Color Me Perplexed

While 2014 has been a transformational year for me,  I end the year, questioningly shaking my head about a number of issues.  Not all of these issues are unique to 2014; some have been around for ages.

Why do so many people turn into raving idiots while sitting safely at their keyboards

If I were to make a New Year's Resolution, it would be to never, ever read the comments on a news article again.  I don't understand why news articles even need comments.  Idiotic comments are not found only attached to news articles.  I have read some moronic things attached to posts of organizations I "like" on Facebook.

I used to like a food page, but I couldn't handle everyone who complained that the posted article didn't address GMO food or was a meat recipe.  I am concerned about GMOs and I'm a vegetarian, but I cannot stand fundamentalists in either camp.  Stop being self-righteous pricks! 

Then, I read some horrible, vile comments this year.  If anyone thought for a second that racism is dead, think again. The worst had to be when some "human" called Tamir Rice an "unsupervised ghetto rat."  Who thinks like that?

Why do so many lack empathy?

   From what I can find, about one-third of all Americans live from paycheck to paycheck.   Some wealthier people do it to max out investments.  But, I suspect that middle class families who do this, do so at great risk.  One job loss or major medical issue, and they would be wiped out pretty quickly.  I'm sure they know that.  With so many people living in poverty (15 percent) or on the brink, why do we as a society accept so many policies that punish the poor for being poor?  Drug testing for welfare recipients, anti-minimum wage hike sentiments, cuts to food stamps?  This is how we treat the poor in our country. 

How did we become so apathetic?

Sixty percent of eligible voters stayed home on Election Day this year.   I get that the system is broken.  If my car wasn't working properly, it wouldn't get fixed by sitting in the driveway.  I'd have to tinker with it, or go to someone who could help me fix it.  The system isn't going to fix itself folks; it needs handy men and women who are willing to do a little work to make take it back from the oligarchs. 

Does everything have to be scented?

I own a Swifter.  I know it's not the best environmental cleaning tool out there, but I own one anyway.  I have found it impossible to buy sheets, name brand or generic brand, that are not scented. That scented stuff gives me a headache.  Today at the store, I saw dish towels that have dish detergent and scent in them.  Too many hidden chemicals.

Will there be a Detroit Difford/Tilbrook show this year?

Did we do something wrong? What can I do to fix it?  Just once, I want to see you guys sing and afterward, I go home to my own bed.  The last local show was 2008.  I'll cook, make cake, whatever - just sing in Detroit this year. 

I only want one thing this year

Right now, people around the globe are placing unreasonable expectations on the new year that is about to unfurl in front of us. I suppose I could do the same thing.

I could sit here and proclaim that I am going to exercise more so I can lose ten pounds.
I could sit here and proclaim that I am going to be civil to those who don't deserve it.
I could sit here and proclaim that I am going to keep a tidier house.
I could sit here and proclaim that I am going to read and write more.

I could sit here and proclaim that I am going to do dozens of things better.  The problem is that I think about these goals everyday.  Some days, I actually accomplish a positive goal.  Some days, not so much. Some days, I ignore all responsible adult expectations and have fun.  That's what makes this journey so frustrating and fun.

A goal for a year, the way I see it, is big and meaningful.  That's why I am only setting one goal for myself.  This goal will be my obsession and will likely alienate a few people. I will also meet many like-minded souls and maybe, together, save the state of Michigan.

My goal is simple: I will spend whatever time I can spare fighting the nihilistic radicals of the tea party and remove them from their seats in the state Senate and the state House and the the Governor's mansion.  I will knock on doors.  I will make phone calls.  I will write letters. I will go to fundraisers.  I will talk to anyone willing to listen.  I will help others find their voices.  The rising oligarchy, lead by the Kochs, must be stopped.

Are we teachers, nurses, autoworkers, ordinary people so frightening to the monied class in our society that they will spend endless dollars pushing legislation to diminish our rights and our wages?  We must be.

Come November 4, I know that I will have done all that I could.  The question is, how many of you will have walked along side of me?

