Bribes, Lies and Compromise

I believe the title sums up my thoughts on parenting.

Bribes...
Why does it seem that every time you want or need your child to do something, there's a price tag attached to it. "I will give you candy if you sit still and allow me to cut your hair." "Whoever gets in their car seat first gets a prize." There just seems to be this constant stream of backroom deals and bartering on a constant and daily basis.

Lies...
Oh, everyone's favorite. If you don't want to do something...well...parents just lie instead of going through the full explanation or actually telling the truth. I can't count the number of things that happen to be "broken", "closed", "lost", or "yucky". Mommy/daddy can we go to the park and play on the swings. "Sorry pumpkin, the swings are broken". Can we use..." I think it's lost, maybe we can find it later". The best kept secret of all is the vanishing act. Anything that comes into the house and we want to get rid of it, either vanishes while they sleep or when the kids are out of the house.

Compromise...
The compromise and bribe and definitely close cousins. However, it's not so much about the thing they receive but the trade-off that occurs. If you want to go to the park, you have to first clean up.

What have I become?

Black Friday

If you have ever gone to the stores after the black Friday crowd has dissipated, there isn't much left.  Everything has been rummaged through and all the good stuff is gone.  The only thing that remains are those items that no one wants.  You have to settle for what remains or get nothing.  If you plan on getting the good stuff, you better get there early and have a plan.

That strategy is fine for shoppers and bargain hunters, but should we treat education that way?

I ask that question to raise this point.  As the charter school movement grows and people start talking about vouchers, what will become of public education?  Charter schools and private schools will continue to pick and choose the best students, and only those they believe can be successful.  When you have the cream of the crop, surely your scores and rate of success will be well above the average.  When you compare their success to public school's, the obvious conclusions are hard to ignore.

If public education is broken, fix it.  Charter and private schools have 3 tools at their disposal that public schools do not; flexible pay for teachers, union free workplace and student screening.  The ability to pick who enrolls in your school is the single most controlling factor.

I neither want the ability to screen students, nor do I think that is the solution.  Everyone deserves an education.  Some should receive a college prep education and others should be preparing for a vocational job.  Do you pass more professional employers or vocational jobs as you drive around your city?  The majority of problems in public schools are students whose needs are not being met.  They have no interest in what's being taught and will probably not be successful in college.  Studies show that two-thirds of students in college are not prepared for college or able to succeed in college.

The time and day is very near when public schools will only have the students that no one else wants.  Unfortunately, these schools will still be measured by the same ruler as charter and private schools.

Open Letter to the superintendent

Mr. Runcie,

I have written this letter mentally for the past three years, but finally decided to put it on paper. Like you, I began my education in Jamaica. At age 10, I entered the Broward County Public School system by enrolling in Plantation Middle. I continued my education at Plantation High School, where I graduated in 1987. Upon my graduation, I attended Davidson College, graduated in 1991 and returned to Broward County.

My teaching career began at Cooper City High School in the fall of 1992, where I spent 4 years teaching several subjects under the dropout prevention umbrella. The next 7 years were spent teaching Algebra at Flanagan and McArthur. My last seven years were spent as an assistant principal at Stranahan High and my current location of Northeast High School. As this is my 19^th year, one year was spent as a behavior specialist at Stranahan High School.

That’s enough of my story. I’m writing to share my thoughts with you regarding the state of education in Broward County and, so some extent, the nation. I don’t claim to have every answer, but I have an answer to a significant question, that everyone seems to be dodging.

How do we serve the roughly 25% of students who enter kindergarten at age 5 with great potential but dropout somewhere along the way? Nationally, 40% of Black and Hispanic students do not graduate on time. I have long disliked the term dropout. We make the incorrect assertion that a child would just want to give up and quit on their education. However, that is what dropping out means to me. I prefer to call them unserved, instead of dropouts. Though unfortunate, it appropriately places the blame on the producer, us, rather than the consumer, the student. As I previously stated, no one just “drops out” and quits on their future. We have not been able to meet their needs.

