Teachers as Policemen?: Don't Add it to our Job Description

It's been a long time since I have written in this blog. No excuses except that I have been busy writing my books: NARC! A John Doyle Mystery and Precious Package: A John Doyle Mystery and their follow-ups in the series. But something brewing in education has been eating at me lately and that is the movement in my state, Texas, to arm their teachers.

I'm a retired teacher. When I began teaching in 1971 I never went into the profession to be a social worker, a parent to those who had none or a babysitter but because of changing times I took on all those roles. Add to that the role of a psychologist, a priest, a paper pusher and computer technician, all of which I gladly accepted. But to become the law enforcer and 'pseudo' cop in the school was something I didn't sign on for.

I can't even imagine going into my classroom, a la John Wayne, packing my weapon on my person or in my briefcase and still being able to create a positive environment for learning. What do I do? Lock the gun up in my file cabinet. That'd be a big help if my school was being attacked by some student we probably let down in the first place. Do I strap it to my ankle like a FBI agent? That would be a burden and I could never cross my legs when teaching. It would scare the 'crap' out of my students. There has to be a better way.

I have never owned a gun but I'm not anti-guns to the extent I could ever believe they could be eliminated. That would be too Utopian. The United States was created by violence and perpetuated throughout its development by the use of force to solve its problems. A race was subjugated and enslaved by the use of guns and the threat of violence while another one was almost extinquished in the name of progress by the same violent force. So we are trapped into the belief that guns solve every problem. It's in this nation's DNA! It's fine to have guns to hunt with and perhaps even target practice. It is okay if someone feels the necessity to own a gun to protect their family at home but there needs to be a limit. Enough is enough. It's like the old Nuclear arms race. How much do we really need to kill the world?

My neighbors pack their guns and more are being purchased as I write. I don't know who is carrying a gun in their car while I drive with them or in the grocery store where I shop. We have created a society that says it is Christian yet we break the commandment of 'Thou Shall Not Kill' daily. Now someone high up in our State's government wants people whose professional responsibility is to teach the children and hopefully instill values into them to carry a gun in the classroom. What kind of double standard is this to our youth? What message would we be sending?

They are holding classes in Texas for teachers to disarm and stand-off a shooter. I cannot picture many of my former colleagues even attempting this. Perhaps a coach or a very young teacher who could handle the stress and physicality necessary to complete the manoevers. I suppose it's better than shooting the person and perhaps injuring someone else in the process. Like many of the programs I was coerced to learning while I was a teacher it too will go by the wayside. Teachers, isn't it wonderful how all those great programs we had to learn end when the money from the grant dries up. They were wonderful and state of the art until the funding ended.

I want our schools to be safe. I want them to be sanctuaries for the children. I think we need to create atmospheres in schools that negate the use of force. We need to better identify the students who have tendencies towards violence and we need to educate our staffs on these tendencies. We also need to allow the police forces that our schools have had to invent to carry the guns, not the teachers. Notice that school shootings take place in upwardly mobile schools not in the ghettos and underprivileged schools. Those places are the safest areas their students often have during the day. We need to instill values in ALL students that killing isn't the answer. We need to bring GOD back into our schools. I am proud to say that HE never left my classroom.

If I Ran the Schools there would be one teacher who would not carry a gun- ME!

My Christmas Angel

This is a true story that happened to me and my family one Christmas Eve about 15 years ago.

My Christmas Angel

Every Christmas season the television is filled with magical shows about angels. Hallmark and Lifetime movies schedule shows almost continuously that play out that theme, almost to the point of being numb to their messages. I used to think that some of those story lines were ‘hokey’ but a few years back my mind was forever changed and now I see things differently.           

Everyone has an angel. At least that’s what I’ve come to believe. There was a time in my life I never would have believed in angels, or at least would be a die-hard skeptic but one Christmas Eve about fifteen years my whole take on angels changed drastically.

          I live in Texas, about 1500 miles from my Canadian family and my wife Lynda’s family. We hadn’t been able to go back to Ontario, Canada for Christmas for the past three years for various reasons. My dear old blessed mother was suffering from Alzheimer’s and we didn’t know how many more Christmases we would be able to have with her. I needed to be home to see her.

With that in mind we decided to purchase tickets to Detroit where we would rent a car from Thrifty Car Rental, head across the border into Windsor and then drive to our home town of Aylmer, Ontario. With that accomplished we packed our suitcases and with a high level of excitement and anticipation my wife, our daughter Deanna and myself drove to the San Antonio Airport.

          Things were going well. We got to the airport on time, actually early, and got checked in. That was easy since it was pre- 911. We found ourselves sitting in the waiting area directly across from the food area in the San Antonio Airport. The smells of aromatic fresh coffee and baked bagels were infiltrating our senses so my wife got up to get me a coffee and she and my daughter a hot chocolate. She returned to our not so comfortable seats with two rich steamy hot chocolates, a large hot cup of coffee for me and three bagels with cream cheese on the side.

          We ate our small but delicious breakfast and the lady at the Continental desk announced that Flight #4053 to Houston was ready for departure. We got up, hurriedly got together our carry ‘ons’, which were full of Christmas presents and souvenirs of Texas to give to our friends and families back home and then took out our tickets. Our tickets told us that we would change planes in Houston and then head to Detroit.

          Unknown to me my wife had downsized her large brown purse she usually carried and changed it to a small blue one that held her cash, credit cards, identification and most importantly her ‘green card’, her way of crossing the border. In her haste she left it on the seat where she was sitting.

          We hustled down the gateway into the plane where we conveniently found our seats about one third of the way down the plane, a Boeing 707. We sat down in our assigned seats, all of us occupying one row in seats DEF on the right side of the plane. It was at that moment my wife realized she had left her purse on the seat. Everything about this day was drastically going to change.

“I can’t find my purse. It was with me when I was in the waiting area...when I got us our breakfast. I think I left it there.”  She was frantic.

“Are you sure? Is it in your carry ons?” She quickly searched her small piece of luggage she had brought on with her. She shook her head. It wasn’t there.

“What are we going to do? We can’t leave without it. It has all my important papers in it.” Her voice was trembling. A green card to an ‘alien’ is like blood to our bodies. Without it you are literally ‘dead’.

“I’ll go out and find it.” I championed the cause. Should be easy, I thought, since I pictured it lying on or next to her seat.

I rushed out against the flow of passenger traffic telling the stewardesses that I had to get back in to the waiting area where my wife thinks she had left her purse. They allowed me to go but only with a caution to hurry back because the plane was ready to depart, and being the day of Christmas Eve, they wanted to make sure people made their connections.

          That I understood so I rushed to the area where we were sitting in the waiting area, the smells of coffees still lingering in the air. After a cursory search there was no purse to be seen. At that moment ghastly thoughts entered my head and it was not of the ‘fairy plum fairy’ variety. Had someone stolen her purse or was it just picked up by the airline personnel? I left all our pertinent information with the pleasant and understanding lady at the airline desk. I then I decided to return back to the plane, not wanting it to take off without me.

