Invest Now... Or Else!

I get two weekly news recaps, one is TIME and the other is THE WEEK. I like to get many different perspectives on the news without watching endless TV. This week in one of them there was a full page ad put in by the teachers union exhorting us to "Invest in our Teachers for a bright future in America"

Pardon me but isn't that what we've been doing?. Paying through the nose so they can live in the nice neighborhoods and drive the nice new cars. If you don't believe me try discreetly following a few home at the end of the school day and see which driveway they pull into and while you are at it, check out the nice new cars. Mind you now, not all teachers drive the nice car to work so you might have to get a peek at the other car in the garage as you drive by. Respect their privacy, remember they can afford good lawyers.

 The other news mag had the results of a new survey that puts the USA somewhere south of 16th in the world when it comes to science in our schools. We were beat out by some countries you have probably never heard of and don't really have an idea of where they are on the map. So where does all the taxpayer money go? Most of the school labs that I have subbed in are pitifully equipped except of course for the fancy smart board projector.
 Did I tell you what these multi-thousand dollar pieces are mostly used for:
Showing Movies, oh, and the occasional notes.
That was your Federal money at work there. But actual lab equipment is mostly non-existent. There can't be any equipment because the kids steal or destroy it and two it doesn't garner the interest of the grant writers. Grant writing is an art and is practiced by sought after people who are fiercely competitive about having their name affixed to the acquisition of something GRAND. Like Prometheus Boards not beakers and test tubes.

Write to the Governor, write to your congressman,write to the President. I do.
It's time for a change.

Oh No, it's Mr. Tom

Just in: " If the School Reform Commission and Chief Recovery Officer Thomas Knudsen have their way, we may witness the end of public education in Philadelphia."
http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/20120514_The_end_of_public_education_in_Phila_.html?c=0.39313711229285586&posted=y&viewAll=y#comments
Evil reformers are seeking to destroy all that is good in the Philly school system and we have to stop them!
Mr. Knudson has a wonderful idea and it is an end run play that just might work to finally break the death grip that unions and the government have on our wallets when it comes to funding education. I say bravo, an excellent plan, let's roll! All the expertly qualified teachers will be invited to file their applications at the charter schools just like everyone else, start fresh and get past the pain.

Where's The Beef

This morning getting out a box of Cheerios I noticed the back cover feature of Dodgeball for summer outdoor fun. This reminded me of one time subbing Gym when I had no lesson plan and getting out the softer inflatable balls I said we were playing Dodgeball. It was a wonderful day, kids of all ages ran around like nuts and pelted each other with enthusiasm."We never get to play Dodgeball" It wasn't until the end of the day when I received a visit from the Principal as a result from a complaint that I learned that this game is no longer allowed in the district. It was explained to me that it is considered unfair to the kids that can't keep up and they, as slow behemoths, are picked out for targeting. And, BTW, if I wanted to sub here again I would stick to the lesson plan. Most Principals like to throw that in just so you know who's boss. Well I bit my tongue and as I drove home that day I reflected and to tell you the truth I didn't see any of the fatty's being picked on , mostly the really active kids were overjoyed to be whacking each other in fierce competition. Yes, I remember being in school, and yes, I was fat, and slow and couldn't throw worth a shit but I played Dodgeball and even once or twice had some real fun when all the fast kids had gotten each other out and the outcome of the game rested in the hands of us losers.
It warms my heart that we are so fucking sensitive to the needs of the obese, we should cradle them and carry them throughout their lives and pay when they need their SSI and  insulin and dialysis and bypasses.Lost productivity due to obesity and  related heathcare expenses are crippling American industry not big government. The bright note is that the obese die sooner so at least they are off the pension plans quicker. A recent study has just reported that Americans pay an additional 1 billion dollars every year in fuel costs because we are so fat it makes our cars suck more gas to haul us to Walmart to buy the next larger size, not because Obama can't control the prices. The study was based on gallons not cost and was comparing the EPA estimates which are based on a car carrying a "normal" weight driver vs. what we are getting for mileage.
Through my years in the schools I noticed an explosion of lard at school especially among the girls from 8th grade on up I would watch them blow up to the 250+lb. weight class and as they got bigger and bigger they did less and less, always tired and always sitting, they were never challenged to do more, only positively encouraged. How Sweet. NCLB

Time and Time Again

Those of you who may have read this week issue of TIME probably ran across an article about the success of Vocational Education. Be aware! This article focuses on one particular program in one school and even though it is a real RAH RAH piece of journalism buried deep in the text is the caveat about the difficulty in finding a vocational program that excites and motivates the students. I have subbed at our Vo-Tech since 1978 and I have seen the general decline of the quality of students through the years and I have seen the decline in the professionalism of the teachers as well, most likely due to the difficulty in recruiting someone who actually knows something to ride herd over the stupid and lame participants without drinking themselves into oblivion at the end of every day..
 There are two types of Vo-Tech student:
1. is the student who has been doing this type of work probably with a family member since they were little, for this student the schooling is largely redundant due to his superior knowledge. This student will excel.
and
2.the rest of them, they range from incompetent to unmotivated and it is to them that these programs are aimed. After all NO Child Left Behind, so... very few get washed out and it's not because of their progress or the screening of applicants, it's because the people making the decisions are the people who financially gain by pumping out volume instead of quality. So who cares if one of the brats is sent to state competition and gets busted there for selling dope to an undercover cop. No lie, this actually happened. What A Joke. and the jokes on us because we are paying through the nose to run this shit. The educational program at our Vo-Tech was accurately described to me by one of their long time classroom aides  as "CODDLING" I couldn't agree more.