 

School Isn't Out - Yet!

The final highlight of 2013 is the fact that my school has not yet been shut down by the anti-public education privatization pirates.

This is a minor miracle, though it may have to do with a lack of process as opposed to a lack of desire on the pirates behalf.

The Koch/DeVos backed right-wingers/tea baggers had hoped to push through a last minute bill that would have expanded the powers and scope of a state-wide "turn around" district, or the EAA.  Please do not be fooled by the pretty charts.  How can any statistician claim those numbers are valid when the "district" has lost 24 percent of its student population since last year?

A bill passed the state Senate but could not muster enough votes in the House.  The bill would have given the EAA authority to take over an unlimited amount of "low performing" schools (like mine), denied workers the right to collective bargaining, stripped teachers of the ability to pay into the state pension fund, and never let a school leave the EAA's control.  Sound great, doesn't it?

Would it surprise you to find out that, when pressed for information, the EAA was a little reticent to comply?  Nah, because this venture has nothing to do with helping schools.

My school has terrible test scores.  I won't even go into the myriad of reasons for our scores.  Some tea bagging troll will come in here and call me a union thug who should be fired.  Of course, my 20 years of experience means nothing and I won't get into an intellectual, factual, and philosophical battle with an unarmed opponent.    We are, however, still an official public school .  We are not out of the woods yet.

The state superintendent Mike Flanagan promised to move more schools under the EAA's authority.  Those schools will be announced in January and I suppose we could be one of them.  For now, we wait.  Also, the EAA bill will come back for a vote.  The wealthy and the powerful will not be satiated until it has been fed with more profits from the public trust.   

We'll fight them in the Senate!

Today, workers in the state of Michigan suffered a considerable set back when the state house vote to pass "Right to Work" legislation. If you remember my entreaty to vote yes on Proposal 2, there are many problems with "right to work" states. Well, here we are Michigan.

The Senate will take up the bill next week.  According to the AFT, there are a number of state senators who are on the fence about this legislation.  We must put the pressure on now to help them decide which side of the fence to choose.  Call the following senators and please call them often.

District 15 - Mike Kowall  517-373-1758
District 16 - Bruce Caswell  517-373-5932
District 17 - Randy Richardville  517-373-3543
District 20 - Tonya Schuitmaker  517-373-0793
District 22 - Joe Hune  517-373-2420
District 24 - Rick Jones  517-373-3447
District 26 - Phil Pavlov (don't get me started on this guy)  517-373-7708
District 29 - Dave Hildenbrand   517-373-1801
District 31- Mike Green  517-373-1777
District 32 - Roger Kahn   517-373-1760
District 33 - Geoff Hansen   517-373-1635


It doesn't matter where you live, just call these senators to let them know that "right to work" for less legislation is bad for Michigan.

Here is the phone list for all senators.  Heck call as many as you can and keep them on their toes.  If you want to know about your specific senator, take a peek at this map to find your senator.

While you're at it, look at what's coming down the road for public education in Michigan - a parent trigger bill. 

I wonder, once public education is fully in the hand of private, for-profit companies, how long will it be before parents are nickled and dimed on everything except tuition.  Uniforms, you know because we fear children expressing themselves through fashion choices.  Books. Extra-curricular activities.  Locker rentals. I mean, the Steinbeck says, the monster "breathe (sic) profits"

What's next?

Proposal 2 did not pass last night.  I spent the early part of the day, freezing my toes numb, talking to voters outside the precinct.  I worked from seven until about 2:30, when my back could no longer handle it.  I'm glad I did it, though; that type of work makes me feel alive.

Now that collective bargaining is not constitutionally protected (but anti-gay marriage is) in Michigan, what does it mean?  I don't know, but I don't have a good feeling about the future of education in the state.  I am worried that "right-to-work" legislation will pass in a heartbeat. A bill like that will financially choke the unions, as many teachers in a variety of districts, mine in particular, have taken pay cuts. We still have the threat of a charter school over our heads heads at my school and I am quite certain the for-profit company that were to take over would fire anyone for organizing activity.  Maybe I should go down a rebel. The idea is appealing.

