Atlanta Public Schools Teaching Scandal

By now everyone around the world has heard of the Atlanta teaching scandal concerning teachers and administrators changing answers on tests to improve their school’s overall rating. First I will say that it was wrong of these trusted individuals to commit this lack in judgment and should be held accountable. Just as I feel the Atlanta School Board should be held accountable for their actions which almost cost the school system its accreditation. However, none of us should have been surprised of the test scandal, as I will bet other school districts around the United States have engaged in the same. It was just Atlanta’s unfortunate luck to get caught in this brazen act.
But can you blame these individuals without blaming the system that created the circumstances? What I find amusing about the situation is that school systems are still adopting guidelines that create this very predicament. Many people in leadership cannot fathom the idea that the public school system does not and will not operate like private schools. Let me explain what I mean. Private schools can be selective in the children accepted for enrollment. Their funding is not tied to government and state mandates in the same manner as public schools. Private schools receive extremely more parent involvement; students actually do homework; and parents influence their children to participate in activities and achieve academically. Students in private schools (although they have their problems, compared to the public school system) are better behaved and come prepared to learn. In such circumstances, it is less stressful to teach and requires little to discipline students in the classroom.
In public schools, principals cannot select the students they allow to enroll; and in some school systems, a poison of indifference toward education is the rule of the day. Teachers have very few means of providing discipline. While I believe in positive reinforcement, I also believe there should be penalties for those students who are consistently selective of when they will benefit from positive reinforcement. Let us examine discipline used in the past outlawed in many school systems: standing a child facing the wall; copying pages from the dictionary; staying in for recess; detention during lunch for elementary students, before and after school for middle school students; etc. You get the picture. Now teachers do contracts with kids to behave, complete class and homework assignments, and wear uniforms properly, contracts kids honor when it pleases them. Principals cannot suspend students as in the past because funding is determined by the number of days kids are actually in school and the fact that principals are reprimand if they have a high rate of suspensions. In addition, most public schools do not get the parental involvement necessary to make them competitive to their private counterpart.
The comparison between private and public schools can continue but I believe you get the gist. The differences in public schools and the guidelines established to overcome them creates an environment with emphasis on test scores set the stage for cheating. When jobs, pay increases, bonuses and school funding are determined by standardized test scores, it establishes a recipe for disaster. Let’s face it, even the worse teacher can teach bright students who come to school ready to learn. Parents of bright students actively involved in the education of their children will employ tutors if necessary to ensure academic success. On the other side of the coin are the teachers assigned students ill prepared, possibly with behavior problems (excluding the Special Education students in the class). These teachers must be extremely flexible, more creative, extremely patient, and work more off the clock hours to teach their students. The affected teachers could be amongst the best teachers in the school, but do not engage in the politics that take place within the facility, yet their jobs are in jeopardy with the present guidelines. If the school system itself is overrun with students who place low value to an education, it affects the overall funding for the individual schools and the school system; henceforth, the recipe for disaster.
Were the teachers and administrators wrong for their involvement in the cheating scandal? Yes, I agree they were and should face the consequences of their actions. But this should be a wake-up call to government, school boards, administrators, teachers and parents across the nation. Until students and parents are held responsible for their part in the education of their children, discipline (excluding corporal punishment) is allowed back in the classroom and misbehaved students are removed from classes, the public school system will continue to be the merry-go-round that does not prepare students for life beyond the twelfth grade.
My suggestion: Public schools should invest in a distance education program which allows students to home school when they cannot behave in the classroom, but test within the classroom when appropriate. This will allow students who want to learn the opportunity to do so without the constant interruptions which demand teachers’ attention. End of chapter/unit tests within the classroom will ensure the students are completing the online classes and allow them to interact with other students from time to time. When the child and parents understand the importance of proper classroom behavior, the child can rejoin the students in the classroom. The distance education classes can serve in lieu of suspension and counted for presence in the school, if the child participates in the online classes daily for a specified period of time.

Misconceptions

Recently I went to the county clerk’s office to file for a business application. The office was on the first floor and as usual, nothing happens in one place. I needed an approval signature from planning and zoning on the second floor. As I approached the stairs, a man rushed to open the door for me. I thought he was going the same direction but he had stepped out of his way to open the door for me before continuing in a different direction. I could not allow this to pass without comment. That simple act of kindness reminded me that I had not written about misconceptions beforehand while in Berlin.

