Pissed Off

In My Blood

2012-01-31T06:10:00.003-05:00

I have been enjoying my time off and thinking that maybe it is time to put down my chalk. While not dreading going back, I wasn't exactly looking forward to my first class and waited until the last minute to open the book and see what I had to teach.

I got out of my car and felt nothing except for a slight irritation at the woman who took the parking spot I wanted. I walked into the office, said hello to the secretaries, made my copies and walked to class, still wondering why I was there instead of home. And then, I saw the students waiting to go into class and something went off inside me. I felt my apathy slowly change into enthusiasm. When I put my books down and started talking everything changed. It all came back. I was where I belonged.

I didn't care that I was standing in front of remedial students instead of the pre-calculus students I had been promised. I saw kids that wanted to learn. I saw kids in need of help and I was ready and willing to give it. I told them not to be ashamed of where they started. There was nothing wrong with needing a little reinforcement. After all, high school taught them nothing and they all agreed.

I'm not going to get them all to succeed but I know I will get many to move ahead. I am now looking forward to my next class.

Chihuahua Vacuum Cleaner

2012-01-30T14:22:00.000-05:00

Last night some friends were sitting around reminiscing about the old days and somehow the topic of vacuum cleaners came up. The guys were remembering the old Eurekas and how much suction they had. They even remembered putting the hose up to their faces to suck their skin.

And then, one said to someone who couldn't remember "they looked like chihuahuas." I know a chihuahua who sucks the life out of all the good people around her. Yep, this vacuum was correctly named.

Retirement Questions

2012-01-30T11:33:00.000-05:00

I got this e-mail from a retired teacher and reader. she has lots of good points and questions I can't help her with so I am posting in hope of getting her some answers.

Hi Ms. PO’ed,

I wanted to vent and didn’t know to whom to vent (sorry, I am an old English teacher). All the blogs are concerned with Bloomberg’s attempts to destroy education in New York as we know it and I can’t seem to find any that deal with the day-to-day complaints of our retired brethren. In fact, one of my formerly favorite bloggers seems threatened (his column this past week) by the retired teachers chapter members, afraid that if we vote in mass we will somehow make things worse both in the union itself and in the system.

I know you are (somewhat newly) retired and several of your followers are too. Do you know of any blogs that are specific to our needs?

My vents: 1) I paid into the 25/55 retirement plan for many years, confident that I would make it past the 25 years, even expecting to work beyond. But the sudden targeting of older teachers, the Principals Academy no-nothing principal I worked for, the lack of protection from the union, made all my plans go up in smoke. I went out after only 23 years. That means that the retirement figures bounce back to the 32 years model and the money I paid in goes for nothing. Why can’t we get that back? Since so many of us older teachers are going out early, being forced out by the Bloomberg policies, where is all that money going? Since I am now on a small fixed pension, smaller than I had ever dreamed because I went out early, I could so use that money. I emailed the retired teachers chapter leader, Tom Murphy, and got an email back saying he would look into it. I can’t possibly be the only retiree who has asked about it, can I?

2) I know that all the teachers are now being told they must use express scripts. I hate express scripts. I hate the idea that it is a monopoly and I have no choice. I hate that this badly affects neighborhood pharmacies trying to survive in this awful economy. I hate that even though I can get discount coupons from the drug companies that reduce my costs, express scripts will not honor them (the neighborhood pharmacies always did). I hate it taking up to 30 days to get my meds. I hate that I have to rely on the post office, which is on the verge of bankruptcy and is cutting services, to get me my much needed medicines.

3) Where did the deductible suddenly come from for lab tests? I thought the medical coverage (GHI) stayed exactly the same after retirement. I just received a denial letter on routine blood tests my husband and I got two weeks ago, saying I was responsible for the entire amount because my deductible had not yet been met. WTF? I have never, in all my years as a City employee, had a lab bill denied. And what does this mean when I go in later this year for some surgery? Will there suddenly be bills that wouldn’t have been there if I were still working? If so, why, if it is the same plan??????? And why does no one explain this? Nowhere is it written – all I find is that the medical coverage is the same after retirement.

4) Can anyone explain SHIP to me in laymen’s terms? Do I save all my doctors’ and lab bills and then submit them? Why? I am confused about the purpose of SHIP and what to do about it.

5) And finally but perhaps more important than the rest, why should it, in this era of computers, take 5 full months for them to get me my actual pension? I retired in the off-season, not at the end of a school year when so many others were putting in their papers. And, more to the point, why did they “tide me over” with less than half of my projected pension – I figured that my twenty-something daughter who works for little more than minimum wage was earning more than I was getting, certainly not enough for a person to live on! I know, I know, they give you interest on the monies, as the person at the pension office kept saying, but I had to take out loans to get through these five months! That is a sin! Why can’t they err on the side of the newly retired teacher?

Thanks so much for letting me vent. You know I am such a big big fan of your blog. If you want to use any of this in your blog, of course, feel free.

burntoutteacher

Frustration

2012-01-29T11:38:00.001-05:00

Struggling to learn how to bid in bridge. Moving left when you are supposed to be moving right in Zumba. Throwing an arm when you should be lifting a foot in kick boxing. Having that straight line you are trying to draw come out crooked.

Being unable to succeed--something some kids deal with every single day. Everyone needs to experience this frustation to better understand what their students are going through.

Teach What Helps

2012-01-28T14:52:00.001-05:00

Peter was a former special education student of mine with an IQ of 75. In spite of his limited intellect, he learned how to cover up his disability. He was a personable young man and easily got a job in a nearby fast food restaurant. He worked hard and was promoted to manager, a job he did exceedingly well most of the time. I say most of the time because he had a big problem when the computer that ran the register went out. He couldn't make change and needed someone to help him out.

I remembered Peter today when a friend told me the story of a cashier who didn't know what to do with the dime he was handed when the change due was $9.90. I told this friend the story and he was glad. He never thought of people being too limited to even make change. I then told him about a girl I taught several years earlier who would not ride the bus by herself because she could not count out the four quarters she needed for her fare. No one would have guessed this about her. She looked like you and me.

Things are different today. These two students would probably be in an ICT class because some administrator or guidance counselor with an IQ slightly above that of those two kids decided it was right for them. They would not be able to pass. If by ~~cheating~~ some miracle they did pass, what good would it do them? College should never be in their future.

I don't know what happened to the young woman but Peter's life has been a success. He got a job sweeping floors at a major company. The guys liked him and taught him to drive the truck, a job that paid a lot more money. He married a registered nurse and became the father of two wonderful children. He didn't waste time or money pursuing a college education, something he never could have completed.

Cheating Allowed--If You have The Title

2012-01-27T10:11:00.000-05:00

You are teaching a class which is full of kids who failed the previous term and need to do an online project to earn back this credit. You tell the students not to worry about learning anything new and encourage them to work on their assignment instead. You even allow them to bring the questions up on the smart board which gives everyone in the room a chance to ~~help~~ do the assignment for them.

You might worry that your supervisor won't approve this activity, but the teacher doing this had no worry because, this teacher was the supervisor of the department.

(Actually witnessed this last semester. The AP encouraged kids to do this. No wonder 78% of CUNY freshman need remediation.)

Memo_015 In Its Entirety

2012-01-26T10:12:00.000-05:00

There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man's fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call The Twilight Zone.

—Rod Serling

Entering the Twilight Zone of Packemin H.S. Math Department

For the students who only showed up for one part of the final exam, please prorate the part of the final they took and calculate the average if you wish to pass them, but leave the exam field blank. But if a student gets 38 out of 40 on Part II and their average is below 90, I would not count the final at all.

Nice, huh? You can count the good grade for a 90 student but not for a student who hasn't done so well in the past and now has studied like a dog to make the grade.

No student who failed the final exam in my class had a passing average because the grade we give is a performance indicator.

Wow, isn't he wonderful. I don't even know why he bothers to make his students take the final since he has magic powers to know who is passing before hand.

In some extreme cases, the only exam a student was able to pass was the final exam.

This is what happens when the same exam is given all day long--kids get the questions and answers in advance. And, what message does it send the kid who studied his behind off and still fails the class?

If a student’s average is in the low 60’s and the student has passed some exams during the term, s/he can be given a grade of 65 provided their final exam grade is at least 65. For students with a passing average who failed the final exam with grades higher than 57, you can give a grade of 65. For students whose final grades are below 57, a grade of 55 should be given.

A child who scored a 57 is so much more prepared and knows so much more than the one who scored a 55 or a 56. That 57 is such a meaningful number.

If a student is absent more than 15 times and you wish to issue a passing grade, please make sure you speak to me first. Such students certainly did not participate in class while they were out. The question you should ask yourself is –“if a student is absent so many times and the student is doing ‘satisfactory’ work, what have I taught in that class?”

There are kids that can pass, even when out. We have all seen it.

You have to decide on the 55 or 65 based on how much harder they will work when they see the grade. After all, you know your students.

Some teachers might actually have brains. Besides, grades should be uniform and not based on what you think your students will do.

