Snack Food Ban Might Make For An Interesting Debate

Or maybe it wouldn't.

From CNN.com:

Snacks sold in schools will have less fat, sugar and salt under the latest crackdown on junk food won by former President Clinton.

Just five months after a similar agreement targeting the sale of sodas in schools, Clinton and the American Heart Association announced a deal Friday with several major food companies to make school snacks healthier -- the latest assault on the nation's childhood obesity epidemic.

I think the idea behind the debate is to get a political conservative and a political liberal to shoot it out at the OK Corral, not to talk about something as mundane (yet directly applicable to students) as snack foods at school.

Does it take me to ask if Clinton's popularity as President would have suffered among teenagers had he tried to get this through during his time in office? And wasn't he especially fond of Big Macs?

What gives here?

Deaf Students Take Over College Building

My thoughts on this are somewhat jumbled. I admit I've never understood this whole "deaf culture" thing, and in fact the deaf often seem to have a real chip on their shoulder regarding those of us who can hear.

I used to live on a Gallaudet Drive (although not in DC), across the street from a school for the deaf. A close friend was learning sign language and volunteered to help the students at the school--field trips, things like that. He said it was brutal what those students would try to get away with regarding those who weren't fluent in ASL.

I've read about deaf parents not wanting their children to have cochlear implants (or other technologies) because hearing would take the child out of "deaf culture". I know they value their culture, but they shouldn't be surprised when the rest of us view their condition as a disability. That doesn't make them terrible people, it just means that they can't do something most people on the planet can do--they can't hear. To deprive a child of hearing because of your culture--well, seems selfish to me. I certainly wouldn't entertain having government force them to accede to the surgery, but neither do I celebrate their decision not to allow it.

So back to the story. These deaf students took over a college building because they don't like the fact that the new university president isn't "deaf enough". She didn't learn ASL until her 20s and they don't consider her fluent in the language. Apparently, only someone who's been steeped in the deaf culture since birth can effectively run this university.

These particular students are showing exactly the type of intolerance that I bet they accuse the hearing world of showing towards them.

Fasting During Ramadan

I figure I'm staying focused on this blog if 60-70% of my most recent posts are related to education. If 2/3 of my posts are related to education, that's pretty good. In the last few days, though, I'm dropping precipitously below that threshold.

Like with this post. I was scanning the news sites and blogosphere, looking for something about education that I felt strongly enough to comment on, and this is what shows up on my computer screen:

Deliberate masturbation during the month of Ramadan renders a fast invalid, Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khameini has ruled.

Sorry. I'll keep looking.

Hat tip to Miller's Time (no relation, and see blogroll at left).

The Great Debate At School

For the second year in a row, a student has come to me and asked me to debate one of our uber-lib teachers at lunchtime. To be honest, I'm lukewarm about doing this. If I'm going to give up my (sacred) lunchtime for something, it needs to be something big. The question becomes, what would we debate that would be of value to our students?

Some students say the obvious topic is the Iraq War. Yawn. There's nothing to debate. I can't imagine that disinterested students would walk by on the quad, hear the debate on this topic, and decide to stop and pay attention. My guess is that most people, even students, already have their minds made up on this topic. There would be no point in debating it.

Last spring when I was first approached about this, my colleague and I tossed a few topics back and forth. Neither of us liked what the other came up with. Well, except for one. He emailed "How about gay marriage?" I replied, "No problem. I get the 'pro' side." That ended that topic.

I really don't know what we could debate that's genuinely open for debate and would interest students during lunch. Suggestions?

The Foley Story

I've been asked to discuss the ex-Congressman Foley story. I'd prefer not to, as I doubt I'd add much that hasn't been said by someone else in the 24/7 coverage we've had over the last week. I did, however, find something succinct that summarizes, exactly, my take on the whole thing:

The Mark Foley scandal is emblematic of everything that reeks about modern US politics. This story has it all: scummy politicians abusing positions of power, cover-ups, overheated accusations, political grandstanding by outrageous hypocrites, and wall to wall salacious coverage from the drooling mainstream media.

