The Airing of Grievances

Huh?

Here are the guidelines for running for student office for Nettleton Middle School in Mississippi.

Yeah, those colors apparently don't apply to something silly like whether you like the cookie or cream part of an oreo. Response...

"Student elections have not yet been held at Nettleton Middle School for the 2010-2011 school term. The processes and procedures for student elections are under review. We are reviewing the origin of these processes, historical applications, compliance issues, as well as current implications and ramifications. A statement will be released when review of these processes is complete."

Under review? Really? How long could that possibly take?

God bless the South.

Central Fails

This happened a couple of weeks ago but I've been meaning to get around to it. As a person who is putting his faith in the Rhode Island Educational system to successfully educate his children, I've made no secrets over my disdain for the morally bankrupt organization known as the RI Teachers Union. At the same time, there are individuals in that organization that I admire and I believe became teachers for the right reasons. That's why I'm a little torn over what happened in Central Falls.

Central Falls is clearly the opposite of what you would call a prosperous town and many students are in need of ESL services which certainly presents some challenges but with a 48% graduation rate, something had to be done. Cliff Notes...

- CF High is recognized as one of the lowest performing schools in the state.
- They are provided with four options: school closure; takeover by a charter or school-management organization; transformation which requires a longer school day, among other changes; and “turnaround” which requires the entire teaching staff be fired and no more than 50 percent rehired in the fall.
- They chose transformation which would require extra work on the teachers' parts via private sessions with students and additional training.
- The teachers union decides that not only do they need to get paid for the extra work...they need to get paid $90/per hour for the extra work.
- School board tells union to screw and gives them 2 months to pick an option.
- Union does nothing, school board calls their bluff and fires the entire teaching staff, guidance counselors, principal and three VPs. (93 staff members)

By complete chance, I actually sat right next to one of the VPs at the PC-Cuse game the very same day this went down. While a little dejected, he certainly didn't go out of his way to defend the union. With that being said, I don't doubt that there were a few teachers in that school that would have done what they needed to do to improve things and they certainly are worthy of my empathy but as far as I'm concerned, the message from the union as a whole is clear..."We don't give a shit about these kids." That's the real shame here.

I'm not exactly applauding what that school board did, I'm just not so sure I wouldn't have done the same thing. You?

Dangerous Minds

I'm eating dinner with my oldest daughter and this discussion takes place.

(Bear in mind... my oldest daughter is 4. Please do not forget this.)

Dad: "So what did you do in school today?"

Daughter: "Played."

(Again. She's 4 and in Pre-K. This is the answer to that question every single day.)

Dad: "Sure, but did you learn anything?"

Daughter: "We learned about types of foods."

(That's my usual follow-up. I'm trying to instill the importance of learning in school early.)

At Least They're Saving Some Frogs

I know that the rate at which I make fun of my home town on here probably far exceeds the interest level of the people that read this blog but unfortunately my narcissism probably exceeds both. So in the next chapter of “Why My Home Town Sucks” we have the story of an educational system that produces students who are proficient in Science at a rate of less than 25% at the 4th, 8th, and 11th grade levels. Fret not though…help is was on the way.

So we’re the first to qualify and gain approval for this 12.5 million dollar grant to be divided among six school systems that would greatly enhance the Science and Math programs in these systems. With no extra burden on the tax-payers, in this economy, that’s about as “win-win” as it gets, right? Wrong. Because of some contractual bullshit, the teacher’s union, who was already actively participating in negotiating tactics such as not holding parent-teacher meetings and refusing to chaperone school dances, has decided that they are not going to participate in the training that is required to implement the program. Ugh.

Look, times are tough for everyone right now and I know that members of a union don’t necessarily share the same sentiments as their union leaders, but if you're part of an organization that just balked on a couple of million dollars to improve a program in dire need of improving at no cost to the town, isn’t it time to ask yourself why you became a teacher? I empathize with the one’s whose consciences do come into play here, because I’d have to imagine some serious sleep being lost over that, and for what? Because the town is so far in debt that they’re asking you to pay a higher percentage of your health benefits than you would have liked?

