Politico

I just returned from Juneau after 2 days of training on AIMSWeb. I was prepared to dislike it- an assessment program mandated to certain low performing districts which was difficult to manage and did little to inform instruction. Okay- I was wrong. It isn't very difficult to manage- it just takes time to learn. And, it is designed to be a quick progress monitor- not diagnostic AND the new Math Concepts assessments are actually monitoring real math, not just computation. That's all about that.

Weather was typical all 3 days I was there; often rain and wind, but otherwise one or the other. It didn't put off the beautiful mountains and harbor though, so I managed to do some walking anyway. I stayed at the Goldbelt Hotel which was somewhat overpriced at $119 for government rate. My room had a view into the neighbor's windows and a exercise bicycle which I used while watching a Bill Cosby rerun.

On Friday, the governor, Sean Parnell, met with all Ed Dept employees for a few words of encouragement and some longevity awards. I took aside an assessment gal in an out-of-the-way place to grill about some protocols and who should walk by? No, not Citizen Palin, but Gov. Parnell. He looked right at me, expectantly. I stuttered a "thank you for coming to talk to us" like a kindergartner at a tea party, but, after all, I didn't have my speech writer there. He answered, "my pleasure" which was nicely said.

The plane ride home was uneventful in most respects. I should have gotten a partial refund for the JNU to ANC leg due to only being able to use part of my seat. The person next to me overlapped into my area. She was a loud talking, gum snapping, easily amused, People magazine reading, gal. I couldn't dislike her- she was way too friendly, but really...buy two seats! The luggage in Fairbanks was put out about 40 minutes late (at 1:45 am!), but I received 2500 air miles due to a 25 minute guarantee. That was an unexpected bonus. Also, my fellow AIMSWeb cohort were fun during waiting time....we had a few chuckles in between flights and said "hi" to others we knew.

Ben and I went to Sen. Mark Begich's health reform town hall meeting. It helped me understand a few issues and gelled some of my opinions.
So far, here is what I like:
* considering preventative health care, not just emergency or illness health care.
* opening up the federal employees health plan to anyone who wants to buy in.
* cracking down on fraud and waste in government funded health plans that already exist.
* expanding the age limit on insuring children up to 26 under their parents' plans.
* considering co-ops.
* health care is a basic human right (as is the right to exist without being hassled- even if you're homeless!)

Here are some other random thoughts:
* most of the opponents to health care reform are already covered- how selfish to not consider those less fortunate.
* if those holding signs were really against federal spending and socialist programs, they wouldn't apply for medicare, social security or any other subsidized programs. That would free up some money to pay for those not already eligible.
* the school district health committee discovered a physician's assistant program whereby they pay the salary of a PA. This PA can see covered employees for all routine and non-emergency care. It's saved a bundle. It seems like educating people on the range of possible caregivers would save insurance companies $$ which can slip down to us.

On-going questions
* what are the plans for the under and unemployed- mandating health insurance only works for people able to pay?
* what part of the Constitution permits a socialist medicine model? None, to my knowledge.
* why do doctors maintain the right to be millionaires? Why isn't their training subsidized so that paying for med school isn't an issue.
* there are so many groups (American Indian and Alaska Native, veterans, elderly [medicare], children in Alaska [Denali KidCare], disabled [medicaid], wards of the state) who already receive FREE (or already earned) health care, that it seems like those who are not eligible for any other care could form another category. As a group, they could get group health insurance paid for on a sliding income scale...and they could come in and out as their employment situation warranted. This other group might include underemployed, homeless and unemployed, students of uninsured parents, visiting foreigners, legal and illegal aliens.
Alaskans are less rowdy than other states or maybe it's too expensive to send up the Tea Party organizers.


Maybe we could "sponsor" an uninsured person if our insurance company would let us.


There was snow on the ground and coming down for my welcome home last night. Paul and Ben put in the new door and windows just in time. Picking potatoes soon.