Random thoughts on education in America

#1

MommyProf: You know, I have some students who go all the way from kindergarten into college having never made anything but an A. Then they get to college and it's a lot harder, so they get their first B or C in a class. And you know what they do?

Offspring: What?

MommyProf: They actually go to their professor's office and tell the professor that they deserve to have their grade in the class changed to A JUST BECAUSE THEY'VE NEVER GOTTEN A B OR C BEFORE.

Offspring: That's just wrong!

MommyProf: I know. It's crazy.

#2

Education Chief pushes for longer school year

This is apparently to make the U.S. more competitive with foreign nations who do have students in school more of the time. I think this shows a stunning lack of appreciation of the many differences between the U.S. education system and what is offered to children in foreign lands. I do agree that the fact that Johnny can't read is a tragedy. But putting Offspring in school two more months so she can spend 3 hours a day drilling for the state tests that she could have passed in the second month of school is probably not the solution. We don't all need to be rocket scientists, but we need to stop handicapping the kids who could be.

Good and good for us all

So Spouse and I just got back from the restaurant at the Mid-Sized City Technical College (MSCTC), which is one of two, two-year campuses located in the same city as PrettyGood.

It's fantastic. For one thing, it is one of the few places in Mid-Sized City to have both tablecloths and cloth napkins. The food is really good (they have a "practice day" on Wednesday, and open to the public on Fridays for lunch only) and is the kind of stuff you don't easily find here like brasciole or spicy Ahi tuna. It's cheap. For Spouse and I today, two soups, two entrees, two desserts and drinks was $17.

And the best part is, the students who do everything from planning the menus to the cooking to decorating the restaurant for the theme each week to service are going to finish and be the ones running restaurants in the community.

Got an interview

!

Stupid me

So we were having a grad faculty meeting at lunch today, and a guy who is on our grad faculty, but also chair of another program with a budget offered to buy lunch for everyone. So I order out Thai and went to pick it up. I was very excited, since I do love our Thai place in town.

Then, I got back and was setting up the meeting room when I realized I had ordered one dish too few. So no Thai for me.

Help me with my moral dilemma du jour

So, as I think I've mentioned before, since I don't actually have cancer and since my department has given up on me, I went ahead and applied for a few late-posted job searches. I got a nibble from one that wants to contact my references (yay! Someone thinks I don't completely suck!)

So, I have this husband issue. Basically, I'm not moving if my Spouse can't find a job that makes him happy, and this school is way up in the mountains and kind of isolated, such that if he doesn't get a job at the same school, it probably ain't gonna happen.

When do I bring the Spouse up?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Ugh. I teach in a computer lab sometimes, and I hate when students surf the web or check e-mail during class. But I hate it more when they spend most of the class looking at something together. As if I can't tell.

What is essential

So I decided to give up the non-essential Internet use for Lent, which starts Wednesday. I am, however, struggling with what is essential.

Certain events in the world are important for me to talk about in my classes, so how about reading the news online?

If I don't keep up my blog, all you lovely people will stop reading.

How about my professional blog?

We have some travel coming up. Do I need to plan all the ancillary stuff (like excursions for our cruise)

i am still harboring some hope of getting us out of here for next year. How about job listings? There's not much realistic hope ...

Facebook? Wait, I think I already know the answer to that one, at least...

Online shopping? Might save me time and $...

3 degrees I'd like to go back to school to get

1. MD
2. MDiv
3. MFA in screenwriting

How about you?

3 pieces of advice I would give to people if I were brave enough

1. You should think carefully about decisions that you make on how to spend your time. Kids don't get younger.
2. It's easier to do something right the first time than it is to do it twice.
3. The way you present yourself and your work really does affect how people evaluate you.

3 things I got up at 5 to do today

1. Finish my D*&@ grading
2. Laundry
3. Exercise

Things I got done?

#2

4 p.m. update: Also finished my d*&@ grading.

3 things I like on the web

The Pediacast with Dr. Mike (I listen on my IPod while I work out). A combination of kid's medicine topics in the news and listener questions. I really like Dr. Mike's casual demeanor and his effective manner of presenting the science behind medicine to the lay listener.

Cakewrecks I love this site so much that I only look at it Friday afternoons so I have something to look forward to all week. There is at least something every week that is laugh out loud funny.

Rate Your Students. I feel a little ashamed to read this, but it does consistently remind me that my job is not really all that bad and that my woes are shared by many.

