Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Why You Should (and Shouldn't) watch Glee
I just finished the season finale, Sectionals, on Hulu this week. Sorry I am late to this.
What your normal high school tv show or movie does: Focus on kids. The teachers are only there for the enhancement of the kid development--Tina Fey in Mean Girls is a prime example. We know very little about her life other than as entertainment for the kids or the personal development of the kid characters. Other shows will focus on ONE teacher, usually the only one on campus who cares about kids--like Dangerous Minds, Stand & Deliver, or Freedom Writers. These shows will often show how horrible kids lives are so they can overheroicize a particular teacher (at the expense of other teachers on campus who are portrayed as purely evil).
What this show does: Both kids and teachers are equal. The kids have lives that are both tough and good--some have parents that are not really understanding of them, some have parents who are loving and amazing, they all focus most on their friends which is exactly where most kids are mentally in high school. The teachers, however, are equally highlighted--not just the ONE inspiring one but the nice coach type guy, the counselor, the Cheerio leader (brilliant!) who surprises you by caring lovingly for a sister with Down's Syndrome in spite of being almost pure evil otherwise. What is even more miraculous, the kids and teachers have separate spheres that intersect during school and extra curriculars. They bond with kids, but they have separate lives--exactly the way it is and should be portrayed. There was a brief moment of a whimsy crush but it was done on a limited basis, not as a focal point.
The reason you should not watch it--the show highlights the way kids actually act and talk in high school which, if you have been there recently or taught in that environment, is fairly unsavory. It does not have the appearance of an uplifting show but the moral, the MORALITY of the show is incredible for kids today. The main character is surprisingly humble. She is full of strength in her talent and seen as overly confident in that area, but she is willing to admit when she is wrong, she has empathy for others, and most importantly, when faced with adversity, she trusts in herself and is loyal to people who need her protection.
I love this show and if you don't mind the gritty reality of teenagers, you probably love it too.
What your normal high school tv show or movie does: Focus on kids. The teachers are only there for the enhancement of the kid development--Tina Fey in Mean Girls is a prime example. We know very little about her life other than as entertainment for the kids or the personal development of the kid characters. Other shows will focus on ONE teacher, usually the only one on campus who cares about kids--like Dangerous Minds, Stand & Deliver, or Freedom Writers. These shows will often show how horrible kids lives are so they can overheroicize a particular teacher (at the expense of other teachers on campus who are portrayed as purely evil).
What this show does: Both kids and teachers are equal. The kids have lives that are both tough and good--some have parents that are not really understanding of them, some have parents who are loving and amazing, they all focus most on their friends which is exactly where most kids are mentally in high school. The teachers, however, are equally highlighted--not just the ONE inspiring one but the nice coach type guy, the counselor, the Cheerio leader (brilliant!) who surprises you by caring lovingly for a sister with Down's Syndrome in spite of being almost pure evil otherwise. What is even more miraculous, the kids and teachers have separate spheres that intersect during school and extra curriculars. They bond with kids, but they have separate lives--exactly the way it is and should be portrayed. There was a brief moment of a whimsy crush but it was done on a limited basis, not as a focal point.
The reason you should not watch it--the show highlights the way kids actually act and talk in high school which, if you have been there recently or taught in that environment, is fairly unsavory. It does not have the appearance of an uplifting show but the moral, the MORALITY of the show is incredible for kids today. The main character is surprisingly humble. She is full of strength in her talent and seen as overly confident in that area, but she is willing to admit when she is wrong, she has empathy for others, and most importantly, when faced with adversity, she trusts in herself and is loyal to people who need her protection.
I love this show and if you don't mind the gritty reality of teenagers, you probably love it too.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Doctor Criteria
So you might be wondering what we are doing next on the disease biz...
1) We are going to wait and hear our fancy local doctor's recommendations on treatment in four weeks.
2) Regardless of what he decides we will drive down to LA to get a second opinion because, well, out of the mouth of 2-3 witnesses all truth is established, right? Also because memzy's super smart older bro told me to go to an expert with experience and I trust him (not just cuz he is handsome.)
3) I might like my doc because I heard good stuff about him (from parents whose kids who broke bones, not ones who had bones die in some weirdo rare disease) BUT I have to admit I was frightened when I spoke with him Friday and heard him say "yeah, you might want to stay off the blogs."
WHAT? What kind of person tells you to avoid blogs?
A Luddite, that's who. If you have never heard that term let me enlighten you: The Luddites were a group of British protesters in the 1800s who destroyed machines because they felt that they were going to be out of a job and their way of life would change. One weaver can only do so much on a loom per day, but you stick a mechanized loom in there BAM you have free time to go watch your favorite talk show or whatever fun things that you could do instead of weave, like wash laundry or dishes by hand. But some people want to wash dishes by hand because it is therapeutic? Or because then you might be out your dishwashing job? Uh.
I will say to some of these anti-technology people who decry the social networking of facebook or twitter and say "I am too busy to facebook" or "I don't blog because I am busy having a life" do not have the same needs I do, I get it. I need the written word to journal out my life, to record my daily actions and photos, to mock the public education system or praise it alternately if I so choose and these people feel that they can meet their needs without the web.
But don't tell me to "stay off the blogs" because it seems ignorant to tell people to avoid information. Would he have said "avoid reading journals of other moms in your same situation?" Would he have said "I would steer clear of the encyclopedia?" Of COURSE not. So because it more accessible, this information is suddenly less valid. If something is printed in a book, we like it, if it online it is questionable. News flash: the majority of people journaling have realized that it is far superior to do it digitally because then it is searchable for later. And takes less space. And by the way, doesn't require clearcutting.
So Mr. Smartypants doctor, you better know more about the growth of bones than you do about the way the modern world operates because no offense, but you totally misread your audience.
I don't mean to be rude, I hear he is a way nice guy. With a mustache...and who can resist a man in a mustache? I will get a pic later and if he asks why I can tell him it is for my blog.
1) We are going to wait and hear our fancy local doctor's recommendations on treatment in four weeks.
2) Regardless of what he decides we will drive down to LA to get a second opinion because, well, out of the mouth of 2-3 witnesses all truth is established, right? Also because memzy's super smart older bro told me to go to an expert with experience and I trust him (not just cuz he is handsome.)
3) I might like my doc because I heard good stuff about him (from parents whose kids who broke bones, not ones who had bones die in some weirdo rare disease) BUT I have to admit I was frightened when I spoke with him Friday and heard him say "yeah, you might want to stay off the blogs."
WHAT? What kind of person tells you to avoid blogs?
A Luddite, that's who. If you have never heard that term let me enlighten you: The Luddites were a group of British protesters in the 1800s who destroyed machines because they felt that they were going to be out of a job and their way of life would change. One weaver can only do so much on a loom per day, but you stick a mechanized loom in there BAM you have free time to go watch your favorite talk show or whatever fun things that you could do instead of weave, like wash laundry or dishes by hand. But some people want to wash dishes by hand because it is therapeutic? Or because then you might be out your dishwashing job? Uh.
I will say to some of these anti-technology people who decry the social networking of facebook or twitter and say "I am too busy to facebook" or "I don't blog because I am busy having a life" do not have the same needs I do, I get it. I need the written word to journal out my life, to record my daily actions and photos, to mock the public education system or praise it alternately if I so choose and these people feel that they can meet their needs without the web.
