Having been an educator for the past 40+ years I have learned a thing or two. You are never to old to learn is one and that " you get what you pay for" is another. Right now and for the last 100 + years we as a people have either predicted the demise of public education or listened to those who have never been in the classroom except as students pontificate on how to improve it. Our great grand parents predicted that the pencil would ruin education as we knew it, our grand parents predicted that radio and television would ruin education and our parents predicted that the personal computer would be a bane on society and just a fad like Rock and Roll. But, none of those things happened and in fact, all those things have enhanced education, especially public education.
In these hard times a call by our Secretary of Education is rallying for more privatization of public schools, voucher systems for parochial and private schools, tougher graduation requirements, charter schools and a host of other options to improve education in America. President OBama campaigned on just such a platform so his opponents in the next election should oppose them. Just kidding.
While I will stipulate many areas of the country have schools that are less than successful my contention is not to paint all public schools with the same brush. Enacting laws and policies that do not recognize that we are all different and making good schools diminish because their funding is tied to those laws and policies to help poor schools is not very smart. "No Child Left Behind" was such a policy. My colleagues had many derivative names for it as those of us actually in the classroom knew it wouldn't work. Testing our children ad nausea has only improved the coffers of testing companies and not improved education. Blaming teachers and their unions is not working either and in fact caused many competent, enthusiastic college students to stay away from the profession resulting in teachers who may be dedicated but lack the skills to be innovative and creative. And lastly, yes you heard it here, throwing money at the issues has not worked either.
So, let me tell you what I think after 40 years of teaching in a public school works. Typically, no one ever asks the experts in the field, the people actually doing the job what they think. Instead governments look at Doctoral theses from people hoping to publish a book or move up the administration ladder. Just an aside, I have friends that have worked for many Phd candidates and they tell me that often data is "adjusted' to assist in proving a thesis" just a tidbit to ponder. What will work is a 3 pronged approach. One, you need children eager and prepared to learn. That all happens in the primary grades, but by the time those students become teenagers something went wrong and the opposite is true. We need to find out what happened to asking a Kindergartner if they can dance with an enthusiastic answer; YES to a teenagers muffled "no". Two, you need parents and a community that values education not in just lip service but in participating in the schools. Schools should be the cultural centers of every community where they are used 24/7 and everyone wants to be there. And lastly, you need to have competent teaching staffs that are given the resources and freedom to do their job. When I hire a plumber to fix my pipes, I don't tell him how to do his job, I trust that he has the training and expertise to do that job. Why not afford teachers with thousands of hours of educational training to do what you hired them to do?
All three MUST be in place for the system to work no matter what the area of the country you live in. In poor communities or rich communities, there are public schools that do just that, work, because of the three pronged approach.
Let's stop giving our tax dollar to testing companies and those individuals who have never been in the classroom and work together as communities to improve an educational system that put man on the moon, keeps most of the world safe and allows its people to move from place to place with absolute freedom.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Can't We All Just Get Along?
Before I start my usual Sunday morning "Honey-dos" my day starts with a cup of coffee and listening to Meet The Press on NBC. For those who don't watch TV, that's a show where talking heads talk about what other talking heads talk about when it comes to politics. As you can probably guess from previous posts, I enjoy discussions centered around politics and have some extreme views along with some populists views as well. And that is exactly my point. I titled this post with the quote with what Rodney King said after the Los Angeles riots many years ago. His beating by police sparked those riots even though the pressure of unemployment and sagging economy had taken years to reach that boil over point. I don't think there is an American out there that is not concerned about the state of our economy and even more so about our politics. Even if some of us are living large and happy where we are on the socio-economic scale we have compassion for those less fortunate. But how in the name of all that is sacred to us as a civilized society can we not condemn the words coming out of certain Republican canditates' mouths. Actually, I'm not as upset about the comments of Rick Perry or Ron Paul as I am of the audience response. It reminds me of the movie Roller Ball where the crowd cheers the death of a competitor. I see our country being torn apart not by wars, invasions or natural disasters but by the callousness so many people have toward each other. It seems to me we are more polarized than any time in my memory, certainly than more than the Vietnam Era even without the flag burning and the protest marches. We have become a mean spirited people. an intolerant people, an uncooperative people and a disrespectful people. My blood boils when I hear the rhetoric coming out of both sides of the aisle berating each other and large segments of the American people. What happened to "no negative ads"? What happened to the "compassionate conservative"? What happened to "Do unto others as you would have done to you."? I know in times of national and even regional tragedy we rally to each others aid. But, we need to extend that mentality throughout the year in our everyday lives or we risk escalating the class war we are now facing. I had a speech teacher when I was in college tell me "When we don't vote or participate in the political process, we get what we deserve." I took that to heart as my usual tack, to the extreme sometimes. I think we need to step back from our frustrations and recognize that we are in danger of losing what makes us Americans, what makes us civilized human beings. A 30 year old man in a coma can not make informed decisions and executing 232 individuals is not something to brag about.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
9/11, It's A Matter Of Respect
I had thought that I should wait to write this down today as opposed to waiting until tomorrow, the tenth anniversary of the heinous attack on our country by deranged individuals. But, I didn't want to maybe mar my solemn observance of this event and decided that now would probably be better.
