The Urban Intelligensia

Current Events - Bush a "shoe-in" for irate Iraqi's rage

Good morning, readers!  I have to digress from education and writing to discuss the latest from Bush land.  It seems old W is still quite spry and did a heck of a job representin' for the 60+ folks.  Bush was in Iraq meeting with leaders and during a press conference an Iraqi journalist, seemingly unhappy with Mr. President, threw not one, but TWO shoes at Bush. Apparently the journalist was mad with Bush's handling of things in Iraq and wanted to express his dissatisfaction. In Iraqi culture, getting a shoe thrown at you or being hit with one represents dislike on the part of the thrower.  It's our equivalent of being hit with tomatoes or being booed off the stage.

When I watched the footage, I didn't know whether to laugh or be concerned.  On the one hand, seeing W getting shoes thrown at him and watching him duck and dodge was hilarious.  On the other hand, that was a serious security breach - what if that had been a grenade or other explosive device?  I'm no fan of Bush, but I don't want him hurt or killed. I want him alive to see Obama clean up the mess that he's made over the last eight years and see how a "real" leader gets the job done.  But, it was funny watching that leather fly. Bush cracked jokes afterwards, but I'm sure he was ticked off by the fact that people were throwing things at him.  He was thisclose to getting hit with some sole.  Maybe now he'll examine his actions as Commander in Chief and develop one.

Ciao for now.

Educational News - Radical Reform in D.C. Schools

Good morning, readers!

I received the latest issue of TIME magazine with Michelle Rhee, Chancellor of the D.C. public school system.  While I'm still reading through the article, I've already heard a lot about the new educational sheriff in D.C.  This woman is one tough administrator - and controversial.  To improve D.C. schools, she has fired over 200 teachers, several dozen principals and closed many underperforming schools. She wants high-performing, high-achieving teachers in every classroom and wants students to be performing at their best (currently D.C. students are performing at their lowerst - but it has been improving since Rhee came on the job).

I have mixed feelings about Ms. Rhee.  On the one hand, I applaud any educator who takes on the old establishment and turns it on its ear.  But on the other hand, must she alienate herself from those she expects the best from?  If she wants teachers to improve, there are many ways to do so without firing "bad" teachers (what is her definition of "bad"?) or getting rid of their tenure.  She cannot create an environment where teachers are in fear of their jobs.  In this economy, no one wants to be out of work and I feel that Ms. Rhee is doing more harm than good by her heavy-handed, draconian style. What about good teachers who see their colleagues go down in flames? Does that make them want to stay or drive them away?  What about teachers who are genuinelty struggling and just need some training to improve their quality?  What about teachers who were mismatched for subject area (i.e. math instead of english or vice versa)?  Maybe if Ms. Rhee would sit down with the teachers and listen to their concerns instead of just taking students at their word (like many of the students would be honest, for some, this is revenge time!) What about socio-economic factors?  Behavior?  Parent involvement? Learning disabilities? Relevant curriculum? All of these factor into student engagement and achievement.  Changing teachers is only one factor - a student must do his part as well. Education is not a one-way street.  Teachers will teach, but students must be willing to learn.

Ciao for now.

Educational Perspective - The Power of Choice

Hello readers!

Tomorrow is Election Day.  By this time tomorrow night, a new president will have been chosen.  Will it be Barack Obama or John McCain?  Will it be a Democrat or a Republican?  Will the Bradley effect play a role at the voting booths?  Will there be voting scandal like the 2000 election between Bush and Gore?  Will people see past race and vote for a Black man?  Will the Republicans stage an upset? Will Palin forever be Tina Fey's career meal ticket?  Will riots break out if Obama is not elected>?  Will riots break out if he is elected?  Will skinheads and Neo-Nazis try to take Obama out?  Too many questions...too much worry...too much excitement...I can't waiit for tomorrow.  Tomorrow I have the power to choose the next president and i will use that power to the fullest extent.

This Writer's Life - A Lesson from History

Good morning, readers, writers and educators.

This writer was blown away last night.  My family and I watched as Barack Obama accepted the nomination from the Democractic Party.  He then gave a speech that will long be remembered for its passion, its determination and its sense of urgency.  Yes, urgency.  We're in trouble America and long before the primary season began, America has been going through some issues.  We hemorraging our status as a world power by the minute and watch with growing concern as China looks to take our place.

Everything is too high!  Gas, food, housing, everything.  John McCain calls us a nation of "Whiners", of course he would - he's rich and probably not paying anythingtowards the cost of living.  Regardless of what happens in this election, he's all set while millions of Americans struggle to make ends meet. He is so out of touch!