But don't tell me to "stay off the blogs" because it seems ignorant to tell people to avoid information. Would he have said "avoid reading journals of other moms in your same situation?" Would he have said "I would steer clear of the encyclopedia?" Of COURSE not. So because it more accessible, this information is suddenly less valid. If something is printed in a book, we like it, if it online it is questionable. News flash: the majority of people journaling have realized that it is far superior to do it digitally because then it is searchable for later. And takes less space. And by the way, doesn't require clearcutting.
So Mr. Smartypants doctor, you better know more about the growth of bones than you do about the way the modern world operates because no offense, but you totally misread your audience.
I don't mean to be rude, I hear he is a way nice guy. With a mustache...and who can resist a man in a mustache? I will get a pic later and if he asks why I can tell him it is for my blog.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Perthes Disease
For the last month, little Gillian has been limping around, claiming her knee hurt. We asked our wise friends who have children her age and the official diagnosis was growing pains. After a week we took her to the doctor who xrayed her and the diagnosis was that she was too flexible and she overextended. Last week while I was in Cinci I got a call from Steve that she couldn't even walk.
Enter specialist, xrays, diagnosis: Perthes. Technically the name is Legg-Calve-Perthes disease which is ironically not related to the leg and calf but two doctors whose names only sound like those body parts.
There is one doctor in town who is a pediatric orthopedic doc named Mark Maguire. Whose name only sounds like the famous bball player. Gillian claims he is handsome so I guess he is probably excellent.
I called him yesterday morning and he has yet to return my call so I am going to ask my questions here on this blog and go for research by consensus (that means you have to go look this stuff up because I tried and didn't get no satisfaction.)
1. For the first four weeks she is supposed to take motrin twice a day to reduce swelling. How much exercise should she be doing during this time? Should she be participating in PE? If she should, do I tell the PE teacher she can't do it anyway since she hates it and that is probably my fault since she inherited that from me?
2. What is next? I have seen pictures of double-legged casts, braces, and surgery. How likely is that for my little girly girl?
3. Physical Therapy sounds cool--for the women who get to work with attractive male masseuses--but for parents this is a sad affair, right? When Casey was a wee babe he had one of these helmet thingies and we were supposed to do some neck stretches. We tried, I swear we did, and of course we were in our twenties, but consistency was noooo bueno. So how now? How many days a week am I going to set myself up to fail? What if she hates them and cries every night? How will I face her? Are these exercises going to hurt? How frequently do we need to really do them to make this thing happen?
4. What is the long-term worst-case scenario? Gillian said to me the other day "I am always going to walk funny and people are going to make fun of me." It almost broke my heart--and then I was like "hey what kind of kids are at this school??? Am I fighting for a bunch of punks??" I told her that she was young and that we just had to fix her bones up and then she will be just fine. El doctor said that it will take 18 months to 2 years to get her back on track. What does that mean? 2 years? What is going to happen during that time?
5. What else do I need to know? Is this really something to worry about it, or is it a relief that her "disease" is not life-threatening?
Thanks for playing.
Enter specialist, xrays, diagnosis: Perthes. Technically the name is Legg-Calve-Perthes disease which is ironically not related to the leg and calf but two doctors whose names only sound like those body parts.
There is one doctor in town who is a pediatric orthopedic doc named Mark Maguire. Whose name only sounds like the famous bball player. Gillian claims he is handsome so I guess he is probably excellent.
I called him yesterday morning and he has yet to return my call so I am going to ask my questions here on this blog and go for research by consensus (that means you have to go look this stuff up because I tried and didn't get no satisfaction.)
1. For the first four weeks she is supposed to take motrin twice a day to reduce swelling. How much exercise should she be doing during this time? Should she be participating in PE? If she should, do I tell the PE teacher she can't do it anyway since she hates it and that is probably my fault since she inherited that from me?
2. What is next? I have seen pictures of double-legged casts, braces, and surgery. How likely is that for my little girly girl?
3. Physical Therapy sounds cool--for the women who get to work with attractive male masseuses--but for parents this is a sad affair, right? When Casey was a wee babe he had one of these helmet thingies and we were supposed to do some neck stretches. We tried, I swear we did, and of course we were in our twenties, but consistency was noooo bueno. So how now? How many days a week am I going to set myself up to fail? What if she hates them and cries every night? How will I face her? Are these exercises going to hurt? How frequently do we need to really do them to make this thing happen?
4. What is the long-term worst-case scenario? Gillian said to me the other day "I am always going to walk funny and people are going to make fun of me." It almost broke my heart--and then I was like "hey what kind of kids are at this school??? Am I fighting for a bunch of punks??" I told her that she was young and that we just had to fix her bones up and then she will be just fine. El doctor said that it will take 18 months to 2 years to get her back on track. What does that mean? 2 years? What is going to happen during that time?
5. What else do I need to know? Is this really something to worry about it, or is it a relief that her "disease" is not life-threatening?
Thanks for playing.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Whattaweek
I can't tell you what insanity I have experienced this week. Oh wait, yes I can:
Sun-Tues Conference in St. Louis. Saw a roommate from the BY who I haven't seen since 1996!! It was great to see her and her adorable kids. Her son was a super outgoing and mischevious 3 year-old, my favorite kind.
Tues night I was supposed to take a flight with a co-worker from St. Louis-Chicago-Cincinatti. Only, as in the immortal words of Winston Churchill: Never, never, never, never, never, never book a flight through O'Hare. Cuz of course the flight outta St. Louis was delayed so we woulda missed our flight. What would you have done?
The same as me, rent a car and drive from Missouri to Ohio. So we did and got in at 2:30 in the morn. and then had two days worth of incredible meetings for work. Also thank goodness for the Westin and that green leaf-shaped soap that I adore.
And btw, I adore Cincinnati, it is highly underrated. To answer Tiff's question, it is underrated by the media. The only thing anyone knows about Cinci is WKRP and Loni Anderson hardly counts as a beautiful view of the city.
Then on Thurs night I drove from Cinci to Ft. Wayne which is in the NE corner of Indiana. After having a fantastic day on site with a wonderful school, I got to go to a ward party complete with some awesome (and not so awesome) singing groups--I accompanied a friend from my mission who lives in Ft. Fun and saw her little baby who is oh-so-yummy. Fri night I drove down to Indy--got in around midnight and then got up at 3:30 AM so I could catch the 5 am Indy-Charlotte-Phoenix-SB.
First class upgrade btw which is actually underrated by me previously as well. Cozy chairs and all.
On the final stretch however, my plane couldn't land in SB due to weather (which is bizarro because people in SB were telling people on our plane that there were other planes landing. Turns out that our pilot didn't have the level of rating to land without some equipment which was broken or something. Anywho, that landed me in Bakersfield where I now sit awaiting a bus to go home. I didn't get to see memzy but she sent me some good cheer via text which I deeply appreciate.
I am mucho tired so hopefully I can catch some zzzzs on the bus.
I am anxious to get home to see my family.
Oh I forgot to add in that Gillian has been limping for a few weeks and it turns out that she has a disease called Perthes which has something to do with a lack of blood circulation in her hip which causes the bone to die. It is not life-threatening but we will need to do some physical therapy with her, etc. (as opposed to a potential surgery which hopefully we can avoid because she is so young) While Steve was taking her to el doctoro, for whatever reason my insurance wasn't going through for her, so I had to talk on the phone to my HR department at work to figger out that situation (which was a pain because I was doing some classroom observations.) During that whole time Steve had to sit in the dr. office for over 1.5 hours waiting for them to approve the insurance situation. He is my hero.
I have had many years of good luck traveling so I can't complain but... I would really like the bus to show so I can get outta here.