I’ll let the one commenter from the Topix page I found this on and presumably a product of the Johnston school system sum it all up for us...

to bad for johnston now some other town will gain. and we wonder why the drop out rate is so high in that school. its all about the money with then and they just showed it to the whole state. come sumer fire them all. and hire teachers who want to teach.

And you guys wonder why you had to teach me about Intelligent Design? OHHHH...SNAP!!! HOWZAT TASTE, JOHNSTON???

UPDATE: Never underestimate the redeeming power of bad publicity.

Slavery 101

So let's say you're a seventh grade social studies teacher and today's lesson is on slavery. The superintendent of schools had been talking to teachers about delivering effective lessons so you figure that rather than just read some text, youre gonna go ahead and add a little flair to the discussion by actively demonstrating slavery. Do you:

A) Reconsider and just read the text
B) Reconsider and just read the text
C) Reconsider and just read the text
D) Call two black kids to the front of the room and bind their hands and feet with masking tape

"If a student was upset, then it was a bad idea," said Superintendent Brian Monahan of the North Rockland School District in New York City's northern suburbs.

Yeah, I'm guessing the students will eventually be okay as they did actively participate but in light of that, this still doesn't cease to be a terrible idea. Of course the NAACP is involved and a mom wants the teacher canned.

Eileen Bernstein, huh? Maybe as punishment they can actively demonstrate concentration camp for her class. I believe that's chapter 34.

Ocho Ocho Looking For Feedback...

Sheriff Ocho: "Where all the white women at?"

...since we are sharing ideas.

Have we come this far?

I am thinking about going to a local watering hole in Darien, CT (aka Arian, CT) to watch the election. Darien is infamous as a Northern "sundown town". (Gentleman's Agreement and sundown towns.)

Laura Z. Hobson's bestselling 1947 novel Gentleman's Agreement was set in Darien. The book highlights American Anti-Semitism via an unwritten covenant that prohibited real estate sales to Jews.

Historian James Loewen's 1999 book Lies Across America paints Darien as a "Sundown town" "notorious for [its] racial policies." In or around 1948, according to resident Larry Abbott, a sign hung on Hollow Tree Ridge Road reading "Gentiles Only.")

I plan to celebrate opening when the election goes my way with my white Fiance. I also plan to bring in champagne for her to consume because it makes her horny. Then I plan to get crazy with public displays of affection.

Is this a good idea?

Have we come far enough?

-- Ocho Ocho

Ignorance

"The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits." (Thanks, Vegas)

Fantastic

That is all. (Gracias, Ocho)

In Which Assman Beats The Dead Horse

So, I was trolling the internet looking for more cheap jokes to make about Georgia because I'm a hate-filled asshole who can't let it go, despite the overwhelming evidence, and then, out of the blue, I found this.

My thoughts are as follows:

This Can't Be Real

If you do one thing all day today, just scroll down and watch the slideshow (with commentary). Gotta be satire, right? Every woman is either fat or pregnant and has a cigarette hanging out of their mouth. You got a bride saying that the Waffle House is as much a part of their lives as their kids are. You got Dale Earnhardt gear. You got a 23 year old couple that's been together for nine years. You got moustaches. You got mullets. You got a groom named Bubba. You got milk crates for seats and kids sitting in oil stains. You got a wedding ring that looks like it came from one of those quarter machines outside of Stop & Shop. You got kids picking their noses in the wedding pictures. I could go on and on here. How is this not on the front page of The New Yorker?

On a serious note...Klompus...listen to me. I don't know you personally and yeah, you're kind of an asshole, but this really needs to be said. You gotta get the fuck out of Georgia, man. Do it now, before it's too late. Sell the house. Pull a Bob Irsay if you have to. Just get the fuck out!

Think about the children, man!