           Since this was pre-cell phone I couldn’t immediately call the special number in order to cancel the cards so someone wouldn’t fraudulently use them. Could I do that when we arrived in Houston? Did I need to take out ‘handfuls of cash’ from the ATM machine when we arrived in Houston so I could pay for our car and all the other things we needed on our trip? I had, thank God, brought some extra cash with me as had my daughter. Could we get my wife across the border and back without her ‘alien card’? Too much confusion clouded my brain.

          With all those thoughts rushing through my head I re-entered the jet and we headed to Houston. I explained to the family my plan for when we arrived there. We had ample time to accomplish it if all went well. After our short hop the plane touched down, taxied to the jet way and we disembarked, looking everywhere in the concourse for a pay phone and an ATM machine.

Both were in sight and I hurriedly ran to them while Lynda and Deanna went to the next departure gate to wait for me. I made my call and immediately all our cards were cancelled.  I then took out the requisite amount of money from my bank, as much as they allowed me. I felt a deep sigh of relief when that was over as I pictured some crook already in North Star Mall, maxing out our cards. The cash that she had in the purse, I knew, was long gone and never to be recovered. I met them at the gate.

          Take off, flight and landing went smooth. We all were more relaxed as I sat in my seat, my wallet full of cash, some of it also divided between my wife and daughter. There was nothing I could do about the border. Surely they had her information on a computer file and if nothing else, perhaps I could bluff our way through it. Our thoughts returned to visions of cooked turkey, pies, candies, cookies and of course my mother’s welcoming smile.

          After retrieving our luggage we walked out into the arctic blast that met us and shivered in it until the tiny blue van marked “Thrifty Car Rentals” made its way towards us. It seemed like an eternity as we stood there in our ‘not so winter’ wear, hands in pockets and puffs of white frosty air puffing out of our noses and mouths. It was cold, even for a native Canadian. Had the years of living in Texas thinned our blood that much?

          Finally the van picked us up and drove us off the airport to the rental ‘hut’. We got out, bags in hand and I went up to the desk to get our car. It was now about 4:00 pm. I took out my driver’s license and cash and spoke to the agent at the desk.

“Reservation for Mark Elley” I stated. I handed him my license.

“May I have your credit card Mr. Elley?” He barked at me from behind the desk.

“I don’t have one that is presently functional but I do have cash.” I sheepishly said this as deep in my heart I hoped he would believe me and allow me to pay in cash as I planned.

“We don’t take cash Mr. Elley. Are you sure you don’t have a card?”

“No, I had to cancel our cards in Houston since my wife had her purse stolen this morning as we boarded the aircraft in San Antonio.” I explained to him loud and clear but in a pleading voice what had transpired.

“I’m sorry but I can’t rent you a car without a credit card.”

I thought for a second. “My daughter has a card. Will that do?”

“How old is she?” he queried.

“She’s twenty...will be twenty one in January.

“Too young” he said in a scolding voice as if I was supposed to know better.

“Then what shall I do?” I asked.

“I’ll call some other agencies and see if they’ll rent you one.” My spirits began to perk up with this faint glimmer of hope. He got on his phone and made some calls. It soon faded as he announced.

“No one will rent you a car, Mr. Elley. Most of them have no cars available. It is Christmas Eve, you know.” I shot him a look of disgust as if to ask him if he thought I was a moron or something. Of course I knew it was Christmas Eve. Wasn’t that the whole point? What kind of Scrooge was he?

“You could try the bus to go across the border but you’ll have to go back to the airport to catch it.” He looked at the bus schedule he had taken from the long counter between us, rolled his eyes and said “I’m sorry the last bus to go across to Canada just left.”

“Then what am I to do...we are to do...” I pointed at my wife and daughter who were sitting there on their plastic blue chairs with a sullen look on their face and with a small tear ready to roll down their cheeks.

Deanna cried out “Dad what are we going to do? What about Grandma and Christmas?”

“Mr. Elley, you need to get out of line. There are others wanting to get their cars.” What about my car, I thought? I would try one more tactic as I was running out of options.

“Could I leave the cash here and then you can let me have the car? Please...I need to be at my brother’s house in three hours. I haven’t seen my mother in three years and she’s dying of Alzheimer’s disease. I need to be there. There might not be another Christmas for her. Please let me have a car. We have no other way to get there; we are out of options!” I had gone from rationalizing to pleading.

“I’m so sorry Mr. Elley...next person please!”

Then from a corner of the small room a voice rang out. “Wait a second here. I’ll rent him a car. Use my credit card. Put it in my name.” A man dressed in a long winter coat held up a credit card in his left hand.

I turned to the voice. “Are you sure? You don’t even know me. I’m good for it but are you sure?”

“Yes, my wife and I have been listening to your pleas and your story. We thought losing some luggage for a short time was unpleasant but what you and your family are going through right now is horrendous. I’ll rent you this car and you can pay me back later.” I was taken back by this ‘saviour’s’ behaviour. I was a total stranger to him. Why would he do this for me?

Again I asked. “Are you sure? We need the car for a week.”

He looked at his wife and she shook her head in agreement and he went over to the desk and handed the agent, who was only doing his job, his credit card.

“Thank you” my wife insisted.

“Thank you so much...you have saved Christmas for us” added Deanna.

          We all shook hands with our benefactors. I wrote down my name, address and phone number and gave it to the man. He was from Boston, Mass. and worked for Coca-Cola there. I took down all his particulars also. I made a mental note to write the Coke Company and tell them what a wonderful and generous employee they had. The transaction was completed, documents signed and I gave my cash to the agent and watched him place it in an envelope and seal it in his safe. I had insisted that he figured out the rental to the penny before I accepted the man’s generosity.

Before we left we shook hands and said our “Merry Christmases” to each other and in my mind I determined I would never rent from Thrifty again.

          When we got in our rental car I turned to my family and said “This might seem crazy but I think God just sent us an angel this Christmas Eve. That has to be the only explanation that this man and his lovely agreeable wife were in that rental office when we were there. God works in extraordinary ways and this was one of them.” There was no other explanation. Why would a perfect stranger risk his credit and his money to give me this Christmas gift on that cold and snowy Christmas Eve?

          We crossed the border without problem and God rewarded me with another blessing as my dementia stricken mother’s eyes lit up when I entered my brother’s house that Christmas Eve. I held her in my arms and she mouthed words that I hadn’t heard for years... “I love you Mark”. This time I wiped away a tear on my now moistening cheeks.

          To this day I believe in angels and the marvelous works that our Lord and Saviour bestow on us. Your own angel is out there waiting to help you in your time of need. Hopefully there is a little angel in every one of us. It was an angel that guided Mary and Joseph. It was my angel at Christmas that saved us that evening.