Or, I can start to formulate Plan B - a career change at the age of 45. This is a scary prospect, but one I cannot dismiss.  Perhaps the universe is sending me a sign to take a chance on something new.  I have to gather my wits and figure out my qualifications for anything.  I am certain I must have marketable skills.

In the meantime, I will continue to try and impress some agent with my book. And, of course, I will continue to teach to the best of my ability.

Proposal 2

In the week leading up to the election, I want to review some of the proposals that are on Michigan's ballot.  The first I want to discuss is the one that is most vitally important in my world: Proposal 2. On the ballot, Michigan voters will see

PROPOSAL 12-2
A PROPOSAL TO AMEND THE STATE CONSTITUTION REGARDING COLLECTIVE BARGAINING

This proposal would:

• Grant public and private employees the constitutional right to organize and bargain collectively through labor unions.
  

• Invalidate existing or future state or local laws that limit the ability to join unions and bargain collectively, and to negotiate and enforce collective bargaining agreements, including employees’ financial support of their labor unions. Laws may be enacted to prohibit public employees from striking.
  

• Override state laws that regulate hours and conditions of employment to the extent that those laws conflict with collective bargaining agreements.
  

• Define “employer” as a person or entity employing one or more employees.
  
  

Should this proposal be approved?
YES __
NO ____

I want to urge all of you to vote YES on this proposal.  The seventeen years I have spent in education have proven to me just how important the right to collectively bargain is, on many levels.

On a personal level, if the right to collectively bargain is effectively destroyed in the state of Michigan, I will no longer be able to afford to teach. In February 2011, Diane Ravitch explains that a starting teacher in Arizona makes only $26,000 a year.  I don't care how low the cost of living is any given area, a teacher could not afford to pay off student loans, pay rent, and pay for a large percentage of classroom supplies on that salary.  More than likely, a person making this salary is going to work two jobs, making him/her a less effective teacher. In my own district, due to pay cuts, we have teachers who are eligible for food stamps. Way to save the government money.

Did I mention classroom supplies? A teachers' union contract can address the issue of basic supplies, such as paper, pencils, etc. Teachers must have access to basic supplies; if not, the union will file a grievance on behalf of the teacher.  Just yesterday, I met an Ontario teacher who has not been given the supplies she needs to properly teach her class.  I saw her at an office supply story, buying paper for her classroom with her own money.  This widow could have been spending that money on her own daughters or saving it for the future.  Instead, her principal has refused to give her any resources.  I urged her to file a grievance, but like so many people, she is afraid of bucking authority.  Her contract and all teacher contracts, properly should protect people like her.

Let's look at class size.  I have sat on the negotiating team for my local.  I was stunned to listen as the administrative team suggested that we do away with class size caps.  It makes no sense.  As a teacher, I cannot effectively teach classes of 35 or more teenagers.  As a mother, I do not want my third grader sitting in a class of more than 20.  I find it deliciously ironic that Mitt Romney declares that class size doesn't matter. He attended a school that has, according  to a friend who currently works there, about 15 students per class. Given his philosophy, his own children must have attended crowded public schools. Before you ride my case, I get the security risks, but why is what is good for the golden elite never a good enough investment for the rest of us? Rhetorical question, never mind.

Lastly, I would bet good money that there is "Right to Work" legislation waiting on someone's desk in Lansing.  Of course, once teachers' unions are destroyed (along with all other unions) those all important test scores will soar where only eagles dare.  Well, not really and not really again.

Well, if in the US, we get to the point of actually have destroyed unions, we will be in great historical company.

This is an interesting map, I think.

VOTE YES ON PROPOSAL 2 and feel free to share this information with anyone who is interested. As American writer Will Durant once said, "We Americans are the best informed people on earth as to the events of the last 24 hours; we are not the best informed as the events of the last 60 centuries."

