P.S.

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More thoughts on the prior post and feminism in general.

Because the thing that continues to upset me is that there isn’t much mention of women who stay at home.  The emphasis is on women and careers…but not embracing the women and particularly children.  Women at home are particularly vulnerable…and in need of support.  Note that I don’t say they need protection, as in overbearing control–but rather, support for whatever decision they make.

As I get older, I realize more than ever how much it meant to stay at home…even though at times it nearly drove me crazy…because it was so isolating.  Women who stay at home need to be connected without being smothered…is that a possibility?   They also need financial support in the way of Social Security in their own names and accounts.  This would ensure her being taken care of in old age and a small price to pay for giving kids the best start in life.

I mean, if this country values kids, giving them that special time to grow up in a place where they’re not treated like a number, not held to a rigid schedule (yes, I know some households are kept on a schedule–mine wasn’t– other than mealtimes, bedtimes, that sort of thing.).  Being un-scheduled allows one to just let the mind run free–openly explore, and clear the mind for new ideas.  I look at daycare centers as making kids feel like a number.  And feeling rushed in life.  I can’t see a kid being able to ride a bike down the lane when at daycare five days a week.  They get little time after they get home on weeknights (none in the winter for any outside activity).  And by that time, the creativity and spontaneity is dulled…if not completely gone.

I’ve just seen such a dramatic change with my generation’s working mothers that it can’t be denied how important it is for someone–be it mother or father–to stay home and allow kids their childhoods.  I know that is difficult with the stagnant wages and for single Moms…but there again, we should be supporting them with livable wages and a support system so that the kids could be at home.

Just airing my thoughts…

 

Cat saves boy from dog attack

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(hat tip to Diane Ravitch)

Wow.  It doesn’t surprise me that the cat is a tiger cat….love them–they’re definitely people cats.  My two kitties in adulthood, Samantha, and Bandit, were both tigers and the best pets.

It tickled me to hear the owner say that she followed them home.  She “chose” them.  Heh.

Glad the little boy is okay.  What an experience to tell your buddies. So there, cat haters. 🙂

(And I’m not trying to be down on dogs, because you all know that I love dogs, too.  Owners, on the other hand…they’re like the parents that say their kids “would never do that” when confronted with wrongdoing…same with dogs…)

 

 

People who say the right things…

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(hat tip to Thomas at Yes Means Yes)

An ex – NFL star is being accused of raping women after he drugged their drinks.  It allegedly happened on several occasions in several different cities, but the m.o. was the same–drug their drinks and rape them.

What is outrageous about Darren Sharper is that he presented himself as a supporter of women and women’s rights….while he allegedly abused them.  Good God.

Larry Kudlow Thinks Teachers Make $120,000 Yearly

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“There should be a rule that when anyone complains about teachers’ salaries, they should be required to disclose their own income, as well as their working hours. I would not be surprised if those who complain the loudest earn many times more than teachers, work fewer hours, and add little of social value, especially if they get paid to chatter in front of a microphone.”
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Word. For the $120k politicians make a year, and do nothing for it…they have a lot of gall criticizing teachers who actually, you know, work for a living…

Note in the comments that Larry Kudlow has a little drug habit going on– link.
And, by the way, I made $65 per day, before taxes, when substitute teaching. (Boy, do I miss the kids. They balanced my cynicism of life. )

dianeravitch's avatarDiane Ravitch's blog

Media pundit was interviewed on the Morning Joe Show where he asserted that teachers make $120,000. This, apparently, is an outrage, showing what leeches teachers are. Apparently you can say anything on these talk shows because they are about opinions, not facts or information or knowledge.

Of course, he was wrong. Rebecca Klein writes on Huffington Post that the average teachers’ salary is $56,393.

Kudlow said he was referring to New York City’s new teacher contract, but he was wrong there too. Klein wrote: “Under the new contract, the maximum salary of teachers is $119,565 per year –- but that is only after at least 22 years of experience in the classroom, a master’s degree and 30 additional academic credits. The starting salary of a teacher in the city is $54,411.”

There should be a rule that when anyone complains about teachers’ salaries, they should be required to disclose their…

View original post 75 more words

Donna Brazile: Privatization Is No Substitute for Integration

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dianeravitch's avatarDiane Ravitch's blog

Donna Brazile, Democratic Party strategist, laments the nation’s retreat from school integration in recent years.

Vouchers and charters are no substitute for integrated schools with equitable resources.

She cites the example of Milwaukee, which has had vouchers and charters since 1990.

Today, Milwaukee has low performance on national tests, and neither the voucher schools nor the charter schools outperform public schools.

She writes:

“Sixty years later, “separate and unequal” is still alive.

“To fix the problem, we must recognize the problem. First, privatizing our school systems results in increased segregation, not improved opportunities. Whether in New Orleans or Philadelphia or Detroit or New York, legislative schemes perpetuate separate and unequal by privatizing large swaths of public school districts — and in some cases, entire districts.

“Second, education doesn’t take place in a vacuum. Students and their families need access to health care, decent wages and affordable housing in integrated neighborhoods…

View original post 135 more words