          So now when I watch those Christmas movies with the angels in them I flash back to my Christmas angel experience and wonder who he’s helping now. Somehow I think he’s still with me.





"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"!

To My Conservative Friends

I have many conservative friends whom I love dearly, correspond with on email and Facebook regularly and converse with at my church and fitness center when I'm there. Many of them have been very upset with the numbers from our recent census. It showed some alarming statistics for my conservative friends.

"More than half of the growth in the total U.S. population between 2000 and 2010 was because of the increase in the Hispanic population. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, rising from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010. The rise in the Hispanic population accounted for more than half of the 27.3 million increase in the total U.S. population. By 2010, Hispanics comprised 16 percent of the total U.S. population of 308.7 million".

Along with that it showed that the black or African-American population totaled 38.9 million and represented 13 percent of the total population.

Now what do they find wrong or alarming with these statistics. For one thing they are worried about their 'white' world being taken over by the minorities. They have a reason to be worried because of this growth they someday may be the minority. With a fast growing Asian population, rapidly growing Hispanic population and a steadily growing Black population they indeed will be the minority in a few.

They find minorities causing most of the problems in American society: crime, health care, welfare, drugs and education, just to name a few. They watch this unfold on Fox news and at Tea Parties. They listen to it in their churches and Junior League meetings. They talk about in their clubs and organizations. They blame the 'tax and spend' liberals for these problems. For some of this they may be correct.

However, since this is a blog about schools and education I'm going to blame my conservative friends (who after reading this I might have few) and their colleagues for the problems they want to blame others for.

Let's look at the logic.  I believe education is the key for all that ails in America. It is a well known statistic that prisons are filled with young black and hispanic men and women. It is a fact that millions of the people in America who have health care have to pay more because there are so many uninsured minorities that don't pay at all for their health care when they use the hospitals for their primary care. It is a fact that minorities are on welfare at a higher rate than are the 'white' population. It is also a fact that minorities sell and use drugs at an disproportionate rate than people who look like me.

If my conservative friends are so worried about their world then we need to educate the minorities at a greater rate than whites or at least the same. Educated people don't fill up our prisons; educated people have jobs and health care; educated people don't need to sell drugs and use them because they are, on the whole, busy at work and have other recreational activities. If my conservative friends are so alarmed at the increasing minority growth then lock onto this statement. Educated people don't procreate at the high rate that uneducated people do so if you are worried get out there and march in favor of educating minorities. Get passionate about it.

Now comes the rest of the story. You won't do that because that would be a break in tradition. Over the past two centuries the US has been trading, whipping, chaining. enslaving and deporting our minorities. That hasn't worked out too well, has it?

Why then if education solves all these problems do all my conservative friends continue to support politicians who continuously have a slash and burn policy towards education? Cutback education funding, my friends and wait and see what the uneducated do to your future. If I ran the schools I would protect America's future by building up schools and funding them better instead of taking away their monies and firing their teachers. Now is not the time to regress but a time for progress.

So my conservative friends, the next time you complain about too many taxes, big government, or entitilement programs look in the mirror because you have caused it by voting in politicians who only want to put the answer to all of these worries-education- on the chopping block.

Business Aiding Schools- A Win-Win for Texas!-One Man's Opinion!

Texas schools are in big trouble. The government is currently at a loss for money due to the economic downturn and is unwilling to raise taxes and to dip into the 'rainy day' reserves (about $9.4 billion). There are reports of up to 100,000 state education employees who will be let go. Incentives for early retirement and attrition will help some of this but not most of it. My best guess is about 80 percent of it will happen.

As I have previously written this causes problems. Check my earlier blog where I examine these issues. The reality of this situation is that it will happen. Young teachers, the lifeblood of the school system will be let go. No one will replace them. A state that once advertised all over the nation for teachers will not be culling the education departments of our colleges looking for new teachers. Why? Because there will be NO new jobs available. What are these young minds to do? Where will they go and what will they end up doing? This is serious and we must think of ways to head it off at the pass.

I've been thinking about what might help here. Some districts are getting creative and are selling advertising, trademarking mascots etc. and that might help somewhat but I feel will only be a drop in the bucket. I've got an idea that just might work but it will take some work and creativity to get it done.

What would happen if the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor would ask their buddies, big business, to get involved in supporting education? I don't mean just advertising or mentorships but strings attached grants. Just think- business gives money, lots of it; schools educate according to the needs of local business and everyone flourishes. This is not only a risk for the business but also a chance to invest in their future. Throw in a tax break for participating corporations and I think you can sell it to them.

I've often felt that education should be more contemporary. That is if a corporation had a need, for example, computer programmers, then schools start emphasizing computer studies that would directly impact that corporation. For every dollar spent by the corporation on math, computers and science they would get a multifold return by hiring those students who have been successful. These students could be sponsored to go onto colleges to hone their skills and knowledge. They would glean the best minds available and minds that have been cultivated in their mold. Or an oil company stressing engineering, chemistry etc, in order to have a better worforce. Texans know how to get things done and I believe with some creative management of funds then this can happen. It will be a win-win situation.

Now multiply this by numbers of corporations that have an interest in a more educated and therefore more competitive workforce and we have jobs subsidized by the private sector. Maybe this will help. I haven't got it all worked out yet but with your help, if I ran the schools we could get it done. Anything is possible if we just dream and then turn our dreams into reality. 

Time For the Uprising to Take Place

Dear Texans;

Your state government is in the process of changing your children's lives forever. The legislature is proposing deep cuts to education in order to offset the shortfall the state is presently taking place. Geachers, parents and students: you did NOT cause this to happen. You do NOT need to take it on the chin. This could lead to a reduction of 100,000 teachers next year and a cut in many successful and needed programs. Just think of the number: 100,000. That is the size of a medium sized Texas city. There is talk of making elementery school class sizes with a ratio of 30:1 and high school classes that have one teacher to every 45 students. Any program that isn't fully funded by the federal government is in danger of being axed.

Let's examine the programs that are on the chopping block. Fine arts is one of them. Can you imagine a school without band, orchestra, choir or theater programs. Children who participate in those programs have a greater chance in becoming successful in other pursuits as well as in the leadership of this country. Another program could be your child's gifted education. Where do they go for enrichment of their valuable minds if not to the GT room? Language classes that are low in student numbers will be gone as well as any advanced program that doesn't meet the magic of the state 'number crunchers'. There is even talk of abandoning extra curricular activities as a result of these education cuts.

I can see so many detrimental effects of the state plan. Crime, for example, will undoubtedbly be on the rise. Students will be more bored at school than some already are. We will never catch up to our Asian competitors and all the President put out to us in the State of the Union will be to no avail. What will Texans do if there are no more 'Friday Night Lights'? The top students will not advance and the poorer student will not be able to be remediated properly.

