EMBRACING LIFE

EMBRACING LIFE 

Did you ever experience that one perfect moment in time when everything good and worthy is possible? I have felt this way more than once. The most recent occurrence was several weeks ago.

Most early mornings I go to the pool to exercise. At this time, I have the pool to myself. The pool is located behind our clubhouse. Under the overhang at the back of the clubhouse is a rear entrance fronted by two wrought iron rockers separated by a small table. On this particular day, as I rounded the corner, I was surprised to see the rocker nearest to me empty and gently rocking back and forth. The other rocker was quite still. The weather was sunny, quiet, and calm. No one passed by me. The back door is always locked, so no one could have entered there. I concluded that my beloved mom, Grandma Grace, had been waiting for me. I could feel her gentle presence as I have before.

The water was warm and inviting. I was at peace. A copse borders two sides of the pool. Various birds, small animals, and frogs call it home. This lovely Carolina morning was replete with birds filling the air with singing and chattering. While a lone woodpecker drilled into a tree, the Carolina Wrens’s distinctive teakettle-teakettle sound competed for an audience. For such a tiny bird, it could belt out a song. Within this cacophonous chorus, I could hear the cicadas love song serenade and the frogs mating calls. All were 'oh so busy' this morning. 

As if my morning wasn’t idyllic enough, a bluebird flew down to perch on a post just feet away. This is a rare treat as the bluebird population decreased an estimated 90% over the years. It has been said that bluebirds are associated with spiritual joy and contentment. On that auspicious day, I was the fortunate recipient of all that is good and worthy.

Grandma Meg 

  Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.

EDUCATION: THE NUMBERS GAME

Education: The Numbers Game

The Department of Education has announced that the high school graduation rate is at 81%. That is the highest it has been since 1974.  That  would be laudable if only it were entirely true. To be fair, it may be true if the states and school districts are completely honest when calculating the numbers. On the other hand, we have seen, that because of national accountability in our schools, some factions found unique ways to misrepresent the numbers. 

 According to NPR ( National Public Radio), “The truth behind that record high graduation rate is complicated. States and school districts are using some powerful, long-term strategies to help potential dropouts stay in school. But many are also fudging their numbers and using quick fixes to make things look better than they are.”

Case in point. Recently, the debacle of some administrators and teachers cheating on the standardized tests given in Atlanta, Georgia has given rise to skepticism when looking at Atlanta’s graduation rates. It raises the question, “If an iniquitous minority cheated on the standardized tests, then, how credible are their graduation rates?”

(See Blog: Disgrace.)

Since 2002, the federal government has been pressing states to increase their graduation rates. Many states and school districts have been developing strategies and initiatives to support students to graduate successfully. For example, in Des Moines, Iowa, there is evidence showing that learning strategies, early intervention, and long term support are helping at risk students to honestly raise test scores and subsequently, graduation rates.

 On the other hand, some districts in Illinois and New Jersey are enrolling students in alternative schools. It has been reported that these districts have made an easier and less accountable path to graduation by moving some students off the books of traditional high schools. All told, there are at least 21 states offering alternative schools, mainly for this reason. Unfortunately,  other creative means are used to manage the graduation numbers such as mislabeling students.

As if undergraduate news isn’t bad enough, an article from

https://news.wbhm.org/npr_story_post/2015/ states, “Some college athletes are cheating, and the NCAA is cracking down on universities that enable them to do it.”

Sham classes, fraud, ghost writers for athletes, and cheating are ways some colleges are enabling athletes to continue to play on their sports teams.

WHY DOES ALL THIS MATTER?

1. First and foremost, students on all education levels are being denied the right to an excellent education.
2. Citizens and parents are paying the cost of such reprehensible actions, while children/young adults suffer the dire consequences.
3. These practices show a lack of integrity and  dishonesty  on the part of some leaders in education.
4. The actions of unethical persons involved in The Education Numbers Game may be seen by other countries as a lack of a strong moral code on the part of all Americans.
5. Academics, not sports, should be the focus of a college education.

