Analysis from article:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2009/07/_wendy_maedaglo.html
It's about time that Mayor Menino committed to these debates. Sam Yoon is going to show the city of Boston that he will face the tough questions and the tough critics/cynics out there that still believe that Mayor Menino will easily win re-election. The people will know what Sam is all about in order to move Boston into the 21st century.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Communities of Color Need More of These Programs
Analysis from article:
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/07/21/street_sense/?comments=all
This is so important to have. This is what I am talking about when I keep stressing a multilateral education plan to keep kids from getting sucked into the vicious cycle of guns, drugs, and murder that has plagued low-income communities of color for such a long time.
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/07/21/street_sense/?comments=all
This is so important to have. This is what I am talking about when I keep stressing a multilateral education plan to keep kids from getting sucked into the vicious cycle of guns, drugs, and murder that has plagued low-income communities of color for such a long time.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
So stupid...leaving more children behind...
Analysis from article:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2009/07/16/patrick_wants_more_students_to_go_to_charter_schools/?page=2
I already made my point about this...so stupid...diverting funds for more charter schools...they are going to leave more children behind particularly special ed and ELL students...placing a quota on special ed and ELL students is just another way of saying we don't value all of children of Massachusetts...
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2009/07/16/patrick_wants_more_students_to_go_to_charter_schools/?page=2
I already made my point about this...so stupid...diverting funds for more charter schools...they are going to leave more children behind particularly special ed and ELL students...placing a quota on special ed and ELL students is just another way of saying we don't value all of children of Massachusetts...
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Analysis of article:
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/86242-Asians-for-Yoon-%E2%80%94-or-maybe-the-other-guys/
I work right off of Dorchester Avenue. I, too, stroll down Dorchester Avenue to see the many many signs that adorn the windows of the Vietnamese stores. Multiple signs in one store dilute the message. Furthermore, it has been said in previous comments some owners as well as some customers don't even know who they are. That may be correct.
Also, having worked in Chinatown this past year, I know that intimidation is less likely but bribery (like treating residents to lunch) is often done by some Chinatown associations to have them vote for the "machine" politician in past elections. I will not be surprised that this will be the case as well. We are lulled to sleep by a mayor who has been in office for FAR TOO LONG while the rest of the cities in the U.S. progress towards the future. I was in middle school in the Boston Public Schools when he became mayor and now I am almost 30. Mr. Flaherty offers the same "machine-type" politics backed by the Boston Firefighters' Union. It's time to move forward and to stop the political machines. Lastly, if Mr. Yoon is just relying on the Asian vote, he will lose. He's smart enough to figure that one out already.
One postscript...that picture is %$^%^$ up...
http://thephoenix.com/Boston/News/86242-Asians-for-Yoon-%E2%80%94-or-maybe-the-other-guys/
I work right off of Dorchester Avenue. I, too, stroll down Dorchester Avenue to see the many many signs that adorn the windows of the Vietnamese stores. Multiple signs in one store dilute the message. Furthermore, it has been said in previous comments some owners as well as some customers don't even know who they are. That may be correct.
Also, having worked in Chinatown this past year, I know that intimidation is less likely but bribery (like treating residents to lunch) is often done by some Chinatown associations to have them vote for the "machine" politician in past elections. I will not be surprised that this will be the case as well. We are lulled to sleep by a mayor who has been in office for FAR TOO LONG while the rest of the cities in the U.S. progress towards the future. I was in middle school in the Boston Public Schools when he became mayor and now I am almost 30. Mr. Flaherty offers the same "machine-type" politics backed by the Boston Firefighters' Union. It's time to move forward and to stop the political machines. Lastly, if Mr. Yoon is just relying on the Asian vote, he will lose. He's smart enough to figure that one out already.
One postscript...that picture is %$^%^$ up...
Term Limits = Good Idea...So Why Do People Still Go With Mayor Menino for Another Four Years???
