Despite my last-minute posts (I'm making you look good, Sean DeLuca!), I finished the book about a month ago. In reflecting back on what stood out to me the most while I searched for my sixth post topic, it is, unfortunately the "I'll Be Gone, You'll Be Gone"philosophy outlined in the explanation of the mortgage meltdown and resulting financial crisis. That type of unabashed, criminal behavior is just galling. And, I do worry that it's more pervasive. For those of you who read The Price of Privilege, it's no surprise that teens who are growing up without a sense of self, but only a sense of performance, end up committed to nothing but winning.
Hence, another way the mission of this book comes back to our role as teachers. Although we have little influence in this arena, we must try to be as ethical as we can, and to demand it from our students. How big is the problem? Not sure. I think many teens are sneakier than ever--they lie easily and often. But I also know many who are idealistic, and are like the entrepreneurs in the book--they are eager to help the planet and make the world a better place. (I know some who are a little of both.) Let's hope there are more of the latter than the former!
Monday, September 3, 2012
Authentic Assessment
This past week I saw the most authentic assessment of CEW standards and critical thinking skills as the students put together a 4-page issue of the Hat Chat. I know that it's a special group of kids and they are willingly engaged in something they care about, but I was reminded once again that one of the keys to success in teaching is giving kids independence.
One thing I've learned over the years, and at conferences, is that the advisers who get the best results are the ones who do the least. We train the kids well, step back and let them own the process, make the decisions and problem-solve. I think this bears thinking about as we embark on a new year, and after four days of planning how to improve our instruction. I think there's been a trend in education that as the more things spin out of control (not making AYP, etc.), the more we try to control, and that translates as doing more work. We continue to work harder and harder than our students, and I contend that it's handicapping them.
That is one of the many reasons we struggle with critical thinking. Kids can't think critically when everything is spelled out for them. There is a great TED Talk about this for those who are interested--it's given by a young math teacher of the year. If you can't find it and want the link, let me know. I think it applies to all areas of teaching.
One thing I've learned over the years, and at conferences, is that the advisers who get the best results are the ones who do the least. We train the kids well, step back and let them own the process, make the decisions and problem-solve. I think this bears thinking about as we embark on a new year, and after four days of planning how to improve our instruction. I think there's been a trend in education that as the more things spin out of control (not making AYP, etc.), the more we try to control, and that translates as doing more work. We continue to work harder and harder than our students, and I contend that it's handicapping them.
That is one of the many reasons we struggle with critical thinking. Kids can't think critically when everything is spelled out for them. There is a great TED Talk about this for those who are interested--it's given by a young math teacher of the year. If you can't find it and want the link, let me know. I think it applies to all areas of teaching.
In-Service
When the school district first moved the in-service days to August, most teachers I talked to didn't like it. I always felt, however, that it made a lot sense. We were refreshed and planning for a new year anyway--I find that trying to rewrite curriculum and plan mid-year are disconcerting--there is too much to do on the plate. So, I typically look forward to those days (as much as I look forward to going back).
This past week was disheartening. Outside of the mention of critical thinking in the CEWs session, not much really moved us forward in any of the ways suggested in this book. And the morale is so low at this point, I highly doubt anyone is gearing up to assign more challenging reading and writing--the most important pieces of critical thinking skills we are losing. Instead, we will continue to devote more time to passing state assessments, and making sure we toe the line of the new state evaluation system.
This past week was disheartening. Outside of the mention of critical thinking in the CEWs session, not much really moved us forward in any of the ways suggested in this book. And the morale is so low at this point, I highly doubt anyone is gearing up to assign more challenging reading and writing--the most important pieces of critical thinking skills we are losing. Instead, we will continue to devote more time to passing state assessments, and making sure we toe the line of the new state evaluation system.
Third Party Candidate
I read a post early in the process about the viability of a third party. It seemed then that most didn't think it would have an impact. I'm not necessarily convinced after reading the book, but am convinced by the fact that I just can't think of any other solution. We have reached the point of no return. The debacle over raising the debt ceiling last summer was the moment that I felt we really can no longer work together. The only things that would bring us together would be another attack on our country, which isn't terribly likely. As Thomas Friedman has written before: 9/11 was our moment to come together, and we failed.
So....can we get a serious independent (or new party) candidate? With over 40% of Americans now registered independent, I think it's a time. I don't know if it will work, but my goodness, we have to do something.
