Voting with our dollars.

I'm so sick of reading the words "Chick-fil-A" in my Facebook feed. So sick of it. Unsurprisingly, most of my Facebook friends are very conservative, so they seem to be all about supporting the company--kuddos for them. I've heard/read every angle on supporting the company and slamming those who don't. I don't really care how much fried chicken you're planning to eat.

The reason I started this post was because I wanted to share this article. Ever since the buzz started, I've felt uncomfortable about it all. The lines outside of the restaurants (featured on the news) made me more than a little sad. The reason I'm so bothered by it is I can't help but wonder what it must feel like to be gay and see people lining up to declare how wrong and unnatural they think it is to be gay--supporting a man who doesn't think gay people deserve equal rights. Even more so, what must it feel like to work at the restaurant and be accosted by "supportive" comments (or "you hate monger" type comments from the other side)?

To be honest, I'll probably never eat at Chick-fil-A again. It's not so much that I'm upset that the company is run by conservative Christians, whose political views are drastically different from mine. (I- n-Out's pretty fantastic, and I love a trip to Hobby Lobby.) It's just that I'm sick of hearing about them (and now I'm adding to the noise). I will never be able to go there without the stories of these employees floating around in my head--the employees who have heard too much from both the supporters and the naysayers.

I'm chicken weary.

Oh yes. And this. 

Holy shit.

Via 22 Words.

Huh?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did President Obama just get the Noble Peace Prize for not being George W. Bush? For the record, I'm not George W. Bush.

I'm a fan of our president, but I don't think he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize (yet). What's the rush? Slow down, friends.

I do like Obama's response. I hope he's right:

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

"You inspired me"

I love Michelle Obama. 

How cool is it that she chose to speak at the UC Merced graduation ceremony? Little ol' UC Merced. You can read about their "Dear Michelle" campaign here and watch the "I believe" video here. If you didn't get a chance to hear her speech, it's here. 

I like the idea of the universities in "our own backyard," and UC Merced seems to be making that vision a reality. I like that she can get behind that.

Overwhelmed.

I'm feeling overwhelmed by our state's budget crisis. The talk of the crisis was one thing, but my friends (who are incredible educators) getting laid off with nowhere else to go is an entirely different matter. Next year, the cuts will be twice as deep. My job will be in jeopardy, even though I will have been teaching in the district for five years. I can't even begin to imagine how large our classes will be.

On Friday I will be wearing pink, as I think about my friends who received "pink slips" this week. Will you join us?

"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you -- ask what you can do for your country."

-John F. Kennedy

I appreciate the newfound optimism in our country. I'm embracing the idea that we can bring about change. If nothing else, I hope we, as a nation, are inspired to live proactively.

What do you plan to do in response to our president's call for us to impact our communities?

He's my President.

Today is a beautiful day.

I turned on the TV during my prep period, caught the end of our new President's inaugural speech, and fought back tears.  I shared the moment with two other young teachers (and most of America!), and we were taken aback by the historic moment. We felt so much a part of what is happening--more so than ever before. I'm overly emotional and a little bit giddy. 

Today is a beautiful day, indeed.

Check out this mom's reflection on the meaningfulness of today.

4 days left to register around these parts. Just sayin'



HT: Kimmy

The Candidates

I'm wondering what's really going through their minds. How can they not be scared? They're about to step into a really big mess, and I'm not sure either one has any idea how to fix it. 

Do you think they're second guessing themselves?

Labor Day Editorial

I read this to my students today, as I was teaching them about writing editorials/persuasive pieces. As so many of us who were once apolitical are starting to pay more attention, all this talk gets to be a little deafening. 

Ready, break! 

Honor

I tried to read Time’s “Special Issue: The Republicans” with an open mind. I opened up to the interview with McCain, and this is how it starts:

What do you want voters to know coming out of the Republican Convention---about you, about your candidacy?
I’m prepared to be President of the United States, and I’ll put my country first.

There’s a theme that recurs in your books and speeches, both about putting country first but also about honor. I wonder if you could define honor for us.
Read it in my books.

I’ve read your books.
No, I’m not going to define it.

But honor in politics?
I’ve defined it in five books. Read my books.

Later, when he is asked about having sons in uniform, he responds by telling the interviewer that they don't discuss their sons. Interestingly, three pages later, his wife engages in a heartfelt discussion about her sons saying, "I want my sons led by a Commander in Chief who understands what it means to send young men and women into combat-- and more importantly, how to bring them home."

McCain was being interviewed by Time for their special issue on Republicans. I'm more than disappointed in his responses. Does he not realize how many Americans read Time?

Their stances on education

As an English teacher, rhetoric is important to me. 

On the issue of education, the choice of words on the candidates' campaign sites are reflections of their attitudes.  Obama makes me feel valued, and McCain makes me feel insignificant in the educational process. I'm a freakin' teacher, and, when I read his positions, I feel insignificant in the educational process. That's significant.

McCain's site:

"John McCain will place parents and children at the center of the education process."

 A teacher is the single most important element in a classroom. In studies of student achievement, we find that teachers are the most constant, noticeable influence on student achievement. An effective teacher will produce successful students. Period. What about focusing on empowering (rather than limiting) the effective teachers? How about we give teachers the resources they need to succeed rather than looking for ways to punish the schools when they are not successful?