Once again, I would like to thank all the grade leaders for the work they did on the uniform exams. There are some issues with a few exams - not indicating clearly our expectations on how to solve a problem, easy problems and errors on the exams. Directions should always include “show all work whenever possible to receive credits.” I will check next time.

I can't believe Mr. Micro Manager actually missed something.

And printed in its entirety so anyone wishing can view this memo without commentary:

January 23, 2012

I would like to wish everyone a happy lunar New Year to those who celebrate.

Once again, I would like to thank all the grade leaders for the work they did on the uniform exams. There are some issues with a few exams - not indicating clearly our expectations on how to solve a problem, easy problems and errors on the exams. Directions should always include “show all work whenever possible to receive credits.” I will check next time.

I would like to remind everyone of the following when giving grades for this marking period in the required courses (for graduation). If you are teaching an elective, please speak to me directly if you have any issues.

Thank you very much.

Memo_015

Some Actually Take Education Seriously

2012-01-25T19:50:00.001-05:00

A former calculus student writes:

i feel like i go to a university where everyone from these non urban areas gets way to hyped up about going out every weekend. relax, it's not that serious. yes, i'm studying on a saturday night. i have a future set in my mind.

Blindness Instead Of A Senior Moment

2012-01-25T09:57:00.002-05:00

I just read memo_015. The title of this post is the subject of that e-mail. (I guess you had to be there to understand this.) Thanks to the many people forwarding these beauts.

Get ready for a good one. I have no time to do it justice now, so I will post it later. These things should be in Ripley's Believe It Or Not. I guarantee they are unbelievable.

Editiorial Comment

2012-01-25T09:18:00.000-05:00

Bloomberg's plan to close A rated Maxwell H.S. and others like it because the city scores don't reflect the state standards is just another indication of how flawed this rating system is and how clueless Bloomberg is when it comes to education.

Bloomberg is a mean, vindictive ego maniac who cares about his agenda and his agenda only. And the media that sucks up and buys into it is just as bad.

No matter what he says Bloomberg wants to keep the lower and middle class of NYC down. He wants to create a class of workers who will be fit for no more than doing his bidding. He wants to keep his ruling class elite. It would be a stretch to put him in this group, but if there was a list of the ten most evil government officials, he would be on top.

DOE Hot Shots

2012-01-24T14:21:00.000-05:00

Saw this sign and thought of all the people running the DOE right now.

Even A $20,000,000 Bonus Wouldn't Have Helped

2012-01-24T08:01:00.006-05:00

Hard work and a desire to do well are just not enough to be a success at some things. If I didn't believe this before, I would believe it now, after completing my first Zumba class.

I'm looking for activities to fill my days. While I am enjoying not working, I need to be in motion. There is a limit to the amount of time I want to spend on the computer or reading. My friends are doing mahjong and bridge but card games are just too sedentary for me. When Living Social came up with a $20 coupon for 6 classes, I grabbed it, not knowing what I was getting myself into.

Being born with two left feet, and being extremely unathletic, I worried about looking the fool. But, I learned I had nothing to fear. The class had people from 20 to 70 years young, in all physical conditions and with varying levels of talent. Everyone was so busy doing their own moves, no one had time to look and laugh at me.

The leader was a young man. He demonstrated the moves and kept us going for an hour. As we gyrated, he kept his eyes on the mirror, moving around the room and offering individual guidance to many of the needy students. With 30 students in the class, it was impossible for him to give the individual attention I was desperate to have. Oh, he tried all right but one teacher cannot successfully guide so many students. Five minutes was the most time he could give me.

This was a fun class, no one was graded and really, the goal was to keep moving and get lots of exercise, which we all did. The teacher really did a great job. I don't know what he is paid, I'm willing to bet it is not very much, but he worked like a dog. A huge bonus wouldn't get him to do more. If the class was smaller and he could have spent more time with me, I know he would have and I might have gotten a tad better.

I get why my Zumba class is big. This is a business and profit is important. Kids, on the other hand, are not a business. They need smaller classes so they can get the attention they need to succeed. Teachers, even the best, cannot give them what they need with class size as big as they are. And, just like the Zumba teacher, public school teachers won't be able to do any more, even with the promise of a $20,000 bonus, something most will never see.

Footprints In The Snow

2012-01-23T08:17:00.000-05:00

I keep telling my two little rescue cats how lucky they are to be indoors and not out in the ice and cold where they would have to scrounge for food. I showed them these prints in the snow from the poor little ones that no one has saved. I know they don't get it but that's okay. They remind me of the Bloomberg and his cronies and the media. They don't get education. I just figured out why--they have cat sized brains!

Bummer

2012-01-22T13:31:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to teach a pre-calculus class this term but after registration, I was given a remedial class.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the lower end work and I definitely don't have anything against the students but teaching this class is sometimes so depressing.

A remedy should heal, and should right a wrong. But, how do you fix wrongs wrought by twelve years of inadequate education in just four months? These students don't need a fix, they need an education. They have been deprived of one for almost their entire lives. This emphasis on NCLB and teaching to the test has not taught them basic facts and it has not taught them how to think and process material. To keep their schools afloat, Principals have instituted so many credit recovery programs that failing kids know they don't need to do a thing, or even show up for class for years and then, at the end, they will have a chance to get four years worth of credits in one year. Believe me, I have seen it and, I am embarrassed to say, have been a party to it. (If I didn't do it, someone else would have.) Several years ago, I had a class of seniors who had passed exactly one math class before they got to me. I had them in a double period. At the same time, many were going to night school and getting credit for the exact same class with a different code attached. Kids would sleep through day school because they were tired from night time classes. Then they would do their day time homework in night time classes. The biggest farce was 27 out of 28 passed the regents that year. I warned them that although they would graduate, they still had no math knowledge. Six years later, there are some still floating around the community college trying to get though the remedial class. Most have dropped out.

Another problem is that the kids come in expecting everything to be handed to them on a silver platter, like it was done in high school. They miss exams and expect make ups. They do not work without review sheets and other hand outs. They are excessively late and absent. They don't do homework. And, they always expect to be given a second chance. Last time I taught the class a young woman handed in a blank final and didn't understand why I wouldn't give her an incomplete instead of an F in the class. High school has trained her to expect second, third, fourth,..., hundred,....thousand chance.

Then there are the ones who don't belong in remedial but screwed up the entrance exam. Everything is so easy for them and I always feel bad about wasting their time and money (financial aid iis their money) on a course they don't need. It is sad that there is no way out.

Lastly, the ones that break my heart are the good students who just can't get the work no matter how hard they work or how many hours of tutoring they sit through. Face it, people are different, have different abilities and not everyone is meant to pursue academics.

The hardest thing is passing the borderline student. Once they get through remedial, they move on to a class where they are expected to have basic algebraic skills. Like a fish out of water, they can't survive and many don't. I see this happening all the time.

Arthur Goldstein wrote a great opinion piece in today's Daily News about the demise of education under Bloomberg's reign of terror. It will take at least an entire generation to repair the damage he has done to the students of NYC.

Why Do You Want This Job?

2012-01-22T08:05:00.001-05:00

The retired teacher had the per session job for over 25 years. He had tenure and retention and had never been rated anything other than satisfactory so it came as a shock when he was denied the position this September. He grieved. The principal claimed the number of positions available had been reduced but this should not have been a problem because he had seniority over almost everyone in the system. He went to the next step and the arbitrator had the nerve to ask why he wanted the job and why he wouldn't just give it up to a young person. He smiled and said nothing. He didn't have to. He knows he has to win on the next step.

The process is dragging on. When it finally ends, he will not only get back pay, he will get several sick days. The city will have lost thousands of dollars and children will have their education disrupted.

No one seems to care. The whole idea is to make him miserable and leave. He's not dong that. He's not laying down quietly and passing away.

Reminded By The Snow

2012-01-21T17:01:00.000-05:00

Today's snow reminded me of the Christmas House on 185th St and the pictures I forgot about. Anyone who still wants to think about Christmas can find them here, on Facebook.

Use Them And Abuse Them

2012-01-21T07:33:00.001-05:00

Several years ago, in an effort to get rid of high paid senior teachers, the state offered the 55-25 plan to encourage early retirement. They needed our money to stay afloat and they wanted to lighten their payrolls.

Now the state is trying to raise retirement age and do away with pensions. In the interest of saving money, they want new workers to be unable to retire and collect.

They will just keep dumping on the us little people, using us to solve all their problems.

I Support Equal Rights For All

2012-01-20T21:04:00.001-05:00

From the Facebook Page of a former student

Doing This Felt Really Good

2012-01-20T09:24:00.000-05:00

Here

Bloomberg Overhauls Winter

2012-01-19T20:38:00.000-05:00

The city has decided that, in order to save money and avoid the problems caused by last winter's snow storm, winter will now be cancelled. Without winter, there will be no need for snow removal and millions of dollars will be saved. The city will not be paralyzed and life can go on as usual.