Sun-Tues Conference in St. Louis. Saw a roommate from the BY who I haven't seen since 1996!! It was great to see her and her adorable kids. Her son was a super outgoing and mischevious 3 year-old, my favorite kind.
Tues night I was supposed to take a flight with a co-worker from St. Louis-Chicago-Cincinatti. Only, as in the immortal words of Winston Churchill: Never, never, never, never, never, never book a flight through O'Hare. Cuz of course the flight outta St. Louis was delayed so we woulda missed our flight. What would you have done?
The same as me, rent a car and drive from Missouri to Ohio. So we did and got in at 2:30 in the morn. and then had two days worth of incredible meetings for work. Also thank goodness for the Westin and that green leaf-shaped soap that I adore.
And btw, I adore Cincinnati, it is highly underrated. To answer Tiff's question, it is underrated by the media. The only thing anyone knows about Cinci is WKRP and Loni Anderson hardly counts as a beautiful view of the city.
Then on Thurs night I drove from Cinci to Ft. Wayne which is in the NE corner of Indiana. After having a fantastic day on site with a wonderful school, I got to go to a ward party complete with some awesome (and not so awesome) singing groups--I accompanied a friend from my mission who lives in Ft. Fun and saw her little baby who is oh-so-yummy. Fri night I drove down to Indy--got in around midnight and then got up at 3:30 AM so I could catch the 5 am Indy-Charlotte-Phoenix-SB.
First class upgrade btw which is actually underrated by me previously as well. Cozy chairs and all.
On the final stretch however, my plane couldn't land in SB due to weather (which is bizarro because people in SB were telling people on our plane that there were other planes landing. Turns out that our pilot didn't have the level of rating to land without some equipment which was broken or something. Anywho, that landed me in Bakersfield where I now sit awaiting a bus to go home. I didn't get to see memzy but she sent me some good cheer via text which I deeply appreciate.
I am mucho tired so hopefully I can catch some zzzzs on the bus.
I am anxious to get home to see my family.
Oh I forgot to add in that Gillian has been limping for a few weeks and it turns out that she has a disease called Perthes which has something to do with a lack of blood circulation in her hip which causes the bone to die. It is not life-threatening but we will need to do some physical therapy with her, etc. (as opposed to a potential surgery which hopefully we can avoid because she is so young) While Steve was taking her to el doctoro, for whatever reason my insurance wasn't going through for her, so I had to talk on the phone to my HR department at work to figger out that situation (which was a pain because I was doing some classroom observations.) During that whole time Steve had to sit in the dr. office for over 1.5 hours waiting for them to approve the insurance situation. He is my hero.
I have had many years of good luck traveling so I can't complain but... I would really like the bus to show so I can get outta here.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Beautiful City, Beautiful People
My friend Vivian had the grace to take pictures of our family today in spite of my having knocked her out of the dessert competition last month. True friendship.
Vivian is a great photographer--she has thousands and thousands of great pictures and videos of her own hilarious toddler plus she takes pictures for other peeps all the time.
She selected the venue and I have to sadly admit that I rarely take advantage of the wonderful buildings. I have not asked her permission to post the pics so I can't show the first few yet but I have to brag about living in a city that features this kind of courthouse. If you have never been to SB, I highly, highly recommend it. It is December and we get this kind of day? Plus, if you break the law you get to spend some quality time right here:
Vivian is a great photographer--she has thousands and thousands of great pictures and videos of her own hilarious toddler plus she takes pictures for other peeps all the time.
She selected the venue and I have to sadly admit that I rarely take advantage of the wonderful buildings. I have not asked her permission to post the pics so I can't show the first few yet but I have to brag about living in a city that features this kind of courthouse. If you have never been to SB, I highly, highly recommend it. It is December and we get this kind of day? Plus, if you break the law you get to spend some quality time right here:
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
What I Do These Days
I haven't done a real post on what I have been up to for many moons. At least two moons.
Why you ask? The law prevents me. I have been up to my ears in politics and I really had no idea what I was getting into when I was appointed member of the group that governs the charter of my kids' school. It has been a totally wild ride that has occupied my thoughts, dreams, actions, and allll my time. Currently our school has no principal which requires me to read an extra 50-100 emails a day since I am the executive responsible for the organization until we have an administrator.
If I did not have a job that occupied a significant portion of my time it would be so fun! I love using my skills and knowledge acquired through working in education to benefit (I hope) their school. Why shouldn't I spend day and night fighting for this school; both to keep it open and to make it better?
But as it stands, I do have this job. And I love my job. And I must be loyal to my employer who really and truly takes care of me. So as this year wraps up and I have no idea what happened to my plans of grandeur regarding Christmas preparation, I must refocus my efforts on the nation at large and the state of education elsewhere and spend significantly less time addressing the issues at the school that has the most immediate impact on my life. I have the most supportive husband who though he thinks I am loco, believes in me and the choices I make.
I wish I could tell you all the lurid details of the painful decisions I have had to make, but in the end I am a Californian and here, we don't keep secrets from the public. Which means I can't write them on my blog. Sound contradictory? Welcome to my world.
Why you ask? The law prevents me. I have been up to my ears in politics and I really had no idea what I was getting into when I was appointed member of the group that governs the charter of my kids' school. It has been a totally wild ride that has occupied my thoughts, dreams, actions, and allll my time. Currently our school has no principal which requires me to read an extra 50-100 emails a day since I am the executive responsible for the organization until we have an administrator.
If I did not have a job that occupied a significant portion of my time it would be so fun! I love using my skills and knowledge acquired through working in education to benefit (I hope) their school. Why shouldn't I spend day and night fighting for this school; both to keep it open and to make it better?
But as it stands, I do have this job. And I love my job. And I must be loyal to my employer who really and truly takes care of me. So as this year wraps up and I have no idea what happened to my plans of grandeur regarding Christmas preparation, I must refocus my efforts on the nation at large and the state of education elsewhere and spend significantly less time addressing the issues at the school that has the most immediate impact on my life. I have the most supportive husband who though he thinks I am loco, believes in me and the choices I make.
I wish I could tell you all the lurid details of the painful decisions I have had to make, but in the end I am a Californian and here, we don't keep secrets from the public. Which means I can't write them on my blog. Sound contradictory? Welcome to my world.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
It's That Time...
To those who have asked, here are the wish lists for holiday gifts for each of the family members. (Steve, you may use this as a reference as well so you don't have to ask me what I want on December 24th.)
Casey:
Casey:
- Ipod/MP3 player
- DS Game "Legendary Starfy" (It is pronounced starfee in case you were thinking of making the embarrassing mistake of pronouncing it "star-fie" like I did.)
- Big lego sets
- Tech Decks (little mini skateboards)
- Pokemón cards (yes they are back together again this year)
- Free ticket to Legoland (I don't know what he meant by this, I can only assume he didn't want someone to give him the ticket and ask him to pay for it)
- Ipod
- Clothes (T-shirts, skirts, pants)
- Shoes (I think she meant like tennis shoes or flip-flops)
- Water color paper
- Chalk pastels
- Gel pens
- Stuffed animals
- Webkinz dog (no specifics)
- Tech-deck
- Beading kit
- Littlest Pet Shop (no specified types, just "big kit")
- Barbie clothes
- Gillian clothes (skirts and dress shoes)
- Baby doll (yes, another one)
- Necklace kit
- Anything that any other five year old girl might want with kits, art, doll stuff, dress-up, etc.
