Fixing Education?

I know most of my posts are silly or just fabulous nuggets of knowledge, but I need to get real. I'm in the last week of my third grad class for my second master's and we've been studying some controversial issues in education. This is a great platform to investigate and engage in a professional discussion of such ideas, as we are all of a different mind. For this week's reading, I just need to vent.

A year and a half ago, a group of superintendents got together and created an "education manifesto," which pledges a commitment to improving education and educational standards for students. Sounds awesome, right? Think again. In this manifesto, the superintendents make an egregious error: identifying that students are not influenced by their zip code and that it is only the quality of the teacher that is the reason that students are so far behind academically. (insert hair pulling scream) What? So, what they're stating is that a student from a wealthy zip code and a student from a poverty stricken zip code can perform exactly the same in the classroom, provided they have a quality educator. While I believe ALL students have the innate ability to learn, no student based on race or gender has more or less of a chance to do well in school, but I will say that environment plays a key factor in that success.

A student who comes from a home where their parents are mostly home each night, where they can discuss school or ask for homework help, where their neighborhood is safe, and where parents provide a sense of security for that student has a much better chance to do well in school than the student who lives in an area riddled with gang violence, where parents work two and three jobs to make ends meet, where kids eat ramen for dinner regularly because that's all there is, where they're a week from living on the streets, or play parent to their younger siblings. Zip code completely matters. Yet, this manifesto blames teachers for students' lack of success. I spend about 50 minutes a day with each of my kids. While I know that I make an impact, in some way on my students, that 50 minutes pales in comparison to the at least 10 hours the student spends in their home environment. When students are in an area where there aren't any educated adult role models, students don't always see the point to doing well in school. What I have to teach them doesn't keep them safe from gangs. They struggle to see that there's a light at the end of that dangerous tunnel and that a solid education is the key to head to the light.

I'm frustrated that so many parents aren't taking accountability for their children's educational progress. Truly, their teachers can only do so much with what they are given. If kids live in a place where their parents don't think that education is very important, belittle what their child's teachers say or do in front of them, or are uneducated themselves, some students will share that belief and progress at school will be a complete challenge. Children reflect what they are taught by their parents. If parents are positive and supportive of their child's teachers and develop a good relationship with them, students will be much more successful at school. I've had too many instances where my students have made up terrible stories to get out of trouble for their grades and instead of that parent coming to me and asking what's going on, I get accusatory e-mails and phone calls telling me to fix their child's grade because they said I made a mistake. Rarely, will a student fess up to not doing the assignment. I understand that parents want to see the best in their kids, but the student's teacher is not the enemy; they're on the same side as parents and belittling their profession by ordering them to change a child's grade instead of just inquiring about what's happening with the assignment is no way to communicate that responsibility with teachers and it doesn't help the students at all. Instead, it makes students think that they can just get their teachers in trouble whenever something happens that they don't like.

The most intriguing aspect of who is involved in this manifesto is none other than the superintendent of the school district from which I am a product. This was a school that was geographically segregated until I was nearly finished with elementary school, where the district is over 200 million in debt due to the lawsuit that ended that segregation, where the teachers have to strike every time there's a contract negotiation because they want their teachers to work for poverty wages. I keep reading about how districts want to use merit pay as a way to attract the best teachers. Guess what? The best teachers don't want your merit pay. Their bonus is watching their students be successful. Teachers driven by financial gain are not always the best teachers. We merely want to be paid fairly and respected in our profession. Are there teachers who go against all the positive things I've mentioned and that need to be removed from classrooms? Of course. I think we need to see more of the "decision makers" in education visiting classrooms to see for themselves what good teachers are doing. It's much more valid than using test scores.

Here's the link for the article in which this response is to: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/07/AR2010100705078.html

Girl Dates and Other Fun Summer Things

As a teacher, the summer is truly the best opportunity to unwind and feel completely free of professional obligations (at least, until curriculum work veers its ugly head in late July), so I find it refreshing engage myself in a few satisfying experiences that I deprive myself of for 10 months of the year.

First, going out on a school night! I refuse to go anywhere after I get home from work Sunday through Wednesday. I need rest, sleep (yes, there's a difference), time to grade/lesson plan, catch up on tv, and maybe actually see my husband. So, the girls date I got to enjoy last night at Cooper's Hawk was a great treat. I've never been to this establishment before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. All the food was outstanding and I left becoming a member of their wine club. (yippee!) Now, I just have to figure out how I'm going to get there during the school year.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, the secret is out. I am an enormous fan of this show. I start every summer vacation by taking a few all-nighters watching this entire series. Now, I've had some house guests and other things pop up along the way, so at three weeks in, I'm just now making my way to that goal. But, staying up all night is something I would never attempt during the school year, even on break. The sleep schedule is a precious thing. Don't mess with it.