Sounds ridiculous? It is. And just as ridiculous is the mayors plan to overhaul 33 struggling schools by replacing up to half of their teachers. The only difference is the mayor can ruin the lives of teachers. He can't change the weather. And, he can't improve education with this stupid plan.

NYC mayor pushes plan to overhaul 33 schoolsJanuary 18, 2012 by The Associated Press / KAREN MATTHEWS (Associated Press)

(AP) -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vowed Wednesday to move forward with his plan to overhaul 33 struggling schools and replace up to half of their teachers.
"The students in these 33 schools that we're talking about deserve effective teachers, as do all of our students in all of our 1,700 schools," Bloomberg said during a visit to the Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science in the Bronx.
Bloomberg announced the plan to effectively close the 33 schools and reopen them during his state of the city speech last week, saying the move would allow him to sidestep a battle with the United Federation of Teachers over teacher evaluations.
If state education officials accept Bloomberg's overhaul plan, they will free up nearly $60 million in federal aid that the 33 schools are supposed to receive.
Bloomberg said Wednesday that the money is important, but overhauling the schools is even more important.
"These are 33 schools that have not been performing," he said. "We have an obligation to the kids in those schools."
Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said hearings on closing and reopening the schools will likely take place in March or April.
"These children need to have high quality-schools, high quality teachers, plain and simple," Walcott said.
They spoke one day after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued his own challenge to unions over teacher evaluations.
Cuomo said Tuesday he would give school districts and unions 30 days to settle a lawsuit that is blocking a statewide teacher evaluation plan or he would draw one up himself. "Education really isn't an employment program for adults. It's an education program for the students," Cuomo said.
Bloomberg praised Cuomo's action and said the governor "understands the problem."
Asked if Cuomo might impose his evaluation plan on city schools, Bloomberg said, "I don't think the governor wants to do that yet. He wants each city to negotiate with its union."
Earlier, Bloomberg visited an English class and a physics class at the Urban Assembly school.
He told the English class that since he graduated from high school in 1960, he didn't remember much about the two books being discussed, "Of Mice and Men" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."
He told students in the physics class, "What I like about science is, there's a right answer and a wrong answer.

Something To Think About

2012-01-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

Lifted from a friend's Facebook page:--Thanks Michelle
IF ONLY THOSE WHO SEEM TO BE SO MAD AT OBAMA WOULD READ THIS AND REFLECT A MOMENT, THEY MIGHT SAY:

Hmmmmmmmmmm... YOU MIGHT BE RIGHT!!.........

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!!!!
...
Now, since Obama's regime, all of a sudden, folks have gotten mad, and want to take America Back...BACK TO WHAT/WHERE is my question?

After The 8 Years Of The Bush/Cheney Disaster, Now You Get Mad?

You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.

You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate Energy policy and push us to invade Iraq.

You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.

You didn't get mad when we spent over 800 billion (and counting) on said illegal war.

You didn't get mad when Bush borrowed more money from foreign sources than the previous 42 Presidents combined.

You didn't get mad when over 10 billion dollars in cash just disappeared in Iraq.

You didn't get mad when Bush embraced trade and outsourcing policies that shipped 6 million American jobs out of the country.

You didn't get mad when they didn't catch Bin Laden.

You didn't get mad when Bush rang up 10 trillion dollars in combined budget and current account deficits.

You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed.

You didn't get mad when we let a major US city, New Orleans, drown.

You didn't get mad when we gave people who had more money than they could spend, the 1%, over a trillion dollars in tax breaks.

You didn't get mad with the worst 8 years of job creations in several decades.

You didn't get mad when over 200,000 US Citizens lost their lives because they had no health insurance.

You didn't get mad when lack of oversight and regulations from the Bush Administration caused US Citizens to lose 12 trillion dollars in investments, retirement, and home values.

You finally got mad when a black man was elected President and decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, job losses by the millions, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, and the worst economic disaster since 1929 are all okay with you, but helping fellow Americans who are sick... Oh, Hell No!

And one of my own--Bush's NCLB--the beginning of the end of education as we know it.
Obama might not be a bargain, but look at the alternatives.

Unbelievable

2012-01-18T20:46:00.000-05:00

That someone like this runs a department. More time in the job doesn't mean she is getting better at it. You won't believe what she is up to now.

Use Money For Schools

2012-01-18T18:38:00.000-05:00

Catholic schools are closing allover the place. They say it is declining enrollment but we all know the bottom line is money.

I visited the Vatican several years ago. The money being spent there to keep the floors clean would be more than enough to send every Roman Catholic child to a Catholic school if it was desired.

(The opulence I saw there sickened me when I thought of all the children here being denied the education they and their parents wanted. My husband was not happy about my giving voice to this topic.)

Don't Blame The Unions

2012-01-17T11:33:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading this bullshit piece by Alexander Nazaryan and once again, I say thank goodness this guy and the editors of the Daily News who published it are no where around or I would be seeing the inside of a jail cell.

I don't think anyone can deny that there are some bad teachers out there, just like there are bad doctors, nurses, plumbers, sales clerks, etc. But, the fact that these people have kept their jobs has nothing to do with union protection and has everything to do with the administrators highered to keep their schools moving ahead successfully. If a principal is only seeing what the teacher is doing during formal observations, that principal is not doing his job. The principal of Packemin, much to the annoyance of many teachers (no one likes Big Brother constantly looking in on them even when they are doing nothing wrong) , roams the halls on a daily basis, peering into classrooms constantly and he knows who is doing their job and who isn't. He knows which teachers are prepared. He knows about kids being locked in closets and he knows which teachers have no knowledge of the subject being taught. And, in spite of what Nazaryan says, good administrators can get rid of incompetent staff. It takes work, but it can be done. I've seen it done at Packemin HS under the auspices of four different principals and in my former school, the math AP also weeded out the ones who weren't very good.

Unions are now being blamed for all the ills of society, probably because many of these ills can't be fixed. Unions, and especially teachers right now are being scapegoated.

Nazaryan insults the female union leaders, saying they could play for the Giants (this has absolutely nothing to do with what he is writing about) and insults his former principal because she happens to be Caribbean. He thinks working in an all Black or Hispanic school gives teachers the ability to sit and do nothing but I disagreee. I taught in one of those schools with some of the best and most competent people around, all who have gone on to bigger and better things (still working in education) when the school was broken up. Back in the '80s, it was not the teachers who caused the schools to be disfunctional, it was some of the children, the ones who snuck guns into the building and started fires during drills. Many of the students were top rate. I went to a 30th reunion from this school and met former students who are now doctors, lawyers and Phds. The teachers were given choices of where they wanted to go because everyone knew the teachers were fantastic.

Union protections is a necessity. Principals today often have no knowledge of what goes on in the school. A 28 year old leadership academy graduate does not have the ability to know who is good and who isn't. The recertified ISS AP who knows nothing about special education students and little about anything else should not be in a position to have life and death decisions over a career. The math AP, who believes he is still living in a Communist regime and wants little marching soldiers, teachers who show no individual initiative, and favors only young teachers of his own race should have no position of power.

This opinion editorial is another example of union bashing. The edtiors need to go back and reread history to see the importance and necessity of unions for everyone's protection. This article makes me happy I dropped my Daily News subscription years ago.

Maybe Doing Nothing Isn't So Bad

2012-01-17T10:53:00.000-05:00

I can get used to this--watching the Colbert show I slept though last night while wearing my pajamas at 9:30 in the morning.

Success Story

2012-01-16T09:17:00.000-05:00

Jimmy was restless. No matter what his teachers did, they could not keep him interested in the classwork. Numerous calls to his parents did nothing but upset them as they did everything humanly possible to get Jimmy working in school.

When Jimmy turned 16 he did what he wanted, he legally left school. His parents, teachers, and guidance counselors told him his life would be ruined without that little piece of paper. He didn't care. Jimmy liked the outdoors and was not afraid of hard work so when he was offered a job laying asphalt, he jumped at it. It was hard work, unbearably hot in the warm summer months but he persevered. He learned that he liked what he was doing and got interested in other construction projects. Little by little he not only learned every job, he mastered them.

Jimmy is now approaching his 60th birthday. He owns his own company and has 100 people working for him. He just built an 8000 square foot house complete with two swimming pools, the inside one filled with salt water and a gym. He also owns a house in Florida which he visits every 6 to 8 weeks and vacations in the Caribbean several times a year. Jimmy is ready to retire but doesn't want to leave his workers in the lurch so he agreed to keep on for several more years, giving them a chance to find other employment.

Test scores weren't so important when Jimmy went to school but if they were, he would have been a major mark against the school he went to. This shows how insignificant these statistics are. Jimmy makes more money and has a better life style than the people that would have marked him a failure and he is probably doing a lot better than most of his classmates who went on to receive advanced education.

Jimmy, well read and self educated happens to be one of the brightest people I have ever met.

Some Aruba Pictures

2012-01-15T20:14:00.000-05:00

Wifi Aruba sucked big time so I couldn't post too many pictures while there. Here are a few, posted in their usual spot on Facebook.