- Socks and/or shoes
- Dresses with long sleeves
- Long-sleeved onesies
- Winter knit hat
- Stroller (any kind of umbrella stroller, our very awesome maclaren stroller was stolen and now we have no way to pack it up and go. Very tragic.) Here is a sample of what it looked like but she would be happy with a used one or less expensive one like this. She is not picky.
- Stacking toys--she loves to put things in their place, like shape sorters, etc. We have a few floating around but she might like one little wee thing here or there.
- Books (he has a wish list on Amazon.com and it is super boring--click here for details)
- Non-white button-up dress shirt.
- Tie
- Santoku knife
- Vans (any color size 9 ladies)
- Roxy Ts size large (any color but black or navy)
- Button-up dress shirts (any color)
- Book Catching Up Leading the Way
- Book Secret of Total Student Load
- Book Why Don't Students Like School
- Book The Global Achievement Gap
- Book Change by Design
- New headset for phone
- Mini Pastel Silicups
- Itunes anything
Friday, November 27, 2009
This and That
I finally am taking a break from this whole school biz for a day or two to catch you up on the various and sundry events of my life.
1. Dessert Contest update
I need to take better pictures of the food before people eat and I will do that next time for sure. We are down to final four:
Katie
Jeannie
Bridget
Me
So for the next round, Katie and Jeannie will duke it out in what will undoubtedly be the dessert match-up of all match-ups. I will face my 8 year-old daughter. I don't know if she has been winning on merit or youth but obviously it could be a humiliating loss for me.
2. Grandma Jo and her sister's birthday. A local campground featured an almost all-ladies cast of fun family activities. Happy to see step-mom looking so good these days. We miss Hippie Artist but he would have wanted her to be happy and she was smiling. Good to see.
4. Any given Sunday in SB--Meg and Katie as twinners:
The Sunday toddlin' crew:
5. Casey making Ebelskivers
6. High School Rally in Southern Illinois:
Theme for the game? Meat house:
7. Chillin with my eldest child on Wednesday, finally some reprieve after all this school fighting biz:
1. Dessert Contest update
I need to take better pictures of the food before people eat and I will do that next time for sure. We are down to final four:
Katie
Jeannie
Bridget
Me
So for the next round, Katie and Jeannie will duke it out in what will undoubtedly be the dessert match-up of all match-ups. I will face my 8 year-old daughter. I don't know if she has been winning on merit or youth but obviously it could be a humiliating loss for me.
2. Grandma Jo and her sister's birthday. A local campground featured an almost all-ladies cast of fun family activities. Happy to see step-mom looking so good these days. We miss Hippie Artist but he would have wanted her to be happy and she was smiling. Good to see.
3. Any given Sunday in downtown Indy. The Colts were playing the Pats, big game I guess. Here is some of the evidence from my downtown stroll when I was on the road last week:
4. Any given Sunday in SB--Meg and Katie as twinners:
The Sunday toddlin' crew:
5. Casey making Ebelskivers
6. High School Rally in Southern Illinois:
Theme for the game? Meat house:
7. Chillin with my eldest child on Wednesday, finally some reprieve after all this school fighting biz:
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
A New Haircut
Sorry to beat a dead horse but here is one more video that shows the district's side.
Does not include my reference to our 6th grade scores outscoring every school so it makes it sound like he has data and we have touchy feely, but at this point, maybe touchy feely will get us a few more supporters.
What do you think of my new haircut anyway?
Does not include my reference to our 6th grade scores outscoring every school so it makes it sound like he has data and we have touchy feely, but at this point, maybe touchy feely will get us a few more supporters.
What do you think of my new haircut anyway?
Last Night
Friday, November 6, 2009
More propaganda
See if you can find my daughter in this vid:
Don't Close Our School
You have to click the little teeny link next to the closure sign that says "Video High"
Don't Close Our School
You have to click the little teeny link next to the closure sign that says "Video High"
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Please Advise
Please read the following email exchange and provide your recommendations as to how one might handle this scenario:
--
Dear Classroom Aide,
Hi Lee,
I feel concerned with Casey's behavior at lunch time recess. For the past few days he has been playing a game in which the goal is to push the other person over. Clearly this is not allowed and I have explained to the group that they are not able to push several times.
Please talk to him and let him know this is not ok.
Thank you,
Classroom Aide
--
Dear Classroom Aide,
Wow, thank you so much! I will talk to him for sure, I agree that is not appropriate nor encouraged.
Is he the instigator in this game or are there other boys playing with him? Are there younger children involved? I would like to know what questions to best ask him.
Thank you again for being proactive, and let me know if you do not see a change immediately.
Is he the instigator in this game or are there other boys playing with him? Are there younger children involved? I would like to know what questions to best ask him.
Thank you again for being proactive, and let me know if you do not see a change immediately.
--Lee
--
Hi Lee,
Casey has been hanging out and playing with *Jose, Jesus, Josue and another boy I don't know.
They are all playing and active participants. Jose has continued to be defiant and it has taken an "umbrella" effect where the other boys follow his lead. They call it "cow tipping" and it is not ok.
A reminder that the lunch time supervisors (specifically, among all staff) need to be respected, and that the game needs to stop would be appreciated.
I will talk to Jose's mom also because it is not ok for this game to continue.
Thank you,
Classroom Aide
*Names have been changed to protect the victimizers
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Thank you!
away from the other ladies of the house.
A Job I Don't Want
Superintendent.
I understand what he thinks.
I understand that he does not support bilingual education if it means it brings down the average score of his API for the district.
I believe him when he says he has sleepless nights.
But I will agree to disagree with him and find it offensive that he stood in front of our teachers and stated that we are the only school in the district that asks lower level questions. That is unpossible.
This business has to end pronto, I need to go back to my day job.
I understand what he thinks.
I understand that he does not support bilingual education if it means it brings down the average score of his API for the district.
I believe him when he says he has sleepless nights.
But I will agree to disagree with him and find it offensive that he stood in front of our teachers and stated that we are the only school in the district that asks lower level questions. That is unpossible.
This business has to end pronto, I need to go back to my day job.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Hip Hop Halloween
I am behind, but I have a good reason.
But as it is a day of rest from my worldly cares, I am going to finally catch up on my blogging.
Well at least some recent events.
Casey and Bridget are taking a hip hop dance class. I told them to pick a sport and they decided that hip hop dance was the way to go. I must say, after watching their finale, I fully agree.
Here are some pics with my little phone, nothing spectacular. I am going to have to steal some pics from any friends out there who might have some. You know who you are. First, we had an audience both days--I did not get a good picture of our larger audience on Saturday, but here were some fans that came to both our Thursday AND our Saturday performance:
Here are some in-motion shots of the kids...
Casey (not Bridget)
Bridget in the finale pose:
But as it is a day of rest from my worldly cares, I am going to finally catch up on my blogging.
Well at least some recent events.
Casey and Bridget are taking a hip hop dance class. I told them to pick a sport and they decided that hip hop dance was the way to go. I must say, after watching their finale, I fully agree.
Here are some pics with my little phone, nothing spectacular. I am going to have to steal some pics from any friends out there who might have some. You know who you are. First, we had an audience both days--I did not get a good picture of our larger audience on Saturday, but here were some fans that came to both our Thursday AND our Saturday performance:
Here are some in-motion shots of the kids...
Casey (not Bridget)
Bridget in the finale pose:
I personally thought that Casey was the best one in the group
Here is their teacher. She is amazing!
Their next session they are learning "Beat it" and "Thriller" routines, straight from the video. RIP.
Speaking of thrilling, here are the halloween costumes:
And along came a squirly spider...