Scary movie marathons. During the school year, I don't typically have time to watch one movie, let alone a marathon. So, being able to devote an entire day to vegging on the couch without concern of grading, lesson plans, getting my own homework done, or replying to emails is simply heaven.

Cooking. I start a work day completely intending to cook my husband a great, home cooked meal when I get home, but after a 9 hour work day and 3 hours commuting, I often loose my steam to then stand in the kitchen for an hour and cook. He often must endure take out, quick trips to easy restaurants like TGIFridays, or leftovers from the weekend. Now, I get to cook lunch and dinner! Doing this makes the grocery bill a little higher, but we're eating better quality meals, aren't going out, and it helps my husband and I lose all the weight we gained during the school year.

Sleep. I can't go to bed early. No matter how exhausted or sleep deprived I am, I can't go to bed before 10:30. So, when you get up at 5 am, that's not a good number for sleep. I can stay up late, late, late, but getting up early, early, early is definitely part of the reason I'm getting gray hair. I could force myself to go to bed at 8 pm and feel exactly the same as I would at 5 am had I gone to bed at midnight. So, I may as well stay up and be productive! Either way, my brain and body LOVE sleeping until the sun rises. So, after a few school free days, my body quickly starts sleeping until 9 am on the dot. It becomes a chore when I have to wake up earlier than that for appointments and such. In fact, just the notion that I may have to get up early to take my car to the car doctor Saturday morning (ut, oh) is already making me upset.

What work rituals do you have when your on vacation or enjoying the weekend? Any suggestions during my freedom?

dieting...

Dieting in the summer is probably one of the most difficult times of the year to diet, what with all the barbecue parties all summer long. But, because I like a good challenge, I started a diet this past Monday. What's most helpful is that my husband and I are in it together. We can support one another in good snacking choices, are required to eat the same good dinners, and can help each other resist temptation. What diet are we on, you ask? Well, this is a diet that has worked for us in the past, we've just sort of neglected it for the last few years. We're on the first phase of the South Beach Diet.

What's so great about this diet, you ask? Well, for people like myself and my husband who love carbs and sugar, this diet does a great job of helping you stop craving such naughty food choices, so they can be enjoyed in moderation. In phase 1 of this diet, all fruits are eliminated, due to their high sugar content, corn, carrots, and ALL carbs: no pasta, rice, potatoes, bread, baked goods, cookies, candies, or ice cream. These items are eliminated due to their high sugar content or placement on the glycemic index.

It's not as challenging as it sounds. It's only for two weeks. In those two weeks, the body is detoxed of all these carbs and sugars and will crave them less. They're slowly reintroduced, so you don't feel deprived and inevitably fall off the diet wagon. I've had to be pretty creative with my cooking, being that I cook a lot of pasta and potatoes. We've been eating a lot of steamed cauliflower and broccoli, mashed cauliflower, hummus, celery, cabbage, salads, eggs, pepper sautes, and lots and lots of meat.

I've lost a few pounds this week, although I think it's mostly been water weight. There's a chance I may have strayed a couple of times this week, which may impact the diet's impact. We'll see what next week holds. My husband's lost 5 pounds already. This diet works really well if you've got at least 20 pounds to lose.

Daycare Soap Box

Over the years, I've learned that daycare facilities hide what it costs to send your child to their facility until you're about to sign the dotted line. So, I find myself randomly googling daycare pricing facts, hoping that some place has broken the mold and made their costs available online, or, that some awesome blogger posted the information themselves.

Having spent two years working in a swanky daycare facility and spending time nannying, I understand what high price day care can get you and what it realistically costs to have someone care for your child while you're at work. Now, I know that I cannot afford the swanky facility in which I worked (you'd be surprised to know that my pay at this facility did not mirror what the parents paid in tuition) and realistically understand that it's the price of daycare that is wedging itself between my husband and I having a child. I also know that I am not comfortable with home daycare facilities and I disagree with nannying when you have only one child. While googling tonight, I came across this article from care.com:


http://www.care.com/child-care-nanny-cost-p1145-q83979.html

The Nanny Guide: Nanny Cost

Find out about pay rates for nannies

Christine Koh, Care.com contributing writer   |    27 Comments

This article was really honest and interesting as far as what parents should expect to pay for an in-home daycare provider and understanding that you get what you pay for. I was DISGUSTED with how many parents talk about negotiating lower rates with nannies, how they simply cannot afford what they know they should pay a nanny, etc. This would not fly at any of these people's jobs. Being told that your boss knows that you deserve $16 an hour, but I can only give you $10 to do the same work, and claiming that a nanny who declines that job is "only in it for the money" is ridiculous. Everyone has bills/financial commitments. If you can't pay the proper amount for a job, then that means you cannot have the work done. If I can't afford to pay a landscaper the $500 I'm supposed to give them for a job, then I do the work myself, or it doesn't happen. If you can't afford what it costs to care for a child, then you CAN'T AFFORD to have a/nother kid. Be responsible about your finances. You know what you can/can't afford. If you know $1000 a month isn't in the budget to care for your child while you're at work, be responsible and wait until you have that money.

