"O Canada": This Couldn't Be Happening Here

Last night I watched on my local East Texas sports a view from Vancouver I couldn't believe. I started to cry and this morning am still shedding a tear for my native land. People in  this fine Canadian city, not long ago the host of the world for the 2010 Winter Olympics, were rioting in the streets after the Boston Bruins soundly defeated the Vancouver Canucks to win the Stanley Cup, the symbol of National League Hockey supremacy. In my book, NARC!, the main character, John Doyle, is sitting on the University Hill in 1968 watching and participating in a peaceful protest against the makers of napalm, Dow Chemical. He commisserates about his country, Canada, being a peace loving country and that they don't solve their problems by rioting, but by peaceful means. This was not the case yesterday in Vancouver.

Times have changed. This is the second time that Vancouver has done this over a hockey game.
Now I will admit that hockey in Canada ignites a passion within Canadians much like soccer in South Anerica or Europe. Winning a title is important, especially since it hasn't happened in Canada for a number of years. But it is not the reason to riot. Filling yourself full of Molsons, Labatts or any other popular Canadian drink and destroying vehicles, lighting fires and looting stores does not make you a man or help you forget the loss.

I taught high school in Canada for 10 years and I know that this is not what Canada was all about then.Schools are still in session in most parts of Canada and if I ran the schools I would be using this as a teachable moment, extolling the virtues that the country once held and has obviously forgot. If I ran the Vancouver schools I would be mobilizing the older students to clean up the mess and bring this beautiful Canadian city back to normal. Perhaps there will never be a normal in Vancouver again.

"You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"!

A story appeared in the San Antonio Express News that gave information on one of the state's latest proposals to lighten the burden of school districts in the school financing fiasco. They are giving school boards the options of lowering teacher pay and restricting teachers' furlough or sick day time. "Passing the buck" is not an admirable way for the state legislature to come up with a solution to  the state's mismanagement of the education funding process that took place a few years back and has led to the recent state of affairs in Texas school funding.

Many small school districts already do not pay their teachers very well. When I moved to East Texas and looked into the pay scales of school districts here I was appalled. I have to commend the Northside ISD where I was employed for paying at a high level. Most teachers here already make less than I do in teacher retirement. How can they afford to cut even further? These are the districts that will be hit hardest when the final education bill is passed in special session. How are we going to encourage fine young teachers to enter the profession if we treat them this way?

If you have been following my blog you will soon be seeing many of my predictions coming to fruition. Programs are now being cut. Even in NISD, a large district, the Gifted and Talented program as we once knew it will never be the same in the Middle and High schools. How do we expect the top 5-10 percent of the nation who are the ones who have to compete with other countries in the world to be equipped with the skill and advanced knowledge to be able to do so. Class sizes will be enlarged which will soon resemble the sizes of classes in the late 50's and 60's. With a growing special ed. population and the movements to include these children in the regular classroom environment you are inflicting a tremendous burden on the teachers. Some students will be seriously neglected. Perhaps they will be your children.

Yet only 200 parents and teachers are showing up in Austin in protest. You ALL should be there. To borrow the idea of Ronald Reagan with his trickle down economics theory, just you wait for the trickle down effect of the 'NEW EDUCATION' in Texas schools that will take place. Shame on you for not getting involved.

Now I believe in the Texas educator to do their best in the face of this horrific situation they will be faced with come the end of August. If I ran the schools I would be starting to prepare my populace for this change that will sweep down on top of them. As the song goes- "You ain't seen nothing yet"!