Democrats have nothing to say that isn't hypocritical. The few times I've heard House Speaker Hastert on what should be friendly (right-leaning) radio talk shows, he's hemmin' and hawwin' and sounding like he has something to hide. I wonder what the gay press is saying about all this--do they bash a fellow gay "daddy", at their own expense, because he's a Republican, or do they remain silent and not help the Democrats on this one?

This is ugly, it's out of control, and I'm sick of it.

The Name of *This* Education-Related Web Site Took Me Aback

Kill Your Teacher.

"Kill Your Teacher" examines, exposes, and places the blame for corruption and racism in Los Angeles City Schools. This is a terrifying narrative about an orthodox Jewish rabbi's fight for civility and academic standards in the classroom- all in a climate of death threats, assaults, and verbal abuse. Scholars and researchers are welcome to request specific memoranda and letters from Dorsey High School administrators and UTLA union representatives in the most egregious instances of harassment and "cultural diversity."

It is hoped that exposing the ugly side of the playing of the race card in today's inner city schools will contribute, finally, to a truly open dialog about race relations, the value of education, and the type of America that will endure and rise to the tremendous challenges facing her in the future.

Kill Your Teacher is the title of a book--written by a rabbi. How surprised can I be, when we learn about this?

Teacher Meme

I saw this over at Coach Brown's (see A Passion for Teaching and Opinions in the blogroll at left) and decided to try it here myself. My guess is that some of my answers will surprise some people--because I'm honest.

1. I am a good teacher because: I'm competent in the material and can convey it to most students in a reasonably efficient manner.

2. If I weren't a teacher I would be: in manufacturing again, probably. I've been a manufacturing manager and a projects manager, and I was pretty good at those jobs. May as well play to your strengths, I say.

3. My teaching style is: relaxed, but authoritative (as opposed to authoritarian). I have rules, I enforce them, and I don't think there's any doubt who's in charge in the classroom (that would be me!), but the atmosphere is fairly relaxed. There's joking and needling overlayed on a veneer of calmness. You don't have to be tense (or intense) to learn math, and I'd rather we all got the mission accomplished while enjoying ourselves in the process.

4. My classroom is: an island at school. Only one wall has any student work on it, another wall has some math-oriented comics on it, there are non-math-related quotes on different walls, rules exist there that don't exist in any other classroom, and the politics are right-leaning. Even though there are desks in rows as there are in every other classroom, that's where the similarity ends.

5. My lesson plans: are copied from last year's and modified where needed (I made notes on them last year to guide me this year). I know that's anathema to some people, but why reinvent the wheel? If a lesson went wrong last year, I already know what to do to fix it this year. If it worked last year, why do something different?

6. One of my teaching goals is: to cover all the state math standards. That can be difficult in Algebra II, as the standards are fairly ambitious, but it's what I'm paid to do. I take standards and accountability seriously; considering those to be hallmarks of a professional. Helping students achieve the standards they're supposed to achieve makes me more professional.

7. The toughest part of teaching is: trying to figure out how to teach students who don't "get it". When the vast majority of students understands a topic, and I've exhausted all the different ways I know of to get information across, what do I do with the kid who still doesn't understand? Speak louder and more slowly, like many Americans would to a foreigner? Or just repeat what I've already taught, hoping that this time they'll understand, if only through repetition? The toughest part of being a teacher is admitting that there are no silver bullets, no sure-fire ways to guarantee that everyone will learn what you're trying to teach. Some methods are clearly more effective than others, but that only increases your odds--it doesn't ensure a win.

8. The thing I love most about teaching is: the time it gives me to spend with my own son. In fact, that's why I became a teacher. As I tell parents at Back To School Night, my child is my first priority--their's is my second. I like having time off to take him places and do special things.

Now that I've had some time to reflect, that answer above is more like the answer to "The thing I love most about being a teacher is...." Question #8 is about teaching, not being a teacher, so I'll answer the actual question now. Honestly, I like seeing students at that moment when they understand something new, when they know something that they didn't know moments before--and knowing I had a part in creating that moment. Because I care about students and their success, I can share with them the joy of their own accomplishments.