Oh and my favorite costume of the season, hands down:
Friday, October 30, 2009
Why I Care
I have been spending a lot of time (maybe 30 hours this week?) in conversations, email, and presentations to help save my kids school, which admittedly is very low performing.
We might not even be around in a year or two. So you can see that Steve is not really interested in me spending all my time on this--his main concern is that I am never going to stop and then my heart will break if it doesn't work out. I am already done with this kind of work, I simply considered it triage for now. He also wondered if I am fighting for what the school is or fighting for what I want the school to be. Maybe some of both?
So why do I care if it really does not impact our family for much longer?
1. Two-way immersion schools are the main way to provide literacy for kids who speak Spanish at home. Many of these children come from homes with little or no education and then are placed in schools where they are learning to read, write, and speak English. Research is clear that you have to be first fluent in your own language before transferring those skills. Many people argue that this is America, we should teach English. Agreed. So teachers can either bang their heads against a wall and try to teach children who are to a certain extent doomed to fail. OR they can provide students with literacy in a language they recognize while ALSO providing a second language to a bunch of kids who speak English at home. Win-win. These same people who argue the point about English, btw, seem resentful of the Latino population "draining resources" from the public school system. Note many of these same people are not complaining about the uneducated language-learning population keeping our grapes and strawberries down to a nice, low price. Or that they are padding the social security funds because they use fake SS#s on which they never collect.
2. See #1. Many community members complain about the language gap but do nothing about it. Does anyone know the correlation between Hispanic English language learners and high school dropout rates? They performing at a much lower level nation-wide than our black impoverished students, btw. They also are populating our prison system. So why take a gamble on this one? Also, clear correlation between education levels and decreasing violent crimes in case that surprises you.
3. See #2. I want my property, my children, and my produce to be safe. Literacy is one of the most important factors in increasing quality of life for the poor and if the people who have resources to fight for these issues really ought to do so.
4. My children speak Spanish. They understand it. Is it to the level I would like to see yet? No. But when we read the scriptures in English and they don't understand a word I can say it in Spanish and half the time, it gives them a whole new perspective. Their standardized test scores are high in Spanish AND English and it gives our family a uniqueness that others don't experience--the ability to tell inappropriate jokes in TWO languages.
5. The school art program, the PE program, the gardens, teachers who believe in their ability to solve problems and train them to do so, and a family community at the school that embraces the weirdness in our family is unmistakeably irreplaceable.
6. Incredible teachers and a good principal who is supportive of innovation, change, and improvement. People like her are hard to find and even harder to keep. If this district lets her go, it will absolutely be their loss.
7. I am not crafty or talented in homemaking--my dwelling has always been a source of embarrassment to me because it is constantly in disarray. Landee can testify that this is not a new lifestyle for me as much as I would love to blame my four kids and husband. Even hiring a maid would be an embarrassment because you probably wouldn't be able to tell. We have improved over the years but still it is a struggle for me. I am not particularly spiritual, obedient, patient or loving--but I AM good at this stuff--school stuff. And if there is one area I can use to wear out myself in the work, it is in education. Is this not a worthy cause?
We might not even be around in a year or two. So you can see that Steve is not really interested in me spending all my time on this--his main concern is that I am never going to stop and then my heart will break if it doesn't work out. I am already done with this kind of work, I simply considered it triage for now. He also wondered if I am fighting for what the school is or fighting for what I want the school to be. Maybe some of both?
So why do I care if it really does not impact our family for much longer?
1. Two-way immersion schools are the main way to provide literacy for kids who speak Spanish at home. Many of these children come from homes with little or no education and then are placed in schools where they are learning to read, write, and speak English. Research is clear that you have to be first fluent in your own language before transferring those skills. Many people argue that this is America, we should teach English. Agreed. So teachers can either bang their heads against a wall and try to teach children who are to a certain extent doomed to fail. OR they can provide students with literacy in a language they recognize while ALSO providing a second language to a bunch of kids who speak English at home. Win-win. These same people who argue the point about English, btw, seem resentful of the Latino population "draining resources" from the public school system. Note many of these same people are not complaining about the uneducated language-learning population keeping our grapes and strawberries down to a nice, low price. Or that they are padding the social security funds because they use fake SS#s on which they never collect.
2. See #1. Many community members complain about the language gap but do nothing about it. Does anyone know the correlation between Hispanic English language learners and high school dropout rates? They performing at a much lower level nation-wide than our black impoverished students, btw. They also are populating our prison system. So why take a gamble on this one? Also, clear correlation between education levels and decreasing violent crimes in case that surprises you.
3. See #2. I want my property, my children, and my produce to be safe. Literacy is one of the most important factors in increasing quality of life for the poor and if the people who have resources to fight for these issues really ought to do so.
4. My children speak Spanish. They understand it. Is it to the level I would like to see yet? No. But when we read the scriptures in English and they don't understand a word I can say it in Spanish and half the time, it gives them a whole new perspective. Their standardized test scores are high in Spanish AND English and it gives our family a uniqueness that others don't experience--the ability to tell inappropriate jokes in TWO languages.
5. The school art program, the PE program, the gardens, teachers who believe in their ability to solve problems and train them to do so, and a family community at the school that embraces the weirdness in our family is unmistakeably irreplaceable.
6. Incredible teachers and a good principal who is supportive of innovation, change, and improvement. People like her are hard to find and even harder to keep. If this district lets her go, it will absolutely be their loss.
7. I am not crafty or talented in homemaking--my dwelling has always been a source of embarrassment to me because it is constantly in disarray. Landee can testify that this is not a new lifestyle for me as much as I would love to blame my four kids and husband. Even hiring a maid would be an embarrassment because you probably wouldn't be able to tell. We have improved over the years but still it is a struggle for me. I am not particularly spiritual, obedient, patient or loving--but I AM good at this stuff--school stuff. And if there is one area I can use to wear out myself in the work, it is in education. Is this not a worthy cause?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Needs v. Wants
When we got married 11 years ago, we were given towels and Anchor Hocking sets. We got some other nice things, more unique, but definitely the number one gift was towels and a few of those glass sets.
We got so many towels that we traded them in for a set of pots and pans. What I really wanted were these nice non-stick calphalon sets. They were somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 or more for the set.
We got instead a $99 Farberware stainless steel set.
This is the story of my life, to want something of higher, more expensive quality but to end up with something cheaper.
This evening, however, I was washing my dishes and noticed that my pots and pans from the Farberware set are still shiny and new. I have a solitary piece of calphalon, an item my mother bought when she was living alone here in SB AFTER Steve and I were married. So this pot is about 7 years old. Take a peek at the comparison:
Here is a close-up:
Calphalon:
Farberware, stainless steel:
These pots have lived through burned rice, unwatched syrup, burned candy, water left to boil for hours, etc. There is no scorch that has left a single drop of notice on this stainless steel pot.
Can someone please explain to me why the set valued at 5 times this shiny gem was worth so much? And why would anyone buy it? And why do I stil want those Turkish towels that landee has in her guest bathroom when the regular kind would probaby last just as long?
We got so many towels that we traded them in for a set of pots and pans. What I really wanted were these nice non-stick calphalon sets. They were somewhere in the neighborhood of $500 or more for the set.
We got instead a $99 Farberware stainless steel set.
This is the story of my life, to want something of higher, more expensive quality but to end up with something cheaper.
This evening, however, I was washing my dishes and noticed that my pots and pans from the Farberware set are still shiny and new. I have a solitary piece of calphalon, an item my mother bought when she was living alone here in SB AFTER Steve and I were married. So this pot is about 7 years old. Take a peek at the comparison:
Here is a close-up:
Calphalon:
Farberware, stainless steel:
These pots have lived through burned rice, unwatched syrup, burned candy, water left to boil for hours, etc. There is no scorch that has left a single drop of notice on this stainless steel pot.