What do you Texans need to do? I say it is time to storm the 'Bastille', come together to tell the legislators that you will not sacrifice your children's future just because the state has not figured out the proper funding of  education. It is time for all the so-called teacher's organizations to bind together, accompanied by parents and students and go to Austin and 'walk like an Egyptian' and take your schools back. Texas is a 'right to work' state so you can not strike but you have other ways to get your message across.

You are teachers! You have the brains and know-how to teach your students but lack the motivation to fight for your rights. You are parents! You allow your students to go to school everyday but have no idea of how the school is funded. You are students! You have the right to a future yet you sit there and your voice is not heard.

It is time Texans to take control. Don't let Austin do this to you. Don't just bend over and take it! Get your heads out of the sand! If I ran the schools I would be right beside you. Get it done!

Time to Get Back on the Right 'Track'!

"Scores from the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment released Tuesday show 15-year-old students in the U.S. performing about average in reading and science, and below average in math. Out of 34 countries, the U.S. ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math." MSNBC news report, 12-07-10.

Two years before I retired from teaching I remember telling my Gifted and Talented students that they should seriously consider learning how to speak Chinese. At that time it was learned that the United States debt had been gradually been owned by China, India and several Middle Eastern countries. The Chinese had the fastest growing economy (this year passed up by India) and had for a long time the highest world's population.

To feed that population there would be eventually be a need to expand into other countries. To get along in the world I advised my students to learn Chinese since French, Spanish and German would only help them on travels to those countries. This would be a vehicle for their eventual survival in a Chinese dominated world.

Little did I know that the Chinese education system had advanced so quickly and admirably. I saw what they had done at the Olympics but thought that was only a microcosm. In this same test while the American children proved their mediocrity, the Chinese ruled supreme.

If the US educational system doesn't improve soon then we better get used to that phrase, "the Chinese ruled supreme". I don't think it is too late but I do think that drastic change is needed to move us up the list. The top five countries were all Asian countries. Doesn't that scare you?

If I ran the schools I wouldn't spend time reinventing the wheel. We had it right once and WE ruled supreme. I think it is time to get back to 'tracking' in education. I think it needs to start in elementery schools.

When I was a student in Canada we had two year high schools, four year high school programs and five year programs. The five year program was intended for those who would only go to university, the four year for technical programs and the two year for those who had the aptitudes to serve. For example a five year student learned the classics, foreign languages, higher math, science, music and by the time he was ready for college he had pinpointed the direction his future univeristy studies would take. He was slotted into this path in the earlier grades.

Canada has gotten away from that approach and has unfortunately dropped down the ladder of countries.

Another thing we did was learn to write. We wrote everything! Today they would use the computer for that, but the same principles would be applied. The mind grew at an amazing rate because of it. Scantrons were non-existent and exams were written for three hours and were on a semester of work or an entire year's work.

Tracking should be started at an early age. The kids would be in 'special' classes, whether they were special ed., technical, or gifted students. They would progress at a faster rate and at their own level. I have witnessed as much learning in my 'lab' classes I taught as I did in my gifted, just a different type of learning. They were all learning for what they could handle, not what the governmnent test dictated.

I have often equated tracking in schools to how we train our swimmers. We don't put the slowest swimmers in the same lane to train as our fastest. Can you imagine what Michael Phelps might had done if he was training in this type of learning environment. Sure he would still be good, but he wouldn't have 'ruled supreme' as he did in the last Olympics.

I don't have enough space to fully examine tracking but I will at a later date, but I firmly believe if we re-adopt this old technique and adapt it to the newer circumstances of our society we might have a chance to get back on track.

Can We Stop the Bullies?

Last week a Florida father entered his daughter's school bus to confront several students who had been bullying his daughter, a young girl who had cerebal palsy. They allegedly had made comments about her disability, threw condoms at her, made obscene gestures, physically attacked her among other things. The father had contacted the school district, but nothing supposedly was done about it. Usually a bus driver would have taken some action here, but none seemed to be done satisfactorily. The father, when boarding the bus used language and threats that only would appear in the movies, 'gangsta' rap CD's or on HBO. He was wrong in his approach, but when asked many Americans said that they would have done the same.

The question is not what the man did on the bus but why wasn't this handled way before it got to this point. Before we answer this question we need to ask "What causes bullying?"

I feel television is partially to blame. Bullying stems from a lack of respect. Respecting others, respecting yourself and respecting your school are forgotten by the bullies. All the 'character counts' programs fall on deaf ears. I have, since my retirement watched more TV than I used to when I was working. I have been studying commercials on the tube and many them show disrespect between men and women, between children and authority figures and for our elected officials. This is wrong. Then you just have to turn on the 'sport' channels where men and women are placed in cages and a prehistoric battle to the finish ensues and is revered by the audience. Does that lead to a celebration of violence? Is bullying not violence?

Parents also need to be held accountable in the bullying problem. It has been proven that most bullies at school have for the first years of their life  had models at home who bully, either their wives or husbands or their friends and neighbors. They need to be educated as well as their kids and they definitely to be held accountable by fines from the courts and restrictions by the schools.

However, bullying has gone on for a long time now, it is not a new concept. In this tract I am only addressing physical bullying, but there are other types. When I was a student in elementery school I was the youngest in my class. I often found myself being picked on because I was smarter than other students and my big mouth and sharp wit got me into trouble with some of the older and perhaps not so smart boys in my class. I was physically attacked being kicked continuously after being thrown to the ground on the playground. I had to walk home by walking on the top of fences to hide from these bullies. I survived and got stronger because of it, but for a few years I feared for my life at school. These kids made my life miserable and emotionally I was injured. It wasn't until high school that I was able to get retribution on some of those who bullied me. A sport called 'football' allowed that to happen for me.

Not all kids have the chance to intellectually or physically defend themselves. Some end up in therapy, some do not want to go to school anymore and unfortunately some take their own life. What can we do to stop this?

I think the summits they have been having in Washington are going to help. I feel that the national news stories about this Florida man's tirade will raise awareness of the problem. But if I ran the schools I would have a no tolerance-ZERO- policy towards those who bully one quarter of America's students. Get them off the busses. Have their parents required to pick them up at school and transport them. Require the parents and the students attend classes. Administrators should be expelling them and having the police arrest publicly the worst cases. Taking a student out in cuffs, parading him or her around the cafeteria before going to the police car and publicly denouncing the perpetrators of the 'violence' will go a long way to prevent bullying in the schools. Posters on the walls are not going to cut it, folks. Asking a kid who has been persecuted by one of these bullies is not going to work. He already lives in fear. If the school is not going to do anything about it then parents will see the need to act themselves. The parents of 'my school' would not have to stoop to that kind of remedy. Let's stop the bullies. Man up schools!