Analysis from:
http://blogs.townonline.com/parkwayBlog/2009/07/15/poll-should-there-be-term-limits-for-boston-mayors/comment-page-1/#comment-109962
I don’t get it. If close to 60% of people want term limits so Mayor Menino can finally leave office, then why is it that the majority of people of Boston still want him to continue to be Mayor of Boston. It makes no sense.
http://blogs.townonline.com/parkwayBlog/2009/07/15/poll-should-there-be-term-limits-for-boston-mayors/comment-page-1/#comment-109962
I don’t get it. If close to 60% of people want term limits so Mayor Menino can finally leave office, then why is it that the majority of people of Boston still want him to continue to be Mayor of Boston. It makes no sense.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Why Sam Yoon?
Analysis from article:
http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1184767
Term limits are a necessary tool to guard against stale government. The city of Boston has become so stale and stagnant that most people living in Boston just think that everything is okay. That is Mayor Menino's advantage in this election. If he wins another election, he will keep lulling the people of Boston to sleep until the city becomes so far behind the times that its reputation becomes a more and more laughable and a punchline. I've lived in Boston for almost 20 years with Mayor Menino being the mayor in 16 of them. It's time to move forward.
http://bostonherald.com/news/politics/view.bg?articleid=1184767
Term limits are a necessary tool to guard against stale government. The city of Boston has become so stale and stagnant that most people living in Boston just think that everything is okay. That is Mayor Menino's advantage in this election. If he wins another election, he will keep lulling the people of Boston to sleep until the city becomes so far behind the times that its reputation becomes a more and more laughable and a punchline. I've lived in Boston for almost 20 years with Mayor Menino being the mayor in 16 of them. It's time to move forward.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The Tragedy in Binghamton NY and the Three Bigger Problems Resonating from It. (Originally posted on Facebook on April 5, 2009)
For those not familiar to this tragedy. The facts are that a 41-year old Vietnamese man named Jiverly Wong shot and killed 13 people and himself at the American Civic Association on Friday April 3, 2009. For more on the story, please follow this link:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/04/binghamton.shooting/index.html?section=cnn_latest
What struck me about this story is not just the fact that the man was Asian, but trying to uncover the reasons why he killed and then how the reasons breed a larger issue of his unemployment,the anti-immigration sentiment, and the intolerance of others toward people with limited or no English skills.
For now, I am not going to speculate on his state of mind but I am just going to focus on the three issues that I laid out in the previous paragraph.
In terms of unemployment, yeah, everybody is hurting there and the damage that is caused by this is felt all over the country. Mr. Wong is not alone there. However, what makes his situation worse than others is the fact that he had limited English skills. From my workplace, I see countless workers coming in to the office with limited English skills, waiting and hoping to find better jobs for better pay as well as seeking ways to advance their careers through job trainings and English classes.
However, job trainings and English classes can be tough to get into with long waiting lists at community organizations as well as a time commitment for class that may or may not be met. I see my students having to leave my Citizenship class 10-15 minutes early because they have to go to work. OF course they want to stay but they have no choice. They have to work to provide for their families and loved ones.
Let's think about this for a moment, Mr Wong's unemployed and has limited English skills. He really can't do much (similar to the students I teach at my workplace). The only thing he can do is a dead-end job cooking or cleaning somewhere. Does this justify killing 13 people? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! However, does it raise the larger issue of providing MORE SERVICES in terms of job training/career advancement and English classes for people in his situation? ABSOLUTELY. Is this need being addressed. Yeah, in some ways, but it being small operations means that money is always an issue.
So why does the government do not help these agencies out? This brings up issue of immigration. Community organizations and agencies similar to the American Civic Association won't ask for government money because some of their students are undocumented so they have to rely on other funding to provide these services. They are caught in a bind here. Should they accept undocumented individuals or accept government money. They, being humans that have a heart and conscience, choose the former because undocumented individuals do live and work here (no matter what they government wants to do with them) and they deserve access to these services.