As an African American, I expected to encounter racism while in Germany; therefore, it was a pleasant surprise when I found the people to be friendly, accepting and at worse indifferent. I will not say that everyone is tolerant of people with differences; I can only speak of my circumstances. The majority of outward racist acts I encountered were with White Americans. When it comes to racism, the Germans are compatible with our northern counterparts in the U.S.; you may not see it coming, but you will know when it is there. It probably was not color related but people related instead such as certain foreigner in Berlin, East Germans versus West Germans for example. I digress! Let me get back on track.

While in Germany, the men were very polite, open doors for you, stepped back to allow a lady to enter the room, gave up their seats on buses and trains, etc. After experiencing American White men racing in doors and practically pulling them close to keep from opening it for you or slowing down to allow you to get to the door first, you tend to notice when the opposite happens. Currently, I am in a small town in Georgia and I swear it seems the German men transplanted themselves to my area. The men, all races inclusive, are very polite, well mannered gentlemen; it gives me hope that one day we will become colorblind and see one another as one nationality, American.

Stages of Unemployment

When you first become unemployed, you believe it will be short lived, especially if you are an educated professional. I am a certified teacher in Special Education. Confident that unemployment for me would be short lived. Never in my life had I filled out more than one application before being offered a job in education. Henceforth, I thought I would have a position within a month of arrival. But July passed, then August and September. I had applications completed in various counties with no success. That’s when anger sets in toward all the people who laughed and made fun of teachers when the economy was prosperous. Teachers were the blunt of everyone’s jokes; I even had a parent once tell me we were no more than glorified babysitters. Now that the economy is on the decline, teaching is a respectable profession once again and everyone with a college degree, who got laid off, suddenly wanted to become a teacher. With the foreign teachers imported for science and math, and many new converts to education, there are so many teachers in the profession that after fifteen months and seven areas of endorsements, I still do not have a job.

After the anger subsides, you began to take an inventory of yourself and began reassessing of your age, appearance, years of experience, and self-improvement potentials. Then you began to expand your outreach area for employment. For me, I had over a hundred applications in five counties and the Atlanta Public School System but only mustered two interviews. My new home was more of a prison than anything else. For the first time, I was involuntarily unemployed, had spent all my savings, knew very few people, and could not even volunteer to get out of the house. It was a very dire time in my life. Over the next few months, I had signed up to do volunteer work at a school but was never called; joined the substitute teachers’ role in four different school systems but on average only worked one day a week.

Finally you accept the fact that your profession no longer wants you and it is time to seek a different profession or become an entrepreneur. You thank God for the blessing you do have and stop second guessing and feeling sorry for yourself. This is the stage I have reached; I don’t know what is next in my life but I know where I will not be, in the classroom doing what I love most, teaching.

Back on Task

It has been a very long time since I have posted in my blog. Since my last blog, I have worked in the embassy, been reassigned to the United States, set-up housing, and spent more than a year seeking employment in five different Georgia counties. Being a certified teacher, I never thought it would be difficult landing a position in a school system; but I could never have been more mislead in my thought process. Here I am going in my second school year in Atlanta and still unemployed.

At first, I was upset that so many people became teachers when the economy declined. Upset because people who demeaned and snub their noses at teachers while the economy boomed, decided teaching is now an honorable, worthwhile position for everyone. No longer are teachers classified as glorified babysitters, now they are actually considered professionals, at least until the economy is thriving once again. Truth be told, I don’t blame anyone for becoming a teacher if they meet the requirements. I probably would have done the same thing if my job was being terminated or downsized. We all do what we must to survive difficult times. I’ll just keep searching and know that eventually I will find employment.

