Dancing around a maypole at Barwick-in-Elmet, Yorkshire
A man’s work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened.
~Albert Camus
All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence. ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
May Day is related to the Celtic festival of Beltane and the Germanic festival of Walpurgis Night. May Day falls exactly half a year from November 1, another cross-quarter day which is also associated with various northern European pagan and the year in the Northern hemisphere, and it has traditionally been an occasion for popular and often raucous celebrations.
Coincidences on international workers day:
2011: President Obama announces the death of Bin Laden
Why were we subjected to a long wait of TV news time before he came out to announce it?
2007: President Bush announces “Mission Accomplished” re: the “major conflict in Iraq has ended.”
Announced on the USS Lincoln warship: Honest Abe…ahem
1945: the death of Adolph Hitler is announced
1707: Great Britain is formed, merging England, Wales and Scotland.
There are a lot of “big” events on May 1st (and I am sure you can find more on other days: that is not the point here); I just did not list them all. You can do some of the research yourself HERE. I just find it bizarre that three major events in less than 100 years occurred.
My feeling, and all it is is a feeling, no facts (so, yeah, kindly refrain from nasty comments: I’m allowed my feeling on this matter):
Starting in 1945, it feels like something Winston Churchill would have put forward, using a people’s day holiday to make a huge political announcement. It adds gravitas to the whole thing, big an event as it was unto itself. Someone savvy in PR in Bush’s cabinet could have taken notice of this and used that date to push the (erroneous) message out, bolstering the president’s “history” for future generations. Using the ship he did was overkill, imho. Lastly, with all the Bush bashing, what better day to upstage the 2007 announcement but to bring forward the death of another monster, and then make us wait with bated breath, probably smoking a cigarette and biding time to heighten the effect once announced.
Makes me wonder what the next “big announcement” on a May 1st will be.
Hi All…I’ve been away since mid March for a variety of reasons. In April, I spent the majority of my time writing everyday for my Tale Spinning blog, creating an interrelated anthology series. Please take a look HERE.
I’ll be back with BornStoryteller The Creative Series (still have guest posts that I never got around to sharing with you) and one or two other series ideas. That will all start soon, and I’ll do my best to keep a schedule going.
Thanks for sticking around, and thank you all for reading (and commenting) on BornStoryteller.
In January, the number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs fell to 7.3 million. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 5.5 million and accounted for 42.9 percent of the unemployed. (See tables A-11 and A-12.)
BTW…this was for “nonfarm payroll employment.” I did not look up anything for farm workers; almost afraid to see how many more that adds to the numbers.
So…the long-term unemployed? Little change, and about 5 and half million: 5,500,000 people who are without work!
This is not taking into any account of those who worked the temp/part time jobs, nor does it state how many fall close to or under the poverty level doing that work. This does not take into account a lot of new college graduates who were not “long-term” employees, nor those who, due to the financial reality of today, are trying to get INTO the workplace, to help support families.
It does not tell the story of ages, of careers/long held positions that are no longer, and people having to move along, finding what work they can….IF they can.
The statistics do nothing to really tell the stories, and it is the stories that matter most, because then we can relate. We can find that bond/thread to someone’s else’s plight.
Do we have to make it personal? Do you have to know the person to really care? There is a reason that the Viet Nam Wall in Washington has such an impact. There is a reason, if you see someone’s name &/or face attached to an atrocity that it makes it more real.
Statistics? Nameless numbers that can get juggled to tell it’s own story.
There were protests across the country, Occupy (insert wherever). No real focus, lots of noise and fuss, that, now, months later, has amounted to a lot of nothing. If there was a protest against the “1 Percent“, it did little to nothing to change anything.
Until we have some really clear focus, and some caring about what is going on, and a REAL PLAN…
There is a great deal of concern and hand wringing over saving the arts. Recently, the Westchester County Arts Council sent out a plea for us to write to our congressmen about major cuts to the arts. I did is they asked, knowing that in even the smallest way our voices have to be heard.