One Thing I Miss

2012-01-15T17:05:00.001-05:00

Lifted from a former student's Facebook page:

okay midterms BRING IT!! good bye to everything for now. Its just gonna be me and my buddies the textbooks!!!

Kids like her make me miss being in the classroom. (Maybe not enough to give up a trip to Aruba for.)

Home

2012-01-14T19:08:00.001-05:00

But I will be back.

After Sunset

2012-01-14T15:51:00.003-05:00

They say that home is where the heart is. Mine is in Aruba. I can't believe the week is over. It went so fast. Next year I need two weeks.

At the airport with no plane in sight. Hopefully it will be here and we can leave on time. We'll be back to the cold soon.

Dumber Than Dirt

2012-01-13T16:18:00.001-05:00

Mayor Ass Wipe wants to pay teacher who graduate in the top quartile of their class up to $5000 a year for 5 years to repay student loans. Did the Mayor actually graduate from college? If he did, he should know that the best and the brightest are not the most capable teachers. They cannot empathize with kids who have trouble learning. I bet he would feel differently if he had an MIT professor with a Phd trying to teach him remedial math or even an introductory calculus class. These guys find the material so easy they cannot understand how average mortals cannot comprehend.

This is just another example of the piece of crap the city elected mayor saying and trying to do things he knows nothing about.

FU Bloomberg

2012-01-13T07:40:00.001-05:00

I'm fortunately not home so I missed the ass wipe we call mayor's address. This freak hasn't learned a thing about what teachers do although he is spent part of his own fortune to keep the throne. Since I can't address him personally, I'll address him here. He won't read this, but writing it will make me feel a whole lot better.

MAYOR ASS WIPE, YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT EDUCATION. MERIT PAY DOES NOT MAKE TEACHERS PERFORM ANY BETTER. WE ALL DO OUR BEST, MANY DO ABOVE AND BEYOND DAILY. WE DON'T NEED YOUR LITTLE CARROT DANGLING IN OUR FACES. IN FACT, MERIT PAY WILL HURT THE PROFESSION. IMAGINE A TEACHER WHO GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND AND IS NEVER GIVEN A NIBBLE BECAUSE HER PRINCIPAL DOESN'T LIKE HER. MAYBE YOU CAN'T, BUT I CAN. TYPE SUIT INTO THE SEARCH BAR ON THE SIDE AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. MERIT PAY WILL ENCOURAGE A TEACHER TO GO TO LUNCH RATHER THAN HELPING A STUDENT NOT ON HER ROSTER AS THIS STUDENT'S IMPROVEMENT WILL ONLY HURT THE TEACHER'S OWN STATISTICS IN COMPARISON.

THANKFULLY WE WILL NEVER MEET SO I WON'T RISK JAIL TIME BY STICKING MY MIDDLE FINGER IN YOUR FACE AND YELLING FU FOR THE WORLD TO HERE. YOU WON'T READ THIS BUT OTHERS WILL AND GETTING OUT OF MY SYSTEM IS WHAT I NEED AT THE MOMENT. I DON'T GIVE A DAMN THAT YOU DON'T CARE.

Don't Begrudge My Pension--I Earned It

2012-01-12T16:21:00.001-05:00

I was talking to a guy on the beach and I told him I am a retired teacher. He told me I must be doing really well, living high and mighty on a big fat tax payer subsidized pension. I told him I am living comfortably on money I worked hard for and saved.

This man owns his own business and two huge houses with swimming pools. He is staying in a penthouse suite with 4 other people. He is paying for everything.

I don't begrudge him the money he earned. He got it doing business with people like me, people who might have a little more if he only charged a lot less for what he did for them. I didn't earn anywhere close to what he earns and my pension is not even close to his income now. He, and others like him, shouldn't begrudge my pension now. I contributed to it and earned it and I am entitled to what it buys me now.

(Pictured is what I am looking at as I post.)

Hotel At Night

2012-01-12T06:59:00.002-05:00

Another Sunset

2012-01-11T20:34:00.000-05:00

I could live here forever.

The Purpose

2012-01-11T05:49:00.000-05:00

The purpose of most of my negative posts are two fold. One of course is revenge for the way I was treated and the way other senior teachers have been mistreated too. The other is to hopefully keep this from ruining the careers and lives of any future teachers and the lives of students. And I really want to protect the ones of the "wrong" race or with disabilities.

(The only thing wrong with their race is that it is not that of the person in charge.)

Memo_012 Part III

2012-01-10T06:25:00.003-05:00

Please get familiar with your class rosters so that you know roughly how many freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors. If you teach MM!PPC (Pre-cal), you should not have any seniors in your class. If you teach MG21, your best students are probably freshmen or sophomores. And if you teach MR21, your best students should be sophomores and your weakest students are probably seniors. In other words, the more freshmen you have in MG21 and more sophomores you have in MR21, the higher the passing percentage should be. Please make sure you also know how many students have an IEP in your classes and who are entitled to extra time and separate locations for taking exams. You should also follow the recommendations in the IEP.

Imagine, the best students, the ones you should expect the most from can be determined by their year in school. If you have seniors in your trig class, don't expect much from them. It is not probable that a child who has not advanced to be bright. But, if your stats are bad, don't use any of the above as an excuse. Just call the parent and maybe they can change the child's birth date to make them younger and smarter.

Facebook Justified To Me

2012-01-09T16:12:00.000-05:00

I'm not much of a Facebook user, except for posting pictures but I finally see its use. It was great to sign on all week, and particularly this morning to see all my friends remembering my birthday and sending along good wishes.

Celebrating in the Aruba sunshine.....

View

2012-01-08T21:26:00.000-05:00

As I ate breakfast and surfed the Internet this morning.

Aruba Sunset

2012-01-08T20:35:00.000-05:00

Nervous Chihuahua

2012-01-08T08:04:00.000-05:00

Memo_012 Part II

2012-01-07T20:15:00.001-05:00

In case I forgot to mention it during the last department meeting you attended, our mission is "To prepare students to success in College, Career or Life."

And to test and retest and then test again so they may squeak by with a 65 in a subject they know nothing about.

Hello From Aruba

2012-01-07T17:59:00.000-05:00

Continental screwed up our airline reservations so we had to leave out of Newark. I came up with the idea of staying in a motel near the airport which worked out great. $124 bought us a night with breakfast and a week of parking.

The flight was smooth, the weather is great. Right now I am sitting on one of our two balconies overlooking the ocean and the pool using the Internet and sipping my beer.

Enjoy your 60 degree weather. I know I will enjoy the weather here.

Memo_012 Part I

2012-01-06T14:00:00.000-05:00

My former colleagues know how much I loved the department memos and they arrive in multitude. Thanks guys for sending them so I can share them here. The latest, memo 012 is so good it will be displayed in three different postings. This time, the word please was only used five times. Don't think it was ignored just because you don't see it in this paragraph.

In order for us to improve as a department, everyone must contribute. That means the teachers with the higher passing percentage continue to make sure the passing percentage is above the department passing percentage and the teachers with lower passing improve their passing percentage. [What it really means is that Mr. AP will continue stacking classes, putting the good kids with his friends and giving the more difficult ones to the senior teachers and the teachers he would like to leave.] It is vital that we communicate with, not sending a letter or leaving a message, parents of those students who come everyday and try, yet, they still have not passed. [This sentence isn't in English but what I think he means is teachers should call and call again until a parent is reached. After all, every child, even the ones with 70 IQ's can pass if the teachers make enough phone calls. Mr. AP would be chancellor right now if some teacher had called his mom and dad.] It is also important to communicate with the parents of chronic absentees. [Kids would never be absent if the teacher called.} The Quality Reviewers are only interested in knowing that we try our best to reach everyone, not just those who want to or capable of learning. [I don't think that is the only thing they are interested in. I wonder who gave him the inside information.] The American educational system is about trying to help everyone to learn, not just those who want to or capable of learning. [Let's not forget getting everyone to pass the test, even if they know nothing.]

The next segment of this memo will be posted from sunny Aruba. Mr. AP probably did me the biggest favor of my life since his actions helped me make the decision I should have made a long time ago. But, I haven't forgotten him and I will do my best to make sure no readers forget him and what he is doing to education today.

How To Improve Minimum Wage

2012-01-06T13:31:00.000-05:00

From my friend at etc, etc, etc

Rising To The Occasion

2012-01-05T15:49:00.000-05:00

A good friend spent six months caring for her dying husband. She lifted him and supported him although he outweighed her by 40 pounds. She cleaned his shit and his vomit and never complained. I told her how much I admired her and expressed what I thought was my inability to ever do what she did. She answered that she just did what she had to do. I still thought it was great and something I could never handle.

This week I found out she was exactly right and our bodies do what needs to be done. I learned to lift and after initial gagging, I learned to wipe butt and clean the uncleanable. It still is something I would rather not do, but I rose to the occasion. I've always respected the aides and health care workers that do this for a living, but after doing it myself my admiration has grown immensely. These people are over worked and way under paid. I remember hearing recently about a bill to raise their wages and the argument that people will not be able to afford them. I don't know how we cannot pay these people, or anyone else for that matter, a living wage. These are the people that care for our loved ones in the most intimate manner possible. I will be employing one of these individuals soon. Not paying properly is criminal.