Everyone is not going to college. I know, that’s not a very popular or politically correct thing to say. If we want to be honest with students, parents and each other, we would find it hard to disagree with that assertion. If I told all my students that they all capable of running the 100 meters in the Olympics and defeating the likes of Usain Bolt, everyone would call me insane or state that I have unrealistic expectations. I believe that those who think every child has the academic, social or economic support system that a college prep curriculum requires, bare that same level of insanity.

South Florida has the largest private marine industry in the world. South Florida is also the choice of millions who seek a warm climate to spend their retirement years. South Florida, the Sunshine State, is very hot, all the time. Do we have vocational programs that support those three industries? Can a child graduate high school with the skills required to gain employment in any of those areas?

I would answer no to all those questions. I say no, not because students are not applying themselves and pursuing those interests, rather, we have failed to identify those who have a particular vocational interest and steer them in that direction. A child who graduates high school with training and certification in the marine industry, air conditioning repair or home health service would never want for employment. Instead, we push students towards a goal or path that they neither want nor are capable of attaining. Furthermore, it is not until they have failed miserably that we reach out to them and provide adult vocational courses, like the ones at Northeast High School.

Northeast High School offers welding and AC classes to adults through the community school program. Imagine a freshman student who is able to study either or those programs throughout their high school career. At age 18 they would have a marketable skill and the ability to earn a comfortable income. A high school diploma has no earning potential because we have placed all our eggs in one basket, graduate high school and go to college.

I envision a district with vocational centers in each of the three areas. Vocational centers that cater to all students, instead of simply focusing on the high tech careers, like McFatter and Atlantic Tech.

My initial assertion was that I wanted to increase the graduation rate. I am looking beyond that. I would like to see the students graduate with true earning potential. We celebrate graduation rate and ignore the millions of students who wake the morning after graduation and realize the paper in their hands is worthless. They have no career, no marketable skills, no means of earning a living, and most depressing of all, no direction. They are essentially back to square one. Yet, we boast and beat our chests about graduation rates.

Mr. Runcie, I hope in moving forward, the Broward County Public School system will seek to serve all children. With the aid of a heavy hammer, we can force a square peg into a round hole. Unfortunately, both the hole and the peg will be damaged. Students and schools are being battered and beaten everyday by a system that needs a change of focus and direction. Schools are viewed in a less than flattering light and parents are seeking other educational alternatives.

Hopefully this honest reflection of my educational and professional thoughts positively serves the district and our Broward County families.

Jobs vs. Profit = GREED

When I drive by the car dealers I see the same number of cars on the lot as there were before the financial crisis. When I walk into the supermarket, the shelves are fully stocked. Public schools are still open and accepting everyone who walks in the door. I have not been anywhere and faced disappointed because there is a shortage or lack of supplies.

So, if unemployment is at 9.2%, who is making all these things and providing services? What a great question. Hope to answer it shortly.

Businesses laid-off thousands over the past two years. The workers that were left had to pick up the slack, because production couldn't suffer. So, fewer workers are creating the same number of products and services. Companies are now charging more for the same goods.

What does this all mean?

Businesses now have smaller payrolls...smaller overhead.

Though they cut employees, production is still at all time highs.

Businesses are charging more for the same goods and services...larger profits.

How can these same companies claim that times are tough and they can't afford to expand their workforce. I believe they need to come clean and state clearly what's going on. Let's try this statement...We are not hiring more workers, because the ones we have now are working their butts off and profits are through the roof.

"Everyday you go a well, one day the bottom a go drop out." Bob Marley

No Brainer

In March 2001 I treated myself to a birthday present. My cousin had a Jetta and I was amazed by all the options the of VW at that price. So I test drove the car a bought a silver bullet. Couldn't stop there...changed the suspension and added 18" rims with low profile tires. The stereo needed no upgrading, because VW has a great sound system. Because this was a new model and body style, the VW sales people would actually come outside to see the car when I came in for service (New model, customized, but not overboard).

