BIG FAIL [again] in Arizona Education

Lot of talk and promises about being Mesa being "a leading center in innovation" and "The New American University" [ASU is ranked #31 in pubic institutions-see previous post] and going after "high-pay and high-tech jobs" but the data, facts and report studies strongly point to a basic failure to achieve educational goals time and time again.
Sorry, dear readers for another "downer" dear readers, but on the education front some things are definitely down.
An article from Cronkite News appearing yesterday and the day before was quoting a spokesperson saying "We want Arizona to be at the top of these lists . . ."  and that the State is already working on these high-stake challenges". Huh?

Let's get real: wanting does not equate with wish-fulfillment - clearly the rhetoric does not fit the facts and statistics from many sources.
Likewise, unsupported defense and denial for student failure by public education in Arizona does not solve a very serious problem, brought to attention again by yet a national report card released on Tuesday by the Network for Public Education that included the infographic to the right.
Does it soothe any discomfort or pain or hard recognition of the facts for Cronkite News reporter Danika Washington to say that Arizona is one of six states failing?



While this is the most recent report that so-called education advocates have been hit with naming it "a call to action", apparently nobody or few are listening to calls - or facts - time and time again here in Arizona.
The infographic to the left is taken from a piece called
Leaders and Laggards:
A State-by-State Report Card
on Public Postsecondary Education

Why This Report?

#1 It's from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Projections of labor market demand show that two-thirds of all jobs will require some postsecondary education by 2018; however, given today’s disappointing levels of higher education productivity, labor economists estimate that the United States will fall 7 million degrees short. While American employers increasingly struggle to find the talent they need to grow our economy, our youngest workers rank a disappointing 15th out of 34 industrialized countries in the percentage with a college diploma.
https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/reportcard/
In measuring academic achievements these categories are used for evaluation:
Academic Achievement of Low-Income and Minority Students
Return on Investment ROI
Truth in Advertising About Student Proficiency
Rigor of Standards
Post-Secondary and Workforce-Readiness
21st Century Teaching Force
Flexibility in Management & Policy
Data Quality
Arizona is 10th from the bottom of the list

Mesa 11 Live Stream STATE OF THE CITY 2016

 A slick and over-produced montage with the mayor running into the ballroom at Mesa Convention Center . . "I may look stupid, but ...." . . . . "things are great . . . getting better"  . . . .  . if we can engage with one another ... presented by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce.

Props and characters used in the mayor's performance:
The mayor and The Sun Devils Mascot
[what's that old metaphor? ...
judged by the company we keep]

Here's a link if you want to watch later >> hit the play arrow on the screen

Mesa Sets The Stage > Transformation in New Urban DTMesa Underway

Another well-written article about Mesa that appeared reporting on the recent SWTA Conference that wrapped up here two days ago at the Mesa Convention Center.
One thing that is nice to see is that Mesa Mayor John Giles can admit he was wrong . . .
Mesa Mayor John Giles said when the light rail line was proposed he was highly skeptical, saying it was just bringing a “Disneyland ride to a ghost town,” in downtown Mesa. But now that it’s open and bumped up the line’s monthly ridership from 90,000 to 180,000 and seeing all the life it brought into the area, he’s glad to admit he was wrong.
“I can’t think of anything else that I’ve been so delighted to be so wrong about,” he said.

 

That honest admission included by Joe Petrie On Feb 2, 2016 appeared in MassTransitMag 

Mesa Sets the Stage for Freedom Through Transit

The SWTA annual meeting brought together hundreds of transit professionals and vendors from nine states within the region to find ways to better their systems and find best practices to improve efficiency and safety in their communities. 
Coming into downtown Mesa down Main Street, you can see a transformation underway.
Getting off the Main/Center platform of the Valley Metro Light Rail Central Mesa Extension Joe Petrie noticed Main looks different than other areas of Mesa with its new light rail line moving people down the corridor while other roads are wide boulevards designed solely for car traffic and only a few winding sidewalks going past them. 
Downtown Mesa also saw its first new residential developments in downtown Mesa in 30 years. [Blogger's note: that's Encore On First at 25 West First Avenue].
Mesa is a standard example of most communities located in the south and west of the U.S., and its change made it a strong host for the 2016 South West Transit Association (SWTA) annual meeting.