9. A common misconception about teaching is: that teachers are dumb. Who among us hasn't heard the tired saying, "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach"? Granted, I've encountered a couple of dumb teachers. Honestly, seriously, dim bulbs. A couple of them. On the other hand, I've been overjoyed with the quality of the people I've worked with over the last 9 years. I recognize that not everyone can be a 9/9 Genius =) , but I've worked with some quality people. Politically, many are dumb as rocks (those would be the lefties)--but non-politically, I've encountered too many intellectually-gifted teachers to accept that we're all dumb. There are dim bulbs in every profession, and for some reason people like to point fingers at teachers--probably out of jealousy that we get "all that time off" for which we don't get paid! Fortunately, I just haven't seen that many of these rocks if they do, in fact, exist.

Just remember: Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach. Those who can't teach, teach P.E.!

P.S. Even some of those rocks may make good teachers, depending on how much they know about their subject matter. The rocks I've known, I don't know if they were competent teachers or not. They were/are just dumb in general, but perhaps they knew/know enough to teach students. Again, though, the number of these people is extremely small in my experience.

10. The most important thing I've learned since I started teaching is: that rapport can be as important as content knowledge. The smartest kids are going to learn whether they like or respect you or not, but the not-so-bright ones need a reason to keep struggling. Some distant "you may need this someday" isn't good enough, they need something more immediate. That something is respect for the teacher, whom they don't want to let down. Be that teacher, and the student will work hard for you. Having been in charge of people my entire adult life, I don't know why it came as a surprise to me that children operate the same way as adults do in this regard. Thankfully I relearned that lesson quickly. Had I not, my answers to numbers 1 and 3 above would be very different.

So that's my teacher meme. As you can see, I'm no SuperTeacher; my approach is very practical. Honestly, I hope I haven't disappointed anyone.

Carnival of Education

This week's is here.

How Smart Am I?`

OK, I admit that I guessed on a couple. But still!

9/9 Genius

You are 85% knowledgable and 96% intellectual. Amazing! You have an incredible brain (intellect) and a powerhouse of information (knowledge)! Keep up the impressive work-- we all bow to you.

To show how smart I am, I'm not cutting/pasting the code they gave me at the end of the quiz--that created a lot of trouble on the last one, which is why I had to cut a bunch of it out (and thereby lost the URL).

The Knowledge vs. Intellect Test

Free Speech

I like this post about free speech.

CBS apparently has a 30-second segment in which they allow someone to speak his or her mind. In one particular such segment, a father of a Columbine victim spoke.

Lots and lots of comments being left at CBS, and aside from a few people who appreciate that “free speech” means that controversial and unpopular views get aired, and that such an airing is useful in promoting dialogue, most of the comments fall into the “left” and “right” camp. Folks on the religious right are beside themselves to finally hear their views espoused in a network broadcast, folks on the left seem like they can’t quite grasp the concept of “free speech” and are making noises that such a man shouldn’t be allowed to talk on network television. They are simply not as accustomed as folks on the right are to hearing speech (on a network newscast) that offends their sensibilities.

I'd recommend reading the whole thing, including the comments.

See? I *AM* A Centrist!

Of course you lefties don't want to believe it, but I took this official internet quiz and the results are clear.

Neo-Conservative
You scored 36% Personal Liberty and 52% Economic Liberty! A neo-conservative believes in moderate to high government intervention on personal matters and moderate government intervention on economic matters. Unlike most other conservatives, they may tend to support a social safety net, though to a lesser extent then most leftists. Others are more capitalistically inclined. They tend to support war, police powers, foreign intervention and laws restricting personal liberty. Neo-conservatives tend to emphasize foreign policy. Neo-conservatism is the result of "fusion" between "old left" and "new right" tendencies.