So....can we get a serious independent (or new party) candidate? With over 40% of Americans now registered independent, I think it's a time. I don't know if it will work, but my goodness, we have to do something.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Hope Springs!
Let me start by thanking each and every one of you for your insight and your perserverance. Your comments have inspired , encouraged and made me think about what a tough job we have. Like you, I have spent the last 2 days in our inservice and I am amazed that we are still standing! What a 2 days it has been. We went from a noisy group entering the auditorium on Monday, to a weary looking bunch at the end of the day today. And, this is day 2! Each day we have been told what is expected of us, howe we will be evaluated, what "new" documents we are to provide to demonstrate that our students are learning. . .and the list goes on. We have had little time to collaborate with our colleagues and more importantly, get into our classrooms and have time to take a breath, and consider the students who will be before us on Tuesday. Yet, each and everyone of you, will be ready on Tuesday to greet our students and talk about the great year of learning they can expect. How do you do it?
I tried to get Thomas Friedman to join our blog; sadly he never did. I wanted him to read the insightful comments you made about what actually goes on in our classrooms. As depressing as this book was to read at times, I was heartened by all of you--you represent all that is good in public education. Thanks again for your contributions.
I plan to keep the blog open so you can "catch up" should you need to do so.
Mary Ellen
I tried to get Thomas Friedman to join our blog; sadly he never did. I wanted him to read the insightful comments you made about what actually goes on in our classrooms. As depressing as this book was to read at times, I was heartened by all of you--you represent all that is good in public education. Thanks again for your contributions.
I plan to keep the blog open so you can "catch up" should you need to do so.
Mary Ellen
Friday, August 24, 2012
Shockingly, I am posting late on the last day possible. . .
The one idea that always fills me both with hope and dread is that “of all the variables under a school’s control, the single most decisive factor in student achievement is excellent teaching.” This quote, which I’ve seen before, is in the section on teachers and principals. I believe this quote to be true, and yet when I see our PSSA scores jump and crash as they do, when most of us are teaching the same classes but to different students, I have my doubts. How can what I do work so well one year and then fail so miserably they next? I know I am tweaking things each year, but not so much as to contribute to such fluctuations. Yes, the students are different each time, but that is the way the game is played and I’ll have to learn to play it better, especially with more and more emphasis being placed on test results.
The good news is that with each new school year we do get the chance to start again. I know of few jobs that have the “do over” aspect that a new school year has for teachers. Sport is the only other thing that comes to mind. If you or your team has a bad year you can rededicate yourself to the cause, try to identify your weaknesses and, if possible, eliminate them. You start the next season 0-0, with a clean batting average, and just as much a chance to win as anybody. That optimism, the hope that fans and players alike share in the pre-season of each year, is the same I feel at this time of year. Some of you have been doing this longer than I have and many of you are more secure in what you do. I’ve always known that I have real room for improvement - just look how this is being completed in the last hours of the last day for submission. Unfortunately for me, that’s typical.
So now we are here at the start – the chance to make it better, to make it perfect, to raise the good to the great, to squash the comfort of “average” and to make the difference in our kids lives. We will do it by what we help them know and by what we make them feel.
This quote reminded me of one of my favorite quotes that I had taped to my desk in the first school that I taught and always try to remember.
“I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized.”
Dr. Haim Ginott
This quote helps me keep things in perspective. I know on any given day the most important thing we can teach may have nothing to do with English. It may just boost someone’s confidence to make them feel better about school or learning in general – to decide to give a bit more effort or to relax just a bit when they are unraveling under stress.
Here’s to a year where the students want to learn, the teachers are inspired and our country finds itself closer to realizing its potential.
Creative Creators or Routine Servers
As we get closer to having the students return I am thinking of the theme of this book more as it relates to them and less to the US in general. I often think how well the skills I teach in my classroom prepare students for next year, for college and for life outside of education.