Tropical Island

Last winter, I sought refuge from the cold, snowy weather by going to Germany’s magnificent Tropical Island. Tropical Island is an indoor beach that was created in an old hangar on the outskirts of Berlin. It has lush green gardens, restaurants, entertainment, overnight camping, large sauna area, sand, and a nice, blue skyline beach. Everyone must admit it is a great get-a-way to forget about the snow unless you are not comfortable with your body. Paradise island is not a nudist beach, but it is enjoyable to nudist, as I discovered.
On the way to the beach, I told my son that we could actually spend time in the sauna. It had been several months since we had sat in one and was looking forward to relaxing in the heat. When we arrived, the admissions clerk asked if we wanted tickets to the beach area only or the beach area and sauna. Being excited about the sauna, I declared we wanted both. We paid for our tickets and headed straight for the sauna.
As we walked around the sauna area, my son and I commented on how nice everything looked. There were plush, green plants everywhere. You could tell a great deal of attention had been given to the design of the area. Everything was very clean and the walkways were decoratively arranged; which gives credence to the saying, “You see what you want to see.”
My husband asked, “Did you see that old man?” My mistake was to ask where. He nodded in the direction he wanted us to look. It was at that moment that all the naked bodies came into view. How did we walk so far into the sauna area without noticing? Naked bodies were everywhere, kids, adults, young, old, smooth, wrinkled, firm, flabby; any type of body you wanted to see suddenly could be found. We were the only ones with suits on. But I had a simple solution we would just turn around and go back the way we came.
We reversed our tracks and started down the sidewalk. Unfortunate for us, the farther we walked the deeper into the sauna area we were, or so I thought. It seemed as if it took us forever to find our way out of the area. After that experience, I was finished, enjoying the remainder of the facility was out of the question. You could have taken me home that very moment. So, as much as I hate the snow, I haven’t found enough hatred, this winter, to take me back to Tropical Island YET.

The New 40

This morning as I slugged through the snow getting to work; it occurred to me that although I feel great and am trying to look good, I really am looking forward to retirement. Then, just as suddenly, it occurred to me, the new 40 may not be to my advantage. What if your congressional representatives decide since we feel great, we look great, we need to work an extra ten years. In other words, everyone will have to work until their plastic surgery needs plastic surgery. And here I was thinking my teeth whitening, varicose vein removal, tummy tuck, Botox injections, face, butt and breast lift meant I could prance around on the beach in my new spanx bathing suit and pretend to be 40 again. I never thought I would need them to work another ten years. Dang looking young and vibrant!

Vanity Fair and the Future of America

Many people are in an uproar over the photo in the latest edition of Vanity Fair presenting the future faces of Hollywood. Instead of being angry with Vanity Fair and missing the important, invisible message included in the photo itself, everyone should redirect their anger. Vanity Fair did what Kennedy stated in the sixties. The difference in the two is Kennedy used war as the indicator for racism. He stated that war was for poor whites and Black people. Vanity Fair is telling America that if you don’t wake up, this is the direction in which America will revert. Let us replace the word Hollywood with decent jobs, decent education, decent housing, decent schools, etc., and the message is telling you that if you don’t get your education and economic house in order, you will be left on the sideline as one of the invisible people. There will be two categories of people, the haves and the have- not, much like in third world countries. For those of you who have had the privilege of visiting a third world country, you have recognized much of the decline in American standards for many years, even during the economic boom. As for Vanity Fair, don’t be mad at the message, be mad at the messenger and do your part to effect forward, progressive change in America.
For those of you who do not understand what I stated in the paragraph above, let me make it a little clearer. Historically Black Colleges and Universities are constantly pressured to close their doors or unite into one larger university. These universities have educated many students who could not otherwise afford an education; the majority (60 – 80%) of which are on financial aid. Without the HBCUs, approximately 30% of their entire population will attend college; the 20% whose parents pay their tuition and the 10% other universities might accept on scholarships. No education, no training (most U.S. companies do not have the on-the-job training programs anymore) equals what type of job? Desperate times will force you back into maid, nanny, cook, gardener, etc. type positions. When I list these positions, I am referring to people as employees, not as business owners. In a desperate situation, you will do these jobs for minimum and/or below minimum wages. The truest way to equality is through economic and educational affluence.
Wake-up people!!! The Republicans and conservative Democrats’ new slogan is, No hand up, just an empty hand out.