Can someone please explain to me why the set valued at 5 times this shiny gem was worth so much? And why would anyone buy it? And why do I stil want those Turkish towels that landee has in her guest bathroom when the regular kind would probaby last just as long?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Role Reversal
Contrary to popular belief, my husband wears the pants in the family.
I work, true, but ultimately it is his decision that makes us the nomads that we are. We are pursuing his dream of living in a 2-bedroom apartment with 4 kids.
So while we do have some role-reversal going on, in some ways we are very much the traditional husband/wife. Some examples:
--When we get a late notice for a bill, my husband calls me to ask if me if I know anything about it
--I work outside the home
--He knows what size shoe the kids wear
--I fix broken stuff around the house
--He walks the halls with the baby during church
--I have a fancy techy phone and he doesn't know how to check a text message
--He does the routine with the kids while I travel out of town on work
See?
So imagine my surprise when I post a comment on a blog about role reversal and someone responds with this comment:
Steve's reponse: Boo! Do we have such role reversal that even on line people just think I am your little wife? That is why you should go by Lee Ann.
Heh.
So I did respond to her with this comment:
As a side note, Steve does take out the garbage, change the oil and get gas in the car, and forget to give me phone messages.
I work, true, but ultimately it is his decision that makes us the nomads that we are. We are pursuing his dream of living in a 2-bedroom apartment with 4 kids.
So while we do have some role-reversal going on, in some ways we are very much the traditional husband/wife. Some examples:
--When we get a late notice for a bill, my husband calls me to ask if me if I know anything about it
--I work outside the home
--He knows what size shoe the kids wear
--I fix broken stuff around the house
--He walks the halls with the baby during church
--I have a fancy techy phone and he doesn't know how to check a text message
--He does the routine with the kids while I travel out of town on work
See?
So imagine my surprise when I post a comment on a blog about role reversal and someone responds with this comment:
Steve's reponse: Boo! Do we have such role reversal that even on line people just think I am your little wife? That is why you should go by Lee Ann.
Heh.
So I did respond to her with this comment:
As a side note, Steve does take out the garbage, change the oil and get gas in the car, and forget to give me phone messages.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Halloween Sneak Preview
in the nick of time. Here is a very happy princesa spinning around.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Three Full-time Jobs
I have a job.
I have 4 kids.
I gotta keep their school open.
Someone get me a maid.
I have 4 kids.
I gotta keep their school open.
Someone get me a maid.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Stop, Thief!
What I really WANT to blog about: derailing meetings by talking about
unrelated things and then criticizing others ideas without offering
solutions.
unrelated things and then criticizing others ideas without offering
solutions.
What I will blog about: my stolen stroller.
I have (had) a beautiful McClaren stroller given to me by a good
friend about six weeks ago. It is lightweight, easy to carry and sturdy.
It is gone. From the back of my car.
I am hoping it was somehow misplaced and will turn up--if I had bought
it I would still be disappointed, but the knowledge that someone gave
it to me so generously makes me feel like a terrible steward. Was it
because I left my window slightly open because my fan went out? Why
was my stroller taken and not my purse? When did this happen? What
have I done to deserve this karma? Has my good luck run out?
Boo.
Please come home to me.
Sent from mi teléfono i.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Last Man Standing
The last man was officially ousted last night from the dessert competition. The dessert is shown in the back, a lovely carrot cake with a nuts vs. no nuts option.
Alas, Steve's tasty cream cheese was overcome by Jeannie's homage to the lemon festival, complete with a lemon rind curly q:
Nicole and Alexis were neck and neck until the very end with Nicole's stuffed apples beating out the pumpkin and spiced apple filled bundt cake (original recipe tyvm) by one vote.
At the very top of the picture above you will spy a chocolate pie with a chocolate merengue topping that was super scrumptious. Jaqui's treat was trumped by a Karen's homemade baklava which I tragically did not capture digitally. I have tried to make baklava before and it is extremely tricky. Only the likes of an engineer like Karen could pull it off with such precision. Sorry no photo but maybe a kind reader will submit one...
The last and perhaps most fierce competition was between K. Dorny's cupcakes and Vivian. Vivian, supposedly a fan of the young women she serves in church, unabashedly came in the door swinging ready to take on the young Miss D and used a recipe from Pioneer Woman to make a crowd-pleasing crust with cute little whipped cream star decor. For the record, while Vivan will advance to the next level, Miss D had all the children at the chocolate sprinkles. My children were astonished that anyone could beat a cupcake with sprinkles. They also insisted that I recount the chocolate merengue because they were shocked that anything with that much chocolate could lose in general.
A good time was had by all and thank you for playing! Here is the updated bracket for our next competition, Friday November 6th at 7 pm. All are invited to taste as we get closer to the final four:
Alas, Steve's tasty cream cheese was overcome by Jeannie's homage to the lemon festival, complete with a lemon rind curly q:
Nicole and Alexis were neck and neck until the very end with Nicole's stuffed apples beating out the pumpkin and spiced apple filled bundt cake (original recipe tyvm) by one vote.
The last and perhaps most fierce competition was between K. Dorny's cupcakes and Vivian. Vivian, supposedly a fan of the young women she serves in church, unabashedly came in the door swinging ready to take on the young Miss D and used a recipe from Pioneer Woman to make a crowd-pleasing crust with cute little whipped cream star decor. For the record, while Vivan will advance to the next level, Miss D had all the children at the chocolate sprinkles. My children were astonished that anyone could beat a cupcake with sprinkles. They also insisted that I recount the chocolate merengue because they were shocked that anything with that much chocolate could lose in general.
A good time was had by all and thank you for playing! Here is the updated bracket for our next competition, Friday November 6th at 7 pm. All are invited to taste as we get closer to the final four:
Saturday, October 17, 2009
BYU Ballroom Dance
I didn't get a great picture but I had a ball last night. Literally a ballroom dance ball. For the second time in my life I attended a BYU Ballroom Dance concert sponsored by the alumni association.
If you don't already know this, the BYU Ballroom Dance team is like the Yankees of dance--conditions for a ballroom dance team at the Y and no other university will ever be able to catch up to match our team. We are undefeated. All the time. Makes me so proud to be an alum.
Anywho, we had a GREAT time last night and the 90 minute program felt like about ten minutes. If you get a notice that these guys are in your town, I highly recommend it, they are such crowd pleasers.
If you don't already know this, the BYU Ballroom Dance team is like the Yankees of dance--conditions for a ballroom dance team at the Y and no other university will ever be able to catch up to match our team. We are undefeated. All the time. Makes me so proud to be an alum.
Anywho, we had a GREAT time last night and the 90 minute program felt like about ten minutes. If you get a notice that these guys are in your town, I highly recommend it, they are such crowd pleasers.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Bored Reflection
Wow I had a personally humbling experience last night.
I spoke on behalf of our community to let the board know that we really do qualify for charter renewal and I watched myself deliver one of the bumpiest 3 minutes of my speaking career.
I spent some serious reflection in which I was fumingly angry with myself looking at why I didn't prepare differently to meet this challenge. I did prepare--spent time as a board coming up with a message that my community wanted me to deliver. Had Steve take a look and help me tighten up my thesis (he is wicked good at that writing business) and even sent a video preview to Katie as my news mogul expert.