One part that I find interesting, important and concerning is the section when the authors talk about the future of jobs. In short it seems they see jobs in the future becoming secure for those who add value and unstable for those who can be replaced due to technology, globalization or downward economic trends. In the years my brothers and I spent working in retail (late 60’s to mid 2000’s) I saw this happening all the time. If you worked in a union supermarket in this area full time you could easily make forty to forty-five thousand dollars a year as a general clerk (cashier, stocking shelves, etc.) with full health benefits for you and your family. They gave you an extra thousand dollars to attend college. No real skills were needed, just be reasonably friendly and work reasonably hard. The companies at this time had solid profits and for about 20 or 30 years things were pretty good. People started out in the lower socioeconomic levels and moved into middle class. I know hundreds of kids who went to college on supermarket salaries. Looking back from today’s point of view it seems almost ridiculous. How could shareholders allow a company to pay that much more than they had to? They eventually wised up.
As time went on I saw many changes that allowed much more work to be done by fewer and fewer people. The one most easily recognized is the replacing of cashiers with the kiosks where customers check out their own groceries. I worked in stores that had these for about 5 years and they never really caught on. They were confusing, they were prone to malfunctioning and they allowed for easy shoplifting. I don’t think the companies saw the return they were expecting and now I know that some stores are replacing these machines with human cashiers. A happy ending? Not quite. These cashiers have nothing like the salary or benefits their predecessors had. Today you start at a lower rate, top out at a lower rate and pay for whatever benefits you want. Almost evry new hire is part time to help company flexibility. No hours are guaranteed. If business falls off, you get hours cut back, sometimes to 8 hours a week. Nobody is sending his or her kids to college on a “new” supermarket salary.
They discuss this polarization between those at the top and the rest of us in part II section 4 on creators and servers. If anyone has heard the NPR interviews with Bartett and Steele, the investigative reporters who used to write for the Inquirer, whose book I hope to read soon, they paint a very scary story in which the US middle class isn’t just shrinking, it’s being purposely destroyed by those who no longer see a need for it. In 1914 Henry Ford doubled the salary of his workers to 5 dollars a day, which went a long way in securing an American middle class. He stopped the turnover in his company and he enabled his own employees to be able to purchase his products. It was a win-win.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t happen today. The creators, those near the top with a seat on the board, no longer need a strong American middle class to buy their products. The middle classes in China, India and Brazil are a much more tempting and lucrative market. The potential profits in these countries far surpass that of our own. We are all servers who will mind the machine and be replaced by others who will work cheaper and expect less. As long as we have working class people who obsessively think that lower taxes are the key to their prosperity, those at the top will win.
So, do I try to get my students to be creative creators and not be merely routine servers or do I try to get them to rise up and overthrow the system? I think I know what choice the school board wants me to choose, and I doubt sticking it to the man will help us raise our PSSA scores. So, how to get them to be more innovative, more entrepreneurial, to add value to whatever they do, even if they do end up being a server? To be honest, I’m not sure, but I think there will be opportunities, in their research papers, our class discussions and the literature we analyze. Perhaps all that will be needed is for me to recognize the opportunities as they present themselves, and then to impress upon the students how critical this is to their future.
Final thoughts
After reading the book and many of my colleague posts, I have optimism that the challenges presented can be tackled. The issues of globalism, deficits, energy/climate and IT are serious and they are invading my life on almost a daily basis. Whether it is making the uncomfortable call to a call center across the world for help, feeling the heat from global warming, or counting the number of people you know that are unemployed or underemployed, we have many reminders of what is going wrong. The authors and our posts don't sugarcoat the issues.
Despite that, Friedman and Mandelbaum and many of us were able to still see the potential for change. Even at H-H, changes such as the grad project class, have shown me that we can educate the creative creators that will lead us. I hope that the coming school year gives me the opportunity to spark these students and maybe convince other students that "average is over".
Despite that, Friedman and Mandelbaum and many of us were able to still see the potential for change. Even at H-H, changes such as the grad project class, have shown me that we can educate the creative creators that will lead us. I hope that the coming school year gives me the opportunity to spark these students and maybe convince other students that "average is over".
Is there a strong 3rd candidate?
In reading the last few chapters of the book, it was obvious that the authors believe that a strong third party/Presidential candidate could provide the spark for tackling the 4 major issues. In 1992, I was in college and Ross Perot made an impression on me as a businessman that was really concerned with financial issues. After the last 8-12 years of fiscal problems, a forward-thinking business man could really bring some sense to the government spending decisions and try to understand the need to keep government programs for those that are in need.