I admit that both scores are lower than I thought they'd be, but I'm not surprised that I fall in the "centrist" category. My detractors refuse to accept it, but it's true. Here in California they think I'm a right-wing zealot, and in Utah they think I'm a flaming lib. As I've said before, I should just move to Nevada =)

My Childhood Hero Didn't Screw Up After All

Growing up I always idolized Neil Armstrong. How could I not--I wanted to be an astronaut, and he was the most astronaut-y of them all.

So imagine my disdain when, many years later, I learned about the controvery regarding his first transmitted words after stepping on the moon. Did he say "one small step for a man", or "one small step for man"? If the former, there's no problem; if the latter, his comment makes no sense.

Listen to the tapes, however, and it seems he didn't say "a man". Or did he?

Now, after almost four decades, the spaceman has been vindicated. Using high-tech sound analysis techniques, an Australian computer expert has rediscovered the missing “a” in Mr Armstrong’s famous quote. Peter Shann Ford ran the Nasa recording through sound-editing software and clearly picked up an acoustic wave from the word “a”, finding that Mr Armstrong spoke it at a rate of 35 milliseconds — ten times too fast for it to be audible.

Mr Ford’s findings have been presented to Nasa officials in Washington and to a relieved Mr Armstrong, who issued a statement saying: “I find the technology interesting and useful. I also find his conclusion persuasive....”

Officials at Nasa have met Mr Ford to discuss his findings. They have now instructed their own analysts to run in-house tests.

I hope the Australian's right. And don't you just love the British construct of not capitalizing the entire acronym for NASA?

CTEN Press Release

As an addition to the previous post, here is CTEN's initial press release:











FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Larry Sand
PHONE: 888-290-8471
EMAIL: lsand@ctenhome.org

California Teachers Launch Website to Counter Information Monopoly

(Los Angeles – October 2, 2006) Reliable information is coming to California educators, thanks to a group of fellow teachers who are determined to balance the heavily biased information they receive from their unions and school districts. Today, the California Teachers Empowerment Network launches a first-of-a-kind website for California Teachers, www.ctenhome.org, providing detailed information about educational issues and reform, options pertaining to union membership and professional liability insurance, the effect of unionism on teacher pay and strategies to affect union policy.

“Teachers are unfortunately not getting the whole picture, primarily because it comes from a single viewpoint: their union or district,” said Larry Sand, a California teacher and president of CTEN. “For example, unions take a large sum of money from their members in the form of dues, but never fully disclose where this money is spent. In fact, a significant portion of union dues goes to political causes having little or nothing to do with education. Our website intends to help empower teachers by giving them information that is difficult to come by elsewhere.”

CTEN does not advocate teachers joining or leaving the union. Instead, the website was created to inform teachers about the choices that they have, including alternative sources of legal protection and professional liability insurance, and ways to use the union’s own mechanisms to influence union policy and hold their leadership accountable for how dues are spent.

“As teachers ourselves, we know that it is very difficult to navigate the complex maze of data, especially when we are given incomplete and biased information,” said Mr. Sand.

Founded by working California teachers, the California Teachers Empowerment Network is a non-profit, non-partisan organization. In addition to providing teachers with reliable and balanced information about their profession, CTEN also seeks to provide peer support for teachers of like mind who may adopt dissenting views or make decisions that could invite criticism and strained relationships in the workplace.

California Teachers Empowerment Network

I'm happy to help announce the existence of a new organization, the California Teachers Empowerment Network. CTEN is a grassroots organization, founded by and for teachers, with the express purpose of providing all sides of the issues for teachers.

Usually teachers get only one side--from their union, or perhaps their school district. Apparently, teachers aren't trusted by their "betters" to make the right choices, so they're given only one side of the issue. CTEN plans to serve as a clearinghouse of information--a one-stop shop, as it were--where teachers can learn about all sides of an issue. We at CTEN are teachers, and we trust our fellow teachers to make their own choices, subject to their own good conscience, when they are fully informed on the issues.

What issues? Union membership is a big one, although that's not CTEN's only purpose. There are also ballot issues, and even other, single issues--like the LA teachers union's support of a boycott of and divestment from Israel. California's voters were smart enough to vote against Rob Reiner's preschool initiative in the last election, but the only information my district's teachers got (from both the district and the union) was how good that proposal was and why they should vote for it. CTEN aims to provide balance.