At a crossroads

I am 44 years old. I have a mildly autistic son. I live in a foreign country, that has universal healthcare, where I know nobody. I cross the border every day (to the tune of $8.00/day) to a job that is under assault and I will not likely have in five years. And, at this moment, I should be dividing my time between grading papers and washing dishes.

I feel like I have written this post before. I'm sorry for repeating myself. I just need to figure out my next move. It is likely that within 2-5 years, my school will be labeled a persistently low achieving school. Once that occurs, there will likely be a wholesale firing of many staff members, most likely the most expensive ones. That would be me.I don't wish to wait around for the bloodshed, so I need to take some concrete action. I haven't had time to take care of myself lately, mostly because I usually whipped at the end of the day, but inaction is no longer acceptable.

I could remain in teaching and just beg Ontario to let me have a teaching certificate. I will of course do that. I just wonder if I will have soured on the profession after the debacle in America.

I could move to America and find a job in a safer district, with a bigger commute. While I truly miss my home country, living without Andrew is out of the question. My hand may be forced.

Beyond that, I am clueless. I don't know what I am qualified to do. I don't have enough degrees to teach college. I'm a little past the prime trophy wife age, though this option has been urged by a few people. I'd love to find a publisher and I know I need to move my rear on that dream. I'd also love to find an investor to back me in starting a bed and breakfast.

Sigh. I'm tired of dodging bullshit everyday. It's funny to me how "it takes a village to raise a child," but apparently, it's only the teacher's fault when one fails.

End rant. Now to the dishes.

I shouldn't really be surprised

Yesterday's elections gave rationale and progressive people a few victories last night. In Michigan, we saw the recall of Paul Scott, who gave us the bill that basically through tenure out the window. He was also the chair for the Education committee for the House of Representatives in Lansing. As chair, he would have been presiding over the public comments hearing about a bill that would have lifted the numerical cap of charter schools in the state of Michigan. In Michigan, the majority of charter schools are operated by for-profit companies. Needless to say, both of the teachers' unions and most public school districts are adamantly against this bill. My union president asked me if I would like to go to Lansing and testify before the committee. I was thrilled and I have to admit that speaking before form of a legislative body is a bucket list item.

This morning, with testimony (and 30 copies) in hand, I drove to our state capitol. Sadly, my drive was in vain, as it turns out that the committee chair is busy licking his wounds and cancelled the hearing. That's really too bad, because I had somethings to tell them.

November 9, 2011
Good morning and thank you for allowing me to speak before you today on a topic of great importance: the lifting of the charter school cap, a notion I believe to be a very bad idea.
I have taught at Hamtramck High School (go Cosmos!) since 1997. In those 14 years, Hamtramck’s 2.2 square miles has become home to five charter schools, in addition to the seven schools operated by Hamtramck Public Schools. Twelve schools in 2.2 square miles is an astonishing number. It seems there has been no cap in Hamtramck, so I believe that I am uniquely qualified to tell the committee and the public what we can expect if the charter school cap is lifted.
We can expect to see an increase in de facto re-segregation of the American school system. This has already been the case in Hamtramck. The Greater Detroit Community Development Group met earlier this year with the superintendent of Hamtramck schools to discuss the possibility of Hamtramck Public Schools authorizing their proposed charter. It was explained in the meeting (I have attached a copy of the minutes along with a newspaper article) that the organization would target Bengali families specifically to enrol at the new school. How is that even possible? It is as if Brown v. Board never happened and taxpayer money will be spent on schools that look to cater to one ethnic group. Who is holding these organizations accountable?
We can expect to see a widening of the practice of not teaching what is not measured by AYP. A few years ago, I met a fourth grade teacher from a charter school in Hamtramck. After she asked me if there were any jobs in the schools, I asked her about a rumor about her school. We had heard that her school did not teach social studies (history) and frankly, report cards from students transferring to the public schools showed no social studies mark. She confirmed it and said that seeing as AYP was only measuring reading and math, social studies was dropped. Who is holding these schools accountable?
We can expect to see more schools that don’t provide even the most rudimentary basics, as a student of mine vividly details in a sheet I’ve also attached. She asked to remain anonymous, but I will tell you that she and her sister (who graduated last year) are two of the brightest young ladies I have ever taught. She quite plainly states that for two years, she didn’t even have a locker. In two years, she never used a textbook that was remotely close to new. But, that particular school offers Arabic, so I guess I can guess who their target audience is. Who is holding these schools accountable?
We can expect to see more schools that demand that their teachers use a script, as was the case of a former student of mine. Last year, she taught at a charter school that gave its teachers scripts and teachers were routinely reprimanded and written up if they were not at the appointed spot on the script at the appointed time. That school had a heavy ESL population and no ESL program. Who is holding these schools accountable?
We can expect to see more parents, especially those not born and raised in the United States, confused about the actual standing of charter schools. I have seen banners on a number of charter schools that proclaim them to offer “free tuition.” This subtly deceptive practice is bound to confuse a parent who comes from a poverty-stricken third world country where an education was the privilege of the wealthy, not a right for all citizens. Even my student who wrote of her charter school experience calls it a private charter school, underscoring the confusion that exists. Who is holding these schools accountable?