I got an answer back not from the congressmen but from his assistant. there was a lot of blame and finger-pointing in this letter, it still talking how great Westchester County is in comparison to other locations. I will copy and post her letter, but before I do: I have something to say. Yes, big surprise.
With all the talk about saving the parts one very important component seems to be forgotten:
WHAT ABOUT THE ARTIST?
I am a performing and teaching ARTIST. I make my primary living from working in the Arts. My discipline is Theater/Drama, Storytelling and Creative Writing. I do not create “lasting” art in Fine Arts, but I DO perform a service in the Performing Arts.
When you cut the funding for the arts, you are not just cutting out a sculpture or a painting, or a dance or theater piece, or a choral work, you are taking money out of reach of PEOPLE who are trying to pay their bills and survive. by making these budget cuts to save organizations, you are also then putting more people on unemployment. This fall, I have been unable to find a job, mainly because in my field there’s much less work. There are also more people out looking for any work, so even jobs that I could fit into are inundated by other people looking for work.
Where would we be without ones like Van Gogh?
Is it just me, or does this just not make any sense? A good friend of mine has put it very simply: at this point in time, if everyone across the board and that means the big boys in the middle management boys played fairly, more people to keep their jobs. It’s part of what I’ve been saying in that we need creative solutions and problem solving in place of the reactionaries.
I do not want to be on unemployment. I want to work. I feel there are ways that more people can work and keep their jobs. Today on the news from NPR I heard that more than 28,000 postal workers will be laid off soon. What jobs will they be able to get to support their families?
It’s very easy to cast blame and point fingers. As a country, we seem to excel at that.
Wouldn’t we be better off if we were creative problem solvers?
As stated above, here is the letter I got today:
Thank you for writing to County Executive Robert P. Astorino regarding funding for the arts.
Please be assured that Mr. Astorino has read your message and he has asked me to respond to you on his behalf.
The county executive understands and appreciates your concern for the arts. While developing the proposed 2012 county budget, Mr. Astorino and his administration have given the arts the same consideration accorded to every program, service, agency and facility supported by county government.
As you know all too well, this is a very challenging economy. There is a critical need to balance a $114 million county budget deficit with a responsibility to provide essential services and property tax relief, protect Westchester’s neediest residents, promote structural financial reform and reduce government spending at all levels. One of the major roadblocks to maintaining the funding level for Arts Westchester and many other worthwhile programs and services, is the failure of the public employee unions to agree to make a reasonable contribution to their healthcare premiums. Westchester County’s union employees are one of the few groups left in the nation that contribute nothing to their healthcare costs. This ever-increasing financial burden necessitates reductions in other portions of the county budget. The county executive, since taking office two years ago, has attempted to get county workers to agree to the same level of healthcare contributions state workers make. While there is a reduction in the allocation to arts programs, the County Executive’s proposed budget includes funding for the arts at $750,000. This action is in no way a reflection on the outstanding quality of exhibits and performances presented by the arts community nor the talents and efforts of all who labor to bring these offerings to fruition. It is instead, a part of many across-the-board measures which must be taken during these difficult times.
Your views and those of all who live and work in Westchester are very important to the county executive. Your input is both welcome and valued.
Again, thank you for writing.
Sincerely,
Janet Lokay Assistant to the County Executive 148 Martine Avenue White Plains, New York 10601 (914) 995-2127
Here was my response to Ms. Lokay:
Hi… it’s not just the exhibits and performances.
You forget a very essential part: the artist has to live, pay bills, and be part of the economic structure. By cutting the arts, it’s not just the end product but the people who live through the process. Two very different things.
I am a Teaching Artist and a performing artist. My entire life is creative and my livelihood depends on schools, libraries, community centers and more have funds to hire me and others like me. I live for the educational process that is part of the learning process…and it does not seem politicians realize this.
Schools may not hire a full time Theater Teacher anymore (I have my NYS Certification in Theater), but they SHOULD hire me as a consultant, which is what a TA (teaching artist) really is. I integrate my work into the school core curricula, and it enhances, not wastes, the teachers’ lessons.