While data from many sources shows that less than 10% of the population use public transportation, nonethess The conference is themed “Freedom Through Transit,” as transit officials show ways they improve communities and free people from their cars.
Though transit is chided by detractors as stealing freedom, panelist at the opening session said true multimodal systems give freedom because it gives everyone choices on how they move.
Scott Smith, who officially took over as interim CEO of Valley Metro Feb. 1, and is the former mayor of Mesa, said when planning the initial freeways in the valley in the 1980s transit was very politically unpopular in the region, but that sentiment of lost freedom from transit is waning as the argument if fixed guideway rail causes issues because it can’t be moved.
“Last time I checked, when they were planning the freeways they also weren’t planning on moving it either,” he said.
Maria Hyatt, public transit director for the city of Phoenix, said the addition of light rail in the area has been very effective in moving people and building development.
“Light rail is the best running bus system,” she said. “Light rail can move four times the people that our busiest bus routes can.”

Here's the clincher take-away from Joe Petrie's report
And with the success of the initial system, leaders said they’re seeing residents embrace projects including groups that would normally oppose such a project.
. . . projects like more affordable housing that's transit-oriented development and form-based zoning to support Creative Peacemaking?

News from London: Cross-Border Research Collaborations/Online Course Delivery PLuS Alliance

Press Release
https://asunow.asu.edu/plus-alliance-partnership-announced-to-address-global-challenges
New international university alliance to address global challenges with cross-border research in health, sustainability, social justice and innovation
London - Arizona State University, King’s College London and UNSW Australia have come together to form the PLuS Alliance, a new partnership to help find research-led solutions to global challenges and expand access to world-class learning. Combining the cutting-edge research capabilities and innovative education approach of three universities in different parts of the world, the PLuS Alliance will undertake cross-border research collaborations to address significant issues related to health, social justice, sustainability and innovation.

The research will be supported with a suite of related learning programs to be delivered online. 

"Key to solving the challenges facing humankind will be greater access to education so that talented men and women around the world can acquire the training and knowledge needed to join a workforce that operates across cultures and borders," said Dr. Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University.
“The PLuS Alliance will deliver an exceptional international learning experience that builds on our established record of innovative online course delivery.”

Yours truly is not so sure a out that "established record" - one source has this metric showing that online course enrollment has actually declined.
ASU is a public flagship metropolitan research university located on five campuses across the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. A sixth campus located in northwestern Arizona is known as the ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City.

ASU is the largest public university by enrollment in the United States.
Since 2005 ASU has been ranked among the top research universities, public and private, in the U.S. based on research output, innovation, development, research expenditures, number of awarded patents and awarded research grant proposals.
The Center for Measuring University Performance currently ranks ASU 31st among top U.S. public research universities Source >> Schoolinforme

The international partnership will collaborate on projects to make world class education and research accessible locally, helping communities globally make a direct and positive impact. 
PLuS ALLIANCE PROGRAMS More than 20 programs will be available to start from Fall 2016. Degrees to be offered through PLuS Alliance universities will initially include:

• BA/BS in: Sustainability, Global Health, Community Health, Whole Person Care, Business, and Global Logistics Management
• Masters in: Science of Healthcare Delivery, Infectious Diseases Intelligence, and Sustainability Leadership

#SOTC2016 > Limited Tickets Still Available + Live Broadcast @ 08:00 Thu 04 Feb

Limited tickets available for Mayor John Giles’ State of the City Breakfast

Post Date: 02/03/2016 9:51 AM

There are just a few tickets left for Mayor John Giles’ State of the City Breakfast tomorrow morning at the Mesa Convention Center, 201 N. Center St.
Join us from 7 a.m. – 9 a.m. for networking, breakfast and Mayor Giles’ annual message. The State of the City Breakfast is presented by the Mesa Chamber of Commerce and tickets can be purchased online at www.mesachamber.org/events.

If you miss out on purchasing tickets tune in to Mesa Channel 11 or www.mesa11.com/live where it will be broadcast live at 8 a.m.
After the live broadcast, the program will be posted online at www.mesaaz.gov/stateofthecity and rebroadcast on Mesa Channel 11. Look for program listings at http://mesa11.com/schedule.
Mayor Giles will take the stage to highlight some of Mesa’s successes in 2015 and talk about his goals for 2016. His State of the City topics will include economic development, prosperity and education. Comments and questions right after his talk
Mayor Giles is encouraging residents to share their thoughts on social media. Use the hashtags #NextMesa and #SOTC2016 on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram. 
All media are encouraged to attend. RSVP to melissa.randazzo@mesaaz.gov for details.