I'm a supporter of Obama because I see in him what I saw in Bill Clinton many years ago.  A young man full of ideas, energy and the determination to get things done.  If Obama is eleted, it'll be the resurgence of America once again, just like under President Clinton. I want eight more years of that!  Not four more years of the same!  Under McCain, we'll probably have World War III on our hands and as a former soldier I'm sure McCain would LOVE that.  But can we afford to send more young men and women overseas to fight for interests that are dubious at best?  We can't afford it - not again.

No more!  No more Bush.  No more, McBush....I mean McCain.

Educational News - Educational Task Forces are Increasing

Good morning, readers. Happy post-4th of July.  It's Sunday and another week begins.  People will be returning from vacation and settling back into their daily routines.  I will start my summer job working with elementary school children and my son will start his summer academic enrichment program. So it's a busy week and it starts with an article I read in Parade magazine in today's Boston SundayGlobe:

Fixing Our Schools
Former Labor Secretary William Brock leads the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce, created to report on the state of U.S. education.

How can we fix American education?
First, we have to agree that we have a problem. In the last 25 years, spending has risen 240% while performance has barely changed. Only 68% of students graduate from high school, and many states require only eighth-grade skills in reading and math to get a diploma. We need to start with better early-childhood education. We need the very best among us to become teachers, and we need to ensure that standardized tests of rote knowledge don’t drive education away from the very things that have made America special: critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and teamwork.

You’ve said publicly that we are failing our teachers. How?
We recruit new teachers largely from the bottom 30% of entering college students, train them, and then assign them to the toughest jobs in the most challenging schools with very low pay. When the results fall short, we tell them, “You just have to work harder.” Most feel that they have no voice in their schools. This is no way to treat professionals.

Why isn’t education a bigger political issue?
Primarily because there is no quick fix. It’s complex. Perhaps most of all, no one really wants to admit that we are leaving millions of children behind. Education is the key to better jobs, higher incomes, and greater growth in what has become an extremely competitive global economy. Nothing is more important than education. Absolutely nothing.

This came from the Newsmakers section of Parade magazine.

I love the fact that America's schools are getting more attention and Mr. Brock has already scored cool points with me because he feels that teachers aren't being treated professionally.  Amen to that, brother! I have too many stories of being treated like a third-class citizen.  I'm glad Mr. Brock is listening to teachers who have been similarly abused.  We are professionals and should be treated with respect and admiration. Anyone can teach, but not everyone can be a teacher.  I look forward to reading more of Mr. Brock and his plans for our schools.

 

Educational Musing - A Teachable Moment

This is a historic day.  It's a great day.  It's a great day for many reasons - 1) Barack Obama can finally call himself the democratic nominee for the presidency, 2) one of my best friend's niece delivered a baby boy earlier this morning, and 3) today is my birthday! Happy Birthday to me!

But now, the teachable moment - we have learned a lot about politics, gender, race and culture through this election  Millions of people voted for the top democratic candidates - Barack and Hillary.  Hillary was always assumed to be the democratic nominee, but life has a funny way of changing perceptions.  Barack went from underdog to top dog. Like him or not, he is the future of American politics and we all have something to learn from him. 

Hillary has made history as well.  She is the first woman to win so many primaries and accumalate so many delegates.  She is truly a political force to be reckoned with.  I love Obama, but I admire Hillary as well.  Despite the often nasty turns on the campaign trail, she is a viable presidential candidate.  It would be wise of Obama to add her name to the ticket.  McCain has his issues, but we're still dealing with racial tensions in this country.  He is a white man and a black man is running against him.  With Hillary on the ticket, they'llbe an unbeatable force - Obama cannot risk otherwise.

Educational News - Game, Set - MATCH???

Good evening, readers.

Today's Headlines - Seniors from the acclaimed MATCH Charter school are defecting in droves from the educational institution and re-enrolling in the Boston Public School system.  Case in point, two senior girls from MATCH showed up at Brighton High School wishing to enroll with less than two weeks remaining before graduation.  Fortunately (or is it unfortunately?) the two girls returned to complete their studies at MATCH.

The issue at hand - a long simmering feud between BPS and the Charter school system.  BPS states that they lose millions of dollars each year (approx. 10,000 for every students) to charter schools that sapped resources and take away students from BPS. MATCH was named one of the twenty-five best high schools in the country by US News but it was also listed as a "dropout factory" in another report.  The factors contributing to the dropout rate are the high standards set by MATCH as they prepare students for post-secondary education.  BPS claims that MATCH doesn't provide enough support to seniors who need academic help in preparing for college.  MATCH counters that their standards are fine (and won't be changed any time soon) and that BPS needs to raise its standards to better prepare students for life after high school.

