"A Teachable Moment"

Ah, tell me this isn't all too typical:

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/05/22/opinion/doc4bf7405d8f57d367379337.txt

And yet another two parents were complaining about the "stupid" (their word, not mine, although I agree completely) math now being taught in our schools. One dad said he's teaching his kid "the old way," regardless of what's going on in the class. I wonder if that is confusing to the kid. Again, I say, the people who make decisions in the schools should not be allowed to make decisions.

And what about naming schools after people, not trees???? In SE Michigan, maybe the entire state, there are only two high schools named after A. Lincoln, none after Washington. I think there is one named for M.L. King and one for Jefferson. What's with "Oaks" and "Lakes" and... when there are people whose names could be used? (Of course, one might ask, why are there also two Detroit-area schools named after Adlai Stevenson????) Naming the schools this way could provide a broad opportunity to teach history, as if that's important. It could teach students that lives matter, that we honor those whose lives really mattered. But, I see no clamor among our adminstrators and teachers to push this--and, over the years, who ever listened to me???? Right....

Out...