SO WHAT SHALL WE  DO ABOUT THESE PRACTICES?

Everyone has the capability and responsibility to help make changes in the state and national education programs and initiatives by speaking or writing to his/her state and federal representatives and senators.

RESOURCES

https://www.myphilanthropedia.org/top-nonprofits/national/education/2014 http://dfer.org/about-us/statement-of-principles/

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/

What-We-Do/US-Program/College-Ready-Education

 http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/archived-projects/pre-k-now 

https://www.studentsforedreform.org/our-people/

http://www.sedl.org/pubs/free.html://www.sedl.org/pubs/free_reading.html

http://parents4publicschools.org/ http://all4ed.org/

  Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.

POETRY: THE LIGHTEST ROSE

THE LIGHTEST ROSE

The lightest rose

Falls into the stream of joy

Wanting to keep its shape

To no avail, falls again

The lightest rose

Flutters with the wind

Knowing it will place a seed to grow

Into a flower of thought

The lightest rose

Hides beneath the stream

Wanting to climb its way out

And burst into life

A rose of thought

A rose of travel

A rose grows

Only to gain better color in the spring

*Grace

HUMOR: WANNA KNOW WHY TEACHERS DRINK?

Dear Readers,
I received the following email and am sharing it because in teaching, as in any profession, there is stress and aggravation at times. A little humor can go a long way to help one regain one's equilibrium. No disrespect is intended.

As Robert Frost said, “If we couldn't laugh, we would all go insane.” 

WANNA KNOW WHY TEACHERS DRINK?

(SMILE)

The following questions were set in last year's GED EXAMINATION.  “GED is actually the process of earning the equivalent of your high school diploma, which is called a GED certificate or credential examination. The process requires attending classes, studying, and passing a five-part test.”

http://adulted.about.com/

 These are genuine answers from 16 year old students.

Julius Seizure! You’re killing me. 

                

Q. Name the four seasons.

A. Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q. How is dew formed?

A. The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q. What guarantees may a mortgage company insist on?

A. If you are buying a house they will insist that you are well endowed.

Q. In a democratic society, how important are elections?

A. Very important. Sex can only happen when a male gets an election.

Q. What are steroids?

A. Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs. (Shoot yourself now, there is little hope.)

Q. What happens to your body as you age?

A. When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q. What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty?

A. He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery. (So true)

Q. Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.

A. Premature death

Q. What is artificial insemination?

A. When the farmer does it to the bull instead of the cow.

Q. How can you delay milk turning sour?

A. Keep it in the cow.  (Simple, but brilliant.)

Q. How are the main 20 parts of the body categorized (e.g. The abdomen)?

A. The body is consisted into 3 parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain, the borax contains the heart and lungs and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels: A,E,I,O,U. (Really?)  

Q. What is the fibula?

A. A small lie

Q. What does 'varicose' mean?

A.  Nearby (One of my favorites)

Q. What is the most common form of birth control?

A. Most people prevent contraception by wearing a condominium.  (That would work.)

Q. Give the meaning of the term 'Cesarean section'

A. The Cesarean section is a district in Rome.

Q. What is a seizure?

A. A Roman Emperor

(Julius Seizure, I came, I saw, I had a fit.)

Q. What is a terminal illness?

A. When you are sick at the airport. (Irrefutable)

Q. What does the word 'benign' mean?

A. Benign is what you will be after you be eight. (Indeed)

Grandma Meg     

      

  Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.

A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE ON STANDARIZED TESTING

A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE ON STANDARIZED 

TESTING

Dear Readers,

I have always been a keen advocate for Education Reform from the time I entered the classroom in 1970. I taught in Anne Arundel County, Maryland for 30 years and have seen many changes to improve the quality of  education. To meet State Standards, teachers were required to attend several inservice days to increase their knowledge of  effective teaching methods and be apprised of available materials and tools to enhance learning.

The state assessment test at the end of the school year would be used to measure an individual's academic achievement, identify learning problems, and/or  identify a need for intervention.