My take - I think this feud between BPS and charter schools is just another excuse for a power struggle.  There are PLENTY of students for BPS and the charter schools.  If it's an issue of money, then BPS needs to take its case to the state and/or federal education agenices.  The bottomline is this -our children, especially students of color, need the best education possible to prepare for the real world.  Colleges and universities want higher skill sets from graduating seniors and employers want better educated/trained employees.  We need to stop the power struggle and start focusing on educating our future.

Educational Musings - Dropping the Dropout Rate

As reported in the Boston Herald, a massive rally was held at the State House by students, dropouts and the services aim to help them.  It was reported that 1,900 students dropped out of the BPS system last year. 1,900 students decided that, for whatever reason, the current educational system was not for them.  Granted, our system is not perfect, it definitely needs reform, but it's currently the only system that we have that produces a large quantity of high school graduates who either enter the work force, go to college or do both. What other system can produce those numbers?  And getting anything other than a high school diploma is not the best alternative.  I'm sorry to say but a GED is not worth the paper it's printed on.

I have mixed feelings about dropouts.  On the one hand, I understand that school can be a challenge for many students and because of our system's issues, it can cause many students to walk out the door to seek other options.  But on the other hand, why would you walk away from something that has more benefits than drawbacks?  Every child in this country has a legal right to an education - why would you give that up?

At the rally, which was organized by Teen Empowerment, students and their supporters wanted Governor Patrick and his administration to listen and consider their demands for educational improvement.  Specifically, students wanted more course options, less emphasis on MCAS prep,and more classes focused on art, gym, theater and music.  Many dropouts, specifically at the high school level, want more assistance with their education so that they can drop back in to school. And that, along with preventing students from dropping out in the first place, should be the number one priority for Massachusetts.

As an educator, I've seen many students walk through my door and several who have left and never returned. Sometimes I'll run into them on the street or at the mall -some transferred to other schools, some are working, some became parents and some are just hanging out at home waiting for something to happen. "Waiting on the world to change" (John Mayer) - if they don't change themselves - the world isn't waiting on them to do it.

Educational Musings- The Politics of Education

It's a rainy, early Saturday morning and as I sit here reflecting on my first week back after Spring break, I'm feeling a mix of emotions - happy and sad.  Teachers are constantly blamed for the challenges that our country's educational system currently face and while I had heard inklings of those complaints from teachers, I now realize how deep the problems are as one.  This week has been crazy and hectic - Monday started off the week pretty well ( a sure sign that problems are just around the corner), the kids seemed pretty glad to be back and ready to get to work.  I made my announcement about extra credit opportunities which all of my classes seemed pretty eager to take advantage of.  The day flew by w/o any issues.  On Tuesday, the honeymoon was OVER.  As I wrote earlier this week, it was as if it was a Monday.  First, I get cussed out by a student, then insulted by students over my appearance (age and fashion choice) and then the day ended with a fight breaking out.  Only two of my four classes seemed to be functioning with any sense - my homeroom (my consistent darlings) and my fifth period (who have been getting better since I have been getting rid of the problem children).  My second period who are generally pretty good weren't very focused and my six period (prior to the fight breaking out) were their usually loud, not paying attention, not doing the work-selves.  On Wednesday, I came in with high reservations and was met with a pretty good day.  The student who had cussed me out was absent from class allowing me more time to recover from my anger towards her.  My second period was functioning like their old selves,  I spoke to my top student who had gotten into the fight and reminded him of his goals and not to let psycho students derail him.  The rest of the classes (especially 6th period) were pretty much calm (especially 6th period) and I was able to get through the day.  Thursday was pretty good as well.  No major issues.  Some of my student had been suspended.  Another problem student was transferred from my fifth period class (bye, bye!) and I was able to get through the day and prepare for my absence on Friday.

I don't like being out from work in general and ever since I started teaching, I definitely try to keep the absences on the low side.  So far, I've only been out three times this year - one was for a conference, another for jury duty and one actual sick day.  My jury duty meeting was yesterday.  It took about an 1 1/2 hoursto meet with someone and then I may need to come back in three weeks (hopefully not). So my attendance record has been very good this year.  I only anticipate being out maybe a couple more times this school year - one for my son's doctor appt and one in June for my b-day.