Beggers Shouldn't Be Choosers

2012-01-05T09:52:00.000-05:00

The people I am stealing Internet from need a stronger router. I keep losing the connection.

Thank goodness for people who don't protect their connections.

Is There A Prize For Who Says Please The Most?

2012-01-04T15:13:00.000-05:00

Memo 011 just came out, barking orders for the uniform final and for end of the year activities. Every paragraph starts with the word please but the tone is Hitlerike all the way.

Term after term we have all pointed out the folly of uniform midterm and final exams when the same exam, or two slightly different versions of it are being given all day long. By 4th period, the kids have the exam in advance and I've seen countless students put down answers without even reading the questions. Sure there are cell phone restrictions and calculators are supposedly cleared but since the beginning of time kids have found a way to beat the system and the system at Packemin is very easy to beat. And, to top it off, the overworked teachers often use exams from previous years, and questions from an exam generating program, questions they have done many times in class.

Mr. AP likes things his way. Even though his way is not an academically sound way, he never changes. And, why shoud he, he gets away with this time after time after time.

Here is memo 011. Why should the math department of Packemin be the only ones to feel the love.

January 3, 2012 Welcome back and happy New Year!

If you are a grade leader, please make sure you communicate with every teacher teaching the course before you make up the final exam. It is impossible to change the final. Please submit all copies to me on or before January 11, 2012.

Please make sure you use proper headings. Part II should be 40 points and Part I should be 60 points. Please make sure there are at least two versions of each final. Please make sure there are instructions going on at all times. No parties should be held during a math class. I suggest you give a multiple-choice exam on the last day of this term. You can substitute one low grade with that exam grade if it is higher. Unless you are teaching a class that terminates in the Regents exam, trying to teach the last day is going to be very difficult.

If you are teaching ME41, ME21, ME43, MG21/R/H or MR21/r/h, you must give a grade at the end of the term. If you are teaching an elective, you have the option of NC or CR. Please discuss with your individual students how you intend to grade them. Too many of the students in electives have come to me with great concerns. Please address their concerns with them instead of sending them to see me or take no actions.

Please be advised that Regents tutoring hours have been extended for Algebra and Geometry. Please let your students know.

Please make sure you communicate with the parents of the students who are failing your class. We still have one more exam and the mid-term exam to hopefully bail them out. Let the parent know how their child can correct the situation and that we will never give up on their child (some of them might have).

Thank you very much and have a great week.

This Parent Knows

2012-01-04T08:55:00.000-05:00

I got the following e-mail friend, a parent who also happens to be a retired teacher.. Thought I'd share what parents in the know say about education.

I have to tell you Tom got an 80 on his most recent Algebra II/Trig test. Apparently the teacher had to give the kids a 10-point curve because the results were obviously way below expectations. So he would have gotten a 70. All these teachers are giving the kids so many chances….gee is that real life???? He is retaking a Greek test that he got a 65 on. The teacher e mailed us during the vacation and said that the results weren’t very good so he’s retesting the kids. I’m not thrilled with it even though this pumps up his average. I recall failing when I failed and that was the end of it, I had to go for extra help and study.

It's no wonder kids know nothing. Bloomberg has done a real bang up job on education. I bet these teachers are only doing what they have to doto keep their jobs. How sad.

Strength In Numbers

2012-01-03T16:02:00.000-05:00

The math department had a room full of old computers that hadn't worked for years. The computers were covered with graffiti and made the room look awful. Principal Fire told Mrs. Oola to get the room cleaned up. Mrs. Oola, in turn told us we had to clean the computers. I objected. It is not a teacher's job to clean and the chemicals we would have had to use were toxic. Mr. Oola (Mrs. Oola's husbaand) sat in the back of the room and gave us all his evil eye. We stood together and refused.

Mrs. Oola solved the problem the only way she could. She and Mr. Oola came to school on a Saturday, donned long rubber gloves and spent the day cleaning. And this my friends, is what happens when people stick together.

Big Review

2012-01-03T10:03:00.000-05:00

Chihuahua is getting nervous. The big pound review is coming up and she knows they might not survive it. There are some dogs present that just cannot be trained. She's been yapping orders, giving everyone a headache and accomplishing nothing. She probably shouldn't worry. She always finds someone else to take the heat for her.

We Don't Do Them Favors When We Exempt Them From Remediation

2012-01-02T15:57:00.001-05:00

Alice is one of those kids who managed to place out of remedial math. While Alice can handle signed numbers and some equations, she can't do much more. I suggested she go to the department and request a move to the lower level class where she would get a chance to improve her skills. She refused and kept coming to class, doing her best to succeed. Unfortunately, her best only got her a 5 on the final.

If Alice had been in my class in high school and I was going for merit pay, she would have brought me a step closer to it. She passed her regents and this improved my stats. Unfortunately, this did nothing to help her.
I have been trying to convince Alice to take that remedial class before she retakes the class he just failed. She can always find a teacher to let her audit the class to save the cost. I don't know if she will. She's afraid the no credit class will hold up her progress. I think I convinced her that failing term after term would be a lot more detrimental to her pursuit of a college degree because I just got an e-mail from her asking to borrow the text I promised to lend for the class she so desperately needs.

Stop Cuomo

2012-01-02T12:21:00.000-05:00

I just heard about Cuomo's new education plans and was going to write, but Perdido Street did it so much better than I ever could.

Go read what he says and make the call. Let Cuomo know we won't take this lying down.

Good Teaching Is Not Bought With Merit Pay

2012-01-01T20:28:00.001-05:00

I hope those special education students in Washington D.C. know how lucky they are to have Tiffany Johnson, as their teacher. Ms. Johnson puts so much effort into figuring out what her students need and that has caused them to improve immensely. These kids are fortunate to be living in Washington D.C. where 476 our of 3,600 teachers gave up job security for money and now have teachers who will stay with the profession and make sure they succeed. I pity the ones that have the other 3,124. Can these teachers possibly be doing as good a job if holding on to their paycheck is a priority?

I'm being sarcastic here. Teachers like me, NYCEducator, Chi Town Girl, Ricochet, South Bronx, Norm, Chaz and countless others have stayed in the profession for the love of the job. Sure, money is important but I know the countless hours we have all devoted to helping our students have nothing to do with merit pay because we don't get or want any. (We want decent pay for everyone.) There is no way to justify who deserves it and who doesn't. There are countless teachers in the profession for upwards of 30 years, teachers who didn't leave because the pay wasn't good enough but, in some cases, stayed in spite of the pay not being good enough.

I'm not disputing Ms. Johnson's effectiveness. She probably is an excellent teacher. But, if her excellence is only brought about by the almighty dollar I pity the children when these dollars run out or when the system realizes that bonuses don't buy good teachers.

Charity Begins At Home

2012-01-01T10:30:00.000-05:00

My husband, a product of corporate America, often fails to see the horrors of Bloomberg in spite of being married to me, an individual who speaks out often and loudly about this monster. Last night, as we watched Bloomberg lowering the ball in Times Square, my husband pointed out all his philanthropic activities. My friends and I cut him short and reminded him that charity begins at home and he should start taking care of the working people of NYC. In his seemingly infinite tenure as mayor, he has done nothing to help us and plenty to hurt. My husband shut up.

Milk and Cookies Please

2011-12-31T17:16:00.000-05:00

Don't be fooled by the innocent little face. This one, if human, would be the kind of girl that hung around bars and had naive young men buying her drinks, jewelry and anything else her little heart desired. She'd take what she wanted and then throw these poor suckers to the curve. She has me wrapped around her little paw and honestly, I don't even like her.

I started letting her lick the left over milk from a bowl of cereal. This led into her expecting some milk every morning, which I do give her. (I read that it is okay to give cats a little milk as long as it agrees with them and it certainly agrees with her.) And now the milk isn't enough. I have to put treats on the plate. She eats them first and then washes them down with the milk. Whoever said cats aren't too bright never met this one. Without saying a word, she has learned to communicate exactly what she wants and she gets it too.

Blame The Oncologist

2011-12-31T15:07:00.000-05:00

The patient had a stage 4 cancer that spread throughout his entire body. The oncologist did his best, but his best was not good enough and the patient died. The oncologist got a U rating as was forced out of his job.

This did not happen. Although the loss was hard, there was nothing the oncologist could do to save this patient. Similarly, there are students that cannot be saved. Closing schools and firing teachers will not help them.

Happy New Year

2011-12-31T09:52:00.001-05:00

Welcome 2012

Convincing Him He Is Not Going Blind

2011-12-30T13:15:00.000-05:00

My dad had cataract surgery last year. The doctor prescribed reading glasses and distance glasses. He tells me he reads fine with the reading glasses but can't see the television when he looks up. I tell him to change glasses, which he does if I am in the room. He's doing paper work with the reading glasses and looks at the television. Then he complains he can't see it. I again tell him to change the glasses. He does and sees fine.

