Small Minds Run Small Government

(I know that it's been awhile since I've last posted, and I apologize to my faithful readers.  This is just a small blip of a blog today, but I hoping to add to it as soon as possible.  Afterall, Rick Scott is governor...there's so much to say.)

In his infinite wisdom, Governor Rick Scott has decided to help out taxpayers by eliminating two of the four tires on every postal vehicle.  He feels that if two tires are good enough for bicycles, it should be good enough for cars as well.  In addition to the tire cutback, he has added twenty-five additional routes for every postal worker, which was fine by them since they were simply happy to still have jobs after the reduction in workforce the Governor thought was necessary to help out the taxpayers.  Sure, it might take several months now for mail to actually arrive, but less government is better government.  Of course, make sure that any bills that you owe to big corporations get paid on time…we can’t have private businesses losing money—it’s bad for the economy in the state.  But on the bright side, Governor Scott declared that he will be sending the taxpayers a refund for all that money that they have been paying for nuisances like education, healthcare, the interstate highway system, libraries, police and fire departments, and of course, postal service.  He’s sending the checks out this week in the mail and they should be arriving sometime in 2014…

I'm In the Papers!

The following is an article that I wrote for the Sun-Sentinel.  It appeared in an education spread in the Sunday paper.  Pretty cool experience.  Got a picture and everything.  Maybe they'll hire me as a freelance columnist...Pulitzer Prize, here I come!

There’s been a lot said in recent weeks about fixing public education, about righting the sinking ship that is our public schools. But public education is not broken—the system that surrounds public education is. The problems that we find in our schools stem from a much larger system that is woefully out of sync with the needs of students and teachers. The control within the classrooms has been removed from the hands of the teachers—specific curriculum is mandated, irrelevant testing is forced, funding is non-existent, and support is minimal. Those that make the decisions in public education are not in public education. Many have not been in a classroom since they were students and that simply does not equate to them suddenly being experts in the field. I go to the dentist twice a year, but you wouldn’t want me performing a root canal on you, would you? They are the system, but they are not public educators. It seems to me that there is always an attempt to fix public education without any attempt to fix the system.


As in any professional field, there are exemplary teachers and teachers who do not quite meet expectations. Fortunately, I believe there are far more in the first category than the latter. The exemplary ones, the ones that students remember for a lifetime, are the teachers who put the students ahead of themselves. They’re the ones who come in every day with the idea that every child sitting before them throughout the day has the ability to learn, wants to learn, needs to learn, and will learn—they’re the ones who serve as educational guides, mentors, role models, and friends. Broward County is full of teachers like this and many of them are being lost in the system and politics that surround public education.

The greatest reward I can be given as a teacher is to simply be allowed to teach. Let me direct my classroom in the manner that my professionalism and expertise dictates. Allow me the time to reach the students on their level and not simply lump them all together as a single product. Allow me to determine the best methods of conveying information to those in my classroom and the ability to assess those kids in a fashion that is fair and equitable. Allow me to be judged by the long term effect that I have on my students, not the short sighted vision of a politician looking to stay fresh in the minds of voters for the next election cycle. Education is a process and it must be allowed to progress as such. Those are the rewards I seek; those are the rewards most teachers seek. Stop trying to fix public education and focus on fixing the system that surrounds it.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/commentary/fl-outlook-education-shelley-0523-20100523,0,3307468.story
 

Sonny in the Subway

On my recent drive back from New Orleans, my family and I stopped off somewhere in the Florida panhandle for a quick bite to eat at the local Subway. I say ‘somewhere’ because in all honesty, I have no idea what the little town’s name was. In that part of the state, most of the towns either have Native American names that are physically and linguistically impossible to pronounce (my theory is that the Native Americans did this on purpose as part of a revenge plot against the white man for stealing the land in the first place) or they are simply referred to by the exit ramp number of the nearest highway. I believe we were somewhere between Wewahitchka (roughly translated from Seminole to mean “Land of Roadkill”) and 233A.


Surprisingly, because it was already 8:30 at night, there was quite a line. My wife left me with the order and took the girls to find a seat. And I waited. And waited. And waited some more. As I stood in the sea of small town humanity I noticed some obvious differences between myself and the local hunters and gatherers surrounding me. Most noticeably was attire. I, for example, had chosen not to wear camouflage on every square inch of my body. I was alone in this particular fashion statement. Up to this point in my life I had been shamefully unaware that camouflage is an accepted pattern of material for items including sun dresses, bathing suits, and sandals. If this Subway had been located in the woods, I would have felt alone in that line.

Now, I’m not writing this to make fun of the fine folks in northwest Florida, but rather to relay a conversation that took place behind me in line between a boy and his grandfather. I had just completed ordering my sandwiches and was patiently waiting for the order to be filled by a lovely pregnant teenager with a nose ring and approximately four remaining teeth. She had just gotten done explaining to me why she couldn’t give me a cup for ice water (“My boss don’t let us give them out no more on account of all them thieven’ youngsters who grab them a cola instead”) and had gone about the business of slapping pre-cut slices of turkey onto a whole wheat roll. The duo behind me had started giving their order to the young man behind the counter who apparently was in charge of beginning every sandwich and then handing off the complicated issues, such as lettuce and salt, to the endearing young debutante whom I have just discussed. The grandfather began the order and skillfully read from a list of sandwiches that he needed prepared. The boy, maybe age 10, watched on in awe. When it came time for the last sandwich to be ordered, the young’un pleaded with his grandfather to order it himself. “Please, PawPaw, let me git my own sandwich this time!” PawPaw was happy to oblige. Below is the actual play by play of the conversation that followed:

Boy: I wanna five dolla foot long sandwich on bread.

Man: What kinda bread you want?

Boy: The foot long kind.

Man: But what flavor bread you want?

Boy: The one that tastes like bread (cocks head to the side).

PawPaw: Give him the white kind.

Boy: Yeah, the white kind.

Man: Ok, what kinda sandwich you want?

Boy: The five dolla foot long.

Man: But what kind?

Boy: The five dolla kind…dint you hear me?

(At this point, I seriously considered turning around and exclaiming, “Who’s on first,” but I feared that they would not understand my reference style humor and I did not wish to be labeled as a snooty city-folk.)

PawPaw: Sonny, you got to pick from this picture (points to illustrated menu on the sneeze guard).

Boy: Gimme the meat one…for five dollas.

PawPaw: He wants roast beef.

Man: You want cheese?

Boy: Only if it’s yella and it’s still the five dolla kind.

Man: Yes, all the foot longs are five dollars.

Boy: Well, why ain’t ya say that in the first place?

It was around this time that Miss CrystalMeth 2010 completed my order, gave me the two cups for soda (not water), and sent me on my way. I could not hear the boy’s conversation with her as he began ordering the vegetables and other toppings, but I wish I had. There’s something comforting about small town folks, especially those up in the panhandle, just a spitball away from Alabama. They’re earthy and genuine, and they make me feel good about myself and my family. And while they might not have the best fashion sense or understanding of grammar, hygiene, or dental care, they’re good folks. And more importantly, kids like Sonny are going to determine the salaries of all the teachers in those northwest counties. God bless ‘em!

Dear Governor Crist

Dear Governor Crist,


Over the past few months, I have written several letters to your colleagues in both the State Senate and the State House regarding SB6/HB7189. I have spelled out for them the legitimate reasons as to why so many teachers are opposed to this bill. I have stated both fact and opinion, and in return I have received computer generated responses and form letters from assistants. I do not believe that a single legislator actually read a single letter. So it was no surprise when SB6 flew through committee and a floor vote straight down party lines. It was also expected when HB7189 rolled right through its committee reading on party lines as well. And unfortunately, I fully expect the same thing to happen in the House floor vote later on today. Contrary to their job descriptions, your colleagues are voting for the party, not the people.

