When will the general public ever realize that the longer we waste out time the worse thing will be. It is really not that difficult to take our kids aside and tell them we love them. We do not have to do everything for them but we can lead them down a path that may be better than ours. We do not need to help them self-destruct. In fact, we are killing them ourselves if we tell them how much we want them to be like us especially when all we do not lead by example.
Love works wonders. Show these kids you actually fucking give a shit about them. I have worked with some very hardened young people and have very rarely had any difficulty with any one of them after I showed I care. A little one on one discussion about something that may have slipped out in passing is usually all it takes to get in. Then you have to take them time to actually listen and give feed back that is meaningful not just platitudes. In short, do not just ACT like you care, actually DO care. If you can't do it then get the fuck out of the field and let those who are good do what they do.!!!
Politicians, get over the whole licensure thing. It has a place, yes, but it does not tell the story. I do not have the license to counsel youth, but I have been doing it for 20 years, and very well I might add. I can prove my worth if you had a clue what you were looking for, but you, nor the licensing entities, have any idea, AND paying an exorbitant price to take a test to know the correct terminology, what the FUCK is that all about? I have been a licensed educator from 1990 but do not really have any idea of some of the terms we were told would be the most important, BUT I can still take an 18 year old post adjudicated male in the inner city and teach him something he never thought he could do within a week or less. Fuck your standards!!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Helloooooo...
Is there anyone out there who really wants things to change? I sincerely think not. We have an entire small country's worth of kids every year who get very little from our system as it is. Why in the hell is that? It is because we don't have enough where-with-all to stand up for change. Most of the people in the country would say something like, "Hell, it worked for me and my kids, why should we change it?" Well, for those of you who are in to the status quo, look around you. Look at what has happened to our society, more importantly our economy (and that of the world because of us). What always used to work, people, just fucking ain't working any more. The majority of it is our own damned fault and most of us know it. Just because 80% of kids graduate does not by any stretch of the imagination mean that there is not a HUGE quantity being left behind. Think of the sheer numbers, if you will. We are nearing 350,000,000 people in the US. 20% of that is 70,000,000. Does that look small to you? If it does I want you to be my banker.
Leaving behind 20% of our graduating classes each and every year is something we cannot continue to do. And, testing and or more rigorous whatever is absolutely NOT the only answer as is being touted by some of our political geniuses. In fact few of them are trained educators or have any educational background at all, or, for those that do, have never stepped foot in an inner city classroom let alone been part of one for more than 10years. Wake the fuck up and see that we need some help. Let us start a revolution and put some things right without having to play the race card as is always done. Let us make this about socioeconomic status alone because if we look the world over THAT is the true problem with a person's educational attainment NOT race or creed. Let us move on from here rather than dwell on what has not worked. ow about an entire new way of looking at things, or maybe the old needs a bit of a re-visit. Anyway, the paradigm shift must be brought within our dialogue or we will forever be destined to fail a great many of our possibly best kids.
Leaving behind 20% of our graduating classes each and every year is something we cannot continue to do. And, testing and or more rigorous whatever is absolutely NOT the only answer as is being touted by some of our political geniuses. In fact few of them are trained educators or have any educational background at all, or, for those that do, have never stepped foot in an inner city classroom let alone been part of one for more than 10years. Wake the fuck up and see that we need some help. Let us start a revolution and put some things right without having to play the race card as is always done. Let us make this about socioeconomic status alone because if we look the world over THAT is the true problem with a person's educational attainment NOT race or creed. Let us move on from here rather than dwell on what has not worked. ow about an entire new way of looking at things, or maybe the old needs a bit of a re-visit. Anyway, the paradigm shift must be brought within our dialogue or we will forever be destined to fail a great many of our possibly best kids.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Alright already.
Things really have to change. I want to see flexible school days, I want to see more engaged students, and teachers. I want to see realistic assessment not testing or testing alone. I want to see real world things happening in classrooms rather than something that has been status quo for over 150 years. I want to see the parents no only "give a shit" but actually show support, or even disdain if that is the truth. Get mad and say you are mad. Come on people!! We are falling behind and no one is doing ANYTHING to make it better. The small enclaves of superiority take a back seat to the big talkers. We need, as I have already said, a damned educational REVOLUTION. Come on parents and kids, let us MAKE the powers that be listen.!!!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
The Latest
You know, something pretty interesting just happened in the last couple of weeks since my last post. I have been watching The West Wing and paying attention to some of the things the "candidates" were saying on the campaign trail. Many of the issues brought up by Jimmy Smits' character on the show are those which I feel should definitely be addressed in truth. The idea of tenure just due to seniority is ludicrous in my mind, BUT the idea that merit pay be only based upon easily measurable test scores is just as bad, so, how do we find a way around this?
Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, I like this guy's ideas more and more each time I hear one, except for his strange stance regarding Charter, or, in Ohio's terminology, Community, Schools. He has an idea that would do away with the Ohio State Board of Education as we know it. The elected officials would be replaced by people whom might actually know a thing or two about the educational process. I have often wondered how the voters in the state could readily pick ANYONE to sit on that board. I have been voting for twenty five years and have NEVER known an candidate for the State Board of Education. That coupled with the fact that I have been an educator for nearly 20 years makes a person wonder, "Why???"
Anyway, I believe that his premise is great as long as it ensures that the board actually works toward the betterment of education rather than become yet another burden. The betterment of education, as I am writing, has to do with my previously mentioned thoughts that we are in need of an absolute and unequivocal overhaul of the entire system. I am not only speaking of the asinine testing, but of the complete and ridiculously outmoded mindset most people have with regard TO education. I heard something on The West Wing that, although I understood it and have heard people say it myself, was horrible to accept. A man stated, when he was talking to the Jimmy Smits' character, something on the lines that he got a decent enough education, so why should the delivery or quantity of time in school change for his kids. That is the EXACT type of thing that has caused us to lag behind schools in the top performing nations. In fact, our days in school are way behind the countries that are doing well.
Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio, I like this guy's ideas more and more each time I hear one, except for his strange stance regarding Charter, or, in Ohio's terminology, Community, Schools. He has an idea that would do away with the Ohio State Board of Education as we know it. The elected officials would be replaced by people whom might actually know a thing or two about the educational process. I have often wondered how the voters in the state could readily pick ANYONE to sit on that board. I have been voting for twenty five years and have NEVER known an candidate for the State Board of Education. That coupled with the fact that I have been an educator for nearly 20 years makes a person wonder, "Why???"
Anyway, I believe that his premise is great as long as it ensures that the board actually works toward the betterment of education rather than become yet another burden. The betterment of education, as I am writing, has to do with my previously mentioned thoughts that we are in need of an absolute and unequivocal overhaul of the entire system. I am not only speaking of the asinine testing, but of the complete and ridiculously outmoded mindset most people have with regard TO education. I heard something on The West Wing that, although I understood it and have heard people say it myself, was horrible to accept. A man stated, when he was talking to the Jimmy Smits' character, something on the lines that he got a decent enough education, so why should the delivery or quantity of time in school change for his kids. That is the EXACT type of thing that has caused us to lag behind schools in the top performing nations. In fact, our days in school are way behind the countries that are doing well.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Next
I feel as though I may be beating the proverbial dead horse at the moment, so I will move on. Our educational system is in need of a massive overhaul that cannot be mandated by the government, any government, from local to federal. The changes in this field, as in most as ingrained and archaic as education, must be revolutionary. I mean we must begin this as a grassroots effort.
School boards and various other groups have held the standard for much too long. Places such as Cleveland, Ohio have taken it even further away from where it should be by forcing the State of Ohio to take over the schools. The city schools were awful to begin with so this was even more of a slap in the face for parents faced with the prospect of HAVING to send their children to such places. The system, though showing minor gains in some places, is still a steaming heap of fetid trash.
Let us look at some of things that are important in our society, shall we? Not only has the emphasis on material possessions overshadowed the basic need for human compassion towards one another and ourselves, but the import on trivial information has exceeded the value of true knowledge. Is this what we really want to instill in those who are our future? I think not.
This, I know, is not the way it is for every child, nor even for most, BUT it is the thing we see most often in the media. For God’s sake, one of our most popular shows right now is “Do You Know More Than a Fifth Grader?” Well, do we? Honestly, most of us don’t. You know why?
We are wasting our time learning inane garbage with an archaic delivery system. Yes, a fifth grader knows “more” than a rocket scientist because she is forced to memorize ridiculous trivial drivel. But does the fifth grader run the world or might it be more up to the rocket scientist? Hummmmm, I wonder.
School boards and various other groups have held the standard for much too long. Places such as Cleveland, Ohio have taken it even further away from where it should be by forcing the State of Ohio to take over the schools. The city schools were awful to begin with so this was even more of a slap in the face for parents faced with the prospect of HAVING to send their children to such places. The system, though showing minor gains in some places, is still a steaming heap of fetid trash.
Let us look at some of things that are important in our society, shall we? Not only has the emphasis on material possessions overshadowed the basic need for human compassion towards one another and ourselves, but the import on trivial information has exceeded the value of true knowledge. Is this what we really want to instill in those who are our future? I think not.
This, I know, is not the way it is for every child, nor even for most, BUT it is the thing we see most often in the media. For God’s sake, one of our most popular shows right now is “Do You Know More Than a Fifth Grader?” Well, do we? Honestly, most of us don’t. You know why?