I would love to have a conversation about this. Yes, many of us produce art that is seen; there are many more of us who produce art that is part of the educational process, for ALL ages, and we’re hurting, trying to make a living.
My thing: instead of telling me why something isn’t working, why are we not doing problem solving around the negatives out there. I’d rather know what has been attempted, or will be, instead of what is not working. I work a lot with my students, when I get them, on problem solving.
I’m serious about talking with Mr. Astorino.
She gave me her phone number. If I don’t hear from them, and if you know me at all, they will hear from me. I will let you know what happens next. I’m tired of the excuses. Let’s get off of unemployment
BE CREATIVE with your children; with the time you spend with your children; with the way you interact with your children
What I just wrote above is simple. Let me tell you the story of why I am writing this…
I just came back from eating lunch in a chain restaurant. In front of me was a table of 6: 3 adults and three very small young children, two of them in high chairs. One young couple, maybe in their mid-to-late 20s, had a three-year-old and I think close to a one-year. The other woman, about the same age as the other adults, and the other highchair child – maybe about two years old.
In the 45 min. to an hour that I was there at no time did I see them really interact with their children, until it was time to put their clothing on to leave. The oldest child AND the older highchair child were given iPods (or similar) to play with. Every time the kids got itchy the parents shoved the game in front of them.
The adults ignored the children and talked as if they weren’t even there. The toddler kept calling “Mommy” throughout most of this experience when she wasn’t having the electronic device to distract her. At no time did the mother look to see what was drawing the toddler’s attention nor did she answer her/connect with her when her child called for her.
I had two kids of my own (well, still do, but they are grown and married, so kids is relative), so please don’t tell me what it’s like to have a toddler who wants your attention and a younger child. Been there, did it… And loved it, headaches at times not withstanding. I always had books with me, manipulative toys, coloring books/crayons: but always something we could interact with. When I did go out with other adults the kids were not forgotten. They are not surplus seat warmers.
Was I a saint, the bestest parent in the world? I screwed up like we all do…but I did not forget they were there. My life changed, and for the better. These young/new parents have to learn how to change their acts.
When you make the decision to have children, or in some cases keep them, you have a responsibility to the children. Period. No excuses. Nada. I don’r care how tired you are, how many jobs you have to work, how much you may hate your job, or lack of one. Life has changed, and the kids should not suffer for you.
Your adult life of hanging with your friends at lunch or wherever changes. Get used to it, and work on it until they get to the age that they ignore you. It will happen soon enough. But your interaction now can change the world in the way that your children grow up.
This is not the first time I’ve seen this. I had lunch with a family about a year or two ago where I was the only one of five adults who tried to interact with older couple’s kid. Her mother even shushed her when she finally noticed that her daughter and I were talking. The other four adults ignored the child. I’ve seen that same thing happen the few times I interact with this family.
It was not my place to tell those parents what I was thinking. I wish it was.
I had the misfortune of meeting a very ugly woman. Outwardly, she was dressed very well. She was put together. Some of you, if you looked at her, would’ve found this woman in her early 30s to be physically attractive. The ugliness came from inside.
I was at the courthouse parking lot in White Plains, which also serves as the parking lot for the White Plains Library. It waiting our turn to pay for the meter, somehow some conversation started at wound up about what was going on in New York City Wall Street occupation. I know that I mentioned, more under my breath than anything else, that 100 of the protesters had been arrested instead of giving up the space in the Park.
Her next comment: ” I know. Those lazy bastards need to get a job.”
Are you stunned?
My comment: ” Are you kidding me!? I am out of work. I can’t find a job. You… get me a job? Huh? I need a job?” And she just walked away from me as fast as her pointy expensive shoes could take her.
The haves and the have nots.