I looked at a CNBC site to see which companies still offered retirement benefits. Some of the companies are gas/oil companies, some are health care companies and others are technology companies. The name that stood out to me was Microsoft. What Bill Gates did with his company and continues to do with his charitable endeavors and innovation lead me to think that he is the type of person the United States needs to run for President. If Bill Gates does not have the magnetic personality, there has to be someone that is within his inner circle that can lead this candidacy. Maybe it is Melinda.
No matter who the person is, I am in agreement with the authors that a strong third party will help return the U.S. to a more balanced political situation. Too bad it won't happen in 2012.
I looked at a CNBC site to see which companies still offered retirement benefits. Some of the companies are gas/oil companies, some are health care companies and others are technology companies. The name that stood out to me was Microsoft. What Bill Gates did with his company and continues to do with his charitable endeavors and innovation lead me to think that he is the type of person the United States needs to run for President. If Bill Gates does not have the magnetic personality, there has to be someone that is within his inner circle that can lead this candidacy. Maybe it is Melinda.
No matter who the person is, I am in agreement with the authors that a strong third party will help return the U.S. to a more balanced political situation. Too bad it won't happen in 2012.
Is this what America needs?
I received an e-mail from my former college's President this morning and I wasn't sure how I felt about it.
On the one hand, American universities have been accepting international students for many years, and the relationship has benefited the universities and students. However, if American universities create campuses in places like China, do both parties still benefit? Will American students apply to Duke Kushan University or UNC Bangalore? More importantly, will American students be accepted to these universities? If not, have we lost our creative advantage?
The other part of me feels a sense of pride. For years, international students have been willing to move to learn in American colleges. If Duke and other schools open campuses internationally, is there an opportunity for American students to spend a semester/year of their college experience at an international branch of their college. Studay abroad is touted as a great social learning experience. But, will an undergrad at Duke go to Duke Kushan for a year and create connections and learn what the "flat" world is really all about? If that happens, this can only help that student be more marketable in the global economy.
As I said, I am not sure how I feel about this but I think the old ways of thinking about education are being challenged and some entities are willing to take risks. Time will tell which risks pay off.
Subject: A message from Duke President Richard H. Brodhead - Duke Kunshan University
|
On the one hand, American universities have been accepting international students for many years, and the relationship has benefited the universities and students. However, if American universities create campuses in places like China, do both parties still benefit? Will American students apply to Duke Kushan University or UNC Bangalore? More importantly, will American students be accepted to these universities? If not, have we lost our creative advantage?
The other part of me feels a sense of pride. For years, international students have been willing to move to learn in American colleges. If Duke and other schools open campuses internationally, is there an opportunity for American students to spend a semester/year of their college experience at an international branch of their college. Studay abroad is touted as a great social learning experience. But, will an undergrad at Duke go to Duke Kushan for a year and create connections and learn what the "flat" world is really all about? If that happens, this can only help that student be more marketable in the global economy.
As I said, I am not sure how I feel about this but I think the old ways of thinking about education are being challenged and some entities are willing to take risks. Time will tell which risks pay off.
Can't we all just get along?
Of all the pieces of information I've gained from reading That Use To be Us, this is the most frustrating: we are a divided nation. If our elected officials remain divided, how can we ever hope for reasonable solutions that will get us back to where we use to be. Friedman and Mandelbaum say that "political polarization--even hostility--between the country's two major political parties is not new. But the American political system is not only more polarized... it is paralyzed." It is time to put aside differences in political ideology, and fight for the greater good.
What a surprise is was when members of both sides came together this year to save the oil refineries in Philadelphia and Delaware county. This article was published in the Philly Inquirer back in July, and now hundreds of refinery workers are back to work. The quote below detailed how both sides of the political spectrum came together because saving jobs and keeping oil prices down were important goals for everyone:
What a surprise is was when members of both sides came together this year to save the oil refineries in Philadelphia and Delaware county. This article was published in the Philly Inquirer back in July, and now hundreds of refinery workers are back to work. The quote below detailed how both sides of the political spectrum came together because saving jobs and keeping oil prices down were important goals for everyone:
The War on Math
As a math teacher, this chapter's title caught my attention. In reading the section, it was really talking about the math of keeping the US budget balanced (or lack there of). I was intrigued to read about the economic policies of Reagan, Bush (#41) and Clinton. Each of them seemed to understand the slippery slope that we were headed down in terms of spending more than we were earning as a country. Each of those Presidents tried in their own way to close the gap or at least put the country in a position to return to a more balanced budget.