We are wasting our time learning inane garbage with an archaic delivery system. Yes, a fifth grader knows “more” than a rocket scientist because she is forced to memorize ridiculous trivial drivel. But does the fifth grader run the world or might it be more up to the rocket scientist? Hummmmm, I wonder.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Problems as I See Them
The problems with our compulsory education in the United States are myriad. Things are so out of whack, I couldn't even begin to write about them all, but I do believe in some specific things that will not only help our kids to succeed. It MIGHT even get them to like the idea of school, at least more so than they do now.
I know there are millions of you out there that have heard exactly what I am about to write. "But you get paid to go to work. I don't get paid nothing to go to school."
Most of the time we are at a loss to come up with an argument that makes sense, even to us. So... don't! Tell them they are absolutely correct in the schema from which they come. Tell them that there are things in this world that one does not get paid for but are more important than pay. Tell them that there are people starving in China, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, the South, whatever you want, BUT make than think. Get those haughty excuses for young humans to open their minds and ask a question, even if it is to themselves. Use the grandest words you can think of to get that, "What the hell did she just say?" look in your sons' and daughters' eyes. In short give them the biggest load of bullshit you can possibly swing their way.
They will, mark my words, try to find out what you were saying. Most likely you won't be asked, which might bode very well for you, but they WILL look for something that helps them understand what you said. When they finally come to you it is time to show them how they are paid.
You might want to take it from a literal standpoint and show them how much in taxes you pay each year to keep them in that factory sized babysitting environment. You might want to explain what you spend in school clothes, transportation, fees, food, or whatever, in order that they have what they need every day. You may want to do nothing of the sort and just tell them that life isn't fair and they have to go to school or go to jail. The choice is yours BUT, that choice is slowly being taken away.
There is a reason for this, you know. The few that do not do their best to raise their kids and expect others to do it are causing the community leaders, police, judges, and, yes, many of us to attempt legislating parental skills. It will never work. We have to take the power out of the hands of the government, meaning judges, social service agencies, police, even schools themselves, and take control. These are OUR kids and this is OUR service to be provided by those we hire using our taxes. We need to ensure that we are not EVER intimidated by the "ivory tower," of the educational institution. We all went through it in one way or another, therefore have an intimate knowledge of how things work. Why is it then that we all feel so lost when we go back as adults? It really makes no sense does it?
I know there are millions of you out there that have heard exactly what I am about to write. "But you get paid to go to work. I don't get paid nothing to go to school."
Most of the time we are at a loss to come up with an argument that makes sense, even to us. So... don't! Tell them they are absolutely correct in the schema from which they come. Tell them that there are things in this world that one does not get paid for but are more important than pay. Tell them that there are people starving in China, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq, the South, whatever you want, BUT make than think. Get those haughty excuses for young humans to open their minds and ask a question, even if it is to themselves. Use the grandest words you can think of to get that, "What the hell did she just say?" look in your sons' and daughters' eyes. In short give them the biggest load of bullshit you can possibly swing their way.
They will, mark my words, try to find out what you were saying. Most likely you won't be asked, which might bode very well for you, but they WILL look for something that helps them understand what you said. When they finally come to you it is time to show them how they are paid.
You might want to take it from a literal standpoint and show them how much in taxes you pay each year to keep them in that factory sized babysitting environment. You might want to explain what you spend in school clothes, transportation, fees, food, or whatever, in order that they have what they need every day. You may want to do nothing of the sort and just tell them that life isn't fair and they have to go to school or go to jail. The choice is yours BUT, that choice is slowly being taken away.
There is a reason for this, you know. The few that do not do their best to raise their kids and expect others to do it are causing the community leaders, police, judges, and, yes, many of us to attempt legislating parental skills. It will never work. We have to take the power out of the hands of the government, meaning judges, social service agencies, police, even schools themselves, and take control. These are OUR kids and this is OUR service to be provided by those we hire using our taxes. We need to ensure that we are not EVER intimidated by the "ivory tower," of the educational institution. We all went through it in one way or another, therefore have an intimate knowledge of how things work. Why is it then that we all feel so lost when we go back as adults? It really makes no sense does it?
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
End of the Beginnings
One of my biggest peeves is that these monstrous entities we call, "State Boards of Education," are nothing but political cluster fucks. In fact, the concept we all have of a, "board," has gotten quite skewed in the last 100 years. Most Boards of Directors, upon which such of: Education, etc. have been modeled, are composed of cronies who will help propagate the ideals of the President and/or CEO. While our State Boards of Education are elected, at least some of them, most people don't even vote for them, AND they often run unopposed. I may be over-generalizing here, but my point remains. The concept behind a State Board of Education may have been good originally but its time has passed, at least in the current inception. It is my belief we need State liaisons between the federal, Department of Education and the Local Boards. The State, at least in Ohio and in my estimation, just gets in the way, ALL THE TIME...
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