And with that, I am off to grading jail.

Sans Sleep in Mid-Sized City

We are trying to move Bun to the big bed in her room, since we have some trips upcoming and would like to not have to pay to check a pack and play or try to get her to sleep in one of those hotel cribs. She fell asleep in the big bed for the first time, but I had sentinel duty in case she started wandering around during the night, which she did. So I got her back in bed, but now I can't sleep myself.

Anyway, regarding yesterday's three things, I ended up getting one of the senior faculty who is also looking to leave to mention it to the guy, which I think was the right way to approach it. It would be great for PrettyGood and the department if this guy would come, but for his sake, I hope he doesn't.


3 things I am considering giving up for Lent this year:

1. Time-wasting Internet use
2. Complaining
3. Non-water beverages

Any of the 3 would be pretty hard for me, which tends to make for a good reminder of Jesus, the 40 days, etc. I've done 1 and 2 before, and they work pretty well internally, but make me less interesting (and a less interesting blogger, I imagine). I think #3 would give me the most to talk to others about and, since I am an evangelical Christian, that would probably be a good thing. Still thinking about it, though, so your opinion is welcome.

3 moral quandries for the day

1. How much grace do I give my ADD kids on the projects I am grading? (They had 3 weeks to work on it. When they procrastinated like everyone else, I think the ADD bit them on the posterior, but still, 3 weeks).

2. Do I let Offspring play her video game after dinner because I am tired.

3. We have a job candidate in today (yes, PrettyGood is still hiring). He'd be a great match for the department, and I know him from the professional association and like him as a person. However, he is tenured at an ok regional uni and would be giving that up to come here. My department has tenured one person in the last 15 years. Should I mention this to him? Since it would surely sound like sour grapes coming from me, should I try to get someone else to mention it to him?

What do you think?

New week, new theme

So it was easy to post in a week with a theme. So I think I'll try it again. This is the week of 3s.

Three illnesses we have in the Prof. house at the moment:

1. Pneumonia
2. Shingles
3. Plantar wart

Isn't it lovely?

Week of letters 7

Dear Offspring's writing teacher,

I know you have a hard job and that this is your second year as a teacher. I know that I have trouble impressing the finer points of grammar on my college students who didn't pick it up in fourth grade. I can't imagine trying to drill it into wiggly, giggly fourth graders who think fart jokes are hilarious. I get it. I really think I do.

However, when you send my kid home with a "Guide to Comma Usage" that includes 5 instances of when you use commas to keep things apart in sentence construction, and you spell the keeping apart as seperate 3 of the 5 times, and separate for 2 (on the same piece of paper), this does not fill me with confidence that Offfspring is going to emerge from this experience with great language skills.

Spelling. It's crazy stuff.

MP

And don't worry - I'll never say this directly to you, because I do know that your job is really hard and that you don't generally need more pressure and criticism. But I will point out to Offspring what the correct spelling is.

Week of letters, day 6

Dear bacteria,

You think you are so smart. A few of you may be leaving Bun, but you tell all your cousins and uncles and second-degree friends to move in me.

We will prevail.

MP

Stolen from a friend's Facebook

Fill this out about your SENIOR year of high school! The longer ago it was, the more fun the answers will be!! REPOST with name of high school and graduating year in the subject box. Send this to all your friends, but don't forget to send it back to me.

1. Did you date someone from your school?
Nope.

2. Did you marry someone from your high school?
Ha! No.

3. Did you car pool to school?
No.

4. What kind of car did you have?
Ancient Ford Granada

5. What kind of car do you have now ?
Ford Focus Station Wagon

6. It’s Friday night 1994 where are you?
In Grad school, watching ST-TNG and then DS-9 with our friends

7. It is Friday night 2009...where are you?
Probably at home.

8. What kind of job did you have in high school?
Shelved books in public library.

9. What kind of job do you do now?
Teach college

10. Were you a party animal?
Not at all.

11. Were you considered a flirt?
I don't think so. I'm not a real girly girl.

12. Were you in band, orchestra, or choir?
Yes, yes and yes.

13. Were you a nerd? Gaming club? Library helper? Sci-fi reader?
Does AP Chemistry and the Astronomy elective count?

14. Did you get suspended or expelled?
Nope.

15. Can you sing the fight song?
See # 13. I may be the only person with whom I graduated who can.

16. Who were your favorite teacher(s)-
My chemistry and physics teachers, hands down.

17. Where did you sit during lunch?
Outside the cafeteria in a hall people didn't go in much. My friends and I all went there.