However, one of the most damning statements in this book was written by Alan Binder in Dec. 2010 when he wrote, "The nation took leave of its fiscal senses, and simply stopped paying for anything during President Bush 43's eight years." As a young adult during that time, I can remember buying my first house during this time and my wife and I were astonished at how much some banks were willing to lend us to buy a house. Thankfully, we did not push our spending as far as the banks would have allowed. However, we know people our age that did and took 5/1 ARM mortgages that simply became too expensive for them to afford. This small example makes me think that this is what happened on all levels of spending in the US from 2000-2008.
I do not know if Pres. Obama has helped this situation at all in the last four years but I am sure that information will be presented in the next 3 months. After reading this book, I believe that fiscal responsibility will become a large factor in who I vote for in the upcoming election.
However, one of the most damning statements in this book was written by Alan Binder in Dec. 2010 when he wrote, "The nation took leave of its fiscal senses, and simply stopped paying for anything during President Bush 43's eight years." As a young adult during that time, I can remember buying my first house during this time and my wife and I were astonished at how much some banks were willing to lend us to buy a house. Thankfully, we did not push our spending as far as the banks would have allowed. However, we know people our age that did and took 5/1 ARM mortgages that simply became too expensive for them to afford. This small example makes me think that this is what happened on all levels of spending in the US from 2000-2008.
I do not know if Pres. Obama has helped this situation at all in the last four years but I am sure that information will be presented in the next 3 months. After reading this book, I believe that fiscal responsibility will become a large factor in who I vote for in the upcoming election.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Colorado's system of evaluation
In the section that referred to Colorado, Here We Come, the authors laud the changes taking place in the educational evaluation system in Colorado that was framed by the Great Teacher and Leaders Act or 2010. I found a 177 page report about the recommendations http://legisweb.state.wy.us/InterimCommittee/2012/SCEEReports.pdf and while I did not read it all, it seems that Colorado is implementing a system that is promoting the most effective teachers. At the same time, the evaluation is only in its pilot stage this year and complete implementation isn't happening until 2013-2014. They seem to be taking their time to get "buy-in" from all of the impacted parties.
If Gov. Corbett and PA legislators are determined to alter evaluation for teachers and principals, maybe they should be partnering with teachers' unions and principal representatives rather than making decisions without their support. If change is going to occur, collaboration and communication should be steering the decisions rather than relying on test scores and student surveys.
If Gov. Corbett and PA legislators are determined to alter evaluation for teachers and principals, maybe they should be partnering with teachers' unions and principal representatives rather than making decisions without their support. If change is going to occur, collaboration and communication should be steering the decisions rather than relying on test scores and student surveys.
How do we support three C's
When I read the section entitled The Three C's, I was taken back to my year as a facilitator for our graduation project class. In that course, many of the activities are designed to engage students in critical thinking, oral and written communication, and collaboration. Some students in the class don't see the relevance of the activities to "real life" when they are swinging across the low ropes course or working with two others to climb the Giants Ladder on the climbing wall. However, as an observer/evaluator, I was able to see students that had a real grasp of the three C's who were successful at these activities. Other students who may have been more athletic but lacked the communication, creativity or collaboration struggled.
If the State does eliminate the requirement of a graduation/culminating project, we would be short-sighted in eliminating these types of activities taking place at Hatboro-Horsham. If we really want to prepare our students for the 21st century, we should be looking for more opportunities to emphasize the three C's in all of our courses.
If the State does eliminate the requirement of a graduation/culminating project, we would be short-sighted in eliminating these types of activities taking place at Hatboro-Horsham. If we really want to prepare our students for the 21st century, we should be looking for more opportunities to emphasize the three C's in all of our courses.
The Worldview of our Students
With the first day of school quickly approaching (Noooooooo!) It is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of our goals are as 21st century educators: "For us to grow, we have to educate people to do jobs that don't yet exist, which means we have to invent them and train people to do them at the same time. That is hard and it is why we need everyone to aspire to be a creative creator or a creative server."
I love telling people about my job, "Oh, I'm only preparing my students for jobs that don't exist yet."
In order for us to foster the creative-creator or creative-server within our students, we better have an understanding of what their worldview is, because it is a lot different than ours. I wanted to share the annual Beloit College Mindset List--a gentle reminder for college professors that first year students see the world differently.