No matter how Mr. Mitt Romney, Mr. Lou Dobbs, or others spin it, there is no distinction between legal and illegal. The only difference is a card and documentation saying that a person has a right to be here. Here's the point all those Republicans are missing. Who can really seriously tell whether you are legal and illegal unless the people see your card. Those people would just see a person's skin color with limited English skills and assume that they must be an illegal immigrant. Now I am not sure of Mr. Wong's immigration status, but I can bet that %$^$^# up people saw his face and limited English skills and say good for him...another illegal dead along with the rest of them. Additionally, people may just see your skin color and assume that you do not know English. I will never forget when I was interviewed to go to private school that the admissions officer was surprised that I did not speak with an English accent. In some ways, it's a compliment, but it speaks to the larger picture of prejudice and intolerance.
As for the last problem with intolerance. Sadly, intolerance still exists in the Obama era, and there is not much people can do about it except to educate others and hope for the best. I was in Washington DC last year and a couple of fifth graders visiting the Air and Space museum made fun of the Chinese language, and I just couldn't let that go. I had to speak to the adult in charge of them to let them know it was wrong and I did not appreciate it one bit. I told a friend of mine after the encounter that if I had let that go, then I would be guilty of breeding intolerance and hate. There was no way I was going to let that happen so that's all a person can do. Hope to get them young so that they don't do it when they are adults.
I hope that this article fully explores the deeper problems associated with this tragedy and that there is still a lot of work to be done in this world to combat these problems.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CR
What struck me about this story is not just the fact that the man was Asian, but trying to uncover the reasons why he killed and then how the reasons breed a larger issue of his unemployment,the anti-immigration sentiment, and the intolerance of others toward people with limited or no English skills.
For now, I am not going to speculate on his state of mind but I am just going to focus on the three issues that I laid out in the previous paragraph.
In terms of unemployment, yeah, everybody is hurting there and the damage that is caused by this is felt all over the country. Mr. Wong is not alone there. However, what makes his situation worse than others is the fact that he had limited English skills. From my workplace, I see countless workers coming in to the office with limited English skills, waiting and hoping to find better jobs for better pay as well as seeking ways to advance their careers through job trainings and English classes.
However, job trainings and English classes can be tough to get into with long waiting lists at community organizations as well as a time commitment for class that may or may not be met. I see my students having to leave my Citizenship class 10-15 minutes early because they have to go to work. OF course they want to stay but they have no choice. They have to work to provide for their families and loved ones.
Let's think about this for a moment, Mr Wong's unemployed and has limited English skills. He really can't do much (similar to the students I teach at my workplace). The only thing he can do is a dead-end job cooking or cleaning somewhere. Does this justify killing 13 people? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!! However, does it raise the larger issue of providing MORE SERVICES in terms of job training/career advancement and English classes for people in his situation? ABSOLUTELY. Is this need being addressed. Yeah, in some ways, but it being small operations means that money is always an issue.
So why does the government do not help these agencies out? This brings up issue of immigration. Community organizations and agencies similar to the American Civic Association won't ask for government money because some of their students are undocumented so they have to rely on other funding to provide these services. They are caught in a bind here. Should they accept undocumented individuals or accept government money. They, being humans that have a heart and conscience, choose the former because undocumented individuals do live and work here (no matter what they government wants to do with them) and they deserve access to these services.
No matter how Mr. Mitt Romney, Mr. Lou Dobbs, or others spin it, there is no distinction between legal and illegal. The only difference is a card and documentation saying that a person has a right to be here. Here's the point all those Republicans are missing. Who can really seriously tell whether you are legal and illegal unless the people see your card. Those people would just see a person's skin color with limited English skills and assume that they must be an illegal immigrant. Now I am not sure of Mr. Wong's immigration status, but I can bet that %$^$^# up people saw his face and limited English skills and say good for him...another illegal dead along with the rest of them. Additionally, people may just see your skin color and assume that you do not know English. I will never forget when I was interviewed to go to private school that the admissions officer was surprised that I did not speak with an English accent. In some ways, it's a compliment, but it speaks to the larger picture of prejudice and intolerance.