Removing Haiti's Children

The situation with the missionaries in Haiti leaves me with mixed emotions. One part of me has sympathy for the ordeal that the missionaries are going through. You want to give the missionaries the benefit of the doubt and believe they really do have good intentions. But there is a very large part of me that rejoice in the fact that the Haitians stepped in and took control of the situation.
Regardless of your intentions, you cannot circumvent the law, especially when it comes to children. Many places have laws in effect to prevent people from rushing in and removing children in cases of disaster. These laws were established for the protection of children in situations such as this. If the missionaries are allowed to walk away with the children, you open the door to child molesters, child slavery, and child trafficking.
People in desperate situations will do desperate things in hope that their children will have a better life, which is why child slavery is so prevalent in Haiti. Parents often give their child to strangers with the promise of a better education and better future; but in reality, for many this is an empty promise. Once the child leaves home, that child is left to the mercy of the strangers, regardless of their true intent.
If anyone wants to help the children in Haiti, they should do it in Haiti or send contributions to the country. Haiti is in such disrepair, that the jobs created in the rebuilding process should leave Haitians in a better position than before the earthquake. Why the rush to separate kids from their parents? Help the family unit if you are serious about helping. Americans would have been outraged if organizations had rushed into New Orleans to separate children from their parents. Should we feel any different about the Haitians? We should not wish upon other children what we are not willing to do to our own.

Adam Lambert

Whenever I heard Adam Lambert’s name mentioned or see him on TV, I often wondered why people have such a fascination with him. He is a very good singer and performer; but there have been many other singers that equal or exceed his abilities. (Not saying that to take anything away from Adam, he deserves his recognition.) Today, I saw him on Oprah and actually stopped to watch a few minutes of his performance. It was then that I realized what the fascination that has everyone attractive to this talented young man. It’s only partly because Adam defies the norm; you don’t see him as a man nor woman. When you look at Adam, you actually see Adam, the charismatic person. He has Halle Berry charisma; we should all be so lucky.

ROBERTSON BLAMES HAITIANS

Pat Robertson has not been kind or truly sympathetic toward the plight of the Haitians. Instead, in their sever time of need he stands to throw the first stone, accusations. Robertson serves as an excellent example of why more and more people are turning away from the church. They are not turning away from their beliefs or religion; they are simply turning away from the church. When the leaders of churches continue to react as Pat Robertson, it makes people reevaluate the need to attend church services. They can watch services at home, read their bibles at home, and have bible study among friends. Anyone can learn to read and quote verses from the bible. If you don’t believe this is true, get into a religious debate with an intoxicated person and see how much he or she knows about the bible. Your true nature shows itself when those around you are in need. A true Christian will be there in good times and bad. It makes you wonder, who does Pat Robertson truly worship? And as his followers, who do you worship? I would love to think that Pat Robertson’s comments were strictly racist. If that was so, his callous attitude would only extend to people of color. But for the Pat Robertson of the world, if he could not attack a person of color, he would simply turn on someone else because he speaks from his true nature.

Moving Forward to Go Backwards

A Texas school board has agreed to adjust its grooming policy for a 4-year-old boy whose long, flowing hair has him in school-suspension. Preschooler, Taylor Pugh, has been under in-school suspension since November at Floyd Elementary School in Balch Springs near Dallas. The Mesquite school board decided Taylor could wear his hair braided but keep it no longer than his ears.
I, like Taylor’s Mom, placed my child in private school for many years. The school he attended at the eighth grade level had a similar policy. My son had his hair cut short to his head with the exception of a long rat tail that went down his back. The policy did not allow him to place the tail down the back of his shirt or to keep it braided. The only solution the school would accept was to cut the tail. We complied because my son wanted to attend the school. Within a few months, we realized the school was not a good fit for my son. I say that to say this: Sometimes conformity is not the answer.
Restricting the color of the hair to natural colors, even when using dye, is one thing; restricting the length you are entitled to grow your hair is another. The children in public and private schools are not in a military camp and should be allowed to wear their hair as pleased as long as the hair is neat, clean and does not block the view of other students. Students with high hairdos should be given the option to sit in the rear of the classroom or to change the hair style. The reason for this is that every child should be given the same opportunity to receive an equal education. This includes vision of the teacher, fellow students and the black/whiteboard. When to cut the hair should remain the option between parent and child. Requiring kids to cut their hair to attend school is a throwback from the early years of integration when Black students were required to cut their Afros.
The length or style of the hair does not determine if the child is a good person, intelligent, or has the potential to be a good citizen. Look at the Ted Bundys in the world. They are your clean cut, average to exceptional guys that by appearances anyone would trust. Having their hair cut short during their early years did not may them respectful of their fellow man, kind, or trustworthy. Instead, it helped to hide their true nature. For this reason, schools need to stop being superficial in their acceptance policy as a means of keeping specific people out.