It wasn’t until 1993 that pressure was put on educators,  (school superintendents, principals, testing coordinators, and teachers) to succeed in high-stakes performance tests. 

“Tests that are  "high-stakes" are used to determine whether a student passes into the next grade, whether a teacher retains his or her job or receives a bonus, and whether a school receives penalties such as the removal of the principal or the teachers or more comprehensive changes to the school's approach. Tests that are "standardized" are those in which every student receives the same test across school, district, state, or nation. … The rise of high-stakes standardized testing has taken place over many years with the support of politicians from both major parties.” 

 http://www.democraticeducation.org/images/idea-logo-new.png

Should politicians be dictating what kind of standardized test should be given? It is my opinion that most federal and state politicians have yet to improve the living and working conditions of the majority of the American people. That being said, what qualifications do they possess that would make them experts in the field of education?

True education was never meant to be  a competition between educators, schools, or localities. Education should be a partnership between school and community.  If we truly want the best for our children, then we must use our voices to demand authentic and lasting change.  Everyone should be accountable for the successful education of present and future generations.

WEBSITES

http://www.fairtest.org/sites/all/themes/fairtest_theme/images/logo.gif

 http://edglossary.org/high-stakes-testing/

http://standardizedtests.procon.org/

http://www.bing.com/images/

Grandma Meg     

      

  Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.

REVIEW: NESTA TUOMEY'S, THE STRAW HAT and other STORIES

5.0 out of 5 stars

 Irish Short Stories to Warm the Heart

I was fortunate to take a tour of Ireland in September of 2012. Breathtaking scenery, traditional Irish music and dancing, in addition to learning about the history, people, and culture of Ireland made for an awesome adventure. That is why I recommend reading The Straw Hat and other Stories. These are moving, well written short stories that will appeal to everyone, especially visitors to Ireland, Irish Americans, or anyone blessed enough to have their roots in Ireland. Ms.Tuomey is a natural storyteller. Her stories evoke a variety of emotions in the reader. The settings and dialogue are so authentic, one gets a true sense of Irish life. Read The Straw Hat and Other Stories. You will not be disappointed.

Meg

South Carolina

DISGRACE

On April 1, 2015,  Alan Blinder’s New York Times’ article shouted, “ Atlanta Educators Convicted in School Cheating Scandal.” 

This does not come as any surprise. I often wondered what dire consequences educators would pay as a result of high stakes standardize testing.

The cheating scandal is a case in point. The Atlanta educators included Superintendent of Schools,  Dr. Beverly L. Hall (deceased), principals, testing coordinators, and teachers.  After reading several accounts of the trial and convictions,  it is evident that Superintendent Hall created an environment which fostered cheating throughout at least 44 schools, which comprise 43% of all school sites in Atlanta. Even one school is one too many.

 Unfortunately, Georgia isn’t the only state in which this appalling practice occurs. A new survey by Fair Test reports, “Confirmed cases of test score manipulation in at least 37 states including Washington, D.C. were found in the past four academic years. The analysis by the National  FairTest Center reports there are at least 50 ways in which educators manipulated test scores during that period.”  This behavior is reprehensible.

(http://fairtest.org/fact%20sheets)

If this isn’t a wake up call for all citizens, I don’t know what is. Our national educational system is a disaster. All students have the right to the best education possible; one in which each student will reach his/her  full potential.

“Teaching to the test is an educational practice where curriculum is heavily focused on preparing students for a standardized test.”

“Opponents of this practice argue that it forces teachers to limit curriculum to a set range of knowledge or skills in order to increase student performance on the mandated test. This produces an unhealthy focus on excessive repetition of simple, isolated skills ("drill and kill") and limits the teacher's ability to focus on a holistic understanding of the subject matter."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

What some schools are doing to inflate their standardized test scores is criminal.  Not everyone who is an administrator or teacher is guilty and should not be judged as such. Behavior such as we have seen in Atlanta is a disgrace and must be stopped.

Live simply.

Speak gently.

Love unconditionally.