In pondering the events of September 11, 2001 it seems to me that one of many reasons for the occurrence was a lack of respect. Here is how I see it. We as a people seem to be loosing our tolerance of the views and beliefs of others and assume that our way is the only way to do things and believe in. Don't get me wrong, those who know me know that when it comes to my country I am a jingoist. Look that one up. I have been known to remind strangers to remove their hats when our National Anthem is played and request strongly my students stand during The Pledge of Allegiance. I do this not to enforce my views on them but to have them acknowledge that they need to respect my views even if they themselves don't believe in them. Just as I need to respect the views of others and stand during the Canadian National Anthem or acknowledge the convictions of someone else's beliefs.
So, I see the tragic events of that day as those deranged individuals to have killed thousands of innocent people as their inability to respect the beliefs of others. They got that way, I feel, because they listened to those they respected and extrapolated what they learned and twisted it to mean something the teachings were not.
Then we as a nation reacted and condemned thousands of peace loving people, many from our own country, as sympathizers of those individuals. We passed laws and assaulted individuals in the belief that they were all the same. We behaved without respect for the common beliefs we all share from every philosophy that civilized societies hold. We spent billions of dollars and put countless lives in harms way to eradicate those that might have a connection to those individuals all in the name of security. Yet we still can trace all of this to a lack of respect regarding the situation of another. There are countless cliches that apply, "You don't understand someone else until you walk in their moccasins", "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." and many more. In the Orange County Register recently there was an article that said college graduates are ill prepared for the job market as interviewers noted that at the top of the list was "personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect."
It just seems to me that we as parents, adults and teachers of our children some how missed our opportunities to evaluate the actions of a few individuals and teach what they did not learn. Had we as a worldwide community done so, maybe thousands of people might not have lost their lives.
In pondering the events of September 11, 2001 it seems to me that one of many reasons for the occurrence was a lack of respect. Here is how I see it. We as a people seem to be loosing our tolerance of the views and beliefs of others and assume that our way is the only way to do things and believe in. Don't get me wrong, those who know me know that when it comes to my country I am a jingoist. Look that one up. I have been known to remind strangers to remove their hats when our National Anthem is played and request strongly my students stand during The Pledge of Allegiance. I do this not to enforce my views on them but to have them acknowledge that they need to respect my views even if they themselves don't believe in them. Just as I need to respect the views of others and stand during the Canadian National Anthem or acknowledge the convictions of someone else's beliefs.
So, I see the tragic events of that day as those deranged individuals to have killed thousands of innocent people as their inability to respect the beliefs of others. They got that way, I feel, because they listened to those they respected and extrapolated what they learned and twisted it to mean something the teachings were not.
Then we as a nation reacted and condemned thousands of peace loving people, many from our own country, as sympathizers of those individuals. We passed laws and assaulted individuals in the belief that they were all the same. We behaved without respect for the common beliefs we all share from every philosophy that civilized societies hold. We spent billions of dollars and put countless lives in harms way to eradicate those that might have a connection to those individuals all in the name of security. Yet we still can trace all of this to a lack of respect regarding the situation of another. There are countless cliches that apply, "You don't understand someone else until you walk in their moccasins", "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." and many more. In the Orange County Register recently there was an article that said college graduates are ill prepared for the job market as interviewers noted that at the top of the list was "personal interaction skills, including courtesy and respect."
It just seems to me that we as parents, adults and teachers of our children some how missed our opportunities to evaluate the actions of a few individuals and teach what they did not learn. Had we as a worldwide community done so, maybe thousands of people might not have lost their lives.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Labor Day Thoughts
This weekend is the Labor Day weekend that is dedicated to celebrating the American worker and I thought I would say a few words.