18. What was your school's full name?
Won't say for anonymity, but it was named after a type of office supply.

19. When did you graduate?
198X

20. What was your school mascot?
It was a type of burly longshoreman

21 . If you could go back and do it again, would you?
LOL! No way! I'm even dreading my kids' going through it.

22. Did you have fun at Prom?
It was ok.

23. Would you talk to the person you went to Prom with?
I guess. I can't imagine it would come up, since he didn't go to my school and lives in a different part of the country (long story there)

24. Are you planning on going to your next reunion?
Doubt it. I live pretty far away.

25. Do you still talk to people from your school?
A few, but all long distance.

Week of letters, day 5

Dear Bacteria,

I must respectfully request that you vacate Bun's lungs immediately. As you are aware, you are an unwelcome squatter, and as such, we have no obligation to provide you with a comfortable home.

What you may not realize is that your occupancy is removing space for vital Bun functions like oxygen exchange, and this is an untenable situation for us.

We have sent in an eviction team by the oral route, but you should know that it might go easier for you if you voluntarily leave.

You have 12 hours.

Sincerely yours,

M and D Prof.

A bonus post

I am at home with Bun this morning, who is sick.

She keeps pulling my students' drafts off the table onto the floor and gleefully stomping on them.
Go, Bun!

Week of letters 4

Dear weather,

Thank you for not damaging our house last night. Spring is always an adventure here in this part of Central State, and I know a lot of folks around us were not so lucky.

Thanks,

MP

**Update to letter 1: The high grade was a 68. Eek! Still trying to figure out what to do about that one.

Week of Letters, day 3

Dear Michael Fletcher of The Washington Post,

In the Prof house last night, we were watching the Obama press conference, pointing out to Offspring how a) that's the President and he, himself, is taking questions directly from the media (remember, she is only 9, so this is a new idea for her) and b) that the new President is not white and what a big deal that is. This is the first press conference she has been allowed to watch, so it's kind of a moment for the Prof family.

Then you get up.

You're kidding, right? You didn't just get up and ask the new president a question about baseball players and steroids. You didn't take several of the only 40 minutes that this press conference took to ask such a question. What did you expect him to say? "Well, Michael, I think steroids are just great."

Come on, man. You just wasted the time of not only the President, but everyone in America.

MP

Week of letters, day 1

Dear students in my non-major class,

I know that basketweaving is not your heart's desire, and that you are only taking my class so that you can get out of learning a foreign language. I forgive you for treating my class like it's bleedin' obvious and like something that you only have to put the smallest amount of effort into because it's so easy for you.

But I'm writing your test for tomorrow, and I'm afraid a lot of you are going to be very unpleasantly surprised that it's not so bleedin' obvious. And I'm probably not going to feel sorry for you.

But when you are paying as much as you are to come to my class, when I know, full-well, that even in your brainiac field, excellent basketweaving skills are included in pretty much every job description, I'd like to see you get some skill in my class. You know, so you can succeed. Call me bitchy. I don't mind.

Kisses,

Dr. MommyProf

Week of letters, 2

To my fellow citizens of MidSized City,

Sometimes you frighten me. It's not just the fact that this is a huntin' and W. lovin' red state wherein it is not uncommon to see people just walking through the grocery store with a big ol' gun strapped on 'em.

It's not just that the 1-ton truck is the transportation choice around here and since gas prices came down, they are back on the road, looming over my little station wagon, impatiently flexing their hemis.

It's not even the local elections, which seem to be mostly a shouting contest over who is the "true" conservative candidate with the most sincere conservative values.

It is the deliberate ignorance. The mom of one of my Girl Scouts whose Facebook page states "I don't like to read." The college-educated person with whom I was talking at church who sincerely told me Obama is a closet terrorist, and he knew it was true because Rush told him so. The sweet, well-meaning people who want to take groups of teenagers to a Creation Evidence Museum, teach abstinence-only sex ed and get that pesky Darwin out of public school textbooks because, after all, evolution is just a theory. That's its name, right? So theories aren't proven, so we shouldn't teach them in school.

It's the students at PrettyGood who, on election day, turned out in large numbers to vote. But hadn't bothered to register.