CTEN doesn't advocate a particular point of view. For instance, CTEN doesn't advocate that teachers should leave their union and become agency fee payers or religious objectors. CTEN does, however, think teachers should know about their options. And lest anyone think the organization is strictly anti-union, there are members who are delegates at the NEA Rep Assembly who think teachers should know how to influence the union from within if they think their union is going astray.

I encourage those of you who are California teachers to visit the CTEN home page and see for yourself what you haven't been told.

Unconscionable Move By Los Angeles Teachers Union

If you need any more evidence about the rabid leftieness of teacher unions:

Please join the Los Angeles Chapter of Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS) in launching a local boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign in support of the Palestinian people.

WHEN ? Saturday, October 14 , 2006 1 PM to 3 PM

WHERE ? United Teachers of Los Angeles Headquarters
3303 Wilshire Blvd ( 2 blocks west of Vermont )
Los Angeles, CA 90010

WHY ? To support the Palestinian people in their decades long struggle against Israeli aggression, dispossession and oppression . The Israeli government has systematically and continuously violated UN resolutions and international law in its treatment of the Palestinian people. When Israel was created in 1948, 75% of the Palestinians were forcibly dispossessed of their lands and forced into exile. Then in 1967, Israel illegally occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank, Jordan Valley and Gaza. Palestinians within Israel are forced to live as third class citizens without civil rights and face legal, economic and social discrimination. Palestinians in the Occupied Territories fare even worse since Israel illegally subjects them to demolitions, closures, curfews and checkpoints ; extra-judicial detentions, kidnappings and assassinations ; military attacks against towns and camps ; racist , apartheid policies and programs. In addition, Israel continues to illegally seize Palestinian land and annex it to Israel and currently is constructing an immense concrete wall to protect illegal Israeli settlements and to isolate and divide Palestinian towns. Israel's apartheid and racist system of oppression closely resembles that which South Africa once had but which was eventually abolished in large part due to an international grassroots, activist movement to stop financial support of the regime. HOW ? A similar campaign to support the Palestinian people has been endorsed by over 150 organizations world-wide. We in Los Angeles can join this world-wide effort to bring justice to the Palestinian people through : Boycott ( not buying Israeli products/services and boycotting companies that are invested in Israel or Israeli owned companies with a presence in Los Angeles ) Divestment ( stopping capital investment by companies doing business in Israel and by stopping trade unions , local / state governments ,churches and universities from investing their pension / endowment funds in Israeli companies , US companies invested in Israel or companies supplying Israel with military weapons ) Sanctions ( working to end US government foreign and military aid to Israel and impose a trade embargo )

Meeting Sponsored by : Los Angeles Chapter of MDS
Meeting Endorsed by : Los Angeles Palestine Labor Solidarity Committee Cafe Intifada
Meeting Hosted by : UTLA Human Rights Committee
For More Info : Call Larry Lambert , MDS member , at 818-761-3320

UTLA is the United Teachers Los Angeles, the local union.

And this has exactly what to do with the pay, benefits, and working conditions of LA teachers?

Update, 10/6/06: This is interesting. I received the following press release in an email:

October 5, 2006 – United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) has decided to cancel the use of our building for a meeting sponsored by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Movement for a Democratic Society (MDS), scheduled to be held on October 14, 2006 at UTLA Headquarters, calling for a campaign to boycott Israel.

The following statement was made today by UTLA President A.J. Duffy:

“After conferring with the Chair of the Human Rights Committee, a number of its members and others, we have decided to pull the meeting scheduled by the Human Rights Committee.”

“While as educators and union members we encourage a respectful debate on the important issues of the day, this event has provoked very sharp feelings among our members and concerns that this meeting is inappropriate.”

“We believe that to proceed with this meeting will only polarize our union members and members of the community. No one benefits from further hostility on these issues. We would hope that people of good will with differing views on the Middle East and other issues will find the appropriate settings for these discussions.”

“The following actions have been taken by UTLA:

1. We have cancelled the UTLA location for this meeting.

2. We have deleted the link on the UTLA web site to the Human Rights Committee web site and the information on this event.

3. We will be reviewing our procedures for the request of use of our facilities by all UTLA Committees.” (all boldface mine--Darren)

Are you kidding me? They didn't know this was "inappropriate" before they started getting all those cards and letters? Of course they didn't. They were going to play the leftie game--and do it with teachers' money--until people turned up the heat on them a bit.

Disgusting.

Update, 10/13/06: But wait, there's more!

Improving Math Education

One person's view.

Alberta's Schools

Maybe they're doing things right in Alberta:

Many educators acknowledge that over the past 30 years Alberta has quietly built the finest public education system in Canada. The curriculum has been revised, stressing core subjects (English, science, mathematics), school facilities and the training of teachers have been improved, clear achievement goals have been set and a rigorous province-wide testing programme for grades three (aged 7-8), six (10-11), nine (13-14) and twelve (16-17) has been established to ensure they are met...

The results are also used to improve teaching. There is currently a citywide push to ensure that all children in Edmonton can read competently by grade three (88% now can). Far from fearing private-school competition, the city's public system has embraced it: it has already absorbed three private religious schools (two Christian, one Hebrew). “In Edmonton,” says Angus McBeath, the city's recently retired schools chief, “the litmus test is that the rich send their kids to the public schools, not the private schools.”

And even dropouts in Alberta can drive trucks for the oil industry, making up there the same amount of money I can make teaching in Sacramento. There's something to be said for having a booming economy.

Goldilocks Economy

I'm off to a wedding in Santa Cruz today, so blogging will be light. Since I have to leave in less than 2 hours, I'll just post a couple links to good stuff.

Read here about our Goldilocks economy:

"We are enjoying a goldilocks economy, not too hot and not too cold." In other words, there's no economic bubble out there that's about to go "pop..."

Rising stocks, falling gas prices, low tax rates and the Goldilocks economy are powerful pluses for election-year Republicans. With so many indicators leaning positive, the Democrats aren't even talking about the economy anymore.

That last point is rather telling, I think.

Update, 10/3/06: I'll bet the press won't be giving President Bush much credit for this, either. Granted, I don't think Presidents have that much of an impact on the national economy or the stock market, but you could be sure they'd be beating him about the head and shoulders if the news was bad.

Idiot of the Week: Oliver Stone

I've considered having a weekly award of some kind, but I wonder if I have the stick-to-it-iveness to keep it going. If I were to have such an award, though, I'd consider creating the Idiot of the Week Award. This week's would go to movie director Oliver Stone, whose intellectual thoughts on terrorism will reverberate throughout the ages.

"We did not fight back in the same way that the British fought the IRA or the Spanish government fought the Basques here. Terrorism is a manageable action. It can be lived with," said Stone.

John Kerry said something like that, and look what it got him--a big "L" on his forehead. You, Oliver, can "live with" terrorism if you so desire; I'd rather be a man about it and work to put an end to that evil. No further commentary on Stone's quote is needed.

If that last quote doesn't cinch the award for you, let's hear what Oliver thinks causes the evil of terrorism:

"That's the evil that turns its mind and ears on humanity and is able to say 'I can kill a person in the name of God or religion.' This is not a human being, this a fanatic. And I fear that fanaticism is the result of our overreaction to 9/11," said Stone.

So Islamic fanatacism and terrorism are the result of our overreaction to 9/11. Then what, exactly, caused 9/11? We hadn't overreacted to it yet! We hadn't overreacted to the Africa embassy bombings, to the USS Cole, to the Khobar Towers, to the '93 World Trade Center Bombing.

The man is obviously an America-hating idiot, or at least has a severe case of Bush Derangement Syndrome. Either way, I hearby heartily offer

The Right On The Left Coast
"Idiot of the Week" Award
to
Oliver Stone

Stick to movies, pal. Leave philosophy to people with a brain.

Video Proves Bill Clinton Tried To Kill Santa Claus

Now this is funny!