One drop at a time...
Kyle Lawrence couldn't be more right about the importance and urgency of addressing this problem. While Obama has proposed a major improvement on current laws regarding standardized testing, early childhood programs, afterschool programs and a number of other issues, I still think he's missing some very important issues. One of them is the size of the shools. When hundreds and thousands of kids are lumped together in a building than more resembles a prison than an institution of learning, it becomes that, a prison. Especially when the population is comprised entirely of kids going through the most dificult time in their development, physically and emotionally. I think that bulding smaller shools and allowing teachers more freedom with their teaching material and approach would be a benefit for everyone in many ways. First, kids will stay in their communities, they will have to walk their own streets, exercising more and building community awareness. Use money now spent on busing and cafeteria food for building and hiring more teachers. As part of the curriculum, let the kids work in community projects, make improvements to their own neighborhood, build vegetable gardens, water harvesting systems, build and maintain parks, create outdoor art; which they can SEE and ENJOY themselves, building sense of accomplishment and pride. Kids and neihgbors get to know each other and learn to share their space, their abilities and will be more willing to lend a hand to one another.
Another big issue is the discipline approach they now use in most high schools. Suspending a kid from school or sending him to detention for innapropiate behaviour is never going to work. It anything, it only creates resentment and does not teach a lesson to anybody. It's just a leading path out of school and into real trouble.
Recognizing that every kid, especially "gifted" kids, have different needs is very important in keeping them in school. I've met many kids who rather than putting up with the dry, dull school curriculum, choose to get out. There are also those who need more time or who just can't master one subject but excel in another and get frustrated with both when they find no encouragement, nor recognition. I could go on and on, but I think that anyone who has gone through high school has their own ideas for improvement. If only those making the rules were really working for us, and not bowing to the powers of money and greed...sigh!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
The Empire
The US spends twice as much in the military than all other countries in the world combined. According to GlobalSecurity.org, last year alone, the figure was $625 billion of taxpayer's dollars.
And this doesn't take into account money spent in nuclear weapons which is handled separately by the Energy Department, or Veterans Affairs, or interest on money borrowed to fund previous wars. After adding all the previous the total rises to an unimaginable one trillion dollars per year. If this information was more readily and massively available, will the people of the US not raise their voices in discontent? Maybe, but maybe not, since we're trapped in a culture of fear and anybody who dares to speak about it is immediately labeled unpatriotic or a terrorist.
Of course, we can't overlook the fact that without it, the US wouldn't have become this great empire. However, the cold war is over, we have nuclear weapons, there is no apparent threat, other than a bunch of misguided young people in mountains and caves who need more our guidence, than our violence. It should be time than, to use those taxpayers dollars to improve our quality of life. Healthcare and education are two major issues that need urgent attention across the board. And we could have both. If only more Americans could see past their TV screens, and all the new, shiny objects (made in China) that lure them into more debt and increased stress. If enough people really paid attention to what the public school system has become. Schools are prisons; kids and teachers alike are prisoners in a viscious cycle. The government doesn't work for us, that is crystal clear, and it never has. The vision got blurred and the plan got entangled along the way. We've become conditioned and we need to re-learn, go back to basics and start over. Re-educate adults along with kids. The first lady is showing us the way. Grow your own food, serve your neighbors, especially if they're less fortunate; defend your resources and become more self-sufficient. We are still "We, the people...
And this doesn't take into account money spent in nuclear weapons which is handled separately by the Energy Department, or Veterans Affairs, or interest on money borrowed to fund previous wars. After adding all the previous the total rises to an unimaginable one trillion dollars per year. If this information was more readily and massively available, will the people of the US not raise their voices in discontent? Maybe, but maybe not, since we're trapped in a culture of fear and anybody who dares to speak about it is immediately labeled unpatriotic or a terrorist.
Of course, we can't overlook the fact that without it, the US wouldn't have become this great empire. However, the cold war is over, we have nuclear weapons, there is no apparent threat, other than a bunch of misguided young people in mountains and caves who need more our guidence, than our violence. It should be time than, to use those taxpayers dollars to improve our quality of life. Healthcare and education are two major issues that need urgent attention across the board. And we could have both. If only more Americans could see past their TV screens, and all the new, shiny objects (made in China) that lure them into more debt and increased stress. If enough people really paid attention to what the public school system has become. Schools are prisons; kids and teachers alike are prisoners in a viscious cycle. The government doesn't work for us, that is crystal clear, and it never has. The vision got blurred and the plan got entangled along the way. We've become conditioned and we need to re-learn, go back to basics and start over. Re-educate adults along with kids. The first lady is showing us the way. Grow your own food, serve your neighbors, especially if they're less fortunate; defend your resources and become more self-sufficient. We are still "We, the people...
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