"This year’s entering college class of 2016 was born into cyberspace and they have therefore measured their output in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future, and are entering college bombarded by questions about jobs and the value of a college degree. They have never needed an actual airline “ticket,” a set of bound encyclopedias, or Romper Room. Members of this year’s freshman class, most of them born in 1994, are probably the most tribal generation in history and they despise being separated from contact with friends. They prefer to watch television everywhere except on a television, have seen a woman lead the U.S. State Department for most of their lives, and can carry school books--those that are not on their e-Readers--in backpacks that roll."
I find it incredibly insightful that these students--who I had in my classroom two years ago, are facing their future with doubts. Wasn't college suppose to be a time of blissful optimism? It makes me wonder if I should be sending the message to my students that college degrees are paramount. Should I instead be telling them that creating the job you love is paramount, the degree (and debt) can wait.
Here are some of my favorites on the list....
#63 The Twilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling.
#60 History has always had its own channel.
#27 Outdated icons with images of floppy discs for “save,” a telephone for “phone,” and a snail mail envelope for “mail” have oddly decorated their tablets and smart phone screens.
#28 Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy.
#11 The paradox "too big to fail" has been, for their generation, what "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" was for their grandparents'.
I love telling people about my job, "Oh, I'm only preparing my students for jobs that don't exist yet."
In order for us to foster the creative-creator or creative-server within our students, we better have an understanding of what their worldview is, because it is a lot different than ours. I wanted to share the annual Beloit College Mindset List--a gentle reminder for college professors that first year students see the world differently.
"This year’s entering college class of 2016 was born into cyberspace and they have therefore measured their output in the fundamental particles of life: bits, bytes, and bauds. They have come to political consciousness during a time of increasing doubts about America’s future, and are entering college bombarded by questions about jobs and the value of a college degree. They have never needed an actual airline “ticket,” a set of bound encyclopedias, or Romper Room. Members of this year’s freshman class, most of them born in 1994, are probably the most tribal generation in history and they despise being separated from contact with friends. They prefer to watch television everywhere except on a television, have seen a woman lead the U.S. State Department for most of their lives, and can carry school books--those that are not on their e-Readers--in backpacks that roll."
I find it incredibly insightful that these students--who I had in my classroom two years ago, are facing their future with doubts. Wasn't college suppose to be a time of blissful optimism? It makes me wonder if I should be sending the message to my students that college degrees are paramount. Should I instead be telling them that creating the job you love is paramount, the degree (and debt) can wait.
Here are some of my favorites on the list....
#63 The Twilight Zone involves vampires, not Rod Serling.
#60 History has always had its own channel.
#27 Outdated icons with images of floppy discs for “save,” a telephone for “phone,” and a snail mail envelope for “mail” have oddly decorated their tablets and smart phone screens.
#28 Star Wars has always been just a film, not a defense strategy.
#11 The paradox "too big to fail" has been, for their generation, what "we had to destroy the village in order to save it" was for their grandparents'.
It's All Politics
As I read through this and looked at all problems in getting
us back to being what we used to be, as cliché as it may be, it keeps coming
back to politics. And that ain’t good.
Looking back, a couple of characters
keep coming back to me with reasons for optimism and pessimism. One person is
firmer South Carolina state representative Bob Inglis. I’m glad I got to know a bit about him
from the book; he was the representative who had the discussion about Medicare
with one of his constituents. The constituent wanted the government to keep
their hands off “his” Medicare. Inglis pointed out the unpleasant but true fact
that just about all of us use up more than we put into programs like Medicare
and that we are not the self made success stories we often tell ourselves we
are. It seemed along the same lines as Obama saying that we all got where we are with the help of others. We need the social/governmental programs to enjoy the lives that we have.
It might be Medicare for some, education for others, but we have to get
comfortable with giving money to the government when the direct benefit to ourselves
isn’t obvious. Inglis’ willingness to confront the man with the unwelcome
truth, setting him straight at a town hall meeting even though to me it seemed
to be political suicide, was admirable.
Soon after this meeting he lost in his reelection bid big time (71%-29%) to a Tea Party sponsored candidate.