We can expect more parents to be told that there is no room in the school and that their child will be placed on a waiting list (after count day). My school doesn’t have a waiting list. Who is holding these schools accountable?
We can expect more special needs students to be told that there isn’t a program to help them, as has been the case of so many of our special education students. Who is holding these schools accountable?
No one is holding these charter schools accountable. For the most part, for-profit management corporations operate them. No democratically elected school boards. No open meetings. No books that can be accessed by any taxpayer who has the gumption.
Is it this legislative body’s intention to give taxpayers’ money to entities that are unaccountable to taxpayers? Is that the mission you have be given by taxpayers? Are schools that are unaccountable to taxpayers and ordinary citizens really what’s best for children? A lack of special services, “waiting lists,” deceptive marketing practices, scripts, a lack of basic supplies, no social studies, and de facto re-segregation? I don’t think so. Keep the cap and hold these schools accountable.

The woman from my union's office listened to me and she told me that my story needed to be told and that she'd let me know when the hearing would be re-scheduled. I plan on showing up and telling this tale.

Is anyone listening?

Dear Presidents of the NEA and the AFT,

I have just started my 16th year of teaching and yet I wish with all of my might that this were my last year. I desperately wish that the nation's economy were in much better condition so I could change my career. I feel that the politics surrounding education have been so toxic that there is no turning back.

Here is Michigan, tenure has been thrown by the wayside, all collective bargaining has been legislated away, we are on the verge of becoming a "right-to-work" state with a privatized teaching core. None of these actions relate in any way to actual research on best teaching practices or incorporating much needed social services in our poorest schools. Nope, this is all about destroying unions and decreasing salaries and about turning schools over to private corporations so they have captive markets and can reap all that taxpayer money.

But, down deep, you already know that. So, what are we to do? Are we to continue to try and compromise with an opponent whose demagoguery is driven by some odd combination of the Chicago School of Economics philosophy (the one that killed Allende, brought Pinochet to power, and drove Chile to its knees) and religious fanaticism that believes that Jesus today would spit on the poor? People who cheer at the thought of an uninsured person's death? People who listen to a radio announcer who called a 13 year Chelsea Clinton a dog? People who knowingly lied about weapons of mass destruction? Can one actually reason with and compromise with people like these? I don't think so. But, we keep trying - like good teachers who try to reach that angry student who is about to give up. Sadly, it isn't working.

I am not the only teacher who feels like this. There are many and we are looking to you for your leadership in making this happen. You see, we trench-working teachers are busy with lesson plans and marking papers. You and the leadership of the two unions have time for this task, so I beseech you to do the following:

CALL A STRIKE! CALL A STRIKE! CALL A STRIKE!

Shut the schools down for a few days. Flex our muscles. Show them that we have come to the fight prepared to win or at least not go down with a whimper. Call it and we will follow - I promise.

I'll be damned if I lose my job in three years (that is the time frame) without fighting back.

CALL A STRIKE!