He keeps telling me he is going blind. He tells me the glasses don't help. Most of the time they stay in their cases where they don't help at all.

HELP!!!!!! (I am afraid to put him in bifocals.)

Criminal

2011-12-30T09:57:00.000-05:00

Sam Eshaghoff, the man who took SATs for Great Neck Students, will be featured on 60 Minutes and that, in my opinion, is almost as criminal as his deed. I can't believe this guy will be given national exposure and a chance to justify this behavior.

Eshaghoff has the audacity to claim he gave poor students their lives back. He claims that students with poor grades in high school will now be able to go on to college. What he fails to mention is that students without background in high school do not succeed in college either. The despicable act he has committed has not only hurt innocent students who have lost their place because of this, but has hurt the ones he is claiming to have helped by putting them in a situation they can't possibly succeed in.

Eshaghoff lawyer claims he is a good hearted guy who just wanted to help others. The lawyer claims this guy is now becoming the poster child for the cheating that has gone on, undetected for years. What a sorry defense. Let's hope the American public doesn't fall for it.

Don't Believe All The Discounts You See

2011-12-29T13:48:00.000-05:00

Daughter's computer died and she called us up all upset, looking for her brother, the computer engineer, to order her a new one. We said, don't worry. He'll order and we'll pay. (For my kids, I always pay, even though they both earn very good livings.) Son checked out Dell's website and found a laptop for her.

Being frugal, I remembered Dell offers a 10% discount to teachers. When I couldn't access the code online, I called and got a very nice young man to help. I placed the order, my only problem being the computer would not be delivered until Jan 10.

An hour after I placed the order husband got an e-mail from Micro Center offering the same computer for the same amount of money I was paying to Dell. I called and made sure it was in stock. I then called Dell and asked them to do something about the price. After all, buying it directly from them should be cheaper than buying it through a middle man. They said tough. If you don't like the price, cancel. I cancelled.

Daughter is now sitting with her brand new computer, happy to have immediate gratification.

(Today Dell is offering the computer at Micro Center's price. We could have saved $44 if we bought it today. But, then she wouldn't have it so I'm not complaining.)

Pompus Ass

2011-12-28T08:14:00.000-05:00

Picture a guy with a starched shirt and a tie, walking around with his stomach sticking out over his belt, acting like he owns the world. If you can, you are picturing Mr. Bob, the guy that was interim math AP the term I left the special education department to join the math department, the department I am licensed to teach in and taught in for eight years before coming to Packemin.

Calling Mr. Bob was a pompous ass, would be redundant because pompous ass was what came to mind upon meeting him for the first time. Mr. Bob got the job when the guy who had it before him moved on to greener pastures in a fancy Long Island school He probably was the only one in the department with an administrators license at the time (years ago you actually needed a brain and years of teaching experience to become an assistant principal) so he got the job by default. The then principal launched a real search to find a permanent replacement. It was obvious he did not want Mr. Bob to keep the job.

Mr. Bob got to make up programs for that year. During his first semester he took the very best class for himself and gave good classes to all his friends. Being new in the department (and unwanted--I'll go into that in another post), I got all the crap. I didn't say a word, I didn't think I had a right to, although I was pissed. I threw myself into my classes and did a pretty good job. When the second semester came around, Mr. Bob programmed the same way, except for one thing. He gave himself a crappy class. His rationale was simple. If he kept the job, he would simply give himself a program change and if someone else was brought it, he wanted them to either suffer or admit they didn't like rough classes and change it. Mr. Bob lost his job to Mrs. Oola.

Mrs. Oola knew she needed to make a good impression on the department so she kept the class, a class she could not handle (more on this later too.) But, as I've said before, she was smart and made Mr. Bob pay a price by observing his class and by heaping on some criticism he could not take. Soon after, Mr. Bob got a job as an assistant principal in another school. He lasted at that position one year and then went back to the classroom.

Happy Chanukah

2011-12-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

With all going on with my dad, I forgot to wish everyone a happy Chanukah.

The eighth candle was lit tonight.

Chihuahau Job Interview

2011-12-27T17:37:00.002-05:00

Chihuahua Says...

2011-12-27T17:34:00.000-05:00

Said the chihuahau to the people who got her where she is.

High Heels

2011-12-27T15:53:00.000-05:00

One day Mrs. Oola decided to pay a surprise visit to Mr. Fish's 5th period class. I was in the office at the time, with two mutual friends when she made this announcement. We knew that Mr. Fish was not ready for an observation so two of us tried to stall her while the third went to warn Mr. Fish. In spite of her ditsy personality, she figured out what we were trying to do and got to him. Luckily, we got to him first.

Mr. Fish was an interesting character as well and when she tried to enter the room, he blocked her. She finally agreed to come back another day.

Meanwhile, the three of us made our way down to the cafeteria. As we sat around eating and laughing, Mrs. Oola walked in. This was especially strange because Mrs. Oola never left the second floor. Her shoes had the skinniest heels and the little strap that held them on was always flapping loose so walking was difficult. As soon as she noticed us, she sat down and immediately started lecturing Izzy, her department assistant. She told us our actions were hurtful and our loyalty should belong to her. She said her piece and left. We laughed so hard tears came out our eyes.

Mrs. Oola never ventured downstairs again.

Bubble Dancer

2011-12-26T18:54:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Oola, the supervisor before Mr. AP was an interesting character too. Her lipstick was always smeared and her slip was always hanging. She always looked like she just had a quickie in the book room. While observing a low level class, a boy yelled out, "Mr. Y, who is that hooker in the back?" because Ms. Oola looked better suited for street walking than school administration.

In spite of her looks, Mrs. Oola was a good teacher. She was a brilliant mathematician who knew how to teach others to teach, even if she did not know how to teach herself. I will never forget the day one of my calculus students said "Ms. POd, don't expect me to know anything. I had Ms. Oola all last year. She is an embarrassment to all Martians (his nationality)."

Mrs. Oola was in charge of our department when computers were just coming into their own. She couldn't get the hang of saving what she needed on a disk to be able to work at home so every Friday, her husband would come to school to bring the big desk top computer home for weekend use.

And oh, Mr. Oola. No one was ever sure what he did for a living because he was always in school. He used to sit in on department meetings and shoot evil looks at anyone who fell asleep or didn't pay attention. Every day, at 1:45 sharp, he showed up with cup of coffee for his beloved wife. One day, at 1:25, the school had a fire and had to be evacuated. There were thousands of people huddled around the building. It would have been hard to find anyone. As Mr. L wondered what Mr. Oola would do with his Starbucks purchase, we turned and saw him pushing his way through the crowd, finding his wife to deliver the afternoon fix.

There is a saying, "Cream rises to the top, but shit also floats" might be a good way to describe past administrators at Packemin.

(She was also referred to as a bubble dancer.)

My Neighbor's Balls

2011-12-25T17:48:00.000-05:00

Sorry if you looked under false pretenses. I am bored and went out to take pictures of the balls on my neighbor's tree. More here.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T11:37:00.000-05:00

Not my family, in fact, I don't even know these people, but I loved watching them and everyone else posing for pictures in front of this wonderful house in Whitestone on Christmas eve. More pictures here.

Whitestone Christmas House

2011-12-25T08:54:00.000-05:00

This house is really special. We saw it on tv and had to pay a visit. More pictures later.

Happy Christmas

2011-12-24T17:13:00.000-05:00

Not usually home this time of year so I took advantage and took my camera for a stroll through the neighborhood, checking out what is really behind all those pretty decorations. More pictures here.

Happy Christmas to all who celebrate.

No Wonder They Are So Bad

2011-12-23T14:32:00.000-05:00

From my page a day calendar:

After finding no qualified candidates for the position of principal, the school department is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of David Steele to the post.

Barrington, Rhode Island, school superintendent Philip Streifer

This guy probably didn't mean the words to come out this way but it certainly is the way the people like Meryl Tisch on the Board of Regents and NYC administrators are chosen. Let us not forget the former superintendent Cathy Black and current one Dennis Walcott.

Teachers: You Better Not Accept Those Gifts

2011-12-22T21:26:00.000-05:00

Teachers are warned not to accept gifts that have any value. Pearson does it with NYS officials.

Gotcha Day

2011-12-22T18:12:00.001-05:00

Since tomorrow is the last day before vacation and the kids might be slightly wacko and unwilling to work, make sure you work them anyway, or give a test. There is bound to be an administrator lurking around with a computer, just itching to do an observation. The day before a holiday is their favorite time. And, the later in the day your class meets, the better your chances are of getting this unexpected visit.

Admins don't think there is any problem with doing this. One said he liked to observe this time to see what stuff teachers are really made of. I said, if he doesn't know he is not much of an administrator.

Have a great vacation and good luck tomorrow. I know from experience it will be rough.

Trained Chinchilla

2011-12-22T15:15:00.000-05:00

I misread the title and thought this video was a trained chihuahua. But, I should have known better. You can't train chihuahuas.