Labor unions have been given a lot of attention recently and some misconceptions are floating around in their characterization, purpose and history. First, labor unions were begun to improve the plight of workers and their working conditions. In fact it was the "sit in" that the children of the 1960s used it for protest can trace that action to our labor unions. In factories all across America workers would stop work and sit down to force companies to give in to demands. In those early 1920s in the beginning of unions, most unions were considered communist and un-American. Now, many unions such as the Auto Workers unions, Teamsters, Hotel and Food service workers are the blue collar workers emanating from the heartland. Considered to be the conservative part of our political spectrum, while teachers, air traffic controllers and nurses unions are thought of as socialist and left of center.
As a musician and teacher I have been a member of a multiple unions and as many as 3 at the same time. Let me outline why and how I think it works.
Business is out to make a profit whether it is a widget or a service. Making car parts or delivering information. Because of that need to maximise profits few businesses will invest in its workers seeing no connection to happy employees=better productivity(Ben and Jerry's not withstanding for example). So, in order to make sure more people have basic necessities as humans in the work force, groups of employees banded together to help their plight, requesting the employer provide security in old age, medical benefits and time to rest to come back to work fresher than before. For example, when I started working, our school district had no optical care, maternity plans, dental care and only if I ended up in a hospital did my employer contribute to my situation. I got 10 days of sick leave and was forcibly unemployed for 10 weeks when the Summer months arrived. It was only through the unions that had begun in my field that I now have a decent retirement plan, dental plans, optical plans and a choice of medical plans. The promise from my employer is that "If I work for them, I will not only enjoy my working conditions, but stay for the benefits that are provided and not go somewhere else to greener pastures." many companies in private industry have followed suit and I applaud them. For making workers happy. by all the researchshows that it improves productivity and company loyalty.
So, the next time someone bashes a union, ask them. Do they have medical care, is the company using child labor, is there workplace safe to work in, does their employer care about them or are they treated just like the machinery that makes the products? All the American worker wants is a secure job. in a safe environment, with a company that treats them humanely. Unions help make sure that situation occurs. So, on Labor Day we need to acknowledge the American worker(me and you) and the groups of us who banded together to make a better life for our families and our brethren. Enjoy the day.
Labor unions have been given a lot of attention recently and some misconceptions are floating around in their characterization, purpose and history. First, labor unions were begun to improve the plight of workers and their working conditions. In fact it was the "sit in" that the children of the 1960s used it for protest can trace that action to our labor unions. In factories all across America workers would stop work and sit down to force companies to give in to demands. In those early 1920s in the beginning of unions, most unions were considered communist and un-American. Now, many unions such as the Auto Workers unions, Teamsters, Hotel and Food service workers are the blue collar workers emanating from the heartland. Considered to be the conservative part of our political spectrum, while teachers, air traffic controllers and nurses unions are thought of as socialist and left of center.
As a musician and teacher I have been a member of a multiple unions and as many as 3 at the same time. Let me outline why and how I think it works.
Business is out to make a profit whether it is a widget or a service. Making car parts or delivering information. Because of that need to maximise profits few businesses will invest in its workers seeing no connection to happy employees=better productivity(Ben and Jerry's not withstanding for example). So, in order to make sure more people have basic necessities as humans in the work force, groups of employees banded together to help their plight, requesting the employer provide security in old age, medical benefits and time to rest to come back to work fresher than before. For example, when I started working, our school district had no optical care, maternity plans, dental care and only if I ended up in a hospital did my employer contribute to my situation. I got 10 days of sick leave and was forcibly unemployed for 10 weeks when the Summer months arrived. It was only through the unions that had begun in my field that I now have a decent retirement plan, dental plans, optical plans and a choice of medical plans. The promise from my employer is that "If I work for them, I will not only enjoy my working conditions, but stay for the benefits that are provided and not go somewhere else to greener pastures." many companies in private industry have followed suit and I applaud them. For making workers happy. by all the researchshows that it improves productivity and company loyalty.
So, the next time someone bashes a union, ask them. Do they have medical care, is the company using child labor, is there workplace safe to work in, does their employer care about them or are they treated just like the machinery that makes the products? All the American worker wants is a secure job. in a safe environment, with a company that treats them humanely. Unions help make sure that situation occurs. So, on Labor Day we need to acknowledge the American worker(me and you) and the groups of us who banded together to make a better life for our families and our brethren. Enjoy the day.
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