May 7, 2008
Posted | 2 comments
Bellringers is hosting the 170th Carnival of Education this week.
I like this multiple choice testing format - it’s not the quickest read, but it’s clever and entertaining. Gold star!
Don’t stop at the Carnival, though. Bellringers is a good read that everyone ought to have in their RSS reader. It shouldn’t be a surprise that Carol Richtsmeier, the author of Bellringers, was a reporter before moving into teaching and in 2002 was named the Texas Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Ms. Richtsmeier was kind enough to include my post about Kierra Bell, the Detroit 8th grader who respectfully taught City Councilman Monica Conyers a few lessons that she’d have done well to have learned many, many years ago.
Larry Ferlazzo at InPractice can’t quite decide whether WASL-weasel Carl Chew is an American hero. He thinks that Chew’s actions won’t have any impact and that Chew is likely an egocentric grandstander - yet:
Do I think his [Chew's] action showed disregard for his communities’ values? Definitely not. In fact, I’d say they might have been an extraordinarily accurate representation of the best values in our community traditions.
I’m awfully pleased, then, that I don’t live in Chew’s community.
If you’d like to see how things turned out the last time I linked to a Carnival post about Chew, have a gander. The comments are a worthwhile read.
May 7, 2008
Posted | 0 comments
I saw a t-shirt a few years back on the 3-for-$5 rack in a Georgia store. It said:
“It’s a Southern thang, y’all wouldn’t understand.”
Kicking myself for not getting it.
I wonder if I could make one of my own that said:
“It’s an educator thang, y’all wouldn’t understand.”
Maybe public schools could give it out at budget votes. Who do these ignorant parents and community members think they are, anyway?!?
A hearty thanks goes out to those teachers, administrators and board members - and those who weren’t voted in - who understand that the public has dignity and, usually, something important to offer.
Those other teachers, admins and board members who routinely show contempt for the public? Well, for now, we’ll have to take it from Weapons of Math Destruction and have a laugh at their expense as we work toward better days.
May 6, 2008
Posted | 2 comments
No, no, not those obnoxious primaries.
Vote for the 2008 Education Blog of the Year. The awards will be given out next week at the ED in ’08 Blogger Summit in Washington, DC.
The list of nominees is a long one - there are loads of must-read blogs on it. A quick scan should give you no fewer than 10 excellent sites to vote for.
The award isn’t the point. The real value here is exposing us all to plenty of great education blogs that we might not already read.
May 5, 2008
Posted | 3 comments
Teacher Jaime Escalante received the Presidential Medal for Excellence in Education in 1988. He gained notoriety when portrayed by Edward James Olmos in Stand and Deliver, the story of a tough, dedicated math teacher in Los Angeles. It’s a classic.
The moral of the story? When taught properly and when all parties are dedicated, anyone can succeed.
And, of course, the final score is one for the ages: Escalante et al.: 1; ETS: 0.
Take a look at a few bios of Escalante’s former students. They defied crass, ill-founded expectations and, with Escalante’s masterful guidance re: math and that other important discipline- life - they’ve done quite well.
The rise of Escalante’s math program in a LAUSD school is the stuff of education legend. Its collapse, however, is largely unknown. As Reason Magazine pointed out in its in-depth history of the program, it’s a shame.
I didn’t mind that South Park parodied Escalante a few weeks ago. Eric Cartman became Mr. Cartmenez, a capable instructor who guided his underperforming students in the ways of cheating. Infused with topical references to the New England Patriots cheating scandal, it was a lighthearted parody that poked a little fun without undermining the important work that Escalante is known for.
The Sacramento Bee posted today an interview with Mr. Escalante [hat tip: Intercepts]. Unfortunately for us, he now teaches in Bolivia, but he was back in the states to receive a Latino Spirit Award from the California Latino Legislative Caucus.
If there’s one thing you read today, make sure it’s this interview. Sound, common sense wisdom from funding to calling moms.
———-
Q: If you were a young man, would you choose to become a teacher again?
A: Absolutely. That’s the only thing I can do. Believe me, I had fun, especially when I used to deal with gang members or kids who weren’t motivated.
Before class and after class, I’d talk to them, to make them believe they could do it. I used to tell them, “Remember this: No one is better than you.”
Q: How do you feel about the term “hero”? Do you feel like a hero?
A: Not really. I’m just an honest man. An honorable man who did the assignment and the homework, because California gave me the chance.
Q: Do you have any regrets supporting Proposition 227 (the 1998 ballot measure that virtually ended bilingual education in public schools)?
A: I was in favor of monolingual language, and it was controversial in those days, because people thought I was going in the wrong direction. No. The tremendous success I had at Garfield High School was because I emphasized (English). I used to say, “Unfortunately, the test comes in one language, and you have to master that language.”
Q: Do you support the concept of a high school exit examination?
A: Yeah, I would say so, because when kids graduate … I assume that in four years, they’ll learn something. … What they have to do on the test is to emphasize their basic knowledge.
Q: Some say public education isn’t getting enough money. Others say money is not spent wisely. What do you think?
A: Money is not the problem. … We have to know how to spend it. We put too much money (in programs) that don’t achieve results. We waste a lot.
Q: What should California do about its dropout rate?
A: Schools alone cannot educate, they need the help of parents. … At Garfield High School, a high percentage of dropouts were kids who didn’t want to come to school. So I made them sign a contract.
And before that, I got in communication with their mom – mom is the one who calls the shots. I said, “Mom, … this is what we’re going to do, and you’re going to help me out. … I need you to control him. I’ll be calling you.”
Q: Advice to teenagers?
A: Set your goals and go for it. You’re going to have to go to college to be something. Otherwise, you’re going to be pumping gas all the time – and today, there’s no gas.
May 2, 2008
Posted | 10 comments
Much is made of Eduwonk’s Friday Fish Porn. This week’s edition features the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence’s Dave Saba.
I hadn’t thought of Mr. Saba since October, 2007 when he blamed sexual misconduct in schools on a shallow teaching pool. He left an indefensible, inadequate comment and never returned.
I don’t eat fish, and despite being a member of the Hartwick Rod & Gun Club, I’m not much of a fisherman, either. It’s cat time.
If you haven’t met her before, meet Princess Pia, The Minion of Evil.
Her vitals:
- Born: May, 2003
- Birthplace: Victoria, British Columbia
- Residences: Victoria, BC, Canada; Boston, MA; Cooperstown, NY [Dual Citizenship]
- Breed: Burmese Tortie
- Weight: 4.5 pounds
- KittenWar Battles: 934 Wins, 1,835 Losses, 391 Draws
Career Highlights: Named after Pia Getty; has logged over 10,000 travel miles by car and plane; killed 1 mouse in 2005, didn’t eat it; razor-sharp claws, freakish quickness; vertical leap of ~46″; illicits reactions like “Sweetest Thing Ever!” and “Awwww!” when introduced; incredibly tiny for an adult Burmese, otherwise normal; weirdly rabid, in the fanatical sense, supporter of John McCain. Often mistaken for a kitten despite being 5.
Here’s Pia resting on a Friday afternoon, head buried as I pound away at the keyboard:
