Whose Cookie Is That?

So it's been suggested to me that I should lighten up my blog posts a bit, despite the fact that they my blog was intended to be curmudgeonly from the outset.   However, I will try to lighten things up with....a joke.

A CEO, a Tea Party member, and a union representative sit at a table. 

There is a plate with 12 cookies. 

The CEO takes 11, turns to the Tea Party member, and says, 'Look out! That union guy wants your cookie!'

What?   You're not laughing?  OK, so it's not a major side-splitter, but it is a joke. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

What Do You Expect?

I am a big supporter of public education and always have been.   I've been an elected public school Board of Education member since 1988 and graduated from public elementary and secondary schools.   Most public schools are not nearly as ineffective as some politicians would have us believe, although there is certainly room for improvement.   I've long campaigned for better funding sources for schools and a move away from the centuries old property tax system used in the U.S. to fund schools.   But money isn't the only thing we need to fix in schools.

I think the most important aspect of education that needs to be addressed is our expectations; what do we expect the schools to accomplish?  Every year, State legislatures generate a host of new objectives for schools to achieve, ranging from studying a particular subject (Lupus education), observing "Emancipation Proclamation Week," establish "diabetes care plans" for students, and requiring certain sex education courses to teach pupils about the dangers associated with drug and alcohol consumption during pregnancy. This is a very short list of recent legislative changes in Illinois.  Whether these goals are laudable is not the point.   Some legislative educational mandates are somewhat silly, but that's not the point either.  Rather, the common thread is that a hugely wide variety of social objectives find their way into a finite school day.  For every item added to the curriculum, something else disappears.

Therein lies the problem; public education seems to be focused on social issues and goals, at the expense of education.  Society expects our public schools to teach kids everything, including things that parents should be addressing or very narrowly defined topics of study.  Is it really necessary to formally require instruction on specific diseases in elementary/secondary schools?  


In a recent Marketplace article, educator Michelle Rhee points out that operating schools based on social goals rather than, economic objectives, results in one very large problem whenever the economy sours.  

(In America w)e see education as a social issue, not an economic one. And what happens to social issues in times of economic hardship? They get swept under the rug.

Joining those social issues underneath the rug, are our educational system support and issues.

Ms. Rhee suggests that we are not honest with our children about their abilities and accomplishments, and instead flood them with trophies, ribbons, and other confirmations that whatever they've done, it meets expectations.   Even if it's pretty mediocre performance.   

I think she's right, and it's not limited to sports.  Just look at all the "reality" TV shows to which many Americans are apparently addicted.   Many, if not most, glorify mediocre so-called "accomplishments" and behaviors.  Is that all we expect from people, including our kids?  Is that why the talking heads seem to think we all want a person "just like us" to be leader of the U.S.?   Let's be honest about this expectation also.  I want someone "smarter than the average bear" to lead the nation.

Rhee proposes we change from this culture of complacency:

In Korea, they have this culture that focuses on always becoming better. Students are ranked one through 40 in their class and everyone knows where they stand. The adults are honest with kids about what they're not good at and how far they have to go until they are number one. Can you imagine if we suggested anything close to that here? There would be anarchy.

Maybe we could use a little anarchy in this country.

Not A Warm Fuzzy Feeling

It's interesting that we can hardly find products to buy in this country that are made here, but the tear gas canisters found on the street in Cairo say "Made in USA." No wonder much of the world distrusts us, at best.

Widely reported, see here.

Broadcast Noise

I understand that the fans play an important role at athletic events, like football and hockey games. I understand that the crowd noise can be an advantage to the home team. However, if I haven't shelled out $150 or more to see a game in person, and I'm watching it at home on TV, is it really necessary for the broadcaster to deliver all the crowd noise to my home?

I think not. If I happen to attend a game, I can bring ear plugs. If I'm at home attempting to follow the game on TV, I'm finding I can hardly hear the play by play announcers over the crowd's "white noise." It's not very enjoyable. Why can't broadcasters filter out some of the noise?

In a similar vein, is it necessary for TV shows and movies to have the background music no longer in the background? That is, why does the music so often drown out the actors?