I had just had a discussion with some one the previous night (someone whose opinion and knowledge I respect and admire: NOTE – all facts that I am going to present are from this person. She presented this information while I was discussing my feeling feelings and opinions; so, I am supporting what she presented to me in total accord) about the occupation of Wall Street and in other areas of our country. It is costing the municipalities a tremendous amount of money for a protest that, while semi-peaceful, has absolutely no purpose other than to say ” I don’t like what you’re doing.” There is absolutely no clear concise agenda or, in my mind, anything that deals with solving the problem. Any problem.
I have railed here often about that fact; if you going to complain, come up with some solutions and do something about it. Playing the complain complain complain game is a total waste of time and it completely diffuses and obfuscates the real problems. Case in point: the Bank of America withdrawal of personal accounts when they decided they just wanted to make more money off of the common person. An action was decided on, it was enacted, and Bank of America backed off.
I believe in protest, but I believe in problem solving more.
I do not believe in violence and nonsensical rhetoric. It gets us nowhere.
Why do I feel that this is part of the creativity series?
It is time all of us to find creative solutions to the problems that we face is very un-united United States. If you think that this country is not a laughing stock to the rest of the world, imo, you are sadly mistaken.
What we are doing right now is not working. Doing the same old again and again and again is putting this into a spiral that goes far beyond the financial crisis of the world. I am not sure I have the intelligence or the finesse to offer any problem solving myself. I do feel that we do need extreme critical and creative team work to take care of the problems that we face.
“We look at parents as partners. We’re partners in working towards their kids’ success. The last thing we want to do is to get in this adversarial relationship, but when you’ve exhausted every available option, there must be some bottom line, and there must be some point where you say you must obey the law.”
Education of and for the children is 24/7, 365 days a year. Period. It does not happen solely in the school building, or whatever “institution of education” you subscribe to. If a parent is NOT involved, then they are not doing their job. It’s a shame so many have to work with hardships (financial; little to no familial support; etc). I do empathize. BUT…once you’ve brought a child onto this planet, YOU have a commitment that has to override everything else: take care of the kid, show him/her discipline, focus, love, and leading a proper path (which to me is do no harm to yourself or others, and work to the best of your abilities..and then go one step more).
When you baby your babies, you are doing them harm. When you force the school systems to baby your babies, you are really doing them harm. When you support your child’s laziness and bad habits, you are doing them harm. When you threaten but do not follow through with ANY type of consequence, you are doing them harm. When you reward your baby for doing what they are supposed to do, you are doing them harm. When you create an adversarial relationship with your partner-THE SCHOOL & TEACHERS ARE YOUR PARTNER-, you are doing a tremendous amount of harm.
If you don’t see any of the above as actual problems in your parenting style, then you are REALLY doing them, your babies, your children, your charges, your wards, your life… harm.
There are many parents to applaud. I do really believe that, with everything I write. I also believe that there are many teachers, administrators and school systems that are applaud worthy. I do. They need the press MORE than the negative ones that make me and others like me vent.
We should Celebrate more then rehash our venting, so…
I HAVE A CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF YOU:
Write a paragraph or so and send it to me about an AMAZING parent/teacher partnership; an amazing parent/school partnership; ANY outstanding Parent/Education partnership.
I really want to write about these things and post them, especially as we are soon ready to enter the new school year.
Let US know. Send me that email and YOUR story, or another, will become it’s own posting.
So…you open your mouth, not even so much in condemnation, but with inquiry, with suggestions, possible solutions…
Oh, wait… that type of person, educator or not, is often frowned upon. Branded a trouble maker, not having Team Spirit, not following the herd, well, you better run, duck and cover… it’s a bumpy road ahead of you. That is, if they don’t fine a way to get rid of you, somehow.
Keep to the status quo, stay silent, vote the way we want you to vote, don’t upset the apple cart, and please: We’ve always done it this way! What are you? A radical?
Whenever death may surprise us, let it be welcome if our battle cry has reached even one receptive ear and another hand reaches out to take up our arms. Che Guevara
I sent out an interview/questionnaire to a number of people who have voiced concerns about the state of education today. Some, I never heard from. A few tell me that what I’ve asked is too much (12 questions) for them to devote any time to (that one I don’t get). Others are in the process of writing, with research and more. A few have asked to remain anonymous.