As for the last problem with intolerance. Sadly, intolerance still exists in the Obama era, and there is not much people can do about it except to educate others and hope for the best. I was in Washington DC last year and a couple of fifth graders visiting the Air and Space museum made fun of the Chinese language, and I just couldn't let that go. I had to speak to the adult in charge of them to let them know it was wrong and I did not appreciate it one bit. I told a friend of mine after the encounter that if I had let that go, then I would be guilty of breeding intolerance and hate. There was no way I was going to let that happen so that's all a person can do. Hope to get them young so that they don't do it when they are adults.
I hope that this article fully explores the deeper problems associated with this tragedy and that there is still a lot of work to be done in this world to combat these problems.
An 8th Grade Graduation (Originally Posted on Facebook on June 20, 2009)
Graduation has always been a special time for everyone involved no matter how many times you have attended one over the course of your life, but the ones that I have participated in as a teacher of the graduating class are the ones that I truly treasure and remember the most.
This was not the first 8th Grade graduation that I attended that had my former students participate in the ceremony, but it was certainly the one I would never soon want to forget. Seeing my former students again after a year away from them was bittersweet, but that's the way life is sometimes and I realized really quickly that I just have to do the best to take advantage of new opportunities as they come along and I really have over the course of this past school year.
As for the students, some of them have come a long way from the depths of despair, personal tragedy, and broken hearts/dreams to become strong, confident, and successful young men and women. Some of them I knew when I had them in 7th grade that they were going to be okay if they stick to what worked for them and some of them just needed a little swift kick in the rear end to get them going. However, I knew that all of them had the potential for success if only it can be channeled and motivated in a way where they knew that much is expected from them but at the same time, they knew that they can do it.
Words cannot describe the feeling I have about the graduates. Proud is so overused and I don't like to overuse or overstate words and phrases. I guess the best way to put it is saying that the ultimate thought or moment for any teacher is to see a former student of theirs graduate and become successful at something. This is why teachers become teachers. This is why teachers teach because teachers cherish and hold on to that thought or that moment no matter what happens. Even if the student does not see that thought or moment, it is the teacher's obligation to give them that direction to become successful and graduate.
And for those that fell short, I don't feel bad for them at all. Like me, they will find new opportunities to become successful, but if I had one piece of advice for them, I would tell them all of them that fell just short today that don't let others tell you how to define success, do what you can with all the talents you have to redefine it for others. Hopefully, they can redefine their definition by the end of next week.
As for the two individuals tagged in this note, Mr. Tsang is a beacon of stability. He is a true professional at what he does and is the embodiment of what an urban school teacher should be. I only wish I could have been half as good as he was.
Ms. Goncalves was my next door neighbor and someone who would bother me for everything even for a ride home from work. I'm just kidding there. She did not bother me, but she was able to keep me from going crazy (yeah, middle school students will have that effect on anyone) and I was really able to debrief everything I felt about the school day to her because we both always ended up staying way way too late after school prepping for the following day or grading papers or making copies. I'm sure she feels the same way.There are many others that helped, but they are either not on facebook or they are on facebook but have been friended yet (and I don't do that stalking thing).
In closing, I am not sure whether or not I will get back into a classroom teaching middle school students again in the future. I have been away from classroom teaching for a year and I feel I have grown up a lot since last year. I just wonder now if the world has more to offer to me than just teaching middle school or even high school students in an urban public school setting. I will hopefully find out what the offer is sooner or later, but wherever I go next or I end up doing next, this year's 8th Grade Graduation will always have a special place in my heart and something that I would cherish for the rest of my life.
This was not the first 8th Grade graduation that I attended that had my former students participate in the ceremony, but it was certainly the one I would never soon want to forget. Seeing my former students again after a year away from them was bittersweet, but that's the way life is sometimes and I realized really quickly that I just have to do the best to take advantage of new opportunities as they come along and I really have over the course of this past school year.
As for the students, some of them have come a long way from the depths of despair, personal tragedy, and broken hearts/dreams to become strong, confident, and successful young men and women. Some of them I knew when I had them in 7th grade that they were going to be okay if they stick to what worked for them and some of them just needed a little swift kick in the rear end to get them going. However, I knew that all of them had the potential for success if only it can be channeled and motivated in a way where they knew that much is expected from them but at the same time, they knew that they can do it.