The Ugly American

Yesterday I was reading an article on the "Dumb Things Americans Believe" in Newsweek by David A. Graham. It listed the PEW poll which found out that President Obama was perceived by 20 percent of Americans to be a Muslim(remember Rev. Wright?),40 percent still agreed with Sarah Palin's belief that there would be a death panel with the new health care act, half of Americans still believe there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq(Pres. Bush even admitted that their weren't there), another 20 percent believed the sun revolves around the Earth and nine out of ten US citizens couldn't find Afghanistan on a map. The kicker for me was that 3 of 4 Americans could correctly name the three Stooges but only 2 of 5 could name the three branches of government. Who are the Stooges- look around you!
Why?
We have failed our kids.
Educators have spent so much time getting students ready for the 'test' that we have forgotten to actually educate them in what is important. I know many a good language arts teacher who has diligently taught students what the difference was between a fact and an opinion, or a fact and fiction. Obviously this skill did not sink into most students' brains or these percentages would be different. When you only have to obtain a 50 percent on a standardized test in order to get a passing grade we have failed the kids.
I'm very happy that my surgeon, my dentist and my lawyer were held to a higher standard.If they only knew 50 percent of their work- heaven help us.
We need to hold all American students to a much higher standard than we do. Yes it is idealistic that they will be as conscientious as the doctor, lawyer and dentist but we need to raise the bar when we teach, when we grade and when we pass those students on to the next grade.
I have traveled extensively in Europe and I am always dismayed when I come across the "Ugly American" who doesn't take the time to understand the customs and habits of the people in who's country he is a guest.They are rude and stand out like the proverbial 'sore thumb'. Now after reading Graham's article I know why.
If I ran the schools I would mandate more geography knowledge, more life skills, more world skills and above all real life relevant examples of fact and fiction. I would make them think, research and write on subjects that have to do with being knowledgeable about what is going on around them. I remember as a kid being required to bring into class a current event which was from a newspaper. A newspaper? 'What's that' today's student would ask?
Perhaps we should insist that they have a newspaper 'app' on their fancy phones. Maybe they could be required to text the news event to another student or put it on their Facebook page. As educators we need to try all the tricks we can to get them to learn something other than the 'test'.
Perhaps if we did this then we wouldn't anymore be known as 'the Ugly American' but as 'the Intelligent Savvy American'.

The First Day of School

Now that I'm retired from teaching the first day of school doesn't mean the same to me. It does, however, invoke many pleasant and some not too pleasant memories. It's a day that most students, all parents and even some teachers were waiting for with great excitement and anticipation.
The students have for the past week or so gotten in their last minute parties, finished up their obligatory family vacations, and if Facebook is any indicator have been busy doing their required summer reading. Being the procrastinators that they are they have left the latter task to the last minute, along with buying school supplies and clothing. They are so looking forward to seeing their old friends again and if they are changing schools to scoping out their new environs.
The parents have served their penance of having to look after their children all summer. Some of them have chauffeured them from place to place, from one activity to another and if they are older they have worried about them coming in before or after curfew. It's bittersweet when the kid's go back to school but at about 8:00 am this morning if you stepped outside you could hear a large collective sigh of relief go up into the skies from all the parents in an universal chorus.
The teachers have busily been spending their summer time doing one of several things: attending inservices,taking advanced college courses, traveling, looking after their own kids or working at a summer job. They too are eager to get back in their classrooms, decorate and set them up for their new kiddoes, meet with colleagues and understand the new policies of their schools and school districts. I remember that each school year not only started with a few butterflies in the stomach but with a refreshed attitude when I returned to the school environment that first day.
This year took on a little different twist for me. My only grandson was starting full day Pre-K this year. He is a bright young man with a lot of energy. I had told my daughter to expect a lot of calls from the teacher this year since he did things very fast and did not like a whole bunch of down time. Sometimes bright children don't do well with segments of free time so I was a little worried, especially with my 38 years of teaching and a number of these with bright children. So I was not at all surprised when my daughter called me and said she got a phone call already from the teacher. In my mind all I could think of is that he acted out and was in trouble. No such worry- the call was a positive call assuring my daughter that he had a great morning and did real well with legos and math. That was nice- a positive phone call.
I once had a principal who asked us to make a positive phone call each day. If I ran the schools I would mandate that program. I know how good my daughter felt today on the first day of school when she got that call. I know how this grandpa felt when she told me. Not a bad idea- perhaps we should ALL make one positive call each day, no matter what our job is!

A Little Help From My Brother

My older brother and I do not always see eye to eye on everything but when I read an article he had published in his local newspaper I thought I should copy it to my blog. This doea not have a lot to do with running the schools but I'm sure if we all shared the same idea our schools would run much better. He is a Baptist minister and a former Member of Parliament in Canada. This has a lot to do about values. Here it is:

THE VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE
BY REED ELLEY

THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR

I have to confess that I love Christmas. It brings me so many happy memories of childhood Christmases growing up in small town Ontario. We grew up in the Church and so Christmas held a special meaning for us. It was the traditional celebration of the birth of Jesus. So that meant Christmas Eve Candlelight Services,carolling to shut ins and seniors homes with the youth group,the annual Sunday School Christmas concert where tots to teens put on the show and much more. I remember them all. And it was all done with a backdrop of harsh winter weather and 3 or 4 feet of snow.
And then there were all the special goodies that my mother and indeed my father baked and prepared for Christmas. Whatever happened to Divinity Fudge? And real plum pudding, not that stuff out of some can! And every year,the turkey seemed to be just a little better than the last. I still think the smell of turkey cooking on Christmas Day is the best ever smell!

My parents weren’t wealthy. My father had been in the RCAF during the war and when the war was over he got retraining under a Veterans government program and was able to purchase a house under the Veterans Land Act. But I can’t remember a Christmas where we didn’t receive at least one substantial present from Santa Claus and several from other family members. There were five children in our family and we were all treated equally and well. I know my parents often made personal sacrifices to see that we were taken care of at Christmas.

My parents also instilled in us a belief that we were our brother’s keeper.They were kind and compassionate people. We were taught to care for the poor and those facing personal crisis. Christmas Day dinner was often celebrated with the presence of someone who would have otherwise been alone if they had not been invited to come and share our meal. My father often on his own made up Christmas hampers and took them to families whom he knew had little themselves.
Christmas was not as commercial as it is today. The religious significance was far greater than now. There was none of this insane political correctness where debates erupt over whether it is acceptable to say “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays”. Or if we can have Christmas pageants in public schools or we have to call them “Winter Festivals”. Is it a “Christmas” tree or a “Holiday tree”(thank you President Obama) and can we still sing Christmas carols which mention the name of Jesus for fear of offending someone?
How silly this is! Christmas is as much an important part of our national heritage as Remembrance Day is. And we wouldn’t think of doing away with Remembrance Day, would we? It is important to all of us whether we celebrate the religious significance or not. It reminds us of important values which still need to be emphasized in our society, peace and good will toward all mankind, loving and caring for one another, giving rather getting, hope in the midst of despair, just the sheer magic of Christmas often seen shining in the faces of our children.

