RedEye's Year in Review Top 10 Countdown Part 1

I would like to wish readers, fans and foes, best wishes for a  healthy, peaceful,  and   Happy New Year.  May the upcoming year bring the change we all hope  for.  RedEye

Top 10 Countdown Part 1

10.  Dr. John L. Cashin, An American Hero

9.  Update~Let's talk about the history of New Century Technology High School

8.  New Education Policy Director to push for segregated schools

7.  The DoJ to Huntsville Schools-"Don't even think about it".

6.  The Huntsville City Schools Broad Civil Rights War

Monday Morning Talking Points

Considering the policies of the modern Republican Party, this is very true. Their main policy is to make the rich even richer at the expense of everyone else. Anyone who is not rich and still votes Republican is voting against their own interests -- and therefore is a sucker. H/T jobsanger

Speaking of Suckers, why is New Century Technology High School merging with Lee High School in the first darn place? It has come to my attention - the concept of a "technology" high school in Research Park was long before Edith Washington Humphrey got involved.

The original concept was that the technology high school would be open to any student in the city school system. Research Park businesses would provide mentoring and guidance. In addition, students from the neighborhood areas surrounding the school would also be allowed to attend but could opt for a regular high school curriculum. But several years passed and by the time the facility was constructed the surrounding area saw a substantial increase in residential development and the technology aspect was smothered (along with unnecessary attendance line rezoning out of Butler helped to put it out of kilter). Technology suffered in favor of residential developers. Now with it being relocated out of Research Park it is being pushed aside again in favor of residential developers. It appears that no one on the school board or city council has any knowledge of long term planning or the value of a stand alone technology education facility in a technology environment??? (But they are good with their rubber stamps!)

Which begs to question why the technology high school is being relocated from Research Park? If anyone should be marching, singing and protesting it should be the New Century Technology students/parents and community leaders. They were promised a school building. The school system told the DoJ they were going to have a school building located in research park and it would be a school of choice/magnet school. Why did they give the DoJ this *ahem* information you ask? Because the desegregation order says HCS can't build any new schools in majority white portions of the city.

"the path to less mo" (as in Mo Brooks) via caterwaul via Left in Alabama

-Identify a highly qualified candidate with education and experience that would qualify them for national office. Special attention paid to working well with others and the ability to compromise. Does not have to have political experience, in fact none might be preferable.

-Clean. No skeletons in the closet, no dirt to be smeared with.

-Centrist with a centrist record. In this political climate and this district a leftist cannot win.

-If such a person could be found and gave any encouragement at all to the possibility of serving, I would volunteer time and money to the effort. I also have access to marketing/communication, and fund raising expertise.


-I envision this to be an internet based effort which would require less money and in which my expert is well versed.

I have not been involved in politics for 20 years, therefore would appreciate any suggestions on possible candidates that meet my criteria, and also other websites that might be receptive to my proposal.

I cannot get a sense of dissatisfaction among the general electorate concerning Mo Brooks. Any suggestions?

Thank goodness I have my own blog since I'm banned from commenting at LiA so I can respond and offer suggestions.

First of all, I guess it depends on who your definition of the general electorate IS. Hang out at LiA, and RedEye's Front page and you'll get a sense of plenty dissatisfaction (for lack of a better word) with Mo. My sources tell me even the republicans are dissatisfied with Mo. As a matter of fact, the only ones not dissatisfied with Mo are the TeaBaggers.

Secondly, the centrist, compromising, candidate sounds a lot like republican lite, which is what got us in this mess in the first place. And there is no such thing as a "clean" candidate because candidates are human beings and they make mistakes. Ask Herman Cain. If a candidate has made a mistake come clean with the public and they will understand and forgive him/her. Ask David Vitter, Larry Craig and Newt Gingrich to name a few.

By your logic the majority of the voters, not to be confused with the majority of the people, in AL CD 05 are right wing, republican, suckers. Which may have been true in the past, but I think most are waking up and smelling the coffee.

It's not the path to less mo, it's the path to MO has got to GO!

Mack Lyons has arrived! Congratulations being named Blog I'm Feeling!

Update~Let's talk about the history of New Century Technology High School

Update:  Mack Lyons and Geek Palaver  blog on this subject, and more.

With all the talk of the history and heritage of Lee High School, the history and heritage of New Century Technology High School is unheard.

New Century Technology High School  is the brain child of former and founding principal Edith Washington Humphrey

New Century offers all the core curriculum that the other Huntsville high schools offer including advanced classes and advanced placement classes for seniors. In addition, students attending NCTHS take at least two technology electives per year. These classes provide students with knowledge and hands-on experience in their chosen technological career field.

Here's the rub , New Century is a magnet program/ choice school... as such, you can live anywhere in the HCS district in order to be eligible to apply for admission, but admission is not guaranteed. New Century does not have a specific zone.

New Century started out on Wynn Drive Campus of Calhoun Community College which was supposed to be a temporary home until it got it's own building, which never materialized because city leaders built Colombia High School instead. Stay with me.

The school system is under a DoJ desegregation order, which means they have to have DoJ approval before new schools are built/opened. In order to get clearance the school system led the DoJ to believe Colombia would be New Century...a school of choice.

HUNTSVILLE, AL -- Five years ago, when New Century Technology High School switched locations, school leaders figured the move wouldn't be permanent.
Now, because of crowding at the shared Columbia High School campus, the city school board is talking about finding New Century a new home, but it's uncertain where.
New Century, whose students take high-tech classes in preparation for a tech-centered career, has about 300 students. The campus, nestled in Cummings Research Park, serves 957 students in a building designed for 800. School leaders expect Columbia will grow along with development in west Huntsville.

No, school leaders used New Century Technology school to build a new school for those parents who did not want to send their students to Butler High School

Butler High School is shrinking, but not because families are moving out of town.
Instead, this summer Butler High School saw roughly one in five students approved to transfer to another school. With just 622 students now, Butler fills about 30 percent of its available space.

al.com commenter jaguarblue keeps it real

That great sucking sound of students leaving was created by a school board some years ago to appease the Generals of Redstone Arsenal. They said that opening Columbia would have no affect on Butler, Dah! It only took common sense to know that the inevitable would happen. Go figure, Its a longer bus ride from Redstone to Columbia than to Butler. Even still Westlawn Middle is essentially right outside of the gates of the Arsenal and the middle schoolers of Redstone are bused to Williams Middle which is a longer ride, not to forget that Morris Elementary is just around the corner along with Ridgecrest. Thanks goes out to Loretta Spencer, Glenn Watson, and our school board officials at that time, some whom still serve.

There shouldn't be a merger between New Century and Lee High. Colombia should be New Century.

No, everyone complaining about Lee's loss of identity is ignoring the fact that New Century has a stellar reputation and has never been anything but USED by the former superintendent. New Century has to lose the only thing it has, it's name, and your suggesting New Lee High is an insult to them.

It is insulting at best, duplicitous at worst. New Century Technology High School should be a shining example of educational, innovation, diversity and progress,not treated like the step child at the family reunion. We need more NCTHS and fewer Lee High Schools.