Category Archives: education

…and it gets worse…

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common dreams has this up on the Big Brother-spying-on-Big Brother program…the dark side showing its paranoia and utter control of information and those who might actually uphold the law…you know, the Constitution, not the Patriot Act.

The program could make it easier for the government to stifle the flow of unclassified and potentially vital information to the public, while creating toxic work environments poisoned by unfounded suspicions and spurious investigations of loyal Americans, according to these current and former officials and experts. Some non-intelligence agencies already are urging employees to watch their co-workers for “indicators” that include stress, divorce and financial problems.

“It was just a matter of time before the Department of Agriculture or the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) started implementing, ‘Hey, let’s get people to snitch on their friends.’ The only thing they haven’t done here is reward it,” said Kel McClanahan, a Washington lawyer who specializes in national security law. “I’m waiting for the time when you turn in a friend and you get a $50 reward.”

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If they start paying people to turn in one another, we’re toast as a country (not that we’re not there on the ledge, already).

In this economy, folks facing a quandary of feeding their families/paying the mortgage/keeping the lights on and turning in a coworker that really hasn’t done anything wrong, but…

The Salem Witch Hunts on steroids…

…..it’s worse than we thought…

 

 

Fighting for public schools

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L.A. Parents fought back when Parent Revolution tried to take over yet another public school.

From the article link:

Gone are the days when slick, professional organizers can disguise school upheaval as parent empowerment by marketing laptops to every student, bullying parents into signing petitions, threatening families with loss of immigration status, or silencing teachers and principals trying to answer parents’ questions. These are just some of the tactics parents and teachers have reported experiencing at the hands of Parent Revolution.

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Love that they didn’t let the bullies intimidate them when they tried to intimidate them by cutting in line and other tactics.

 

 

Leaving a Mark

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Diane Ravitch has a link up to this blog by a teacher fighting for public education.  Being hit from all sides, for sure.  We’re dealing with a sophisticated network that has $$$ behind it.  It’s hard to fight against that, but as Seamus says, I want to be able to look at my children and grandchildren and tell them I fought for public education with all that I had.

Helping ourselves

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commondreams has this up.  Be sure to look at all the videos–well worth the time.

The idea is so simple it’s like “duh!”

I have a quibble, though, with Klein saying that it’s up to the Left to “seize the moment”.  There are those who are NOT in the Tea Party on the Right who also need and want to find a solution to the crashes around us.  I say this because the Left has not been of the same mind — I was shot down on a progressive website when I advocated buying American so we could put people back to work.  I knew that Washington wasn’t going to get off its collective duff and do anything about the job loss.  (NAFTA being a good example of monumental job loss.)

I just don’t think people have been given the skills or knowledge to feel confident enough to take over a business if the owners want to sell out.  I think it may be a case of learned helplessness?  Not believing in yourself can be such a huge obstacle that one stops before even getting started.

Perhaps the “teach-ins” of 2013 should be “Business 101:  how to own a business without going belly-up nor bankrupting the environment on your way to the bank…”

The Native Americans learned this a loooong time ago–nature was not a second thought.  They did not separate their actions from nature.

It’s still so incredibly stupid that business has ignored the laws of nature, as if we could exist without clean water, clean air and chemical free food…

Well…exist is probably a bad word choice…since we are existing right now…perhaps thriving  is the better word.  All one has to do is look at folks’ skin and see that we are not thriving, but existing.  The skin is such a barometer of what’s going on in the insides…not doing too well by that account.

Anyway, Washington isn’t going to help us…most likely profiting off of NAFTA…so, it’s up to us if we want to save ourselves.

 

 

 

 

Silencing Teachers

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Diane Ravitch has this up on the firing of teacher Mike Weston.  He spoke his mind about valid issues in education….and was fired for it.

And, of course, Gates Foundation’s dirty little fingers are in the pie, as well….

Weston spoke out against the Gates’ teacher evaluation test, ironically named Empowering Effective Teachers…gah, how he must have laughed himself silly when thinking up that name….for it is about disabling them, instead…

Note that Weston was questioning the curriculum for those not on the college-bound track.  I took the non-college path in high school because I never thought I would be able to attend, and I can say that there is such a chasm there between them.  I don’t think dumbing down the kids by not challenging them is the way to go.  How are they ever going to know their potential?

More about Mike Weston here.

 

Making a silk purse…

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…out of a sow’s ear is an old saying, but applicable here to describe the continued damage of No Child Left a Mind…which has not improved the public schools, and in my opinion, made them worse.

You cannot test potential.

You cannot eliminate arts and music from education.  Arts and music teach creative expression.  It’s with creativity that one can imagine solutions to problems that one might not have otherwise thought of.  Teaching to the test only teaches children to memorize answers, not think creatively or outside the box.

Politicians have no business setting education standards.  It’s obvious by continuing the failed policy of No Child Left Behind that they don’t have a clue.

 

Vision for the Blind

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NBC has this up on re-thinking vision.  (hat tip to val kilmer’s retweet .)

“We’re not going to hit you with our cane….

…well, not unless you deserve it…”

 

bwahahaha. Best line ever.  :p

In our “perfectionist” society, we are so judgmental and disappointed if things aren’t perfect.  This piece is so inspiring in that it highlights the need to back away from that thinking and enjoy and relish the not so perfect.

And once again it reinforces the idea that everyone has something to contribute to life on Earth….that we all have our hidden gifts to bring forth, if we could only recognize that the jocks and beauty queens and privileged are not the only worthy people…

…and that people are not the only worthy things on Earth…that everything–the plants, the animals, the birds–everything has a purpose and a gift to give.