Inglis, who according to his Wikipedia page had a 93.5%
rating from the American Conservative Union, wasn’t conservative enough due to
his occasional votes outside the strict party lines. He tried to find a middle
road or at least open a dialogue on such issues as climate change, the
stimulus, the troop surge in Iraq, etc. and we see what the result was. There’s
no place for reasoned discussion any more.
I know South Carolina may not be a fair example; it’s
extreme. But with the political parties demanding stricter adherence to the
platform positions, I see this happening all over the country. PA had its own example
in Arlen Specter, who, regardless of what you thought of him, was very comfortable
with crossing party lines. Today you’re labeled a R.I.N.O. if you do that and are
sent packing.
Ready to Kick Some Butt
I am ready for the new school year. I will feel differently when my alarm goes off THAT EARLY on day two, but as of right now while I sit feeling refreshed, I'm ready. I've just read Dennis's email about the high school not making AYP...and our numbers are much lower from last year. That makes me mad. We all work hard and there will be no clear understanding as to why our numbers were higher last year than this. Considering the work and modifications (referencing Hogan's final post) we put in, it makes me angry that we dropped. After reading the early chapters in this book about Americans resting and not competiting and getting into a funk where we just assumed we would stay on top opened my eyes to this happening in my own classroom. And it drives me crazy. For example, students who do not work very hard on an assignment, but still expect to get an A. That just can't be. I've looked at the names in my roster and I'm dreaming up all kinds of things for them! Papers every week--with researched evidence. And, yes, the Works Cited paged must be present...and correct. Discourse and speeches every week, if not quick ones every day. And, no, you cannot have your hands in your pockets. That's right, fellow teachers, I'm ready to kick some butt. Though I'll still smile and be nice, my incoming 9th grade students are in for a super great treat!
Inspiration
I appreciate the authors' honest opinions that their solution to our country's political distress is a third party candidate--one who would not be elected. Instead, this candidate would be the one questioning the other candidates and bringing up issues and points that Americans are otherwise not experiencing. It is interesting to think that the third party candidate, with no shot of winning, would actually create the shock therapy we need as citizens--to hear the policies that will move us ahead--to give us inspiration in America--and to force the other prominent candidates into more advantageous competition and thought. Agreeing with Kristina's last post, I do not personally believe Roseanne Barr is the woman for this job. I am now looking at this situation differently for the 2016 election. Is it too optimistic for me to think that at that point we might have more of our campaigning nonsense under control, so that a third party voice coud be heard even without billions of campaigning money? Probably.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Don't hate me because I'm a woman!
Don't hate me because am a woman... or because I am pro-choice... or because I think every woman should have access to affordable gynecological care and birth control. And Rush Limbaugh, this doesn't make me, or anyone else who has an opinion about women's health, a slut.
It's bad enough that Americans have to suffer the election campaign circus, but why has the fair sex been bullied, slandered, and insulted by the politicians who also seek our votes? I will be amazed if any female Missouri voters cast a ballot in favor of Republican Representative Todd Akin. When he finds himself losing the Senate seat, maybe he can enroll in a human sexuality class and get his facts straight. Or maybe ask his wife if she has been blessed with the superpower to "shut that whole thing down."
Just when I thought the Republican party was out to get me and my reproductive organs, I found a glimmer of hope in That Use To Be Us. Friedman and Mandelbaum ask us to recall Bush Senior, an avid supporter of women's reproductive health: "In George H.W. Bush's two terms as a Republican congressman from Texas, he was such an enthusiastic proponent of Planned Parenthood, and organization in disfavor among most Republicans today, that he earned the nickname 'Rubbers.'"
Did you read that? Rubbers! They weren't even talking about Bill Clinton!
With this bit of information, those ornery, curmudgeons who make the Republicans look sexist should be reminded that one of their own knew well enough to win the female vote by supporting reproductive health care.
The other glimmer of hope I read simply reaffirmed what I already know to be true about Americans, and also validates why I, a Democrat, can have pleasant table conversation with my Republican parents... "While the political views of Republicans and Democratic activists have pulled apart, those of Americans in general have not changed much, and that the public's views skew closer to the center of the political spectrum than the beliefs and preferences of the officials they elect." In other words, the population is relatively moderate, despite the fact that the politicians we elect are extreme in their views. My parents and I can actually AGREE on social issues because, hey, this affects everyone, not just Democrats or Republicans. The drawback to having a population of moderates is that "The political system does no offer [us] moderate choices." So we are forced to vote for the less crazy of the extremist.