So let us celebrate the season and remember the reason for it. Think of giving to the Harvest Home Food Bank or to a charity which helps those in need .Invite someone over to share your Christmas dinner. Because I happen to believe that this is the most wonderful time of the year and I hope you do to! And just because I am so politically incorrect,I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and in the words of Tiny Tim “God bless us,everyone!”

So you can see why I felt it was important to reprint this article from the Chemainus B.C. newspaper. It speaks volumes to how our world should be.

Education: The Reason the Berlin Wall Fell

Twenty years ago I was watching the television and all of a sudden Tom Brokaw broke in with a live shot of the Berlin Wall crumbling down. German citizens were frolicking and celebrating peacefully as that Wall came down. Today in Germany they are celebrating that remarkalble event in Berlin with some of the primaries behind the fall of the Wall such as Russian leader Michail Gorbachev and Polish Union leader Lech Walesa.

I was fortunate that two of the swimmers on my swim team, Indira Allick and Josh Davis were in Berlin with the USA Junior National Team participating in a meet near the time the Wall came tumbling down and brought me back a piece of the Wall, complete with graffiti. I treasure the piece I now own as a symbol of democracy and freedom.

In Karl Marx's 'Das Kapital' and in his 'Communitist Manifesto' he stresses that Communism is the next logical step after democracy using his theory of dialectical materialism. I have often felt that his concept was inaccurate since democracy is the endpoint of the struggles between the classes. This I believe is because education is the vehicle in which democracy prevails. In my theory, countries that have a high level of education and a large participation in the process of being educated are the ones that support a democratic system better. That is why the 1960's and 1970's attempts at democratizing countries like Vietnam were failures. The education systems were not mature in these countries, therefore the people were not ready to accept democracy as a viable choice. It is when citizens of these countries become so educated that they can question their oppression that then and only then will democracy be able to be installed as political system. This is why I feel we are failing in Iraq and Afghanistan because the people are not educated enought to manage on their own. Too many tribes are used to having someone control their lives.

This is what happened eventually in communist run countries. When the people realized how bad their system was, they revolted or in the case of the Wall, the leaders acquiesed to the populace's demand; that being the start of a democratic system. Education in these countries made this possible, in my theory.

Universal education is the key to any democratic system and was responsible for the fall of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago. Look at what followed that fall.

Making the School Day Longer or Not?

A month ago President Obama came out with a radical education idea, that being making our students stay in school longer. Longer school days and more school days were one of his answers for a better educational system. As many of you know, I have long been a supporter of the change that the President wants to make in this country. A lot of this stems from being an outsider and an immigrant. Having experienced systems in other countries I feel that the USA isn't necessarily the perfect situation, though I will qualify it by saying that in many aspects it is the best situation.

That being said our school system is far from perfect. I have often been a proponent of a longer school day, beginning at 7:00 am and going to 5:00 pm. I, however, differ from the President when I also advocate a four day school week.

I feel that we could educate better with these longer hours. There would be more time to emphasize the basics that our kids don't have time for in schools these days. I also feel that we should be downplaying the 'fluff' we have in our schools. Fridays could be set aside for remedial work, clubs, sporting events etc. Fridays in my opinion are wasted days at schools as are half days. The end of the school day could be set aside for enrichmnet activities and for further remediation. Students after a three day weekend come back ready to learn, in my opinion.

The parents would have a greater chance to get home from work to meet their children when they returned to work. Many industires and corporations are going to a four day work week and this would coincide woith a four day school week.Parents could have more opportunities to bond with their children by taking them places on the long weekend or visiting museums, parks etc. Lord knows we need to bring this bond back to America. It will make it stronger, I guarantee it.

The problem with the President's proposal was as is the case with most government programmes is paying for them. This way the extra time at school duing the week would be offset by the long weekend that teachers would have. There would be extra pay given to those who wish to run programs on Fridays. Coaches already get this extra money in most sports.

Add to this a few more weeks into June for most schools and we have a longer time to educate our students. The summer vacation in my state, Texas, is way too long. Kids have a hard enough time retaining work in their heads over a Christmas or Spring break, let alone a three month hiatus from school. Summer schools could still be kept in operation but I would think that with more time in the day for rote learning and drill in the basic subjects there would be fewer numbers of summer school students. Summer school should be used for those students who wish to extend their learning, not for those who didn't choose to learn it in the first place.

So Mr. President listen to my ideas. If we want to compete with the other world powers it startsin the classroom. We have too many good teachers and good students to waste this opportunity to make it better. This is only part of the problem, I know, but a little more intense time and rigor in the school can't hurt.

Murder of a Teacher: Are We Protected?

Yesterday in the East Texas city of Tyler a Special Education teacher, Todd Henry, was maliciously stabbed in the neck by one of his 16 year old students in the high school he taught. Mr. Henry, by all accounts was a very good teacher and was in a classroom at the time with three other special ed. students and a paraprofessional helping him teach. The student was a special education student with special needs.

It is obvious Mr. Henry and many like him all over the country have special needs also. In my thirty eight years of teaching in Canada and the United States I was rarely taught to protect myself. I saw Mr. Henry's picture on the TV and he was no slouch, a big burly fellow who looked like he could handle himself with any high school student. Most teachers can, in most cases. In most schools this might have never happened.

Not when there is a weapon involved, whether it is a knife or a gun, could he handle this himself. I often thought what it would be like if I pissed off a student or parent. Would I be able to defend myself? Sure with my hands, but not against a weapon like Mr. Henry was confronted with yesterday, especially if I didn't see it coming. I have been assaulted at least once in my career.

I was wandering down the hall towards the office in a middle school one day when I came across a fight in the hallway. There were two large boys who had been shouting at each other. One was about 230 lbs. but not in very good shape, chubby to say the least. The other was a kid who just enrolled last week. He was a strapping tall boy, very muscled, in really good shape. I diffused the situation verbally and asked a strong female teacher to assist me in taking these two to the office for disciplining.

Then out of the blue, the strong one started taking off his shirt and his chains and I said to myself 's..t I'm in trouble here'. He went through me to the other boy and threw me, literally threw me up against the lockers. I was able to separate the heavier boy from the other and then the strong one came at me again and went after the other one. I found myself up against a wall. A coach came by to help and I grabbed the heavy kid and threw him into a sixth grade room and told him to get back to the rear of the room. He called me every name in the book and all I said to him was " He's going to kill you. I can see it in his eyes". When I got out of the room the strong kid had calmed down. We were able to get them to the office.

After that I found out that this student had been in and out of State Hospitals all year and this was his sixth Middle School. None of us were even informed of this. He was later expelled from our district for assaulting me. Even at the hearing the district did nothing there to protect me. They even let the boy and myself out of the hearing room at the same time. The boy followed me all the way to my car where I jumped in and sped off.