"No Child Left Behind has focused our attention on the realities of how students perform against a common standard. John McCain believes that we can no longer accept low standards for some students and high standards for others."

All hail Bush's education policies. Maybe they are out there, but I do not know of one teacher who thinks No Child Left Behind has helped our schools. McCain seems to think the one-size-fits-all NCLB is great. 

"The deplorable status of preparation for our children, particularly in comparison with the rest of the industrialized world, does not allow us the luxury of eliminating options in our educational repertoire. John McCain will fight for the ability of all students to have access to all schools of demonstrated excellence, including their own homes."

Maybe I'm crazy and narrow minded (since I work in a public school), but I think the government's role in education is supporting and empowering public schools. Parents should have the right to make educational choices for their children, but government funds should not support home and private schools. What does the word "private" mean to you?

Obama's site:

 On NCLB, "Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them."

Amen. After many years of going up, this last year,  at the high school where I teach, test scores went down.  Test scores changed the campus climate. The teachers are now discouraged and the administrators are on a rampage. We shouldn't be so focused on the damned multiple choice tests. Instead, we should focus on guiding students on a journey of learning to learn, individualizing their learning goals and outcomes. We should be focused on our dropout rates and our college-bound rates. Unfortunately, we're just sad about and obsessed with a test that is incapable of truly measuring student achievement. The English Language Arts test doesn't even have a writing assessment because writing can't be measured by bubbles. And we're so upset about it? Really? Nobody seems to be noticing how well our kids are doing on the California High School Exit Exam (that actually has a written portion and tests the same material using less esoteric language).

Obama also includes a section on his site about recruiting, preparing, retaining, and rewarding America's teachers. McCain has a sentence or two about teachers, mostly focusing on getting rid of uninspired teachers. Among Obama's standout plans:

Recruiting: "Obama will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location."

Retention: "To support our teachers, Obama's plan will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced teachers with new recruits. He will also provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time so they can collaborate to share best practices."

Rewarding: "Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well."

Obama understands that effective teachers should be valued and retained. Obviously. He also, in a surprisingly innovative philosophy, thinks teachers should be involved in the process of making education policies. It's as if he believes effective teachers might actually know what works in their classrooms. There may be a few teachers who are not complete idiots trying to run the education system to the ground. 

McCain seems to think we're all out to get him.

 

That said, this year, I've been making plans for my "next career." Maybe, instead, I'll stick around to see what changes(do or don't) take place.

Update: Jake pointed me to this video of Obama talking about education. Check it out. I appreciate the acknowledgment that teachers work ridiculously hard. Yes, he's a politician, so his job is to get me to believe him, but I believe that he understands a little bit about what it means to be an educator.

What was he thinking?

The headlines should read: "McCain throws women a bone by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate."

I wasn't going to vote for McCain, anyway, but this cemented my decision. McCains's most consistent criticism of Obama is his lack of experience? McCain said he wouldn't pick someone for a running mate who wouldn't be a great president? He chooses Palin?  Are you kidding me?

He would never have chosen a female, were it not for Hillary's campaign. Who does he think he's kidding? 

Obama makes me proud to be an American. McCain just makes me sick.

I just bought a car magnet and made a donation.

Today Now!: How To Pretend You Give A Shit About The Election
 I do, by the way.

At least the primaries will be simple...

I’m grappling with my vote. Grappling, I tell you!

With each day that passes, my thinking aligns more with the progressive side. I like progress. I don’t think bubbles can accurately measure student learning. I think teachers are some of the most important people on the planet, and we should treat them as such. Speaking of the planet, we need to act on a grand scale in regards to the environment. Also, as Americans, we should be proactive when it comes to issues of human rights; we should be world leaders and advocates. I believe in peace. Our healthcare system is broken, and, regardless of their parents’ choices, children deserve adequate healthcare. Although I wish we could make changes without the government dictating them, I’m afraid we don’t have the motivation or means for grassroots change. We need to work together. There are too many issues left so very unresolved, and, as a country, we need to move.

I want to be a progressive, but one issue is pulling me back to my conservative roots. I hate abortion. Boldly: It’s barbaric and disgusting. For me, abortion has little to do with a woman’s body, and much to do with a baby’s life. My conscience tells me that abortion is wrong, but I also know that abortion is not going away, even if it’s deemed illegal.

So, do I vote republican because I love babies? I tell my mother that I think it’s okay that she’s a “one issue voter,” but I hold myself to a higher standard.

Grapple, grapple, grapple.

Dirty Politics...

'Tis the season to exercise our democratic right to vote; a season filled with propaganda, lies, and half-truths.

This morning I received a disturbing E-mail. It was a forward from my well-meaning grandmother originating with a conservative pro-family group. The greatest issue of concern in the E-mail newsletter is Prop 73 (requiring parental consent for minors to get abortions). Okay, the platform here is recognizable and justifiable. But, at the end of the e-mail, there is a link for bulletin inserts. The link tells good church members how to vote at the upcoming election and encourages pastors to include the handout in Sunday bulletins. Many of the issues are miles away from faith (or even moral) issues.

Tell me: What does this have to do with following Christ? Republican = Christian? Thank you pro-family organization for a ticket for Christians to avoid thinking and making educated judgments.