Before you cry “chicken” or “Stand and Deliver!” or whatever, understand: there is a lot of petty revenge that goes on in school administration and with policy makers. They can be vindictive, and jobs can be threatened (and right now, with our tanking economy, I understand the need to protect yourself but still want your voice heard. I have shot myself in the foot a number of times over the years, but I don’t suffer fools gladly.
Q&A #1
1. Why do you care about the educational system of today?
I am a teacher - I care about kids and the future.
2. What is your background (short bio)?
I was an unhappy student, and initially a reluctant teacher. I am now quite inspired and fulfilled with much of that job. I teach a variety of theatre arts classes in an urban magnet school grades 6 – 12.
3. What do you feel is an overriding problem(s) educators are facing today?
Apathy, cell phones, internet. Kids will do almost anything for a grade but don’t value their own learning.
4. How do you feel this problem (these problems) can be solved?
I don’t know.
5. What changes/paradigm shifts do you feel are necessary?
Experiental learning over testing – a given. But that’s easy…
6. What is your view on Process vs. Product?
Yes, I work hard to create a great product but I would toss that away for a rewarding process any day…it’s all about the journey.
7. Do you believe Arts-In-Education are important? Yes or No, can you please explain why you feel that way?
Yes!! You can learn almost any core subject from a book, the internet or TV. The arts help you to learn about yourself as a creative being, as an individual with a voice, as a member of society.
8. If you believe we should replace the Standardized Testing process, what form of assessment do you feel the students would benefit more from and the policy makers would be “happiest” with? If you agree with Standardized Testing, could you please explain why?
I do believe that Standardized Testing should go. Not sure on an alternate form of assessment.
9. What role do you feel parents/guardians should have with the schools?
A school should be a community with parents being a essential voice within that community.
Q & A #2
1. Why do you care about the educational system of today? As an overall human, it is the means by which we are creating our next generation. I have gotten into discussions with others about the funding of education and I maintain that while my wife and I will never be able to have children, we will benefit from a good educational system. I’d rather live in a society that is better educated than mine. As an educator….well, if I don’t care about the educational system then I am living a lie. I am an educator because I was put on this earth to be one and help others.
2. What is your background (short bio)? Arts for many years. History Teacher through a non-traditional licensing program.
3. What do you feel is an overriding problem(s) educators are facing today? Bloated and misunderstanding/selfish management struggling with “higher expectations” and smaller funding. The “education crisis” of today cries of the same worries about our educational system in the 50′s after Sputnik and the 80′s when “competing with Japan.” The newest wrinkles include economic recession(s), a chip on some shoulders that an earlier generation was wronged when in school and a lack of understanding from prior generations that the world/business model has changed. The old methods cannot work anymore because the job market has changed so drastically. It isn’t an academic link but this video made quite an impression on me a couple of years ago and it is still powerful (I’m going to have to send the link separately – it won’t let me without erasing everything else).
4. How do you feel this problem (these problems) can be solved? Stop trying to fix things with a broad, simple brushstroke. Swallow some pride and look in and outside of America to see what works. These are problems that need to be worked on by EVERYONE (politicians – though most major decisions need to be made on a very local basis as needs change from place to place, administrators, teachers, all of the adult family unit). The family unit is so important in the early cognitive development. We cannot regulate what goes on in the family, but educators need to reach out to the families in a more proactive way. I have seen too many times when families and educators view each other as the enemy. There are school systems that work well with the communities and those are usually the ones that show higher scores in testing.
5. What changes/paradigm shifts do you feel are necessary? In addition to the above there are too many teachers that simply give reading assignments, handouts with fill in the blank from those reading assignments, power point lecture with the answers to those fill in the blanks and give a (most of the time multiple guess) test over those hand outs. Educators cannot go about things with the same approach at all times. Besides, our students need to learn to reason, life is not multiple guess.
