Wow. I'm here on the couch, minding my own business, perusing the news and come across a story titled, "Chicago Teacher Sues for the Right to Use the N-Word." It sounds unusual, so I bit. Once I got to the link and read the story, I was actually offended! The teacher involved intercepted a note being passed during class, which included the word, and began to explain why the word is perceived as negative and how hurtful it can be even when used by blacks. At this point, his principal passed by his door and the teacher was immediately suspended without pay for 5 days. WTF?! No due process, no questions asked at all; removed and suspended. This lit a fire, so I continued on through rhe education news feed...
My next encounter was with a story where MULTIPLE schools systems want to or already are paying students for attendance and behavior. WTF?! Are you kidding me right now? And one of these instances occurred at a charter school, where they can basically elect to remove you from the school for not performing to their standards. If public schools were allowed to remove students based on behavior and performance, there would be no argument about why American schools are falling behind. It's usually those 3 jackasses we all have in our classrooms that make it difficult for the other 18 to learn anything! NOW, they are trying to PAY them to do what should be expected of them in the first place? Sweet 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus, I was livid after reading this!
I took a second to breathe, then sat back to think about some of the things that happen daily and closer to home. (Who has two thumbs and is apparently a glutton for depressing, profession-related news? THIS GUY!) In our county, there's this ridiculous unwritten rule that we aren't suppose to give kids below a 59 on anything. Of course, since it's unwritten, I refuse to follow the notion that we should give kids 59 points of credit for turning in absolutely nothing. The thinking behind this ignorant policy is that it is easier to recover from a 59 than a zero grade. No shit. That's the point of a zero, though. If you get your zero and it effects (or affects; I can't ever figure that one out), then next time you will put forth the afore mentioned effort. Somewhere along the line, parents stopped giving a crap about their kids' grades making this a pointless endeavor for 70% of my kids who struggle.
My next biggest problem is tardy students and those with high-absenteeism without a doctor's note. So, my dear friend Google clued me in on a story from California where they actually have a law in place to prevent this. Here is the quote from the article: "California’s new attorney general, Kamala Harris, tested the law out in San Francisco and said that it was responsible for cutting truancy rates in the city by 32 percent. Harris addressed the issue in her inaugural speech yesterday:
I know our education system is flawed. There are just some things that we, as teachers, can't be held accountable for. Raising other people's children is not our job. If you didn't want to deal with them, you should've kept it in your pants. I can't be responsible for that, either. I have so much more to say, but MY SON AND I have a Lego car to build... together. If we fail at that, I promise I won't call his teacher and sue for his inability to manipulate tiny objects or follow written directions. Wish that was true for everyone.
Rant ON [OFF]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/lincoln-brown-chicago-tea_n_1285750.html?ref=education
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/01/new_law_could_spell_jail_time_for_california_parents_whose_kids_miss_school.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/ohio-high-school-paying-s_n_1280227.html?ref=education
My next encounter was with a story where MULTIPLE schools systems want to or already are paying students for attendance and behavior. WTF?! Are you kidding me right now? And one of these instances occurred at a charter school, where they can basically elect to remove you from the school for not performing to their standards. If public schools were allowed to remove students based on behavior and performance, there would be no argument about why American schools are falling behind. It's usually those 3 jackasses we all have in our classrooms that make it difficult for the other 18 to learn anything! NOW, they are trying to PAY them to do what should be expected of them in the first place? Sweet 8 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus, I was livid after reading this!
I took a second to breathe, then sat back to think about some of the things that happen daily and closer to home. (Who has two thumbs and is apparently a glutton for depressing, profession-related news? THIS GUY!) In our county, there's this ridiculous unwritten rule that we aren't suppose to give kids below a 59 on anything. Of course, since it's unwritten, I refuse to follow the notion that we should give kids 59 points of credit for turning in absolutely nothing. The thinking behind this ignorant policy is that it is easier to recover from a 59 than a zero grade. No shit. That's the point of a zero, though. If you get your zero and it effects (or affects; I can't ever figure that one out), then next time you will put forth the afore mentioned effort. Somewhere along the line, parents stopped giving a crap about their kids' grades making this a pointless endeavor for 70% of my kids who struggle.
My next biggest problem is tardy students and those with high-absenteeism without a doctor's note. So, my dear friend Google clued me in on a story from California where they actually have a law in place to prevent this. Here is the quote from the article: "California’s new attorney general, Kamala Harris, tested the law out in San Francisco and said that it was responsible for cutting truancy rates in the city by 32 percent. Harris addressed the issue in her inaugural speech yesterday:
We know chronic truancy leads to dropping out, which dramatically increases the odds that a young person will become either a perpetrator or a victim of crime. Folks, it is time to get serious about the problem of chronic truancy in California. Last year we had 600,000 truant students in our elementary schools alone, which roughly matches the number of inmates in our state prisons. Is it a coincidence? Of course not.Since adoption of this law, it has been ratified because the fine was $350. They are considering reducing the fine, but adding an incarceration clause to it. I think that's GREAT. Why shouldn't parents be held accountable for their own children? It seems the only people ever responsible for these kids are teachers who have to play mommy and daddy while real mom and dad are asleep on the couch all day or have no parenting skills to deal with their kids in the first place. If you can't muster up the initiative to get your kids to school or be semi-involved in their lives as students or as a growing person, then don't have them! I know what you're going to say; "But, Derrick, where would we get that government check from if we didn't have kids?" It's a tough question. I guess I'd answer it with... A JOB. Just a thought.
And as unacceptable as this problem is - I know we can fix it. In San Francisco, we threatened the parents of truants with prosecution, and truancy dropped 32 percent. So, we are putting parents on notice. If you fail in your responsibility to your kids, we are going to work to make sure you face the full force and consequences of the law."
I know our education system is flawed. There are just some things that we, as teachers, can't be held accountable for. Raising other people's children is not our job. If you didn't want to deal with them, you should've kept it in your pants. I can't be responsible for that, either. I have so much more to say, but MY SON AND I have a Lego car to build... together. If we fail at that, I promise I won't call his teacher and sue for his inability to manipulate tiny objects or follow written directions. Wish that was true for everyone.
Rant ON [OFF]
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/17/lincoln-brown-chicago-tea_n_1285750.html?ref=education
http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/01/new_law_could_spell_jail_time_for_california_parents_whose_kids_miss_school.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/15/ohio-high-school-paying-s_n_1280227.html?ref=education
