Plano is such a great community. This Sunday I hopped into my car, scooted a little way down the road, and was inside the Angelika Plano very quickly. I was able to see the guitar documentary It Might Get Loud, which my friends in other towns cannot see because it is in limited release.
For a guitar buff, the show was a small slice of heaven. Then I step outside and find a good band playing rock in the street. I've heard many bands at the Shops at Legacy, but this one made me stop and listen until they took a break. The local band's name is Aquz and if I want to listen to live music, the first thing I'll do is check their schedule.
What a great night! Astounding music in the theater, good live music waiting for me outside, and all just a few minutes from my home. I love Plano!
I do want to mention Plano is surrounded by other great communities: Frisco, Allen, and Richardson. I was in the Half-Price Bookstore in Frisco recently and found "Consequences of Pragmatism" by Richard Rorty on the shelves. It has an essay, "The World Well Lost," that I've been curious to read. After reading the essay I thought, "this is not a common book, where did it come from?" I looked at the book mark that had been left in the book and saw: "The Concord Bookshop, 65 Main Street, Concord, Massachusetts"
How nice that a book can find its way from Concord, Massachusetts to my home in Plano via a shop in Frisco.
Plano, Frisco, Allen, and Richardson are great places to live!
Robert Canright
Monday, September 21, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
TAKS Scores Make Sales: Hebron and West
I met a gentleman on the way to Texas Tech recently. We were both taking a child to Lubbock for the freshman year at Tech. He was moving his family to North Texas from Houston and chose his house location based on TAKS results. This is a wise choice.
He found that Hebron High School was ranked Exemplary by the TEA while Plano West was ranked Recognized, so he purchased a home in the Hebron attendance zone. Plano lost a home sale because of TAKS scores!
Hebron High School is a fine school. I have had an opportunity some years ago to visit it and was impressed, but I noticed then that it did not match up to Plano West. But now it truly is ranked Exemplary. Here are the ratings over the years.
You will notice that Plano West has been Recognized 67% of the time and Acceptable 33% of the time. Hebron has been Expemplary 17% of the time and Acceptable 83% of the time, but now is Hebron's time to shine!
Healthy competition makes us stronger. I hope the Plano ISD can study what Hebron H.S. did to move up to Exemplary and make similarly effective improvements.
Robert Canright
PS
You can go to this webpage and click on links to all the TAKS results, 2004 through 2009. Look for the section entitled, "The TAKS: Viewing School Results".
One needs to study the TEA report details to see if the TAKS scores alone make the difference between Exemplary and Recognized, or if other factors are responsible. The data is available online for anyone wishing to study the details.
He found that Hebron High School was ranked Exemplary by the TEA while Plano West was ranked Recognized, so he purchased a home in the Hebron attendance zone. Plano lost a home sale because of TAKS scores!
Hebron High School is a fine school. I have had an opportunity some years ago to visit it and was impressed, but I noticed then that it did not match up to Plano West. But now it truly is ranked Exemplary. Here are the ratings over the years.
You will notice that Plano West has been Recognized 67% of the time and Acceptable 33% of the time. Hebron has been Expemplary 17% of the time and Acceptable 83% of the time, but now is Hebron's time to shine!
Healthy competition makes us stronger. I hope the Plano ISD can study what Hebron H.S. did to move up to Exemplary and make similarly effective improvements.
Robert Canright
PS
You can go to this webpage and click on links to all the TAKS results, 2004 through 2009. Look for the section entitled, "The TAKS: Viewing School Results".
One needs to study the TEA report details to see if the TAKS scores alone make the difference between Exemplary and Recognized, or if other factors are responsible. The data is available online for anyone wishing to study the details.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
UT Does Not Want Plano's Best?
The Wall Street Journal ran "University of Texas Drops Merit Program for Need-Based Aid" by Tom Benning in the Wednesday Sept. 2, 2009 issue. The article says the University of Texas, Austin, is phasing out its National Merit Scholarship program starting next year.
Plano has a large number of National Merit Scholarship winners. Plano had 128 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists in 2008. This means that UT does not want Plano's best students. I believe discouraging the brightest students from going to UT will drive down further the SAT scores at UT Austin. We have already seen the SAT scores for Math at UT Dallas surpass the Math scores at UT Austin.
UT's loss will be a gain for UT Dallas, Texas Tech University, and the universities at neighboring states. However, we need to be strengthening UT to raise it as a world class university, not driving it down.
Robert Canright
Plano has a large number of National Merit Scholarship winners. Plano had 128 National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists in 2008. This means that UT does not want Plano's best students. I believe discouraging the brightest students from going to UT will drive down further the SAT scores at UT Austin. We have already seen the SAT scores for Math at UT Dallas surpass the Math scores at UT Austin.