With this realization comes a sadness in my heart. See, I am one of those true believers who still carries a element of naiveté in my thoughts about America. I still believe in government of the people, by the people, and for the people. I still believe that most elected officials want what is best for the people they represent—that regardless of what end of the political spectrum they lean to, they remember the one constant that is affected by every decision and every vote they make…the people. And I don’t think that the people want this bill.

This is a bad piece of legislation. It is un-researched and vague even in its most basic elements—criteria, funding, and necessity. What’s worse is that it was not asked for. Who were the constituents that plead with Senator Thrasher to create a bill that would essentially kill public schools in the state of Florida? Which voters wrote to his office and insisted that a law be written that experience and higher education be eliminated from a teacher’s resume? What citizen asked the senator to remove the funding of the National Board program—a program that guarantees that Florida retains the highly qualified teachers that his own party’s NCLB law mandates? So I ask you, Governor Crist, is this a people bill, or a party bill?

As a teacher, I understand that there are glaring areas in public education that need to be addressed. I agree that there are teachers in schools who need to be removed but are protected by continuing contracts—and yes, that needs to be addressed. But I also understand the outlying factors in public education that are well beyond the four walls of a classroom. I understand that home life and support varies from student to student and that the playing field is not level (not even close). I understand that state budget cuts have left schools woefully understaffed and classrooms neglectfully unsupplied. I understand that I am forced to teach with ten year old textbooks because the state decided not to adopt new ones this year. I understand that I am given a curriculum that I must follow even though it does not utilize the methods of teaching that I feel will reach the students in a more effective manner. I understand that these things are out of my control…and I understand that the representatives in Tallahassee don’t care.

As a parent of two students in the public school system, I fear that this bill will turn my local elementary school into a test preparation center. I fear the removal of the arts (which is happening in my district as I write this letter) from the elementary curriculum, and with it, a removal of the emotional side of education—the education of the whole child. I fear that what remains of vocational education in the middle and high schools will all but disappear and that my daughters will not have the experiences of real world education that I received as a student in the same public schools. I fear that my daughters will believe that education is merely about a test, and worst of all, that their current love for school will quickly dissipate.

Governor Crist, as Attorney General you stood up against your own party to ensure that the will of the people was acknowledged in the Terry Schiavo case. As Governor, you broke with party policy on economic and environmental issues because it was right and it was what the people wanted. And as a former Education Commissioner, you must realize the negative impact that HB7189 will have on the students and teachers in Florida. This is not the next step forward in education; it is a giant leap back.

I have no doubt that HB7189 will shortly arrive on your desk and await your signature. And I have no doubt that the pressure placed on you from your own party to sign the bill will be immense. But I do not see this as a dark political time for you, but rather as an opportunity for you to once again let the citizens of Florida know that you are standing up for them and not a political party. Though it sounds overly dramatic, it is true when I say that the future of education in this state lies at your fingertips. This bill is wrong, and I think, deep down, you know it. Veto HB7189 and send a reminder to the rest of Tallahassee that they are there to serve the wishes of the people, not the party.

Dear Random North Florida Republican Representative

Dear Representative,


As a resident of this fine state for over 35 years, I have come to accept certain political maneuvers as universal truths rather than as exceptions to the rule. Lying, for example, has been accepted as merely part of the political game. Basically, if you are a politician, at some point you will make promises that you will fail to keep or statements that simply do not bear any resemblance to what one would consider to be the truth. And while this is wrong on many levels, it is unfortunately a modern day fact of life. I bring this up only as a reference to the many campaign promises regarding education and the well being of the children of Florida that you undoubtedly made at some point in your career. If you are reading this and thinking to yourself, “I’ve never lied on the campaign trail or made promises to improve the well-being of the public schools”, then you are simply lying to yourself.