Words cannot describe the feeling I have about the graduates. Proud is so overused and I don't like to overuse or overstate words and phrases. I guess the best way to put it is saying that the ultimate thought or moment for any teacher is to see a former student of theirs graduate and become successful at something. This is why teachers become teachers. This is why teachers teach because teachers cherish and hold on to that thought or that moment no matter what happens. Even if the student does not see that thought or moment, it is the teacher's obligation to give them that direction to become successful and graduate.
And for those that fell short, I don't feel bad for them at all. Like me, they will find new opportunities to become successful, but if I had one piece of advice for them, I would tell them all of them that fell just short today that don't let others tell you how to define success, do what you can with all the talents you have to redefine it for others. Hopefully, they can redefine their definition by the end of next week.
As for the two individuals tagged in this note, Mr. Tsang is a beacon of stability. He is a true professional at what he does and is the embodiment of what an urban school teacher should be. I only wish I could have been half as good as he was.
Ms. Goncalves was my next door neighbor and someone who would bother me for everything even for a ride home from work. I'm just kidding there. She did not bother me, but she was able to keep me from going crazy (yeah, middle school students will have that effect on anyone) and I was really able to debrief everything I felt about the school day to her because we both always ended up staying way way too late after school prepping for the following day or grading papers or making copies. I'm sure she feels the same way.There are many others that helped, but they are either not on facebook or they are on facebook but have been friended yet (and I don't do that stalking thing).
In closing, I am not sure whether or not I will get back into a classroom teaching middle school students again in the future. I have been away from classroom teaching for a year and I feel I have grown up a lot since last year. I just wonder now if the world has more to offer to me than just teaching middle school or even high school students in an urban public school setting. I will hopefully find out what the offer is sooner or later, but wherever I go next or I end up doing next, this year's 8th Grade Graduation will always have a special place in my heart and something that I would cherish for the rest of my life.
MJ and Race (Originally Posted on Facebook on July 9th, 2009)
Over the past ten or so days, we all have been bombarded by the countless tributes on radio/tv and constant media coverage of MJ. However, I want to take this time to explore something that has been hinted but not much expressed much in all this coverage.
Someone said (I think it was Al Sharpton, but I could be wrong) that when the Jackson 5 first came out in 1969, it was the first time people came together (both black and white, and maybe hispanics and asians too) to see them in concert. (Remember this was shortly after the time of segregation and the death of MLK.) Through their music and entertaining qualities, the Jackson 5 were able to bring an inclusive audience which is something that was very innovative back in those times. Someone also said (I think it was Al Sharpton again) that because of this, MJ can be regarded as "the glue" to the civil rights movement in America. It made a wider audience feel comfortable about embracing future African American figures like Oprah, (possibly the other MJ I may add), Tiger, and Obama. In this sense, MJ really contributed in an indirect way (through his music) to advance civil rights in the United States. As another person said, he was truly a transcendent figure (much in a very similar way to Obama) in terms of race.
Now, let's get to the more controversial parts of this note. Jamie Foxx at the BET Awards mentioned that MJ was "one of ours" and said something along the lines of not letting the media distort or ridicule his legacy. Why the overprotective nature you ask? My theory has a lot to do with the sting of the OJ trial. OJ was another transcendent figure who was loved by many as a football player but also having an affable personality which was displayed in movies like the Naked Gun series, commercials like Hertz Rental Car, and as a football commentator in the early 90s for NBC. However, when he was accused of murder, people in the media turned on him fairly or unfairly and racial tensions start to boil. Both sides fanned the flames of these tensions and the innocence or guilt of OJ divided along racial lines.
So you ask what does the sting of OJ have to do with MJ? Well, MJ went through his own accusations and the media pounced on him too. Although what was different about MJ was that the division was not along racial lines but along those who were fanatics of MJ and those who thought he was just a bizarre man who had a problem of loving children too much. Also, it was only in America that he was ridiculed and torn down, and not so much around the world. I guess maybe the world knows something that people in America don't which is the whole issue of innocent before proven guilty. Of course people in America can't really grasp this concept of innocent before proven guilty particularly when it comes to African Americans and that is why I think Jaime Foxx said what he said.
