OK, I'm willing to accept "shared sacrifice" in the government financial mess. If that means I pay a tax on things that were not taxed before, all right. But, two things....
One, I'm willing to accept this only if there is meaningful change, structural change. No more of this "business as usual," the same crap of the past 30 or 40 years. For instance, I don't care if you buy and drive an electric car, a hybrid, etc. I just don't want to have to pay for it. You pay for it.
Two, how interesting how I'm now (after years in the public schools) am being castigated, now I have to "sacrifice," too. After all, the private sector is hurting, has lost things, etc. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah sang the Beatles. If we must "share" the sacrifice now, why didn't we share the prosperity of the '90s and early '00s? In the '90s, oh, times were good--all that prosperity thanks, we were told, to Bill Clinton. Yeah, the '90s. I went four years with 0% raises, another with a 1% raise, and a sixth with a 2% raise (which really wasn't a raise since our work time was increased by 2 1/2%). Then, in the early 00's, with similar financial "rewards," I mentioned that to a parent of a student of mine. She said, "Well, this isn't the '90s you know." It wasn't hard to quickly retort, "I never had a '90s." So, I guess the picture is I have to sacrifice all of the time--good times and bad.
I must be clear, though, that I am comfortable, that I never dreamed I'd make the money I made in teaching. Now, in neighboring districts, teachers made $10 and $15 and even $20 thousand a year more than I did. But, well, that's our fault--the teachers of my district--for believing the lies (and that's what they were) of the financial cries of poverty of the adminstration. We were doing it "for the kids." Baloney! We were wimps. But, still, I can't complain about the actual amount I made, as disproportionate as it was. Yet, I wonder what other occupation pays an employee with a BA and three graduate degrees what I was paid! Nah, I don't wonder--none of them do.
Interesting how a recent study has been largely ignored. Public sector employees with college degrees (bachelor's) in Michigan earn 21% less than private sector workers with the same education. And, even if the widely publicized perks, such as health care and retirement, are included, it's still more than 10% less. (Now, one might argue that degrees in education aren't real degrees--and I might be one to do so--but that's not the point.) But, that report, after one day of coverage, has been buried. How typical!
Let's dump on teachers--all of the time. Oh, we will claim we aren't, but who (among the most competent of our students) in his/her right mind would go into teaching? Teachers are greedy, low-lives, unwilling to sacrifice, lazy (esp with all that time off!), etc. I'd guess three types of people....
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thoughts
I was reading a "professional" journal today, an article about teaching, making it more relevant to students for want of other words. I read about four or five paragraphs before tossing it in the trash. These words were glaring: "fun," "exciting," "easier." No!!!!! Now, nobody enjoys learning more than I do. And, I dare say, I took exception to the author's contention that teachers rarely have "fun" in class--I do almost every class. But when are people--dare I say the "education-types"--going to learn that learning (and teaching) aren't always "fun?" When are they going to learn that some things worth doing, such as learning, require hard, sometimes quite tedious work? Not everything has to be "fun" to be worthwhile. I know my reputation among people concerning scholarship (and, I'd guess my college mates, too, and I don't really agree), but do they think I learned all this stuff by osmosis? Do they think it was "poof, magic?" Do they know how many books I've read, how much stuff I've written (including just "stuff," not just the published works), how much time I spend thinking about things? No, I guess they don't. No wonder we get such silliness as "Everybody goes to college," "Cool cities," etc.
I'm also just stressed about how blind our media are. I wonder, though, unlike a lot of bloggers and other online columnists, if their blindness is willful (i.e., a liberal agenda/bias) or if it's just ignorance. But how can the media constantly ignore realities? That CBS reporter who was raped in Cairo, right out on the streets, is a case in point. So is the 14-year old Pakistani girl who was raped by a older relative, blamed for it, beaten, and then sentenced (she, not her relative, was the guilty person under Shar'ia law) to 100 lashes. She lost consciousness after about 80 lashes and died from them less than a week later. OK, why isn't there any coverage, front page stuff, about all this? Why do the Western media ignore that women and non-Muslims are less than citizens in Muslim countries, that they can be beaten and even killed under Shar'ia? Why do they ignore than Muslims are flooding into countries, not to become productive citizens of those countries, but to make those countries Islamic? (It may take longer, but isn't that another way of conquering a nation?) Is this what diversity and multi-culturalism have led to, a blindness toward an invasion of sorts, of an attempt to undo the ideas and principles of the Enlightenment, arguably the greatest advance of the human mind in history?