So before I make it sound like I didn't even get the words out, first let me say that I delivered the message the board crafted for me. I stood up in front of the board and a large number of our school community and spoke aloud what was on my paper.
So I had this whole message prepared for the board about the data and then the Superintendent acknowledged us early on and told the board that he would be giving them some information and he figured that is why everyone in the room was in attendance. I appreciated what he said but it also made what I had to say seem less important to them. I was highlighting information that they thought they were going to get in another form. I hope someone heard something I said.
I stumbled a bit--you know, nerves and all--but the crowd was significantly smaller than groups that I have presented to before. If I can orchestrate a balloon drop in front of a crowd three times that size you would think I could speak for 3 minutes to a smaller crowd but I still was nervous. Only instead of getting over that first 15 seconds it just got worse and worse.
So what went awry? Well after serious introspection I feel like I should have crafted a 30-second message even though they allot for 3 minutes. Why? Because rather than listen to what I came to say, a few of the board members were staring at the clock above my head and pointing at the time and whispering to each other. I almost wondered if there was a scene happening behind me and partially turned around at one point but I just drilled on through.
I wish I would have said something about being distracted or just stopped speaking like I would have in a classroom. Teaching has ruined me from speaking to disengaged people.
So all in all I am sure it was fine but I just was so disconcerted at my public speaking failure and my lack of ability to control the situation.
I guess we will find out whether or not it made a difference. Ugh.
I feel like I let my community down but at least I told them that I was not a good public speaker before they sent me up there.
:EDIT:
Local newspaper picked it up the story if you want to read about it here
I spoke on behalf of our community to let the board know that we really do qualify for charter renewal and I watched myself deliver one of the bumpiest 3 minutes of my speaking career.
I spent some serious reflection in which I was fumingly angry with myself looking at why I didn't prepare differently to meet this challenge. I did prepare--spent time as a board coming up with a message that my community wanted me to deliver. Had Steve take a look and help me tighten up my thesis (he is wicked good at that writing business) and even sent a video preview to Katie as my news mogul expert.
So before I make it sound like I didn't even get the words out, first let me say that I delivered the message the board crafted for me. I stood up in front of the board and a large number of our school community and spoke aloud what was on my paper.
So I had this whole message prepared for the board about the data and then the Superintendent acknowledged us early on and told the board that he would be giving them some information and he figured that is why everyone in the room was in attendance. I appreciated what he said but it also made what I had to say seem less important to them. I was highlighting information that they thought they were going to get in another form. I hope someone heard something I said.
I stumbled a bit--you know, nerves and all--but the crowd was significantly smaller than groups that I have presented to before. If I can orchestrate a balloon drop in front of a crowd three times that size you would think I could speak for 3 minutes to a smaller crowd but I still was nervous. Only instead of getting over that first 15 seconds it just got worse and worse.
So what went awry? Well after serious introspection I feel like I should have crafted a 30-second message even though they allot for 3 minutes. Why? Because rather than listen to what I came to say, a few of the board members were staring at the clock above my head and pointing at the time and whispering to each other. I almost wondered if there was a scene happening behind me and partially turned around at one point but I just drilled on through.
I wish I would have said something about being distracted or just stopped speaking like I would have in a classroom. Teaching has ruined me from speaking to disengaged people.
So all in all I am sure it was fine but I just was so disconcerted at my public speaking failure and my lack of ability to control the situation.
I guess we will find out whether or not it made a difference. Ugh.
I feel like I let my community down but at least I told them that I was not a good public speaker before they sent me up there.
:EDIT:
Local newspaper picked it up the story if you want to read about it here
Monday, October 12, 2009
Why Test Scores REALLY Matter
The superintendent of the school board came to our Governance Council (my kids school, Cesar Chavez) meeting this past week to let us know he recommended school closure to the board instead of renewing our charter (expiry date Oct 12). I recognize that the district is hoping for an increase in *revenue by eliminating the charter as it is perceived as skimming funds from the district budget first.
Putting aside the charter piece for just a minute, the argument that the Super has made to us is that our school has the lowest test scores in the district and therefore is low performing.
He is correct, the school has the lowest test scores in the district. Overall. BUT bilingual education research shows that students at the lower grades will NEVER get high scores. Why? Because half of the school is getting instruction in Spanish. These schools are designed to increase literacy in the child's first language and THEN they can transfer the skills slowly over time and begin to see pretty good numbers, say, around 6th grade. Because our school has a very small population of 6th graders, the very low scores at 2nd grade (again consistent with research) will never pull up the scores of the upper grades, capiche?
So... why am I blogging about this now? The school district is considering closing a school that is meeting the requirements as laid out in the charter and appear to be ignoring their agreement with the school (MOU) to look at data other than the state tests.
The MOU states that the district can look at other data (including STAR tests) to determine that we are academically consistent with other schools in the community. We can prove that by looking at our 6th grade scores alone (and comparing our 4-6 grades in general) but the district seems to be less concerned with the long-term positive effect and more concerned with how they look in terms of data. In other words, who cares what the long-term benefit is to my child on a continuum through 6th grade, we only care about the 2nd grade score of your child and make decisions based on discreet scores instead of looking at the big picture.
Scary.
I wonder what kind of world we have become that we care more about the short-term effects of data and ignore the long-term effect of employable skills, multi-language and literate populations, and critical thinking skills that are inherently pieces of the curriculum when students are learning to immediately apply a skill to the world around them.
*Many people don't realize that the only difference between a charter and a non-charter school is the way money is spent. The charters receive their funding directly from the property tax base. Let me illustrate:
For example, say the state has a formula of $5000 per pupil. In a charter school, the school gets the majority of this money to operate. If they have several young teachers, the overall salary might be less so they can spend that extra money on text books. Or perhaps school materials.
In a non-charter school, the district might say "okay so you have 100 students, you get 5 teachers." In other words, the district operates a budget by setting formulas. This works in a collective sort of way so that they can average a teachers salary so that a person who has been teaching for a long time won't be denied a job simply because their salary and benefits might cost the specific school more money, make sense?
Putting aside the charter piece for just a minute, the argument that the Super has made to us is that our school has the lowest test scores in the district and therefore is low performing.
He is correct, the school has the lowest test scores in the district. Overall. BUT bilingual education research shows that students at the lower grades will NEVER get high scores. Why? Because half of the school is getting instruction in Spanish. These schools are designed to increase literacy in the child's first language and THEN they can transfer the skills slowly over time and begin to see pretty good numbers, say, around 6th grade. Because our school has a very small population of 6th graders, the very low scores at 2nd grade (again consistent with research) will never pull up the scores of the upper grades, capiche?
So... why am I blogging about this now? The school district is considering closing a school that is meeting the requirements as laid out in the charter and appear to be ignoring their agreement with the school (MOU) to look at data other than the state tests.
The MOU states that the district can look at other data (including STAR tests) to determine that we are academically consistent with other schools in the community. We can prove that by looking at our 6th grade scores alone (and comparing our 4-6 grades in general) but the district seems to be less concerned with the long-term positive effect and more concerned with how they look in terms of data. In other words, who cares what the long-term benefit is to my child on a continuum through 6th grade, we only care about the 2nd grade score of your child and make decisions based on discreet scores instead of looking at the big picture.
Scary.
I wonder what kind of world we have become that we care more about the short-term effects of data and ignore the long-term effect of employable skills, multi-language and literate populations, and critical thinking skills that are inherently pieces of the curriculum when students are learning to immediately apply a skill to the world around them.