My fellow citizens, you are capable of doing better. But you just don't. Yet you teach my children, pass along opinions to others without validating them for yourself, and walk around packing. Shame on those who manipulate you with information that's a little complex and that might be difficult for you to understand. But shame on you for not even trying.

MP

Saturday of stops and starts

Things I wanted to get done today:

Take old electronics out to electronics recycling day in Mid-sized City.
Catch up on laundry
Go grocery shopping
Write test for Monday
Work on job application letters (I found two late searches that look promising)

Accomplished:

#1
Cleaned out vaccuum cleaner

Now everyone is home.

A twist you won't care about

So I have gotten innumerous requests to do the 25 things thing on Facebook, but I have such an eclectic audience there that I don't dare. But I saw something cute on someone else's blog, so, even though I am sure you, dear reader, could care less, I'm going to try it.

25 things about me
by Offspring

1. I am one of the youngest and shortest in my class.
2. Today, I can run 7 miles and am training for a half marathon in about 7 weeks.
3. Someone found and pushed my "moody" button this year.
4. I love playing Nintendogs on the DS I got for Christmas.
5. I got the DS from Santa, even though I have never really believed in Santa.
6. My favorite food is pancakes, followed by waffles, followed by french toast.
7. I have pretty much no interest in picking out my own clothing. I'll do it if you make me, but everything will clash.
8. I fell in the river and almost drowned once. My Mom had to jump in after me.
9. I find school very boring - especially the sitting at the computer and drilling for the state standardized tests for an hour every day.
10. My parents give me coffee every school day because it calms me down. Really.
11. I want to be a biologist when I grow up. My Mom secretly wants me to be an environmental engineer.
12. I play a tricky spot in a handbell choir because I can read treble and bass clef both.
13. It's easy for me to be too wild when I am around other kids.
14. I get teased a lot. Kids laugh at me when I make a mistake because I don't do it very often. I hate that.
15. I bring my lunch to school 4 days a week. Peanut butter and Nutella is my favorite (since it's hard to bring decent pancakes in a lunch box).
16. I loved, Loved, LOVED Girl Scout Camp.
17. I am an environmentalist and I sometimes wish I could be a vegetarian. Then again, I like corn dogs.
18. I read the first Harry Potter book when I was 4.
19. I am very sensitive to insect bites. They swell and itch for weeks.
20. My chores at home are setting and clearing the table, folding and putting away my clothes and helping with my Sister.
21. My best friend is two years older than me, but only one grade ahead. She had to go to Kindergarten twice and so did her brother.
22. It makes me feel bad when grownups tell me how smart I am.
23. I wear size 2 1/2 shoes.
24. My school backpack has Teen Titans on it. I really miss that show.
25. I play on a basketball team. I'm not very good at hitting the basket, but I play good defense, even if I'm a little afraid of the ball sometimes. My team is undefeated this year, and my team last year was undefeated, too.

Back to bitter

When this whole tenure thing first happened, I got a comment from an Anonymous about how it would be like two steps forward, one back, in resolving this situation.

I am at the one back right now and, today at least, I feel like the well has been poisoned for me.

We are doing job searches right now in my department. We have two positions (and we actually get to fill them, unlike many, many other schools I know about) and are bringing in candidates over the next four weeks. They didn't schedule me to talk with any of them. Maybe this wouldn't be so odd, except that they would be graduate faculty and I run the graduate program. And they will have to have research to get tenure, and I am one of the few on our faculty with an active research program. Plus, we are a pretty small department, and they seem to be meeting with most other people (although not everyone).

So of course, paranoid me is thinking they are deliberately trying to marginalize me. Or they don't want me talking with the candidates about what happened to me? Or tell them about how this department has tenured exactly one person in the last 20 years...I don't know.

The rational me says that they put our only remaining tenure-track person in charge of planning the visits, and he left me off through incompetence/lack of thinking. This doesn't make me feel better, for some reason.

Today one rendered me speechless

So I put a copy of some information about PrettyGood's Writing Center in the folder of the author of #3. It's a place I think they have on many campuses, where friendly English graduate students will help undergrads with drafts of paper. I put a simple note with it about how going there before turning papers in might improve her grades.

She comes to see me after class and tries to tell me that she's registered with the learning disability people on campus. But she doesn't have the documentation that they provide. But she's really registered with them, she says. "Actually, I both read and write on a 5th grade level," she proudly tells me.

I had no words.