Kids — you gotta’ love ’em (especially when they are not yet three years old.)
Kids about that age have a way of making you smile when you least expect it or when you need it the most. This of course, is a survival mechanism for homo sapiens. If they weren’t so darned cute, the species would have died out long ago . . .
Take our son, Sean (please). He’s the devil in a pint-sized pink suit. He’ll smile at you and wink just before he takes a prized crystal family heirloom in his little hands and smashes it into a gagillion pieces by throwing it down the basement stairs.
The other day he got the idea to put a wadded up piece of paper into his ear. His mother and I happened to be right there. I commanded in a firm, Father Knows Best voice, “Sean! Don’t put that in your ear.”
Jen chimed in with motherly wisdom, “You can only put your elbow in your ear.”
And, for the next 10 minutes he tried. It was fun to watch and kept him alive for another day.
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Just thinking . . . if American war protesters hop a plane to Baghdad to stand in the way of American troops if America goes on the offense, do the protesters become traitors?
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Speaking of anti-war sentiments. It was reported that some two million people across the globe protested going to war against Iraq. Wow . . .
What wasn’t reported was that other five billion, nine hundred, ninety-eight million across the globe did not. Ummm?
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No Kids Left Behind (that mean-spirited capitalistic plan to put accountability into education) has got school districts across these fruited plains scrambling — how can they afford to make sure all kids can read by the third grade? Teacher unions are bracing for the inevitable — how can we stop the termination of ineffective teachers? Educators and their administrators have already started the information/propaganda war — this will be hard, it’ll cost too much, we’ll fail.
Sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me. Sounds like a bunch of folks have already determined it won’t work, so they’ll damn-well make sure it won’t.
Nowhere I have heard/read from these folks about any discussion about children, positive or negative.
Which is interesting, because isn’t it always for the children?
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The state of the state on funding cuts to public schools is another sore spot here in Michigan. I did read of one common sense approach to make up the shortfall for the 2003-2204 school year.
In Brandon, Superintendent Bart Jenniches said the district is bracing for cuts of just over $58 per student, totalling over $228,900. To cope with the loss Bart suggests the schools not order new carpet (as planned) for the central offices, nor purchase new computers for the district — a $200,000 savings.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of Bart coming up with fiscally sound/common sensical decisions. Way to go, Bart-ster! Tough times usually mean more creative thinking, tighter controls and better spending practices (that could even be used when times are good).
As it is at home, school administrators and teacher unions need to realize money these days is tight. A county official who works with children recently said, “When times are good you feed your kids steak and potatoes. When times are tough, you feed your kids mac and cheese. The point is, you always feed your kids.”
As applied to education: When times are grand new programs can be added, floors can be carpeted, raises can be given and bonuses received and kids are taught in style with the best bells and whistles money can buy. When times are not so grand, nonessential programs will be cut, floors will be worn, raises and bonuses questioned and kids will be taught with what we can afford. No bells and whistles. The point is, you always teach your kids.