Rate My Teacher Revisited

2011-12-22T13:30:00.001-05:00

It still amazes me that this post, written on March 28, 2010 is still getting hits. I wanted to share #119

Ok. After I posted my last comment, I started to get curious about WHO runs RMT? Interesting that it is anonymous, yes? Here is the link to the info I found on its IP address - http://www.ip-adress.com/reverse_ip/174.120.49.148 - but no info on who actually owns the site. (Yes, I used to be a public librarian and now I'm VERY curious). Why don't they name themselves? And how do we find out who runs it? (You know they're in it for the advertising money). Anyone else want to investigate?

and #120

Personally, I have a hard time taking RMT seriously. I actually think it fits in perfectly with the Neo-Con agenda of undermining civil servants and wouldn't be surprised if it were sponsored by folks who support the privatization of education (and everything else for that matter) and reducing teachers to clerical staff rather than trained professionals. For a good laugh, read those anonymous comments from teenagers whose frontal lobes are not fully developed (according to the brain research I've read) and who reside in a state of narcissism and are therefore somewhat incapable of contextualizing their educational experiences or taking FULL responsibility for their own contribution to their learning (and no, I was no different at their age, but I am from a different generation where my parents reminded me of my responsibility rather than believing and enabling all of my self centred adolescent narrative). The comments say as much about the writers themselves as their teachers.
On another note, I've emailed the RMT people 4times to get my name removed (I no longer teach at the school I'm listed at and have in fact changed my teaching area) and have had no response. Does anyone actually work there? Has anyone been able to delist themselves? (The school I was at now lists Principal Skinner and Chuck Norris among others as illustrious instructors - it's a very well taken care of website!! ;)

I know what #120 means. Several months ago I found myself lumped together with a secretary and a language teacher. It is obvious to me, from reading the comments many belong to the others. I've written to RMT to make the change, but they did nothing. No one should take this site seriously but sensitive people can't help but be hurt by some of the comments. There has got to be a better way.

Duh

2011-12-21T17:01:00.001-05:00

The boy who didn't take three exams because he didn't feel ready for them, who got grades of 77 and 74 on the two exams he took and got a 59 on the final informed me that he registered for pre-calculus during the winter session. He needs it to be able to graduate on time.

I think this kid needs more than that. I wonder if he will be surprised when he sees his F.

I Had To Be Disloyal

2011-12-21T16:22:00.000-05:00

My second best friend because I don't have my best friend around. (Sorry, Mrs. Tsouris but right now you are third on the list.)

Avoidance

2011-12-21T07:53:00.001-05:00

I felt like a thief, walking quickly past the people at the door and making my way to the room in the corner. I knew it was near an exit and down a hallway not taken by many. I wanted to fill out the recommendation and get out before anyone saw me.

I got lucky. The class was being taught by someone new, someone I don't know and who doesn't know me. Except for a few kids, I got in and out, unnoticed.

Overworked and Underpaid

2011-12-20T16:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, on his way to the post office, my dad fell. Thankfully, he is living in Co-op City, one of the best places in the city, and people were around immediately to help him. A security guard called me twice, once to tell me what happened and that he called an ambulance and a second time to give me the name of the hospital. The construction workers around stopped what they were doing to care for him. The Bronx, and particularly places like Co-op City, aren't touted as good places to live, but as long as my dad can live alone, I wouldn't want him anywhere else.

The ambulance took him to Einstein Hospital, the hospital I credit with finding his cancer and saving his life. And, while I will say thank you to the doctors for fixing him up, I will say BAH HUMBUG when it came to patient care. We waited hours to see a doctor and even longer (almost two hours) for the nurse to bring the pain killer he ordered. There was a machine behind my dad that beeped non stop and no one bothered to turn it off for more than a few minutes at a time. Before we left a patient advocate let us know all we had to do was hit a yellow button and it was a shame we weren't told this. My dad missed his turn at x-ray because no one came to pick him up and even when we were told we could leave, it took another hour and a half to get tubes removed and papers signed.

I had a long conversation with the patient advocate as we waited to depart and let her know all my concerns. She listened, upset at what I told her and said to say something earlier next time. The truth of the matter is I would have except I watched the poor staff run around, like chickens without heads, doing their best to take care of everyone. No one was sitting around shooting the breeze or having a leisurely cup of coffee. These nurses, techs and aids were providing the best care they could. There just was not enough personnel to handle the patient load. The PA that took care of my dad was a fine young man who was running in a hundred directions at once. By the end of the night, I wanted to tell him to lay down in the bed my dad was vacating. (He looked like he needed it.)

ER's take care of sick people. They save lives. The people that work their deserve decent paychecks and the utmost respect from everyone. Hospital administrators need to see how overworked and overwhelmed these people get and they need to do something to alleviate these working conditions because, unless these conditions are improved, lives will be lost. But hey, ERs like this take care of us 99%ers and the people in charge don't much care.

Again

2011-12-19T10:53:00.000-05:00

I am only a writer in my own mind, but still, I got a letter posted in the paper again today. Link is here for those who have access to the other blog.

Freedom

2011-12-18T21:56:00.000-05:00

It finally hit me. I don't have to worry Sunday about what I will do on Monday. There are no lessons to write, no papers to mark, FREEDOM!!!!!!

To celebrate, I decided to visit the Jewish Museum today. The Radical Camera: New York's Photo League, 1936-1951 is my kind of exhibit. These wonderful photographers were really photo journalist from the era mentioned until the Communist witch hunts of the 1950's put many on black lists and ultimately led to the demise of this institution. Anyone interested in history will love this exhibit. Anyone following OWS will frown at the same issues photographed in the 30'. No photo are allowed in the exhibit so you'll just have to go see it yourself. (I did see lots of similar subjects to the kind I usually take. Who knows, maybe one day I can have an exhibit somewhere as well.--my bathroom walls!) In addition to this exhibit, there is one on Ezra Jack Keats. I learned that he was the first to illustrate a book with an African American child, a child like any other who just happened to be Black. He didn't see why race should enter into a book about a child and he never mentioned race. His art work is exceptional and this exhibit alone would have made the trip worth while. There is also a great menorah exhibit, menorahs picked out by Maurice Sendak.

In the past, a Sunday afternoon excursion would have ended early, but not today and not ever again. I then headed to the Guggenheim to see the Maurizio Cattelan exhibit. The line to get in wrapped around the block, but thanks to my husband's previous employer's sponsorship, I got in immediately and at no cost. Time Out NY didn't particularly like this exhibit, but I did. These strange sculptures, from Kennedy in a coffin, to the Pope being struck by a meteorite, hang from the ceiling and as you walk around the rotunda and get a close up look, you will not be sorry you came here. Cameras were allowed and I was glad I had mine. Pictures here.

The day was cold but sunny. Still, in no great hurry, I walked through Central Park and ended up at 57th and 6th. I saw parts of the park I never saw before.

Yeah!!!! No more weekends spent getting ready for the week to come!

Shoe Making Is A worthy Occupation

2011-12-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

It is impossible for colleges to teach in one semester what should have been taught in 12 previous years of school. Anyone who things otherwise, is kidding themselves.

Oh, it might seem like the student is grasping the information, and he might be able to regurgitate some of it on an exam, but usually there is no retention and little understanding.

Remediation corrects something bad or defective. It can't take the place of a missing life time of learning.

More kids might be graduating high school than ever before but their lack of knowledge is greater than anything anyone has ever seen. A college professor I recently spoke to had no idea that an 80 on a regents exam meant the child barely got 64% of the exam correct.

I don't have answers, but I sometimes knowing something is wrong is the first step in finding a solution. Sending students to college who cannot do arithmetic, simple algebra, read or write is wrong. They won't get it in one term and they won't get it by repeating this one term over and over again. We are wasting their time, their money (and ours if they are in school on tax payer supported financial aid) and we are destroying their self esteem.

I recently finished reading Songs For The Butcher's Daughter by Peter Manseau and one paragraph stood out:"

Kishinev needs cobblers as well as scholars," the teacher would say as he sent the expelled boys to his cousin the shoemaker. "soon we will all leave here, and without proper soles beneath us where Will the Torah be?"

Not everyone is meant for college. Those who have the desire and the latent ability will find a way.

A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received

2011-12-17T13:55:00.002-05:00

A Bronx Student Thanks Mayor Bloomberg For The Education He Has Received

Technology

2011-12-16T22:19:00.000-05:00

(It doesn't do much for education either.)

Thanks to my friend at etc, etc, etc.

Washington Square Park

2011-12-16T21:25:00.000-05:00

Too beautiful for words.

Never Ending Phone Call

2011-12-16T18:39:00.000-05:00

A problem using my Continental vouchers online led to a two and a half hour phone call to straighten out the problem. With so many airlines merging and going under, consumers have fewer and fewer choices. The airlines can heap on abuse that cannot be avoided.

My head hurts, but I finally got my tickets. The woman I dealt with was wonderful. The problem was with their Internet support. I would complain to the airline but I would hate to do anything that will reflect poorly on her.