There was another one of these types writing about multi-culturalism in today's papers. Apparently the failure of it in European nations isn't the fault of those unwilling to assimilate, but of the European nations themselves. The guy made some colossal errors of reason. He tried to make comparisons with American "multi-culturalism" with that of Europe. There's a difference. European people gathered together in nations on the bases of ethnicity, language, religion, force, etc. The US remains the only nation whose birth/basis came from principles of liberty and freedom. It's hard to take authors like this seriously.
I'm also just stressed about how blind our media are. I wonder, though, unlike a lot of bloggers and other online columnists, if their blindness is willful (i.e., a liberal agenda/bias) or if it's just ignorance. But how can the media constantly ignore realities? That CBS reporter who was raped in Cairo, right out on the streets, is a case in point. So is the 14-year old Pakistani girl who was raped by a older relative, blamed for it, beaten, and then sentenced (she, not her relative, was the guilty person under Shar'ia law) to 100 lashes. She lost consciousness after about 80 lashes and died from them less than a week later. OK, why isn't there any coverage, front page stuff, about all this? Why do the Western media ignore that women and non-Muslims are less than citizens in Muslim countries, that they can be beaten and even killed under Shar'ia? Why do they ignore than Muslims are flooding into countries, not to become productive citizens of those countries, but to make those countries Islamic? (It may take longer, but isn't that another way of conquering a nation?) Is this what diversity and multi-culturalism have led to, a blindness toward an invasion of sorts, of an attempt to undo the ideas and principles of the Enlightenment, arguably the greatest advance of the human mind in history?
There was another one of these types writing about multi-culturalism in today's papers. Apparently the failure of it in European nations isn't the fault of those unwilling to assimilate, but of the European nations themselves. The guy made some colossal errors of reason. He tried to make comparisons with American "multi-culturalism" with that of Europe. There's a difference. European people gathered together in nations on the bases of ethnicity, language, religion, force, etc. The US remains the only nation whose birth/basis came from principles of liberty and freedom. It's hard to take authors like this seriously.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sun Thoughts
I read a column today in which the author took science teachers to task for subverting the "truth" by skirting the teaching of evolution and stressing or giving equal time to creationism, a term which has been polluted and is now often called "intelligent design." He cited a study in which teachers, in significant numbers (more than 60%) admitted as much. There is much in here to concern one interested in the state of education. Seriously, does the story of Adam and Eve really compare to evolution (and, no, "your grandfather was a monkey" is not evolution)? Do these teachers really tell students they don't care what students believe, just know it for the test? Is that the state test? What lousy education if it is! And, I wonder if the author also finds the teaching of "man-made global warming" to be equally dishonest? Does he think "the science is established" (it's not, not at all)? Interesting article with many deeper issues.
How long will the gov and others continue with the deception of claiming public employees are overpaid, particularly relative to private sector employees? Study after study shows this isn't true. Private sector workers with BAs get anywhere from 10% to 21% more pay than public employees with BAs. Even if perks such as health insurance and retirement are included, public compensation is not as high as that in the private sector. Now, one might say many of the degrees in the private sector aren't real ones, that degrees in education are fake, but that's a different story. So, is the new gov as deceptive and disingenuous as his predecessors? I'm beginning to wonder.
How long will the gov and others continue with the deception of claiming public employees are overpaid, particularly relative to private sector employees? Study after study shows this isn't true. Private sector workers with BAs get anywhere from 10% to 21% more pay than public employees with BAs. Even if perks such as health insurance and retirement are included, public compensation is not as high as that in the private sector. Now, one might say many of the degrees in the private sector aren't real ones, that degrees in education are fake, but that's a different story. So, is the new gov as deceptive and disingenuous as his predecessors? I'm beginning to wonder.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Yet...
With all the nice things, there are still reminders that not all is well in the world. Let's just use a couple of examples, at least until tomorrow. First, some U of M professor publicly came out in favor of cutting Michigan's population to about 2.7 million. That's about 25% of current population numbers. How does this guy keep his job? How'd he get it in the first place? Well, he should, then, lead by example--and go first! What if people, under his plan, don't leave? What then? Forced migration or worse? Reminds me of the typical do-gooders, who are quick to use other people's money for their projects, but viciously hold on to their own cash. Hypocrites all.
And what about the local school board (yeah, we're back on them--apparently nobody has taken Mark Twain at his word yet, 100+ years later!)? After forming public committees to examine possibilities of closing a building or two, it rejected the recommendations because the recs didn't match up with their predetermined ideas--that's the only possibility isn't it? So, they justified this, in looking for other, not recommended buildings to close, it has become, "It's not about money. It's about the kids." Yeah, right--they are dishonest or stupid, take your pick, but one or the other. First, c'mon, it's never really "about the kids" unless that happens to coincide, just accidentally, with their agendas. And, if it's not "about the money," then why are they even thinking about closing a building? There's no reason to do so, none.