Two Women Diseases that Affect men

Men should be aware of the following two diseases and research on the internet to learn more about each. The first is breast cancer. For this, men should do the breast exam just as the women do. Hold the hand up in a right angle (to your side as if signaling a turn when on the bicycle). Start under the armpit and work your way down to and around your nipple to check for small lumps. (Your can find video’s online to demonstrate how to do this; it is the same method used for women.) If a lump is detected, you should see your doctor. If you detect the lump because of pain, you have had it for quite some time and may be in a serious stage. The signs to look for are lumps, discharge from the nipples and/or an inverted nipple. For those of you who do not understand what an inverted nipple is, it is when the nipple begins to look as if it is being sucked inward.
The second disease is Lupus. Don’t assume that since you didn’t have it as a child you will not develop it. If you are born with the gene, it can be triggered at in time in life. Common symptoms of Lupus include hair loss, fatigue, fever, headaches, anemia, swelling in the legs hands and feet, a butterfly shaped rash across the face, painful and/or swollen joints, ulcers in the nose or mouth, etc. A good source of information on the subject can be found at Lupus.org.
Keep fit, stay healthy and when time allows, watch the Dr. Oz show. His advice is good for both men and women. If you can’t watch him on TV, you can follow along online at doctoroz.com.

Changing of the Guard

We elect our politicians according to our beliefs and political affiliations. Occasionally, we vote across party lines to elect politicians when we feel the politicians will benefit our cause beyond expectations of our party affiliate candidate. If politicians are voted in by the citizens according to the desired statements above, should not politicians be forced to resign if the politicians decide they want to change their affiliation? For example, if a politician is elected as a democrat and decides to change party affiliation, the politician should resign and allow the people to select a candidate they can trust to fulfill the desires for which that politician was elected. Democrats and Republicans vote across party lines on a regular basis; what is the purpose of changing party affiliations unless you joined the party simply to become an elected official. If I went to work and told my boss that I was changing my job description to suit my needs, I would be out of a job within two weeks. Two weeks if the contract requires two week notice, the end of the day if it doesn’t. Why should politicians be any different? If a Republican decides to become a Democrat, the politician should do it at the end of his elected term and run for office as a Democrat, or vice versa. I, for one, am sick of watching politician flip flop between parties.

Carrie Prejean Fiasco

I just finished watching and episode of The View. One of their hot topics concerned Carrie Prejean, the Miss California who made the comment about the gay community during the Miss Universe Pageant. Carrie Prejean had been in the pageant community long enough to understand that pageant answers should be diplomatic and un-offensive to any particular group. The person selected as Miss Universe is chosen as the symbolic representation of all people regardless of color, race, creed, religion, gender or sexual orientation. Carrie Prejean knew exactly what she was doing when she entered the pageant. She entered with the intention to win; it appears to win at all cost. Who can say she did not accomplish this? Carrie may not wear the crown or hold the title but she has won. She is constantly on TV or in the news. I bet very few people remember the name of the young lady who won the contest. Miss Prejean’s popularity in the news has overshadowed the reign of this young lady. Maybe it is time beauty pageants become a thing of the past. Whatever happened to winning or losing gracefully or natural beauty? When beauty comes down to who can buy the most cosmetic surgery or is willing to have the most, people can see that on the streets and on TV daily. We don’t need a beauty pageant for that type of production. Hasn’t the self esteem of young girls been shattered enough without this additional exploitation?

Play the Judge Judy Game

In order to play this game, you must watch Judge Judy. The object of the game is to decide who will win the case when the litigants enter the courtroom. You are judging from appearances only before the parties are introduced and the case is presented. Watch the proceedings for Judge Judy’s verdict. After playing this game a few times, would you agree that Judge Judy is a perfect example of why minorities do not trust the U.S. legal system?