6. What is your view on Process vs. Product? Both need to be assessed at all times. The results of the process should be seen in the product and the results of the product should assess the process.
7. Do you believe Arts-In-Education are important? Yes or No, can you please explain why you feel that way? Yes. This is another area where “groups” should be working more closely. One can find most if not all of the “academic” classes in every medium of the arts. Both “arts” and “academic” educators need to find these connections and find a way to work together. Repetition is very important in education and being able to find where these intersections take place will only be beneficial to the students. Besides, it will help when overlapping learning styles.
8. If you believe we should replace the Standardized Testing process, what form of assessment do you feel the students would benefit more from and the policy makers would be “happiest” with? If you agree with Standardized Testing, could you please explain why? I believe there is a place for standardized testing, but too much emphasis is placed on it. There are many types of non-traditional assessments as well that can measure what our students are learning. I understand that agreeing what types should be included and cost can become an issue, but we must have multiple methods of assessing learning.
9. What role do you feel parents/guardians should have with the schools? Educators and administrators are partners of parents/guardians when it comes to the education of the children. We are all a part of a community and all should be treated as such.
10. You can create the ideal school:what THREE things must be in place that are non-negotiable? Strong Leadership with great communication; Firm, yet flexible (when appropriate) discipline; and respect for knowledge/learning.
The other day on FaceBook, a meme went around asking you to write a one word descriptive about someone using the THIRD letter of your first name. Then copy and paste the conditions on your own wall and continue to infinity (and beyond). It was fairly short lived (I have not seen it go viral beyond the first couple of days) but I got one very interesting A word that someone posted about me:
Anarchist.
A definition of Anarchist, by way of Dictionary.Com is:
a person who promotes disorder or excites revolt against any established rule, law, or custom.
A more extreme definition, also through Dictionary.com is:
a person who seeks to overturn by violence all constituted forms and institutions of society and government, with no purpose of establishing any other system of order in the place of that destroyed.
I tend to feel that if I am an Anarchist, I would hold that I more of the first definition than the latter. I do wish us to revolt against the established rule and makers of law ::;coughRepublicansAttackingTeachers&theArtsRepublicanscough:::: in that I feel that what they are doing is serving the almighty dollar and not what I felt this country was supposed to be basically about:
Government of the people, by the people, for the people… Abraham Lincoln
So…am I an anarchist? Have I not written just a teeny tiny bit about my indignation at the state of Education, the cuts to the Arts, the decimation of Arts-In-Education, the dumbing down and installation of a confederacy of dunces in our public schools? (*btw, if you have not read the book A Confederacy of Dunces, then you really should, and ASAP). Do I wish we got off of this juggernaut of mediocrity and separation of classes that is strongly being pushed down our throats? Do I wish we would stand up to the Bloomberg’s and his bean counters, the Big Money that has destroyed the economics of this country, the lazy and mean spirited who bully their way into so many factions of our lives?
Yes…in this case, I’m an ANARCHIST…and I’m OK!
Remember, remember…the Fifth of November…
What Are You Going To Do? Aren’t We Complacent Enough?
I have been hinting (“yeah, hinting, Stu…real subtle”, some may say) that Public School education in the United States is in deep dog doo. Why else are we in the mid-twenties in world classification of education? Why are there working methodologies and practices IN PLACE in the world, and, overall, the US Education policy makers ignore them? Why are Private Schools exceeding and Public Schools barely turn out the functioning illiterates
Before anyone jumps on me with “not MY child!”… check their spelling, grammar and reading WITHOUT computer spell and grammar checks. Go ahead…we’ll wait. Ready? OK..some of you, congrats. Your child beat the system. Most have not.
So…I’m not going to beat around the..ahem…bush any longer:
I believe there is a deliberate plan of mediocrity for
public school education in place across the United States.