-30-

Mayor’s Office
Contact: Melissa Randazzo
Tel. 480-644-3219
melissa.randazzo@mesaaz.gov

Cronkite News Puts Boeing On The Radar > Aerospace & Defense Spending in Arizona

The article and link here with a video published yesterday starts off like this:
How the aerospace industry impacts Arizona’s economy
By Audrey Weil | Cronkite News | POSTED: Feb 1, 2016                                
MESA – The world’s premier attack helicopter is made only in Mesa, and it’s one of the many reasons Arizona ranks fourth in the nation in employment for aerospace and defense manufacturing.
Boeing also manufactures on the assembly-line in Pennsylvania the Chinook CH-47F [see post yesterday]

"Even though, they’re working here in Mesa, Arizona, they’re making a difference in Afghanistan, they’re making a difference in Saudi Arabia, they’re making a difference in Asia Pacific,” Director of Global Sales and Marketing for Boeing Attack Helicopter Programs Mark Ballew said.
[shown herein image from Defense Helicopter to the right at a ceremony in Fort Hood TX celebrating the return from Iraq by the Blackcats of B/2-227 Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade. Deployed to Iraq in 2009 and 2010, as one of the first Army units equipped with the CH-47F Chinook, the Blackcats flew more than 10,000 hours, seven thousand of which were flown under night vision goggles, moved in excess of one million pounds of cargo and transported 50,000 troops during its deployment.]
Boeing along with MD Helicopters and other aerospace/defense/tech industries is located at Falcon Field, newly "re-branded" by the City of Mesa as a powerhouse accelerator for the local economy joining the PHX Mesa Gateway for industrial high-tech and residential development. 
Here's a link to the 2:49 YouTube video included in the report - just touch the arrow on the screenshot to play forward


On-air reporter Jackie Padilla follows the script written by Audrey Weil using one source: "According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, Arizona trails only California, Washington and Texas in employment for aerospace and defense manufacturing. Boeing, one of the state’s major defense contractors, has been producing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters in Mesa since the early 80’s.

Here's a link to another YouTube video about how Apache AH-64s cleared the way to start Operation Desert Storm back on 07 Aug 1990. It was not uploaded or published until 21 May 2015.

Why Cronkite News chooses to make Boeing a feature yesterday is interesting - there are many posts here about Boeing. Another example of reporters being "spoon-fed" what stories to write? . . . mebbe

 

Much Ado About Mulch > Edible Landscaping Class @ MUG Sat 20 Feb



Did you know?

In the original one-square mile pioneer property layout plans for the City of Mesa were 1.25-acre plots to encourage urban farming? .... well, what happened to that?

The idea has new growth sprouting again in the "food desert" downtown Mesa become; however take heart, dear readers.

Three years ago, certain individuals in the group RAIL  took action to establish and cultivate an empty area of ground on First Avenue calling it the Mesa Urban Garden, a New Urban DTMesa "infill project" for a community garden where people can dig in the fertile earth to plant and grow their own food.

There's still room to grow here. . . come and find out.

You are invited to an on-location outdoor class to be given by The Herb Lady Catherine who's considered an expert in Edible Landscaping in the desert. The lecture takes place in about two weeks - plenty of time to plan ahead on your calendar.

1:30 - 2:30 Sat 20 Feb 2016

212 East First Avenue [Hilbert/Mesa Drive]

 

At the same time it's important to support those those who grow, produce and sell local products and retail goods in the new urban Downtown Mesa-  that means go and buy fresh local produce - it's only available downtown one day a week! - THAT'S ALWAYS ON FRIDAY IN THE PARKING LOT NEXT TO CITY HALL ON MAIN STREET - Arizona cheese, colorful organic eggs from a guy who raises chickens downtown, bodacious and crusty breads from Proof Bakery, Big Burritos, salsas and maybe Catherine The Herb Lady . .
Sign-Ups to rent your own garden plot  on an annual basis are available right now for the spring growing season.

Please feel free to visit MUG any time to see what raised garden areas are available to dig in mostly organic soils for planting. Bring a friend. Bring your kids.

Irrigation hook-ups connect with your own garden of delights. You might be more motivated to get into urban gardening than what you need-to-know. 

To meet the growing interest to learn more about gardening, Catherine "The Herb Lady" has offered to share her 30+ years of Trowel-and-Error experience.

Spring is only two weeks away . . .

 

<< More information in flyer to the right

[click to enlarge]

 

 

 

THINK GREEN

Get to know all about MUG

http://www.mesaurbangarden.com/