Author: Robert I. Grundfest

I am a teacher, writer, voice-over artist and rationally opinionated observer of American and international society. While my job is to entertain and engage, my purpose is always to start a conversation.

On Education: Can’t See the Forest for the Bushes

AFP PHOTO/Saul LOEB Remember the education president? That would be George H.W. Bush, who promised that he would focus on improving schools so that the United States would be number one in educating its children for the new millennium. His Goals 2000: Educate America Act had terrific political nuggets such as: All children in America… Continue reading On Education: Can’t See the Forest for the Bushes

Elected, Perchance to Govern?

Mitch McConnell, moderate. I thought I’d never see that characterization, but after last week’s embarrassing, incompetent, dangerous gambit the House Republicans played, he’s looking like the only GOP adult in the room. John Boehner seems to have lost his caucus and is now dependent on the far right to dictate what gets done in the… Continue reading Elected, Perchance to Govern?

Christie Tells It Like It’s Not

It’s getting a bit too easy finding contradictions and hypocritical statements in what Governor Chris Christie is saying these days. That must mean he’s running for president. On his signature issue, pension and benefit reform, the governor went back on his promise to make a full payment for 2014, and his administration even argued in… Continue reading Christie Tells It Like It’s Not

The Best and Brightest Have Let Us Down

I get very tired very quickly when I hear that we need the best and brightest to become classroom teachers in the United States. For one, it’s incredibly insulting because it assumes that the teachers we have now in public schools are somehow subpar, which is not true. Further, it also assumes that the elite… Continue reading The Best and Brightest Have Let Us Down

PARCC Storm II: Sunshine Peeks Through

Another week, and more snow is expected in the northeast. There’s more over the PARCC testing storm as well, but this time, there is a ray of sane sunshine. Here in New Jersey, State Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-Middlesex), chairman of the Assembly’s education committee, has introduced a bill that would detail a procedure for… Continue reading PARCC Storm II: Sunshine Peeks Through

Salting the PARCCing Lot

Educators, are you getting excited? No, not about the next snowstorm, which looks like a whopper, but about the PARCC tests? You’d better be, because they are on the way and the impact will be measurable and unpredictable. For those non-educators, the PARCC tests are the standardized tests that students in grades 3-11 will take… Continue reading Salting the PARCCing Lot

The Latest GOP Swimsuit Competition

My apologies if the image of Chris Christie in a swimsuit finds you eating a meal while reading this. It’s one of the hardships of the blogging trade, I know. As mid-January hurries into late-January (a month of Mondays if there ever was one), we find ourselves confronted with news from the right side of… Continue reading The Latest GOP Swimsuit Competition

Christie Back From Dallas. Why Is Everyone Else Leaving?

Photo: REUTERS/Carlo Allegri As if the Cowboy kerfuffle wasn’t enough of a distraction for the governor, along comes another story where ‘Boys owner Jerry Jones condescends to Christie’s fandom by saying that having Christie in the owner’s box is payback for when the not-governor was too poor to pay for parking. Jones also said that… Continue reading Christie Back From Dallas. Why Is Everyone Else Leaving?

The Pendulum Swings Both Ways

  It took about 35 years, but the Republican Party is just where it wants to be. They have a Congressional majority and are flush with the optimism of a political movement that they believe has broad popular support. They are looking forward to perhaps winning the presidency in 2016 and finally being able to… Continue reading The Pendulum Swings Both Ways

Barack: Hack Attack Lacks Tact, but Raoul Is Cool

As I said before, it really doesn’t feel like the holidays, and with the events of the past week I would guess that others are wondering where the spirit went. Or when it’s really going to arrive. The Sony hacking is certainly a wake-up call for anyone who doubts the severity of our online, privacy-free,… Continue reading Barack: Hack Attack Lacks Tact, but Raoul Is Cool