, both of those bills failed.

Somebody at least had the sense to add an amendment that would exempt families who attend at least two parent-teacher conferences a year, enroll their child in a tutoring program, enroll a failing child in summer school, or if the student has a learning disability, but that wasn't Campfield's idea.

They're just trying to help, though, of course.

I can't stress enough how my heart goes out for a child that is not getting the support that he needs at home," said state Rep. Barry Doss, R-Leoma. "But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because if these children don't get an education and the parents are not going to be responsible enough, they're going to be burdened for a lifetime.

[navkat]

WooooooWooooooo!

ALL ABOARD THE BOO-BOO BUS!

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I can't stress enough how my heart goes out for a child that is not getting the support that he needs at home," said state Rep. Barry Doss, R-Leoma. "But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because if these children don't get an education and the parents are not going to be responsible enough, they're going to be burdened for a lifetime.

But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because

But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because

But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because

[The Good Reverend Roger]

WooooooWooooooo!

ALL ABOARD THE BOO-BOO BUS!

"I'm late."

"Yeah, get on the bus."

"You said you'd fire me if I was late again."

"We're too busy.  Get on the bus."

"YOU PROMISED YOU'D FIRE ME."

"I'll fire you next week, get on the bus."

[navkat]

I just snarfed e-juice out my nose in the Student Union.

Now the Magic Card players are looking at me.

[Cain]

Fortunately, after a few days, you don't really have to worry about the child starving anymore.

[The Good Reverend Roger]

I just snarfed e-juice out my nose in the Student Union.

Now the Magic Card players are looking at me.

I assume you caught the reference?

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Fortunately, after a few days, you don't really have to worry about the child starving anymore.

Yeah.

Well, I'm just glad to live in the BEST NATION ON EARTH.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

I can't stress enough how my heart goes out for a child that is not getting the support that he needs at home," said state Rep. Barry Doss, R-Leoma. "But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because if these children don't get an education and the parents are not going to be responsible enough, they're going to be burdened for a lifetime.

But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because

But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because

But I am more concerned about the child starving for a lifetime than I am for a few days, because

STOP THE FUCKING PLANET AND LET ME OFF. NOW.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Awesome. God Bless America.

[tyrannosaurus vex]

There's no HA HA left in my HAW HAW

[McGrupp]

I posted the OP article on facebook and now I'm arguing with someone who thinks its a fine idea because they can jump through hoops to avoid losing the aid. If it's the irresponsible parents fault their child is failing what makes you think they'll be responsible enough to attend parent teacher conferences and set up tutoring!

On the plus side the argument made me think about how little I know about how welfare works. I realize posting this here is like pointing out that water is wet, but an interesting article pointing out welfare myths: http://dailynewsfinder.com/2012/11/21/facts-and-myths-about-welfare/

[The Johnny]

Before i start, i state clearly the 4 options for the continuement of the money support:

a) Parent attending two parent-teacher conferences
b) Arranging tutoring for the child
c) Enrolling the child in summer school
d) (Parent) taking a parenting class.

Let that sink in for a moment before you read further:

In my bachelor's degree thesis (270 pages including the interviews) what teachers mostly spoke of the reasons behind the existance of "bad students" remitted to family: parents don't spend enough time with their children, parents are teaching the wrong values, parents are lazy and don't provide enough money to nurture, parents are abusive, etc., while also turning a blind eye to their own blame in the process and turning a blind eye to the systemic failures of the educational system.

B and C are fine options, because they give academic support for the child.

A and D underlyingly say "You are a bad parent, and you should feel bad about it, we are going to teach you the right values so you can teach them respectively to your child". And that is 50% of the options.

Cain, if you by any chance have access to the database of the failed forum, i request a repost of the thread i made there about my findings in my thesis that i shared, since its a topic that has been touched upon recently here.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'm on food stamps and it would seriously make everything worse for all of us if I had to take time out of my classes so that I could meet with my son's teacher about the fact that the homework they assign is boring, redundant makework and that the way they grade means that even if he gets an A on every test because he knows the material inside and out (he does), they will still fail him if he doesn't turn in the homework, and that the only reason I'm making him go to at all is because his father won't let me unschool him until it's time to send him to college.

[Anna Mae Bollocks]

There's no HA HA left in my HAW HAW

Plenty of HEE HAW, though.