I wrote a lengthy reply to a really ill-considered op-ed piece last week about tenure. I'm tired now, but maybe I'll post it here tomorrow. Out....
And what about the local school board (yeah, we're back on them--apparently nobody has taken Mark Twain at his word yet, 100+ years later!)? After forming public committees to examine possibilities of closing a building or two, it rejected the recommendations because the recs didn't match up with their predetermined ideas--that's the only possibility isn't it? So, they justified this, in looking for other, not recommended buildings to close, it has become, "It's not about money. It's about the kids." Yeah, right--they are dishonest or stupid, take your pick, but one or the other. First, c'mon, it's never really "about the kids" unless that happens to coincide, just accidentally, with their agendas. And, if it's not "about the money," then why are they even thinking about closing a building? There's no reason to do so, none.
I wrote a lengthy reply to a really ill-considered op-ed piece last week about tenure. I'm tired now, but maybe I'll post it here tomorrow. Out....
Nice Weekend
What a nice weekend, beginning with a good, but tired Fri and ending this eve. Fri was a good eve with friends and Sat AM opened with about 4" of snow, light and fluffy--good to shovel. And, I got out there early enough so I beat the LOUD snowblowers. One neighbor, though, was out in his drive talking on his cell phone--does a cell phone require the user to yell into it? This guy was loud, as if having a conversation with me, standing right beside me. Ha--cell phones.
The basketball games were OK, too. The first one we weren't so hot, not playing very well. But the second game was a lot of fun. I think two guys scored for the first time in two years! And all of the guys but one really played hard, hustling, going after balls, playing defense as if they meant it. It was fun. And it was fun watching their faces beam after being told how well they were doing.
The wine party was fun--let's let it stay at 14 empty wine bottles on the kitchen counter this AM, not to mention the partly full ones in the ice box and the reds/dry whites we just had others take home. Did I say LaBatts, too?
This AM, on my way home from my run, I noticed blue sky! Yep, blue sky. I tried to remember the last time I saw that--maybe a week and a half ago? Then, the sky was sunny all afternoon, although the online weather for Commerce Twp read "cloudy" all day. But, this AM going out at the start of my run, it was a beautiful portrait in gray and black--the white snow from yesterday mixing with the stark blacks and grays of the trees and roads. Jut beautiful! Big storm advisory out for Tue eve/Wed AM--8 to 12" being forecast, now. We'll see.
I enjoyed writing Feb's column, too. Three of four classes of papers are graded, too. I might just finish the last one tomorrow.
The basketball games were OK, too. The first one we weren't so hot, not playing very well. But the second game was a lot of fun. I think two guys scored for the first time in two years! And all of the guys but one really played hard, hustling, going after balls, playing defense as if they meant it. It was fun. And it was fun watching their faces beam after being told how well they were doing.
The wine party was fun--let's let it stay at 14 empty wine bottles on the kitchen counter this AM, not to mention the partly full ones in the ice box and the reds/dry whites we just had others take home. Did I say LaBatts, too?
This AM, on my way home from my run, I noticed blue sky! Yep, blue sky. I tried to remember the last time I saw that--maybe a week and a half ago? Then, the sky was sunny all afternoon, although the online weather for Commerce Twp read "cloudy" all day. But, this AM going out at the start of my run, it was a beautiful portrait in gray and black--the white snow from yesterday mixing with the stark blacks and grays of the trees and roads. Jut beautiful! Big storm advisory out for Tue eve/Wed AM--8 to 12" being forecast, now. We'll see.
I enjoyed writing Feb's column, too. Three of four classes of papers are graded, too. I might just finish the last one tomorrow.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Wonderment?
I am still stunned (not really, but...) by the blame game surrounding the Tucson shooting. First, while K had on the boob tube yesterday, there was a commercial that had shooting and explosions and all kinds of violence and then I noted the product being pitched had nothing to do with shooting and explosions and all kinds of violence, at least not directly. I thought, "Hmmm...commercials, the shows themselves, movies. How many acts of extreme violence are on the boob tube and big screen every day/night? That we so callously exhibit these is quite troubling. That we seem to embrace them, as noted by the popularity of such programs, movies, and video games, not to mention some forms of so-called "music," is more troubling. Yet, has there been any great cry, from either side, about the effects of these overt displays of violence? Oh, it's just television or games or...! Well, let's see, if "it's just...," why do companies spend billions of dollars using it/them to influence our thinking and behavior? It must have some impact. But, again, nary a peep. Second, this AM's newspaper had more letters-to-the-editor about "blame." One came from a "health care professional" or so the writer claimed. He blamed the shooting on the right wing rhetoric, "the conservatives." So, this is what passes as a "professional?" What about the facts that the vitriol has also come from the left, the liberals? Saul Alinsky's book isn't a comic book. President Obama was the one who said, "If they bring knives, we'll bring guns." (Gee, talk about a tie to the Tucson shootings...?) And a New Republic regular claims he was the one who started using "crosshairs" on political "targets." Maybe I'm missing something....