As for the MJ haters (those I listened to on the Whiner Line on Sports Radio and Congressman Peter King of NY who said MJ was a pervert), they are quick to judge when it comes to people of a different background and skin color, but when it comes to their own people, they are more willing to withhold judgment, and willing to look at all the evidence. Of course this is a sweeping generalization, but it speaks to the idea that when it comes to race (I am talking in particular about Congressman King), if someone is different from you, it is okay for you to make these sweeping accusations and claims without evidence, but it's not okay for you to accuse and denounce a member of Congress (Sen. John Ensign from Nevada) who committed adultery or a governor (Mark Sanford from S.C.) who cheated on his wife and blatantly said to his wife if he could visit his mistress. Where's the outrage when it comes to your own people?
This nation is still %^$#^$ up when it comes to race relations even if Obama is president. There is still a lot of progress to be made and it is up to the next generation and not the previous generation to change the minds of people to promote tolerance and understanding of all. That is something that MJ would really like to see someday.
Someone said (I think it was Al Sharpton, but I could be wrong) that when the Jackson 5 first came out in 1969, it was the first time people came together (both black and white, and maybe hispanics and asians too) to see them in concert. (Remember this was shortly after the time of segregation and the death of MLK.) Through their music and entertaining qualities, the Jackson 5 were able to bring an inclusive audience which is something that was very innovative back in those times. Someone also said (I think it was Al Sharpton again) that because of this, MJ can be regarded as "the glue" to the civil rights movement in America. It made a wider audience feel comfortable about embracing future African American figures like Oprah, (possibly the other MJ I may add), Tiger, and Obama. In this sense, MJ really contributed in an indirect way (through his music) to advance civil rights in the United States. As another person said, he was truly a transcendent figure (much in a very similar way to Obama) in terms of race.
Now, let's get to the more controversial parts of this note. Jamie Foxx at the BET Awards mentioned that MJ was "one of ours" and said something along the lines of not letting the media distort or ridicule his legacy. Why the overprotective nature you ask? My theory has a lot to do with the sting of the OJ trial. OJ was another transcendent figure who was loved by many as a football player but also having an affable personality which was displayed in movies like the Naked Gun series, commercials like Hertz Rental Car, and as a football commentator in the early 90s for NBC. However, when he was accused of murder, people in the media turned on him fairly or unfairly and racial tensions start to boil. Both sides fanned the flames of these tensions and the innocence or guilt of OJ divided along racial lines.
So you ask what does the sting of OJ have to do with MJ? Well, MJ went through his own accusations and the media pounced on him too. Although what was different about MJ was that the division was not along racial lines but along those who were fanatics of MJ and those who thought he was just a bizarre man who had a problem of loving children too much. Also, it was only in America that he was ridiculed and torn down, and not so much around the world. I guess maybe the world knows something that people in America don't which is the whole issue of innocent before proven guilty. Of course people in America can't really grasp this concept of innocent before proven guilty particularly when it comes to African Americans and that is why I think Jaime Foxx said what he said.
As for the MJ haters (those I listened to on the Whiner Line on Sports Radio and Congressman Peter King of NY who said MJ was a pervert), they are quick to judge when it comes to people of a different background and skin color, but when it comes to their own people, they are more willing to withhold judgment, and willing to look at all the evidence. Of course this is a sweeping generalization, but it speaks to the idea that when it comes to race (I am talking in particular about Congressman King), if someone is different from you, it is okay for you to make these sweeping accusations and claims without evidence, but it's not okay for you to accuse and denounce a member of Congress (Sen. John Ensign from Nevada) who committed adultery or a governor (Mark Sanford from S.C.) who cheated on his wife and blatantly said to his wife if he could visit his mistress. Where's the outrage when it comes to your own people?