I dislike that my husband and I keep putting off having a child, but, I can only imagine how challenging our lives would be if we just had a kid because we want one, without factoring in the financial responsibility of caring for that child when I go back to work. It seems extremely irresponsible to have children all willy-nilly (because you need 4 kids....please, the world is overpopulated enough as it is AND there aren't enough jobs in the world either) without factoring in what the household budget can handle. I don't want to fight with my husband about what we can/can't afford because we just HAD to have our child now. It would be selfish of us to bring a child into the world, knowing we can't afford care for him/her in our absence. I wish other people would start seeing it that way. Kids don't deserve low-end daycare and shouldn't be exposed to their parents fighting about money/experiencing stress because they had more kids than the household budget can afford. Just make responsible decisions. The financial choice to have a child is similar to other big financial decisions, such as a house. You need to budget for more than just diapers and this financial investment is much more permanent than a house.

Wine Bargains...

There are so many wines that I want to try as I peruse aisle after aisle at the wine store. Typically, I have a price point that I try hard not to exceed when it comes what I purchase for myself. It's not because I'm cheap, or don't understand the value of a high priced wine, but because once I open a bottle, it won't last much past a few hours from then. I have a hard time paying $30 for a bottle that will only last a few hours. But, when sharing with friends, I have a different perspective.

With my individual wine price point, it excludes a lot of brands and new creations that I see from time to time in my shopping excursions. So, when I was grocery shopping at Target last week and came across their newly fixed up liquor department (it was quite nice) and saw a collection of clearance wines, I was thrilled! I searched among the bottles and found a brand that has piqued my interest for quite some time. I checked the handy red clearance tag and saw that I was 40% off! Yippee!! It was in my cart before my husband knew what was going on!

A few nights later, I decided to give the wine a try. Sadly, I wasn't overly impressed with its flavor, considering how much more expensive it is to the wines I frequent and love. But, I drank it anyway. After two glasses (large, large glasses), my husband came home from work. After asking about his day, he looked at me rather strangely and asked what I'd been eating. I'd only had my clearance wine, so I was quite confused and walked straight to the bathroom. My teeth and my tongue were blue. I drank 2/3 of a Cabernet Sauvignon and I looked like I'd given fellatio to a smurf. It seems there was a reason this wine was on clearance and it wasn't just to make room for newer stock on the shelves. Be weary of clearanced spirits!

Summer!

In my little world, it finally feels like summer. I got a sunburn yesterday (beware of patio meals!), have had to mow the lawn with increased regularity, and, wait for it....I bought a kiddie pool. Yes, I am a grown woman. No, I have no children. And, no, I have no shame in spending my summer sitting in a kiddie pool on my patio. 

Will my kiddie pool be as fun as floating around a lazy river at a water park? Well, probably not, BUT, I can enjoy adult beverages in this kiddie pool and I don't have to pay $15 every time I feel like relaxing in the water. Even better: this kiddie pool is completely lacking in children who will splash me while I relax, read trashy magazines, and enjoy adult beverages. 

I already noticed a neighbor staring quite incredulously as I filled my kiddie pool with water. JEALOUS. Clearly, people need to be reminded how to have a good time in their yard. Now, all I need is my patio redone (hopefully at the end of the month!), and a grill. I think the biggest challenge will be getting my husband into the pool. He seems to think it's silly, but I bet if he got all hot and bothered while grilling us a meal he'd want to cool off in this fabulous beauty. 

Anyone else going the more affordable route to cool off during these hot summer months? Any suggestions for making my kiddie pool more adult-like?

The 80's...

I am a proud 80's child. In that, there are movies, music, and key phrases from that point in my life that I think are AMAZING. They have wholly made me who I am today. With that, some outstanding movies from the 80's include: 16 Candles, Pretty in Pink, Adventures in Babysitting, Beetlejuice, The Breakfast Club, Children of the Corn, Coming to America, Empire Strikes Back, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ghostbuster's, Goonies, The NeverEnding Story (my FAV), Poltergeist, Terminator, Willow, and a slew of other things, but these mean the most to me. 

Then, there's music: Bette Davis Eyes, Jesse's Girl, Eye of the Tiger, Every Breath You Take, Total Eclipse of the Heart, Come on Eileen, When Doves Cry, Uptown Girl, Like a Virgin, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Take on Me, Addicted to Love, Sledgehammer, I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight, Sweet Child of Mine, Simple Irresistible, and soooo many others. 

Music and movies make up such a large part of what a person likes and who they become as adults. It defines what I really love: Ah Ha, The NeverEnding Story, Poltergeist (eeek scary movies!), and Willow (oooh science fiction!). It's outstanding when you think about what you may have revered as a child and think about how that has dictated your interests as an adult. 

What commonalities have you noticed?