I am an only child who was raised by parents who strongly believed that children should have their own interior and exterior worlds (also known as get out of my face and entertain yourself). Coupled with the fact that most of my dearest friends live many borders away and I have an adorable matching set…
Tag: current-events
East African frostbite
On some national public radio, feel good story about the immigrant experience and programs that help newly arrived immigrants cope with the freezing Minnesota winters, they talked with one of the teachers, an East African man who had arrived 15 years prior. He talked on the point of how impossible it is to imagine finger…
public impotence yet aroused by tragedy porn
Things I have learned this week through simply a cursory read of my Facebook feed and pre-chewed news sites.: Israel is invading Gaza, once again the Ukraine has weapons, one strong enough that is took down a commercial airplane on that plane were key researchers trying to solve the riddle of HIV/AIDS Tracy Morgan is…
let’s play a game – spot the hypocrisy
Bill Gates makes his fortune on new technologies – both hardware and software. Bill Gates uses a small portion of his gigantic fortune to fund “education reform”. He throws money at every new, shiny idea that comes across his desk – small schools, technology in the classroom, the Common Core, and educating for global competencies….
scrutiny
Anyone in the public eye is forced to have their complete life susceptible to prying eyes. The public is seeing the C- on the Presidents report card, the mistress in the downtown apartment, the strange sexual deviances and each and every mistake of the people who attempt to have a public persona. In this era…
turn 18, you are on your own
A horrific crime occurred in my city, one of many to be honest. The young man who committed this crime got more in-depth coverage than others, but media bias and the continuing racist narrative that is carried through that bias, will have to be addressed in another writing. This article examines closely the services this…
politics and schools
Listening to politicians speak about education is a practice in ironic vacancy. It is the easiest topic for practice in shining your own apple. There are few missteps a slick politician can slip on when challenged by questions such as, “do you support arts in the school, and how will you expand the supporter?” I…
the cult of college
The education reform movement of the day has declared that all students will be prepared to attend a 4-year college. Over and over I have heard this mantra, my obligation as a teacher and a measure of my success if by getting students into college. Nevermind the inability to pay for it, or the everlasting…
collective failure 