Ten Years Later

Fast forward 10 years and my need to impress everyone who sees me driving down the road is at a lifetime low. Basically, been there done that. Repairs...there's nothing easy or cheap about fixing a VW. All the parts that need repairing are tucked well inside the engine and require hours of labor. At $99/hour, mechanic labor on an import car ain't cheap. Every trip to the mechanic was a car payment and the number of trips were becoming more frequent.

Civics lesson

This isn't your ordinary civics lesson, nor does this have anything to do with education. A month ago I sold the Passat for $2000 and bought a 2002 Civic for $5000. As some used cars would have it, the Civic took all that $2000 to become reliable and ready for the road. It still aint no peach but it gets me from point A to B. I had plans to do minor cosmetic repairs, paint the exterior and add rims to the civic. Let's just say that I installed a stereo, four speakers and had the window tinted, nada mas. Since all the bumps and bruises are on the passenger side and I rarely go over there, no more repairs needed. Out of sight out of mind. Rims...yeah right. As stated previously, been there done that.

The No Brainer

The Passat had a 14 gallon tank, which had to be filled every week, with Super Unleaded. The Civic's tank is 10 gallons, which I fill every two weeks with regular unleaded. The passat gas bill was approximately $2,800 annually. The civic will cost me $949. That's already an $1800 savings.

No so happy ending

We also bought a used 2001 Yukon fit for a presidential motorcade, but we'll use it for the twins and mommy to ride in. I couldn't have momma and babies in no Smart car, tin can. So all the gas calculations will be poured into that beast. For a brief moment, I thought some extra pocket change was coming my way.

Consignment

Many US congressmen are upset that tax dollars are being spent on the missiles that are being fired in Libya. I guess the weapon manufacturers are selling bombs and missiles on consignment. We only pay for them after we use it. How can someone speak such nonsense every day and have people who believe it.

We do not want to use tax payer dollars on this war!!!!!!

Hello...all the bombs, missiles, jets, ships, and weapons are already paid for. Whether the US fires them or not, they have already been bought. Sadly enough, there are those who really believe this nonsense. Also, whether we are at war or not, the members of the armed forces get paid and the ships use fuel.

What if the US did not join the humanitarian mission and thousands were slaughtered? I could just hear them now...President Obama is soft and needs to get tougher. How could he sit by while innocent citizens are being killed. So, it didn't matter what he did. There will always be those who will say black when he says white.

I'm as anti-violence and anti-war as the next person, but I understand why this country does what it does at times. When the US does it with the consent and partnership of the UN, that's a far cry from the missions of the past.

What's the difference between a team owner and a player? The ability to walk and think clearly after the age 50.

I love football as much as the next person. Far too many people are on the side of the owners and look at the players as greedy. When owners look for more money it's good business. On the contrary, players who want their piece of the pie are plain ole greedy.

Roll Call of Owner's worth:

Jerry Jones...$2B

Robert Kraft...$1.5B

Dan Snyder...$1.1B

Athletes

In May 2009, Forbes magazine estimated that Tiger Woods's total net worth is $600 million. His career earnings total over $1 billion. Forbes has forecast that by the end of 2010 he will be a billionaire. There are no football players that are remotely close to the net worth of Tiger or any football owner.

There have been studies related to football that address the violence of a tackle. A football collision or tackle has been compared to a car crash. How many owners are willing to withstand the damage and abuse of repeated car wrecks? How many are willing to put their bodies in danger ever snap of the ball. Most of them sit in private booths with air conditioning and catered meals.

I won't owner bash without pointing out the lavish life style of the players as well. But, if I have to put the money in the hands of those who put it on the line everyday, I'm for the players every time.

I almost forgot about all the workers at the stadiums who will have no jobs this year. For all I care, they can just play college basketball and football all year.