Though I do not expect the lying in politics to suddenly come to a screeching stop, or to witness a true “Mr. Smith Goes to Tallahassee” moment in my lifetime, I do want to remind you—a public servant—as to what exactly your job is. Now normally, I would never seek to tell a professional how to conduct his or her business. In fact, I used to believe that someone deemed a professional, who had years of college and training and experience, would be best to determine the changes and strategies necessary in that particular career field. But as a public school teacher, I have recently been told that that is not always the case. Apparently, it is far wiser to have inexperienced and untrained people determine what is in fact best for a particular field. Since you feel qualified to dictate what occurs in my area of expertise, let me expound on my ideas about the world of state politics.

First of all, you are a representative. You are in Tallahassee to represent the people in your gerrymandered district. More importantly, however, is your responsibility to represent what is in the best interest of the people of Florida. In other words, you need to fulfill the wishes of your constituents to the best of your ability. Let’s take HB 7189 as an example. Every single teacher’s union in the state is against this bill. Every single PTA and PTSA in the state is against this bill. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is against this bill. That’s a lot of people. Did you poll the good citizens of Florida to determine if this is what they truly wanted? Did you ask parents if they felt the changes you are planning to make are in the best interests of their children? Did you even once consult a legitimate group of public school teachers (not Senator Thrasher’s daughter who at one point was a teacher but is now a stay-at-home mom who will not be affected by the bill at all)? Can you honestly say that this bill fulfills the wishes of a majority of your constituents, or more importantly, a majority of the residents of the Sunshine State? Be truthful, this is not a campaign.

I also believe your status in the state of Florida puts you on the level of role model. After all, you are in Tallahassee to uphold the laws of the land and to defend the rights and privileges of the people of Florida that are provided in the state constitution. What a fantastic person for today’s youth to place on a pedestal! But I fear that your ability to be considered a role model is falling faster than the values of our homes. And the reason can be summed up in one word: hypocrite. How can someone be looked up to when he or she is dripping with hypocrisy? Let me explain. For the past year, we the people have been bombarded with the hate and venom that was the national healthcare debate. When it came to a vote, the Republican Party cried foul at a completely partisan vote. All Democrats, no Republicans. The Republicans were horrified that a vote of such importance, on a topic that would affect so many people, could be decided down party lines. But, my dear representative who serves the people and not the party, I challenge you to find me a Democrat who supported Bill 6 in the Senate. Will the House hold true to party lines? Will the same Republicans who were appalled at party line voting speak up in the House and actually vote for the people and not the party? You know the answer to that. Hypocrisy rears its ugly head again.

Again, I don’t wish to tell you how to do your job. I am not a politician and my degree is not in political science. I haven’t been in the State House since I was a kid on a field trip, and even then it was just for a tour. I probably shouldn’t be explaining to you the details of your job. But then again, are you a teacher? Is your degree in education? Have you taught in a public school? Better yet, have you been to a public school for a significant amount of time (not a public appearance or campaign stop) to truly gain an understanding of what goes on in each of the classrooms? You know the answer to that as well.

I think that if you truly had an understanding of education, you would also have an understanding of why so many teachers in the state are outraged at HB 7189. But therein lies the rub: you do not understand what we do. More importantly, you do not understand what we need. Or what the children need. If you did, this bill would never have made it out of committee. It would have been laughed off. It would have been labeled exactly what it is—a slap in the face to public school teachers and a turning of the screws on the thumbs of the unions that represent them.

So I ask you, humble employee of the taxpayers, to seek out the truth. Take a cold, hard, non-partisan look at the details of this bill. Gain an understanding of what it means to educate the whole child. Accept the idea that although teachers did not go into the education profession for vast wealth that we do deserve the right to earn a decent living—and that that right should not be based on the whims of a child or the facets of his or her life that are well beyond our control. More importantly I ask you to set aside the lying and hypocrisy that plague the modern political spectrum and to do what you were hired to do: represent the people of Florida.