Mark S. Mishler Albany, March 12, 2009 The writer is co-president of the Albany City P.T.A. To the Editor: After reading your editorial "Ending the 'Race to the Bottom,' " and hearing President Obama's proposals for fixing America's public schools, I have a suggestion, a question and a challenge for our decision makers.
Everyone we encounter has a suggestion, a question, or a critique.
As Ms. Griffiths prowled around the stage of the rehearsal room, Mr. Mantello would step over with a smile and whisper a suggestion here, a question there.
One suggestion for a question that could be included on any practical element of a revised test: "What steps could the educational testing industry take to ensure the integrity of all of its members without reducing competition?
The lawyer, Tamara Brady, made the suggestion in a question to Mr. Holmes's psychiatrist, Dr. Lynne Fenton, referring to a telephone number for the hospital switchboard and asking, "Do you know whether James Holmes called that number nine minutes before the shooting started?" Dr. Fenton said she did not know.
Taking suggestions for a question from the children, he chose, "What is a stool?" A young woman from the casting agency said: "A stool is a piece of furniture that has four legs and usually is taller than a chair.
⎫ A ping pong or pool table ⎫ Free snacks ⎫ Impromptu pizza round table Fridays ⎫ A Secret Santa ⎫ A chess set that is always in play ⎫ A board where they can post suggestions ⎫ A question a day from management that people can write answers to anonymously ⎫ An afternoon in the park with old fashioned three legged races and lots of corny games and balloons ⎫ A free concert on site.
Indeed, it was the second suggestion on a question-and-answer sheet produced by the government and provided to state and territory governments to help it explain its new position.
Another constructive suggestion was that a question be added addressing whether the level of involvement is burdensome, too little or about right.
They ranged from the "hmm" to the blatant to the eye-wateringly awful: I recall once the suggestion that I ask a question of another team, in a very airy and innocent manner, hair-twirling and all, to try and get a more favourable answer than previously.
I must learn to count to three before responding to a question or suggestion to show I'm thinking, to use silence to defuse situations and to spend 20% of my working day networking, to be "moderate" in my choice of clothes and body language, develop an "amiable smile", keep calm, recognise emotions in myself and others but not be "sentimental".