Sign Of Appreciation

2011-12-16T08:41:00.004-05:00

I decided I didn't want to work so hard and told one of the colleges I won't be back in the spring. I was only there one semester and still, I got this e-mail:

Dear POd,

Thank you for the XX file, your service to our department this semester, and also for the gifts for Bette and her daughter.

If I don't see you... happy Hanukkah and happy 2012! It was a pleasure having you as a colleague. Please keep in touch and let us know if you wish to teach again at YYY College in the future.

Take Care - Dept Supervisor

I left Packemin after 27 years and got this:

Don't see anything? Neither do I.

No More Alarm Clocks

2011-12-15T21:07:00.000-05:00

It is 6:00 AM. I roll over, look at he clock and close my eyes again. Now it is 7:00 and the activity repeats. In fact it repeats over and over until the mood hits and I decide to start my day.

I think I might actually enjoy not working.

To Talk To A Real Person

2011-12-15T12:05:00.000-05:00

Use Money To Help Keep Tuition Affordable

2011-12-14T18:50:00.000-05:00

James and Marilyn Simon just gave Stonybrook University a gift of $150,000,000 but one of the conditions of the gift is increased tuition. (I heard them say this on the news,but it wasn't in the article online.)

Many students today cannot pay the increased costs. How about using some of this grant to help them? These two got their starts because of a relatively inexpensive education, an education they now want to deprive others of.

Stop Cuny-Suny Tuition Hikes

Shout Out To Bloomberg

2011-12-14T12:19:00.001-05:00

Lydia spends 2 hours a week in the math lab getting extra help but her tests don't show this at all. I couldn't understand why someone who seemingly put in so much got so little in return so I asked her how many hours a week she studies at home.

"Ms, I don't do anything at home. I can't do this stuff alone and I shouldn't have to. Sometimes I look at it in my car."

Lydia is a recent graduate from a NYC high school.

"Mr. Education Mayor, you did a great job here. Keep up the good work!"

Greatest Card Trick Ever

2011-12-13T11:33:00.000-05:00

Boycott Lowe's

2011-12-13T09:52:00.000-05:00

One of the things I loved the best about teaching in Queens was getting to know people of different cultures, nationalities and religions. I learned to experience the world from my own backyard. Because of this experience, I have learned to see people as they are, flesh and blood, with mothers, fathers, children and with hopes and dreams no different than mine or the ones I was brought up with.

Okay, the reason for this post. Several weeks ago, The Learning Channel starting airing The All American Muslim. Out of curiosity, I began watching and found I really liked the show. I loved listening to the little conversations between the participants and seeing how people, even those who observed differently got along. I found, what I knew, I was watching people just like the ones I grew up with and are neighbors and friends with now, living their daily lives.

Here is the thing I found disturbing. It is hard to understand why, in the twenty first century, we need a show to portray one religion as being just as American as every other one. I don't understand why anyone would think a woman with a hijab is dangerous or not as good a person as a Christian or any other person. But, listening to people around me, people I thought were open minded, I get it, but I still don't like it.

And now, Lowe's is withdrawing as a sponsor of this great television show because of pressure from an Evangelistic Christian Group. The group is claiming the show is just propaganda and is forcing religion down the throats of viewers which is baloney. Anyone who watched would see this is far from the purpose of the show. And talking about religion and television, it is impossible to turn on the set without seeing a Christmas theme right now. I wouldn't expect non-Christians to start a petition for sponsors to drop these shows. Seeing a Christmas tree does not make me want to convert to Christianity and I don't think the writers and actors expect me to. Religious freedom belongs to all, even Muslims (note the sarcasm here!)

Lowe's bowed to pressure and pulled their advertisements. I am joining the group who will now boycott Lowe's. We cannot allow a bigoted group like this stop a show because they don't like Muslims.

Regents: Raise Bar On Exams

2011-12-12T10:36:00.002-05:00

Raising the college readiness score from 65 to 75 will do nothing to help students. More BS coming in the name of improvement.

State eyes higher college readiness scores

December 11, 2011 by DEBORAH S. MORRIS / deborah.morris@newsday.com

The State Education Department is set to discuss Monday whether to raise the college readiness standard for its Regents English and algebra exams to 75 percent and 80 percent, respectively. To be considered college-readynow, a student must earn a 65.

Meryl Tisch, chairwoman of the state Board of Regents, said it's a move toward stopping what she called the "over-identification" of schools as failing under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

She said while schools are identified as failing for various reasons, some that are doing very well fall into that category because of stringent accountability requirements.

"What we're trying to do is design an accountability system that keeps moving the standards forward," she said. Regents want to avoid diluting available federal money from schools that really are in need.

The suggested change is part of an outline that, Tisch said, the board would like to include in a waiver request the state will submit to the federal government in February. The state will seek relief from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind, such as a 2014 goal of reaching full student proficiency.

One way to opt out is by raising student proficiency standards.

But Bill Johnson, superintendent of the Rockville Centre School District, said the discussions are premature because of the lack of supporting data that an increased test score can properly measure college readiness, especially when it comes to math.

"Algebra, as far as I am concerned, is not a subject you want to use if you want to predict how kids are going to do in college," said Johnson, who is also a past president of the State Council of School Superintendents. "What you want to do is use algebra as one in a series of steps that get kids college-ready by ultimately exposing them to a pre-college level curriculum, like pre-calculus, college-level statistics."

Tisch said talks are in early stages.

"The issue of 75, 80 is an aspirational goal that we have just started to talk about as we move forward," she said.

The discussion is among several agenda items set for the P-12 education committee's meeting Monday in Albany.

Pelham Parkway Decorations

2011-12-11T17:19:00.001-05:00

The most amazing Christmas house I have ever seen is on Pelham Parkway, in the Bronx. If it wasn't for TLC and Invasion of the Christmas Light Shows, I would never have known to go look. It is amazing what lengths some people will go to in order to share the things they love.

If you live anywhere near, go look. It is on Pelham Parkway, just east of Eastchester Rd. If you can't, I put some more pictures here. Unfortunately, the fence got in the way of many.

There Are Lies, Damn Lies and Then There Are Statistics--Mark Twain

2011-12-11T13:19:00.000-05:00

While waiting on line to eat, my dad struck up a conversation with the mom behind us. My dad tells everyone that I am a math teacher (fatherly pride) and the woman told me how happy she was that her son got a 75 on his algebra regents. It hurt, but I had to do it. I told her that the 75 meant the child only had about 42 out of 87 problems correct, which was less than 50% of the exam. She looked crushed. She had no idea the grade was so meaningless.

These inflated grades are hurting children, giving parents a false sense of what their child knows and leaving them totally unprepared for college. My students, some who got A's in high school, can barely squeak through an algebra-trig class in college. They only want to do multiple choice questions, where guess and check is a skill they have perfected. They only know how to regurgitate exactly what they have been taught, that which requires no thinking.

I don't know why I even bother writing this stuff. No one seems to care enough to change anything. When the kids don't do well, the test is just given again with more test prep and less teaching. As Zulma just said:

The relationship of course grades to regents scores is obvious to everyone except the principals, who want to keep their jobs, and the students who think that they have acquired the necessary skills. When they get to college, they see that their diploma can be used as scrap paper. Reparation from this damage will take longer than the damage from the 1974/75 lay off of 15,000 teachers.

And This Graduated High School

2011-12-10T22:21:00.000-05:00

It took four sides to write up answers to the review sheets I gave my students to help them study for the final. I accidentally put them in the scanner upside down and didn't bother to rotate them before I put them in an e-mail figuring when printed orientation wouldn't matter.

I just got this e-mail: The pictures all all upside down.

I give up!

My Kind Of News Show

2011-12-10T11:31:00.000-05:00

I get a lot of my news from Jon Stewart on the Daily Show so when a friend got tickets, I jumped at the opportunity to see him live. I was not disappointed.

Growing up in NYC, I used to go to taping of television game shows all the time. It was a cheap (free) way to spend an afternoon and see celebrities. I even got to a dress rehearsal of the Ed Sullivan Show once. As a child, I got to be on Bozo the Clown and Wonderama. My own children were on Romper Room. (I know all you youngsters reading this have no idea what shows I am talking about.) Not working gives me time again to enjoy the activity I used to love. It was fun seeing how computers have changed the way these shows are produced.

Now, to get tickets to see my second love, Stephen Colbert.

Just Pass Me So I Can Get On With My Life

2011-12-09T18:26:00.000-05:00

Mitchell has been failing the class all semester. He did a some homework, paid little attention and was quite nasty at times. He doesn't want to be in school and plans on leaving to join the armed forces. But, he wants to leave with a passing grade so when he returns to college he will never need a math class again.

Out of the goodness of my heart, I told him if he manages to get a C+ on the final, I will pass him. He doesn't think this is possible (neither do I, but I didn't tell him) and sent an e-mail asking what else he can do to pass. I am ignoring this request. Hopefully he will get the message.

He probably graduated high school because teachers granted him extra favors. What a generation we have created! By the time anyone wakes up and sees what has been done, it will be to late to save the thousands, just like Mitchell.