I can hear the backlash already... "Don't hate me just because I'm a politician!"
It's bad enough that Americans have to suffer the election campaign circus, but why has the fair sex been bullied, slandered, and insulted by the politicians who also seek our votes? I will be amazed if any female Missouri voters cast a ballot in favor of Republican Representative Todd Akin. When he finds himself losing the Senate seat, maybe he can enroll in a human sexuality class and get his facts straight. Or maybe ask his wife if she has been blessed with the superpower to "shut that whole thing down."
Just when I thought the Republican party was out to get me and my reproductive organs, I found a glimmer of hope in That Use To Be Us. Friedman and Mandelbaum ask us to recall Bush Senior, an avid supporter of women's reproductive health: "In George H.W. Bush's two terms as a Republican congressman from Texas, he was such an enthusiastic proponent of Planned Parenthood, and organization in disfavor among most Republicans today, that he earned the nickname 'Rubbers.'"
Did you read that? Rubbers! They weren't even talking about Bill Clinton!
With this bit of information, those ornery, curmudgeons who make the Republicans look sexist should be reminded that one of their own knew well enough to win the female vote by supporting reproductive health care.
The other glimmer of hope I read simply reaffirmed what I already know to be true about Americans, and also validates why I, a Democrat, can have pleasant table conversation with my Republican parents... "While the political views of Republicans and Democratic activists have pulled apart, those of Americans in general have not changed much, and that the public's views skew closer to the center of the political spectrum than the beliefs and preferences of the officials they elect." In other words, the population is relatively moderate, despite the fact that the politicians we elect are extreme in their views. My parents and I can actually AGREE on social issues because, hey, this affects everyone, not just Democrats or Republicans. The drawback to having a population of moderates is that "The political system does no offer [us] moderate choices." So we are forced to vote for the less crazy of the extremist.
I can hear the backlash already... "Don't hate me just because I'm a politician!"
Will the US face a food shortage?
Is it possible for the US to face a food shortage crisis? It is hard not to project this doom and gloom scenario onto our own lives, having witnessed this recently during the Arab Spring. Friedman and Mandelbaum discuss the inner loop that occurs when food prices become too high: “In December 2010, the FAO Food Price Index hit its highest level...those rising food prices were one factor, perhaps the last straw, that sparked the political uprising in Tunisia, which quickly spread to Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Syria, Yemen and aross the Arab world.” These political uprisings resulted in surging fuel prices, that lead to further increases in food prices. Friedman and Mandelbaum write, "The higher the food prices rise, the more political uprisings there will be. The more uprisings, the higher the fuel prices will rise."
Food prices have been a burden on working class Americans throughout the recession. I can't buy 14 oz of canned tomatoes for less than a dollar anymore... unless it's expired or dented--hello botulism. I don't believe the prices will decrease, because "This inner loop is being reinforced by another loop of steadily rising world population, plus steadily rising standards of living, plus steady rising climate change." I know that the scarcity of food and water in the US is hard to imagine—look at our nation's obesity and diabetes rates! But recent stories coming out of the American heartlands leads me to wonder if we are about to join the political uprisings we witnessed this year with the Arab Spring as a result of a shortage of affordable food.
Consider the following from the NY Times...
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/26/business/food-prices-to-rise-in-wake-of-severe-drought.html
- The government said it expected the record-breaking weather to drive up the price for groceries next year, including milk, beef, chicken and pork. The drought is now affecting 88 percent of the corn crop, a staple of processed foods and animal feed as well as the nation’s leading farm export.
- Cattle farmers in several states have already started selling off or culling cattle because the drought has ruined grass for grazing and the price for corn for feed has skyrocketed.
- Countries that import [from the US] substantial amounts of animal feed made from corn and soybeans will feel the impact the most.
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-08-20/news/sns-rt-us-usa-drought-bargesbre87j0wo-20120820_1_vessels-river-traffic-freight-rates
- The U.S. Coast Guard said on Monday that 97 vessels were stranded by low water on the Mississippi River near Greenville, Mississippi... The worst U.S. drought in 56 years has left the river there at its lowest point since 1988, a year when a similarly dire drought also stalled commercial traffic on the major shipping waterway.
- The upcoming Midwest corn and soybean harvest could propel freight costs higher if river traffic remains severely restricted.
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