NOTE: The following is MY opinion, after years of working in Education in a variety of roles: Classroom Teacher; Teaching Artist; Arts Administrator; Education Admin in City Hall; and as an Arts-in-Education Performer;Professional Development Facilitator
I’m not the only one. Just about an hour before I started to write this blog (which I’ve been building up to), I got this comment to one of my recent blogs:
“I want to clue you in on a little secret here. The powers that be in America want a vast separation between 2 classes of people; the elite and the peons. There are many factors coming in to play and has been in the works now for decades. The dysfunction of public education is one of them. The masses become ignorant. Haven’t you noticed how the government and corporations are keeping us all very busy busy busy doing nothing nothing nothing? More red tape, more laws, more taxes, etc….that many people are too busy to make waves about what is really going on. Longer story to this…much bigger one indeed.”
Before anyone gets nutsy on me, I have a challenge for you: please do some fact checking on how many current Politicians and other Policy Makers have or had children &/or grandchildren in Public School? How many have been in Private and then Ivy School education? How many were sent overseas for their education?
Money Not Brains
Just because someone is born into money, or makes it, does NOT mean that they are better than anyone else. People with money and power will often act that way ::coughTrumpcough::: but, really…Really?
No…but…here’s the thing: if we had better education for the masses, where would we get our lower class and lower class workers? Why do the rich and connected get their kids into the “better” schools, with the better educational values (see the comparison in NYC English Language Arts to a Private School’s ELA program: Public vs Private Schools and you tell me which will turn out the better student)? Is it because they ARE smarter? Or is it just that they have better connections and the money to do it?
Why would Robber Baron Bloomberg buy a theory to put in schools, a theory that was successful on an Ivy League school campus, in a controlled education lab, but never really properly field tested in urban city schools? Why would a Mayor who says he is for education put a woman in charge who had NO education experience and who sent her own kids to private school? Why would this business man-not a politician, a business man- decide that cutting thousands of teachers (which, btw, is his little ploy: he scares you with big numbers, then gets what he wants and no one says BOO when he cuts a smaller amount…it’s all smoke and mirrors with this crook in charge) is the best policy if he was for education? Bloomberg would never have put people or programs so totally wrong into place in his own business.
Education Policy Makers: Twits In Charge
Our politicians and education policy makers are self serving and have an agenda that has nothing to do with the betterment of public school students. It’s money in their pockets; promises for their families, friends and allies; and upholding the agenda of Big Money.
Let’s be honest: we have an uncivil war on education going on right now. It’s self serving. Why should the banks who screwed this country, and the men and women who did it, get away with it, while the working people are accused of the pilfering? Why are the elderly and poor losing benefits to help them LIVE? Why the attacks on a “socialistic” health care system so EVERYONE can have health care (and we already have Socialistic programs in place in this country: the US Post Office? Most Police and Fire Fighters?)
Hypocrisy in action, difusing the real goal: Keep the Masses off kilter and confused. He who shouts loudest wins.
I had never really believed in conspiracy theories, but after everything that has gone down in the last couple of years (if not more, thanks to President Stupid) has led me to feel that what is happening is not negligence but is criminally planned out. We will have students and parents and teachers who find themselves able to escape this trap. There are some amazing examples of this all over the place, and I’m sure you can cite some yourself.
For everyone you cite, though, there are thousands of students who are being dumbed down on purpose, and we are not taking up a cry against this on a daily basis.
Right now, schools are on summer vacation. Summer schools and year round schools are working, but the majority of teachers, and parents, are on vacation mentally in regards to school (yeah, generalization: sue me). The problems build and build, and we either react or shrug our shoulders and say “You can’t fight City Hall.”
YES WE FUCKING CAN!
We’ve just been told for so long that we can’t, so we believe it.
Pass this on to parents, teachers, principals, any educator, any activist who cares about your children, and your children’s children, AND THIS COUNTRY THAT SO MANY SAY THEY CARE ABOUT.
PROVE IT!
Say NO to Teacher Cuts, Budget Cuts, Cramming for Testing and
all the things that are hurting our youth and our future.