Now on to politics, educational politics - that's what everything before has been leading up to - student responsibility, the achievement gap and what the government's strategy is to close it.  No Child Left Behind is leaving even more kids before (any many teachers as well).  Too many students of color are not making the grade on state-sanctioned tests (i.e. MCAS) and too many students are dropping out of high school and into overwelmed GED/Adult ed programs.  Plus, from my perspective, too many students have this attitude of entitlement - like they're doing us a favor by showing up to class.  Last time I checked, I had all of my credentials - you're the one who needs a high school diploma.  Sorry to say but a student needs to take responsibility for his education and if they fail, the blame shouldn't be laid at the teacher's feet. I know for a fact that many of my colleagues and I bust our butts preparing lessons and prepping for classes.  Even though I was out yesterday, I came back after school had let out and stayed for over an hour grading notebooks and getting ready for Monday's class.  Either I'm dedicated or crazy (maybe a little of both), but that's what I felt  I needed to do to be ready for my kids.

Educational policy in this country has become too political and not enough personal.  Instead of blaming the teachers, we all need to be that village that raises that child - before the village is destroyed.

Educational Musings - Teacher Abuse and Miley Cyrus

The honeymoon was over quicker than I had expected.  After coming back from a glorious, sun-filled spring break, yesterday was a new day with returning students, reviewing material and presenting positive ways to pass my class.  Well, today began with a student cussing me out, two students being thrown out of the building, being called "old" and ended with a fight breaking out in my classroom just before the dismissal bell. Two days into the return and I'm already stressed out as all hell.  I'm glad, although I'll be handling jury duty business, that I have this Friday off.  It seems like I'm going to need it.

As of late and more often I ask myself why I continue to put up with the abuse, I'm sure there are many teachers out there who ask themselves that same question.  I guess the reasons are numerous - the good pay, the flexible hours, the love of teaching and learning, plenty of holidays and summers off and helping the next generation prepare for life after high school.  But for all the good things about teaching, there is plenty of bad - rude students, apathetic students, lazy students, disruptive students, violent students, the swearing, the absences, the tardiness, the challenging of authority, the undone or missing work, the mental and emotional issues, the dealing with sexual and homophobic issues, the draconian administrators, a slow-moving school system, the achievement gap, the loss of creative autonomy in the classroom, the "Big Brother"-like environment.  I could go on and on.  But today's incidents reminded me once again that I need a change of scenery, despite its drawbacks, private sector life had its benefits as well - more money, work stays at the office, working with your peers, some holidays and every weekend off, bonuses, promotions, seeing change happen quickly and taking an active role in the change.  Sure, my private sector jobs had me playing the role of the corporate cog, but at least I didn't have to deal with rude comments like (you're looking old) or being sworn at. Shoot, in the private sector a lot of the things that I deal with at school would be illegal and get people fired and/or sued. In the public sector, since I'm considered a "public servant" (as a black woman, that gives me an uneasy chill), I have to tolerate more from the public.  But abuse is abuse no matter what the environment and teachers are people and as people we have rights.  For all of teaching's benefits and rewards, I'm tired of the crap that I deal with on a daily basis. It's draining and at the end of each day I just want to collapse (which is what I do at home).  I'm wasting my life on the couch because I'm depressed over my job, the direction of my career, my writing and my finances.  If just one of those things could get better, it would pull everything else up.  I need a break and soon.

But on to other matters, as a teacher and working with high school students, I am privy to all their interests and trends.  Although I'm at an urban school, Miley Cyrus is well-known amongst my students and she was the subject of conversation today.  Poor Miley. 15 and a multi-millionaire. I feel bad for her.  NOT!!!!!  Come on!  Those pictures for Vanity Fair?  If that's racy, what was sent to the cutting room floor?!  I thought she looked pretty, innocent, an ingenue.  The media is making her out to be the second coming of Britney Spears (or is that Jamie Lynn's role?).  Granted, as an underage teen, mom and dad should have been more involved in the picture selection.  But Anne Lebovitz, world-renowned photog, who shoots celebrities like I use a chalkboard (i.e. ALL THE TIME), said in today's Boston Herald, that Miley's parents reviewed the digital shots and essentially had no issues with the pictures.  Miley viewed the shots as well and didn't have any issues.  Now she's embarrassed?  She's embarrassed because the media has taken her beautiful photos by Ms. Lebovitz and combined with her much racier Internet shots and have turned something wonderful into something twisted. My students knew all th juicy details of the Miley scandal. Now if they know all this but can't remember to bring a pencil to class what does that say about our kids?  Our society?  The Miley scandal will pass as soon as some other celeb is caught doing something stupid, dangerous or both.  For now, I say to Ms. Cyrus, lay low, stop apologizing for the pictures and wait it out.

Ciao for now.