If I ran the schools what would I do to protect the teachers? The state pays millions of dollars a year on bus evacuation drills, spends teaching time on fire and tornado drills and even have secret codes for lock down procedures. Some of our esteemed legislators have even gone as far as to try to legislate teachers carrying weapons on them while teaching. This idea, if it would have been in effect yesterday, would not have prevented the situation ,only escalated it. Probably there would have been at least one dead kid as well.

No these are not the answers. Increased police presence perhaps.Better disseminating of information about problem students. The 'heck' with 'confidential' in these types of cases, teachers need to know what they are up against. Surveillance cameras such as they have in the Northside ISD can only help. Some schools have metal detectors at doors much like county courthouses have across the country. That might help. I think character education classes, if taught correctly, could be a preventative. Most of today's kids, unfortunately, are not getting this message at home. Schools shouldn't replace parents but the law says we are 'in loco parentis' so it is my experience that there are many times we have to replace the parent, even when the kids have them.

There probably are very few things I could do that could have prevented what happened yesterday if I ran the schools. It was a freak situation. In my years of teaching students brought knives and guns to schools I taught at but this was not the norm. It only takes one, however in the wrong hands. School districts need to have the means in their possession to combat these situations. I'm sure that all school districts will have mandatory inservices on this case. I'm sure that there will be some grants for programs to train staff on crisis prevention. This will last a while until the money for the grants runs out. Then it will be forgotten until someone reinvents the wheel. That always happens in education.

School districts will try to combat this issue and that is good. I pray that we won't hear about something like this again for a long time. I pray for Todd Henry, his family, his friends and his students.

Separation of School and State?

The last time I looked the government ran the schools. The local authority was the school board, the state authority was the Texas Education Agency (in Texas where I live)and the national authority was the Department of Education. To me that seems like there is a big connection between government and state. So what is the huge fuss when our President who happens to be the highest elected official in the land wants to address the students of the country?

Earlier this year the school district I worked in had all the students in the district, almost 80,000 of them, watch the President's Inaugural Address on TV. What a historic moment! Now that speech was a political speech full of ideas for the country and ideologies that would shape his new Presidency and his promise of change. Now when he wants to address the youth of the country in what I understand to be a non political speech this same school district is not allowing it to be shown. At the least, tape it and show it during that invaluable time that we used to call advisory.

If I ran the schools all my students would be watching and listening to what he has to say. What can it hurt to have a motivational speech from a guy who has come from unusual circumstances to become the most powerful leader in the most powerful country in the world. Students tend to be highly socialized by the 'street', the TV, Hollywood and I can't forget the internet. Most of that information they are gleaning is pretty horrible stuff.They hear about violence, drugs, sex etc. from people who lead lifestyles that are not too exemplary. They see immages of things that children should not see. So when a President who is intelligent, who overcame the stigma of race, who worked his way up the socio economic ladder with hard work and responsible choices wants children in America to become responsible citizens and make good choices we want to BOYCOTT him.Come on, you boycott bad movies, topless bars near churches and schools and shoes made in sweatshops.

Why I say? I think there is a large undercurrent of racism in this country. I live in East Texas now and I hear the 'N' word used in association with the President. I hear people wishing someone would assassinate him. It's because he is black. Do you think for a moment if one of the Bushes, Bill Clinton or even Jimmy Carter were to offer to address the nation's children there would be such a big reaction. No! Ever since President Obama got elected, yes elected by a good majority of the electorate,there has been a vocal element of this country that has been sabotaging his every move with HATE,LIES, and DECEPTION. This element has been allolwed to stir up feelings of hatred in America.

Next week I will watch the Obama speech to the kids. I will wait to judge it's merits. I think if we don't allow our kids to watch out of hatred we are sending a message to our children that it is okay to disrespect our President no matter who he was. There have been many Presidents I have not agreed with, but I have never disrespected them. They have the toughest job in the world. Let's let them do it.
To answer the question. No, there is no separation of school and state in this country.

Parenting Part Three: Helicopter Parents

It's been awhile since I last wrote. I have moved 300 miles to the northeast of Texas. My lovely wife and I have been busily getting a new old house in order. For the first time in 56 years I did not have to spend the summer thinking about going back to school. No inservices, no curriculum planning etc. Today would have been the first day for teachers to go back to school in my old district so I think I am officially retired. The past few months have just been summer vacation.

Have you ever had a parent who likens themselves to a helicopter pilot? Swooping down everytime their little Johhny or Barby has a problem. Waiting at your classroom door before you even get your morning coffee. Emailing you everytime they get a whiff of a problem with their child. Phoning you either at school or at home when their child gets a low grade or a bad test score. Happened to me all the time. Remember for the past 11 years I have been dealing with gifted kids and for every gifted kid there seems to be at least one worried parent.

What do they worry about? Is this a good behaviour for their child to witness? What can you do about it as an educator?

The answer to the first question is that most of their worry is about academic achievement. Parents whether it is in sports or in education often live their lives through their children. They worry that their child is not going to live up to their expectations.They are concerned about class rank, keeping up with the academic competition and their child's academic progress. They go so far as to get overly involved in the school-serving on PTA, becoming a PAL, volunteering for every field trip, signing on as a substitute teacher etc.Any reason to enter the school. Now I'm not condenming this kind of behaviour. I like parents being involved in the school. As stated in other parts of this blog it's a good thing to have a healthy balance between parents, teachers and students. Helicoptering is just not healthy. It's that I question their motivation sometimes. Most of your children don't appreciate your hovering over them all the time.

This brings me to the second question. The answer is 'no', it is not good behaviour for a child to witness. As stated above the children don't always want their parents to intercede. The downside of this behaviour is that sometimes the children get to expect it from their parents and they NEVER are trained to solve their own problems.They begin to rely too much on Mommy or Daddy interfering. I am so fortunate to have raised a daughter who told me, "Dad, I can solve this problem myself, I'll take care of it on my own". I can't remember ever interfering in her school problems. I helped her at home and sent her on her way. She went to college with an indepedence that often amazed me.

The final question is an easy one. Parents need to be taught and counseled on this 'helicoptering'. I remember sitting down with the 'pilot mom' who always was hovering and telling her that 'tough love' is sometimes the best. Let her son work out his own problems. Let him FAIL sometimes. That was a tough one for her to swollow. Sometimes you have to do it parents.It's how they learn. That young man turned out to be a awesome high school student who by achieving his ' independence' was able to learn how to solve problems on his own. Goal setting is another option. Teach the child to set goals and be responsible for their own academic progress.

Finally, students teach your parents to let you go. Train them to recognize that you want to be responsible for your own works and your own actions. With this accomplished the skies will not be crowded with helicopters manned by parents who are just waiting to swoop down. If I ran the schools the helicopters would all be grounded.