It was by kismet-accident that I came across Sally “Alex” Poppe. While trying to find someone with a similar name on LinkedIn, I came across Alex’s profile and thought Comrade in Arms. We connected on the site and I had the extreme pleasure of meeting her for an enlightening meeting about websites, SEO’s…and education issues. We found a lot of commonality and it is my pleasure to have her write this very positive guest blog.
Bio:Sally “Alex” Poppe is a creative instigator with broad experience across Marketing, Education, Theatre Arts, and Consulting. She combines elements from all disciplines to develop strategy and exceed goals. Having worked in the United States, Scotland, Poland, Turkey, and Ukraine, she brings a global perspective and cultural curiosity to problem-solving. For a complete professional profile, please visit Sally “Alex” Poppe at LinkedIn.
Creativity is as important in education as literacy,” expounds acclaimed British educator and leader in the development of innovation and human resources Sir Ken Robinson.[i] As an ESL teacher in the United States and abroad, I have used traditional theatre techniques and Theatre of the Oppressed exercises in addition to traditional grammar and skills teaching to foster second language acquisition. These methods produce huge gains in communicative fluency and accuracy as measured by traditional test metrics and FCE, TOEIC, and TOEFL scores. More importantly, they also encourage students to explore their cognitive potential and foster camaraderie and team work. That is why I believe arts funding should come to the forefront of scholastic agenda formation. It should not be treated as a budgetary leftover. The particular case study I will use for this discussion involves a group of ten 13 to 16 year-old Ukrainian girls I taught in a language school in Kiev during 2009-2010. Their English class was in addition to their regular academic curriculum and afterschool activities. In the spring, the school sponsored a project week where most classes make posters. Using four 90 minute periods these girls created and shot a 20 minute film in English. The entire process was conducted in English.
One of the reasons this project was so successful was because I had used theatre based techniques throughout the school year. The students were eager to participate because the activities were engaging. They could get out of their chairs, move around the space, become collaborators and architects in the progress of their own lessons. This inspired their trust in me and also in each other. Strong friendships were formed that existed outside of the classroom, even though the girls attended different high schools. I had similar feedback from my adult Ukrainian students which is remarkable because culturally students do not maintain their friendships outside the school. Getting the girls to agree on a theme for the film was a lesson in negotiation. I moderated with very limited input. Practicing speaking and listening skills, the girls brainstormed story ideas, met in small group to discuss story development, then voted on the plot they wanted to explore. Within this class session, we studied the idea of a story having a beginning, a middle, and an end, thereby practicing reading skills.
Once they had agreed on a story idea, we set to work on character. During the next period, I led the class through a group of character building exercises based on theatre techniques developed by Tim Phillips (character as if), Moni and Mina Yakim (physical manifestation of character), and Andrea Haring (vocal center for the character). I used Theatre of the Oppressed techniques to discover what was at stake for their characters. The girls were interested because it was new for them and participated whole-heartedly. For them it was fun, and a break from traditional class work.
All creative work was practiced in the target language of English. Their writing homework that night involved creating their own character’s personal back story and imagining their character’s future. The writing homework synthesized many grammar tenses we had studied in traditional ways throughout the year. During the next session, the girls broke down the story into scenes which they wrote outlines for and then improvised in rehearsal. This session was gratifying for me because I could see them thinking and creating in the moment in the target language. They weren’t thinking about grammar or translating. They were creating in English. The last session was the day we shot the film. We did a rehearsal of each scene and shot a take. One student took the film home and edited it on a computer.
The story they chose to tell was a celebration of their friendship and a projection into the future of how their lives would be. I was touched they chose to celebrate their friendship, for they had truly become a team. The use of creative exercises had broken down physical barriers because they were often out of their seats doing non-traditional activities that required team work, trust, and cooperation. The projection into the future opened up their minds to all the possibilities available to them. I have since received poems and songs created by my students in their free time.
[i] Tischler, Linda. “IDEO’s David Kelley on ‘Design Thinking.’” Fast Company 1 Feb 2009.