And, the evidence continues to pile up that our schools are being run by boobs--not just locally, but all over the nation. Some school in CA prevented a kid from riding his bike to school because he had an American flag attached to it. I can't begin to think why some ding-a-ling would be opposed to this. Well, I can and none of the thoughts are at all flattering. The kid's story came to light, the local and national support for him was overwhelming. More than 100 veterans on their motorcycles accompanied him to school one day--US flags on their bikes, too. No word from the school, except that the ban was lifted. Why is whoever started this still in hi or her position? Of course, I know why.... It's pandemic.
A local newspaper article this weekend documented how state scores on student tests have been inflated to make the schools look better. Anyone paying attention, anyone who has direct contact with recent graduates knows things aren't getting "better." And they won't until some hard facts are faced and difficult decisions are made. This includes getting rid of current leadership (if it can be called that) and many teachers--all over the country. But what is the likelihood of that? I'd bet Las Vegas would set the odds at close to zero.
And, the evidence continues to pile up that our schools are being run by boobs--not just locally, but all over the nation. Some school in CA prevented a kid from riding his bike to school because he had an American flag attached to it. I can't begin to think why some ding-a-ling would be opposed to this. Well, I can and none of the thoughts are at all flattering. The kid's story came to light, the local and national support for him was overwhelming. More than 100 veterans on their motorcycles accompanied him to school one day--US flags on their bikes, too. No word from the school, except that the ban was lifted. Why is whoever started this still in hi or her position? Of course, I know why.... It's pandemic.
A local newspaper article this weekend documented how state scores on student tests have been inflated to make the schools look better. Anyone paying attention, anyone who has direct contact with recent graduates knows things aren't getting "better." And they won't until some hard facts are faced and difficult decisions are made. This includes getting rid of current leadership (if it can be called that) and many teachers--all over the country. But what is the likelihood of that? I'd bet Las Vegas would set the odds at close to zero.
Mon AM Thoughts
Brrrrrr! It's still cold out there--Ashley and I share, "Baby...it's cold outside!" It was zero, actual temperature, not that windchill stuff, yesterday during our run. It hit a high here of 12 during the afternoon, but is back at zero right now. It was odd, with the low temperatures, to watch the bright sunshine still melt the light dusting of snow on our driveway. Radiant heat....
I was laughed at yesterday, at least a bit, for not watching the football game(s). In fact, in yakking on the phone, I discovered who was playing. I was almost shamed into turning on the Packers/Bears game, but soon lost interest. I didn't watch any of the Steelers/Jets game. I try, but I just have no interest in these games. We've been invited to a Super Bowl Party and I'm looking forward to going. But I doubt I'll watch much of the game, but will be Mr Social--you know me!
It is really gratifying to see some of the 3rd/4th graders play basketball. OK, one of them is really head and shoulders above almost all of the rest--in the whole league, not just our team. But the improvement over last year is fun to watch--many don't really score at all, although some do, but they have an idea of what they are doing, play hard, and do other things like play defense and even dribble much better. Practice tonight and I'm looking forward to it.
Ugh. I spent about 6-7 hours yesterday grading papers. I have about 2 1/2 classes (of 4) done so far. I hope to finish all of the rest today, along with entering my final class lists. I figure another 3-4 hours today. More come in this week, but the essays won't be as long.
I was laughed at yesterday, at least a bit, for not watching the football game(s). In fact, in yakking on the phone, I discovered who was playing. I was almost shamed into turning on the Packers/Bears game, but soon lost interest. I didn't watch any of the Steelers/Jets game. I try, but I just have no interest in these games. We've been invited to a Super Bowl Party and I'm looking forward to going. But I doubt I'll watch much of the game, but will be Mr Social--you know me!
It is really gratifying to see some of the 3rd/4th graders play basketball. OK, one of them is really head and shoulders above almost all of the rest--in the whole league, not just our team. But the improvement over last year is fun to watch--many don't really score at all, although some do, but they have an idea of what they are doing, play hard, and do other things like play defense and even dribble much better. Practice tonight and I'm looking forward to it.
Ugh. I spent about 6-7 hours yesterday grading papers. I have about 2 1/2 classes (of 4) done so far. I hope to finish all of the rest today, along with entering my final class lists. I figure another 3-4 hours today. More come in this week, but the essays won't be as long.
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