This nation is still %^$#^$ up when it comes to race relations even if Obama is president. There is still a lot of progress to be made and it is up to the next generation and not the previous generation to change the minds of people to promote tolerance and understanding of all. That is something that MJ would really like to see someday.
Wheelock College Nuturing Future Teachers
Analysis from Boston Globe article from July 11th
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/11/wheelock_college_looks_to_attract_more_men/?page=2
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/11/wheelock_college_looks_to_attract_more_men/?page=2
I actually know the young man pictured in the article. He probably does not remember me though because I did not directly teach him, but I mentor one of the other kids that is involved in this summer program. Come to think of it, I need to reach out to him and catch up with him.
More Inequities in Public Education
Analysis given from the following article
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/mcas/articles/2009/07/13/boston8217s_public_schools_lacking_in_phys_ed_classes/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6
http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/mcas/articles/2009/07/13/boston8217s_public_schools_lacking_in_phys_ed_classes/?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed6
Those darned inequities in education keep showing up...now you know why students in Boston feel sometimes that theyhave no hope and no way out...because these opportunities are not even funded when it is REQUIRED BY LAW to have phys-ed in schools!!! WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE!!! The city of Boston is robbing the future of its younger generation...SUCH A SHAME!!!
Charter Schools: Not the Only Answer
Analysis of this is from the following New York Times Article...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/opinion/06mon1.html
Sixth...provide family services in terms of parenting classes job trainings, and adult ESL education so families can have opportunities to improve their quality of life...
Now some of these things already exists and the government does not need to reinvent the wheel here...it's just tweaking it and making them work more effectively and working for families especially families in high-poverty communities of color...
We don't necessarily need bold, radical, and new actions...what we need are bold actions to rattle the status quo in public education and we can only do this if we are able to take these steps to make our overall public education run more effectively...THIS IS HOW THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT AND NOT ON A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION LIKE CHARTER SCHOOLS...personally, I have nothing against charter schools, but don't tell me that it is the magic bullet to solve all the problems in public education...
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/opinion/06mon1.html
LET ME MAKE THIS EXTREMELY CLEAR...CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE NOT THE BE-ALL/END-ALL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM OF UNDER-PERFORMING SCHOOLS!!! People don't get it. It seems that people who write the letters in response to this editorial know a lot more on how to improve public education. Until we start LISTENING to the letter writers, there is not going to be improvements in the public schools.
As I said before, there needs to be an aggressive, multi-faceted solution to fix public education. One, GET THEM EARLY...early childhood education is so important for their reading and math skills...Second, after school programs that gets properly staffed...you are talking about stimulus...that is stimulus...recruit semi-retired people and young ... Read Morepeople who are interested in education to work after school...Third, expand the school day not for content purposes, but to give students a well-rounded education (arts, science, music, phys.ed)...Fourth, provide safety nets for struggling students or students that do not fit the mold through partnership/collaboration with community organizations and expand vocational schools...Fifth, provide families with the proper resources for them to make a conscious on the best school for their child (this already exists, but can be done by hiring translators or just have schools go out there and recruit which is something charters do an excellent job)...Sixth...provide family services in terms of parenting classes job trainings, and adult ESL education so families can have opportunities to improve their quality of life...
Now some of these things already exists and the government does not need to reinvent the wheel here...it's just tweaking it and making them work more effectively and working for families especially families in high-poverty communities of color...
We don't necessarily need bold, radical, and new actions...what we need are bold actions to rattle the status quo in public education and we can only do this if we are able to take these steps to make our overall public education run more effectively...THIS IS HOW THE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT AND NOT ON A ONE SIZE FITS ALL SOLUTION LIKE CHARTER SCHOOLS...personally, I have nothing against charter schools, but don't tell me that it is the magic bullet to solve all the problems in public education...
First Post
Starting today I will try to post and share articles from different publications and then analyze them in a thoughtful and civil manner. Those interested in reading my past postings can visit my facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=688784154&ref=profile
Otherwise, my first posts will be from yesterday, July 13th...
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=688784154&ref=profile
Otherwise, my first posts will be from yesterday, July 13th...
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