Parenting Part Two:

This past week I attended my grandson's third birthday. I did it not just to honor him but also to honor my daughter, whom I dearly love. We got in the car and drove five hours to get there. In fact, in two weeks from now my wife and I are going to make a drastic lifestyle change and move all our household goods, our animals, and ourselves to a new home near my daughter and my grandson. Some may say this is a great sacrifice but I look at it as another stage in the parenting process. We wish to spend our last years near this important part of our family.

As an educator I often did not witness firsthand the sacrifice that good parents made. I knew they were there, but I did not always see them. Many a parent gives up a big part of their life to make money so that their children can have more things. Sometimes they buy it when they don't have the money. That is bad parenting because down the line there will be payback. I think we are in a 'NOW' society where young people want immediacy. What I mean by this is they see so much on TV that others have and they just want more. That kind of thinking got America in the trouble we are in now. It's hard to say 'no' to your children but if you want to be a good parent then you have to sit them down and explain to them that there is only so much money and the realities and follies of credit buying and debt.

There is also a difference in sacrificing so that your children can have material things and sacrificing so that the family can be 'more together, and the children can get more learning experiences. Let me give you an example. Is an 'I-phone' a true learning experience? Is a PSP anything more than a glorified baby sitter? But is a day a the zoo, or at a musuem a more valuable learning experience. I say "YES"! Is sending them to Six Flags a better learning experience than going on a family vacation where they see different parts of the state, or the country or if you have the time and money, the world. I say "NO"!

How do we get parents to make those changes? I know that many of my Gifted children I taught went to the zoo, museums, family trips etc. when they were younger and that contributed to their giftedness. This parental nurturing versus the nature of a mindset of 'give them everything' will take a drastic mindset change. I think schools should have 'mandatory' inservices for parents on this subject. There should be fairs set up where zoos, museums etc. are brought in to educate the parents on these opportunities where the parents' money is well spent. Especially in this day when field trips are a no-no except for special programs, then bring the field trips to the school. The return the school would get back from such a partnership would be multi-faceted. The enhancement of learning for all intelligence groups would be highly beneficial to not only the student but also for the educator and the district. I guarantee that the 'dreaded' test scores will improve. Parents, this approach will save you money and at the same time also strengthen the bond between you and your child.

At the same time as parents need to make a mindset change so do their children. Their values have to take an about face. Many a time I've seen a child who has 'free lunch' come to school with a brand new pair of $100 plus Nikes. Often it is because the child has demanded it. Your parents aren't goldmines and you do not have the right to have an ATM card on you from the 'Bank of Parent'. Earn your money. I'm speaking from experience when I implore you to learn the value of money, get a part time job, open your own bank account and be accountable to yourself for those extras. The best thing my mother did for me was when I got my first job at age ten, she took me down to the bank and we opened an account. She told me to spend a portion of it and save the rest. What a lifetime learning experience. Don't drain your parents. Contribute. It will highly beneficial when you get to be a parent yourself.

Parenting Part One:

The other day when I was riding my bike on a back road near Boerne, Tx. I came across a tremendous example of parenting. I saw a deer jump a fence and run across in front of my bike. I glanced over to my right and saw three or four other deer standing next to the fence. A car was approaching from the other direction and I said to myself and aloud at the same time, "Don't you other deer run across the road now or I'll be looking at some roadkill". They didn't move but stood there looking at the bottom of the fence. I glanced back and I saw a baby deer or 'Bambi' as my wife would have called it with it's right hind leg caught in the fence dangling helplessly from the fence and wailing in pain. I dismounted my bike and ran over to the fence. The other deer ran off into the field and I watched them circle in the field and effortlessly launch themselves over the fence about a hundred yards down the road. As I got closer to the baby deer I saw that it's leg was indeed caught not once, but twice, wrapped throughout the wire. There was a deep gash on it's leg where it had tried to free itself from danger. I talked to the deer, patted it's head, brushed it's flank with my hand and reassured it I would do anything I could with the resources I had to get it out of it's mess.

I started to move it's leg out of the wire but it was so caught up in the wire it made it difficult to move without breaking the leg. It cried out in pain several times. I heard a huffing and puffing behind me and as I turned around I noticed a female deer standing across the road from me, making threatening motions with its' feet and sounds from it's mouth. They were all directed at me. She thought I was going to harm her young one. I worked on the wire and pulled the baby deer up and finally after a few minutes I was able to move the baby free. To my delight the 'Bambi' ran off into the field with a full gallop looking no worse for the wear. As soon as the baby took off the mother deer circled back across the road, leapt over the fence and sought out her offspring so as to comfort and take care of it. I was pleased.

What does this have to do with education? As teachers we have been given the role of "in loco parentis". We see great parents like the doe who stood her ground and protected her young one from what she perceived as a villain. We see great parents who like the doe who comfort and nourish their young when times are tough. On the other hand we see those who do neither and then we have to step in. As I have progressed in my 38 years of teaching I have seen many changes that I don't feel that comfortable with regarding parenting skills.

Parents are a part of the triumvirate that makes education click: student, parent, teacher. Each has an integral role in the process. Parenting is the toughest of all three. As I see it there are two things we do the most in life, but have the least experience and education for, loving someone and raising a child. We have trouble with both, especially the latter since we only have the role models of our own parents (and we know that those are often less than perfect) and a few 'expertly' written manuals on the subject. There is no course in school that helps us be a good parent that is required by law. Perhaps there should be. So from the beginning parents are behind the proverbial '8-ball' and have to a lot of catching up on their own lack of learning on the subject and tend to do an abundance of 'trial and error' learning as they fly by the seat of their pants. No wonder we have so many issues with parenting as educators.

In the next few blogs I would like to address different aspects of parenting. Please feel free to share your experinces with parenting from the viewpoint of either educator, student or parent.

Just Retired

I just retired from teaching after 38 years. I've seen it all. Not only did I teach 28 of those years in the United States but also 10 years in Canada. I taught 14 years in high schools and 24 years in middle schools. I have taught lower level(special education and learning lab) classes and worked the last 11 years as a gifted and talented specialist. I have designed new courses and developed numbers of curricula ideas. I coached in both countries for awhile and have worked as a consultant. I also have traveled Europe for 38 years and have studied education systems in many other countries.

I think this qualifies me to write this blog. I see so much good in the school system but I also have seen so much 'wrong'. I would like to get other educators, parents and students' ideas on what they think is RIGHT and also what they see as WRONG with education today. This is why I entitled this blog "If I Ran the Schools". Hasn't everyone wanted to do that some day.I feel I could address, with your help, topics such as: respect, dumbing down, discipline, unfit parenting,
parent involvement, reinventing the wheel, differentiation, teacher training, money, waste etc. There is so much to address here.

Over the next while we will address these topics. No school system can 'get back' at me or at you. Write in with your ideas and suggestions for topics to be covered. It will be an open forum and you can remain anonymous if you so desire.