UT's loss will be a gain for UT Dallas, Texas Tech University, and the universities at neighboring states. However, we need to be strengthening UT to raise it as a world class university, not driving it down.
Robert Canright
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Pledge to Justice
During the Summer of 2009, a young man visiting Dallas from California was assaulted coming out of a Rascal Flatts concert at Fair Park and put in a coma. Next, a graduate of Plano West Senior High was accused of being the assailant. I was so sad to hear someone from Plano be accused of this crime.
I have suggested for years that the Plano ISD adopt the Pledge to Justice, reciting it after the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
If we had drilled these simple principles into all our students in elementary school over the years, perhaps that assault at Fair Park would not have happened.
We Plano parents can use the Pledge to Justice with our children. Even if the schools use it daily, parents need to use it as well to emphasize its importance. We Plano parents should tell our children we live by this standard and we expect them to do so as well.
Robert Canright
I have suggested for years that the Plano ISD adopt the Pledge to Justice, reciting it after the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.
The Pledge to Justice
We do not steal, we do not cheat, and we do not hurt other people.
We are people of integrity, competence, and compassion.
We do not steal, we do not cheat, and we do not hurt other people.
We are people of integrity, competence, and compassion.
If we had drilled these simple principles into all our students in elementary school over the years, perhaps that assault at Fair Park would not have happened.
We Plano parents can use the Pledge to Justice with our children. Even if the schools use it daily, parents need to use it as well to emphasize its importance. We Plano parents should tell our children we live by this standard and we expect them to do so as well.
Robert Canright
Monday, April 27, 2009
Plano Senior High Debaters Second in Global Contest
Congratulations to Plano Senior High debaters Crystal Xia, Gursimran Singh, and Javed Laljiani for taking second in a global debating competition held in New York City, at New York University.
Kudos to their coach Cheryl Potts. You can read the details in this press release.
Plano is a great community with talented students, teachers, and coaches.
Our thanks to Bickel & Brewer for making this experience possible for our children.
Robert Canright
Kudos to their coach Cheryl Potts. You can read the details in this press release.
Plano is a great community with talented students, teachers, and coaches.
Our thanks to Bickel & Brewer for making this experience possible for our children.
Robert Canright
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Plano Debaters Advance to Final Four!
I had mentioned earlier how wonderful it was that Plano Senior High debaters had advanced to the "Sweet 16" round of the Bickel & Brewer/New York University National Public Policy Forum.
Our kids are in New York right now, this weekend, April 17 to 19, competing in the final four. Here is a press release describing the event. Isn't this fantastic!?
I've said before that we should rear up our children as though each might become President of the USA. Here is a link to my blog post on a speech writing project to support our children who might run for President one day.
It is great that the Bickel & Brewer Foundation supports the National Public Policy Forum (NPPF).
I love Plano. It's a great community. That is why I run for the Plano school board, because I love Plano and want our schools to give our children the best education they can get.
Robert Canright
Our kids are in New York right now, this weekend, April 17 to 19, competing in the final four. Here is a press release describing the event. Isn't this fantastic!?
I've said before that we should rear up our children as though each might become President of the USA. Here is a link to my blog post on a speech writing project to support our children who might run for President one day.
It is great that the Bickel & Brewer Foundation supports the National Public Policy Forum (NPPF).
I love Plano. It's a great community. That is why I run for the Plano school board, because I love Plano and want our schools to give our children the best education they can get.
Robert Canright
Sunday, February 15, 2009
I Love Plano: the Plato Moment
I was in a bookstore in Plano, looking at Allan Bloom's translation of Plato's Republic, and someone came over and chatted briefly with me about it. The other patron told me he thought Plato's Republic was the best book ever written.
Later, a friend who lives in Plano received a copy of Plato's Republic as a gift, so we formed a two person book club to read through it together.
I love Plano! What a great community Plano is with so many people having an interest in this exceptional book, one of the most brilliant works in all history.
Robert Canright
PS
I like best the version of Plato's Republic printed by Agora Publications. Their version is laid out as a dialog, which is best. It's easiest to follow the conversation in the Republic when it is presented as a script. Even better, Agora hired actors who have enacted the dialog on audio CD. This is a treat.
Later, a friend who lives in Plano received a copy of Plato's Republic as a gift, so we formed a two person book club to read through it together.
I love Plano! What a great community Plano is with so many people having an interest in this exceptional book, one of the most brilliant works in all history.
Robert Canright
PS
I like best the version of Plato's Republic printed by Agora Publications. Their version is laid out as a dialog, which is best. It's easiest to follow the conversation in the Republic when it is presented as a script. Even better, Agora hired actors who have enacted the dialog on audio CD. This is a treat.
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