*Many people don't realize that the only difference between a charter and a non-charter school is the way money is spent. The charters receive their funding directly from the property tax base. Let me illustrate:
For example, say the state has a formula of $5000 per pupil. In a charter school, the school gets the majority of this money to operate. If they have several young teachers, the overall salary might be less so they can spend that extra money on text books. Or perhaps school materials.
In a non-charter school, the district might say "okay so you have 100 students, you get 5 teachers." In other words, the district operates a budget by setting formulas. This works in a collective sort of way so that they can average a teachers salary so that a person who has been teaching for a long time won't be denied a job simply because their salary and benefits might cost the specific school more money, make sense?
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Journey and Stress
So I had a busy week of travel with a grand total of 11 airport stops from Sunday to Saturday. It was a great week professionally for me in which I had dinner two nights with one of my favorite teachers, two nights of brainstorming and creative planning with one of my favorite co-workers, and two nights out with one of my favorite schools. I had a great week because something we planned crashed and burned and we took the failure and made it amazing. That is always painful/wonderful.
But this is the serious part:
Some of you know that I am president of the Governance Council of the board of the kids' school (we essentially make sure that the goals are on track, I sign checks, the staff contracts and we evaluate the principal, etc.)
We are in a tight situation this week because, sadly, while I was out of town, the Superintendent announced that he has recommended that the school be closed (or possibly changed) as of the expiration date of the charter. Which is October 12th. I know, right?
So I have a meeting with the principal and the super (and some other person at the district) on Monday so we can talk about it.
It is a surprise. The reasoning is our test scores, which are low of course because it is a bilingual school. My kids are actually fine, they test probably a little lower than some of your children but they do great overall in both languages (both of the kids are in the top 20% of the country for native Spanish speakers, which sounds more amazing than it actually is because most kids taking that test are not literate in Spanish but anywho) and the kids at the school test well in 6th grade.
Research shows that in a bilingual model, test scores DROP at the lower grades and then pick up pace at about 6th grade. This is happening at our school yet the district claims we are not meeting our goals. We have steadily increased over the last three years and our 6th graders are testing higher than their peers at other schools in math. Do you know how rare that is?
I am extremely optimistic about this but professionally I HAVE experienced schools that were amazing and had good test scores get closed due to political garbage so I am a bit skeptical based on those feelings that are still burning internally.
I know that so many people just look at test scores to find out of a school is good but truly, sadly, deeply, the scores are simply a mark of your ability to read and answer questions. Too bad that simply isn't enough.
I won't go on and on but be advised that it is all I am going to think about for the next several days. I have three meetings scheduled and probably a lot of emails and phone calls.
I want to quote Martin Luther King, Jr. and point out that children of migrant farm workers and children of Ph.Ds go to school together and when in their native language, the field is leveled. Nowhere else in this county does that occur.
But this is the serious part:
Some of you know that I am president of the Governance Council of the board of the kids' school (we essentially make sure that the goals are on track, I sign checks, the staff contracts and we evaluate the principal, etc.)
We are in a tight situation this week because, sadly, while I was out of town, the Superintendent announced that he has recommended that the school be closed (or possibly changed) as of the expiration date of the charter. Which is October 12th. I know, right?
So I have a meeting with the principal and the super (and some other person at the district) on Monday so we can talk about it.
It is a surprise. The reasoning is our test scores, which are low of course because it is a bilingual school. My kids are actually fine, they test probably a little lower than some of your children but they do great overall in both languages (both of the kids are in the top 20% of the country for native Spanish speakers, which sounds more amazing than it actually is because most kids taking that test are not literate in Spanish but anywho) and the kids at the school test well in 6th grade.
Research shows that in a bilingual model, test scores DROP at the lower grades and then pick up pace at about 6th grade. This is happening at our school yet the district claims we are not meeting our goals. We have steadily increased over the last three years and our 6th graders are testing higher than their peers at other schools in math. Do you know how rare that is?
I am extremely optimistic about this but professionally I HAVE experienced schools that were amazing and had good test scores get closed due to political garbage so I am a bit skeptical based on those feelings that are still burning internally.
I know that so many people just look at test scores to find out of a school is good but truly, sadly, deeply, the scores are simply a mark of your ability to read and answer questions. Too bad that simply isn't enough.
I won't go on and on but be advised that it is all I am going to think about for the next several days. I have three meetings scheduled and probably a lot of emails and phone calls.
I want to quote Martin Luther King, Jr. and point out that children of migrant farm workers and children of Ph.Ds go to school together and when in their native language, the field is leveled. Nowhere else in this county does that occur.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Dessert Competition Update
So we had a great night with some very tough competitors. First up we had a match between a Tres Leches and an Ooey Gooy Butter Bar:
The tres leches got some rave reviews but in the end the Ooey Gooey got a single deciding vote to push Katie into the next round.
We also had two equally shaped chocolate cakes and the single deciding vote cast upon Bridget much to her delight (she had chocolate chips in the bottom of her cake for the win):
In the front of the above photo the white dusted chocolate cake took on a multi-layered chocolate and whipped cream doozy served up by Cherry, who in the end won in a tie-breaking second round of blind taste testers (blind as in, didn't know either baker):
The big unappetizing pile of chocolate mousse was up against the eye-popping oreo treat found inside this bucket here:
But in the end it was the chocolate mousse that won by a single deciding vote. I ought to say right now that I felt that this was the great injustice of the night--and if the kids were allowed to vote this dessert would have absolutely killed the mousse. As the mousse maker I ought to be grateful for the advancement in the tourney but it was not exciting to win against this truly deserving item.
At the end of the day, I guess the lesson is that when you use a half a pint of real whipping cream you really can't go wrong.
Here is the updated roster for the upcoming competition in two weeks:
Hence the next matchup on Saturday October 17th at 7 pm (moved back an hour due to popular demand)
Nicole v. A. Dorny
Jeannie v. Steve
Holly v. K. Dorny
Karen v. Jacqui
Lesson learned from the one vote separation: Bring TWO friends to cast a vote your way.
The real hero of the evening, however, was this child who was able to finagle her way into the mud and really get down and dirty during the dessert fest. As if the chocolate weren't enough...
The tres leches got some rave reviews but in the end the Ooey Gooey got a single deciding vote to push Katie into the next round.
We also had two equally shaped chocolate cakes and the single deciding vote cast upon Bridget much to her delight (she had chocolate chips in the bottom of her cake for the win):
In the front of the above photo the white dusted chocolate cake took on a multi-layered chocolate and whipped cream doozy served up by Cherry, who in the end won in a tie-breaking second round of blind taste testers (blind as in, didn't know either baker):
The big unappetizing pile of chocolate mousse was up against the eye-popping oreo treat found inside this bucket here:
But in the end it was the chocolate mousse that won by a single deciding vote. I ought to say right now that I felt that this was the great injustice of the night--and if the kids were allowed to vote this dessert would have absolutely killed the mousse. As the mousse maker I ought to be grateful for the advancement in the tourney but it was not exciting to win against this truly deserving item.
At the end of the day, I guess the lesson is that when you use a half a pint of real whipping cream you really can't go wrong.
Here is the updated roster for the upcoming competition in two weeks:
Hence the next matchup on Saturday October 17th at 7 pm (moved back an hour due to popular demand)
Nicole v. A. Dorny
Jeannie v. Steve
Holly v. K. Dorny
Karen v. Jacqui
Lesson learned from the one vote separation: Bring TWO friends to cast a vote your way.
The real hero of the evening, however, was this child who was able to finagle her way into the mud and really get down and dirty during the dessert fest. As if the chocolate weren't enough...
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