Copying Security Words

I just finished posting an email on Facebook and I wondered if anyone else gets irritated with the security words you must copy. It’s not that I mind copying the words but I do mind feeling like a lunatic trying to figure out what some of the letters are. Why must the letters you’re copying be written as if some alien alphabets were created to blow your mind? I’m not a computer expert, so someone tell me, is this some cruel joke many sites use to give you a false sense of security when using the program?

Economic Status in the U.S.

This past weekend while talking with my sister in law, I told her of a comment made while my husband and I were out walking. The comment was that he wished we could find a money sack that fell off the back of an armor truck. Her response was that she had the same thought that week. The thought that went through my mind was, “Damn! Are things so bad off in the U.S. that we all have to share the same fantasy? “ Can we not at least afford our own fantasies?

Disrespect for the Commander-in-Chief

If FOX Network did not carry the Presidential speech on education directed to the children, and selected to show So You Think You Can Dance or some other extremely educational show as such, should FOX be allowed to dominate the Armed Forces Channels as they do? Given that the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, this should not be acceptable and military personnel should be outraged at the level of disrespect FOX presented toward President Obama. If a soldier disrespected an officer, it would cause the soldier severe penalties or even their career. FOX should be treated accordingly. Freedom of speech is a wonderful thing but disrespect is never tolerated in the armed forces; why begin with FOX?

Helping Your Child to Succeed in School

Parents, you can jump start your child’s educational experience by simply assuring your child has successfully learned some simple lessons. At the preschool age, make sure your child learns to count and recognize the numbers to twenty, know their colors, recognize shapes and can cut and paste. By age four, teach your child to write their name. Go online to one of the following sights and begin teaching your child to read and spell the words on the list. The sights are www.english_zone.com/reading/dolch.html (Dolch 220 Basic Sight Words) and http://estabrook.ci.lexington.ma.us/Curriculum/Sitton/Wordbank.html (Sitton Spelling Word Bank).

The Dolch 220 basic sight word list consists of 220 most commonly used words at the basic level in the United States. The Sitton list consists of 1000 words children must know between kindergarten and fifth grades.

As for math, the best thing parents can do after teaching their children to count and recognize numbers is to teach them basic addition facts and basic subtraction facts using numbers one through ten during their first grade level. At second grade level, increase the numbers to twenty and begin teaching the timetables through the threes. At third grade, increase the timetables to ten. Afterwards, there are only a few remaining to learn since the timetables repeat themselves. Children knowledgeable with the basic facts are armed with the ammunition they need to do well in school. In closing, I leave you with a few websites I recommend. I am not associated with any of the sites and do not have any gain financially or otherwise for submitting the recommendations. The sites are: coolmath.com; magickeys.com/books; sheppardsoftware.com; storyplace.org; storylineonline.net; and kinderwebgames.com.

Considering Out of State Universities

This may be late for many to consider, but for those that are seniors or have seniors in high school who may be considering attending out of state colleges need to read the following; this should not be avoided. When researching out-of-state colleges, check the residency requirements if you hope to obtain residency. Some states are changing their residency policies to avoid students claiming residency before their senior year of college. The example I will use is that of Florida, even if you obtain state resident status that is not a consideration in residency for colleges and universities. The driving factor is the student’s employment status. A student must have full time employment of thirty (30) hours per week or more. On the surface, this may seem insignificant; but in a college town where there are more students and local residents seeking employment it can become a devastating factor to families. The difference in cost (example) is $125 per credit for in-state students and $525 per credit for out-of-state students. At fifteen (15) hours per semester (average five classes) an in-state student will pay $3750.00 per year plus room and board and additional fees while the out-of-state student pays $15,750.00 per year plus room and board and additional fees. If your child does not attend school on a scholarship and does not qualify for income based grants, the student loan amount is capped at $7,500.00 per year; the remaining $20,000.00 plus becomes the responsibility of the parents. For $80,000.00 plus, you can set your child up in his or her own business and let them pay to attend college at a later date after their income reaches a stage in which it can be afforded effortlessly. Or you can send your child to an in-state school and pay $20,000.00 to 50,000.00 for the four to five years it will take for your child to graduate. If you believe the prices I quote are for one of Florida’s private schools, it is not, the quote is for a Florida public institution.