3-17-08 - PLEASE CALL!

 

As a professional courtesy, many administrators serve on Western Schools and Colleges (WASC) teams to evaluate other schools so that they can make recommendations of strengths, weaknesses and term of accreditation.   Despite three grueling days of writing, I gladly volunteer my time to do this because I always come home with more than I have given.   We are trained by WASC to evaluate these areas:  Organization, Curriculum. Instruction, Assessment, and Culture.  Each area has very specific subcategories that the Visiting Committee (VC) must research and report back in writing.  Because of my current job assignment, I always volunteer for the “bug- a- boo” area… Assessment/Data.

 

Now before you start feeling sorry for me, last week I was assigned a small school in Central California’s wine country.  This school was a National Blue Ribbon award winner for Excellence and they are probably doing more with intervention programs than any school in the state.  It took me three hours to drive PCH (Hwy 1) and Hwy 101 through Pacific coastal towns and later the hills ofwine country.  I have often laughed at the California “Happy Cow” commercials, but on this trip I found them, and would you believe they were smiling!!!   WASC doesn’t know it, but I would have paid them for such an assignment! 

                                  

 

The visit usually begins on Sunday afternoon, with various meeting and a tour of the school.  We were met by a very charming principal who took great pride in his school and showing it off to visitors.  I felt very confident because our chairperson had "front-loaded" the writing.  This time she required that we write on “two areas”  as well as our primary area.  As stated, my primary area was “assessment/data” and my second was “curriculum.”   I had already done much reading and research about this school before I ever entered their door. While leading a grueling day of staff development training at our school the previous Friday, I remarked that I was looking forward to this visit because they were about a year ahead of us in developing “Professional Learning Communities” (DuFour, DuFour) and I wanted to see them in action.

 

You see, the purpose of Professional Learning Communities is to disaggregate data to measure student achievement.  Good schools use this as a measuring stick to gage areas of the standards that need to be “retaught.”  I was attempting to explain this concept to my own staff before I left when I was reminded, “Teachers behave worse then students in meetings.” (Administrators are even worse)!  I had prepared my Power Point presentation for a challenging staff development session complete with my favorite Rick DuFour quote, “Formative Data (benchmarks) is to Summative Data (state tests, unit tests) what a physical exam is to an autopsy.” I was loaded and ready to go, but…

 

My first session was with my “boys,” the social studies department.  I use this term because the department is made of primarily men with three incredible female teachers.  We had fun in the opening session of the day and they were not ready to turn it off.   Now being a former social studies teacher myself, I understand that we are the “Mavericks” of the school.  I have actually cultivated an honest open relationship with these folks because they are not afraid to point out where the holes in the school are located.  Moving to the administration building gives one a tunnel vision, and it is important to listen to teachers to understand the workings of the organization.   

 

Getting them to “settle down” was impossible.  I had a compacted presentation without much wiggle room (my mistake) and attempting to get through it following the comment “You can’t say that we make instructional decisions, when we are forced to teach to a test,” was impossible.  Ok… this opened the Pandora’s box!  While I attempted to explain that the test is the skeletal structure what the teacher adds is the muscle and the organs… there were conversations about reading glasses, who wants to sit by whom, and only God above know what else.  

 

The Fine and Performing Arts and Career –Technical Departments sat frozen embarrassed by their colleague’s behavior.  After the session several of them apologized to me for the group.  Now completely frustrated, it through the rest of my day off kilter.  During the remaining sessions, I was no nonsense and did not entertain leading questions… not my normal style.  “My boys” had never behaved this way and I scratched my head wonderingwhere exactly I lost it?  Ok I admit I was “one of those teachers.”  I sat in the back with the coaches and laughed about the nonsense of the world, I had to be reminded over the PA system to get my grades in the computer, I had rolling chair races down the breeze-way with my students... during class time, and I would routinely answer the phone, “Grand Central Station… I’m trying to teach here.”  Ok… so I deserved this!  The only saving grace is that I know that the social studies department had already designed formative assessments and are now leading the pack with the information that I was now sharing.  Ok…forgiven.

 

The short of it is that I was ready for a break and this WASC visit was just what the doctor ordered!   It is very nice to go to someone else’s house and point out the faults leaving my own behind.  I was having the time of my life, when I noticed a text message from my “It’s all Good,” boss which read… PLEASE CALL!  Ok… this is the most laid-back human on the planet, what could this possibly be about I pondered?  I snuck away from the VC to call.  It seems that in all the nonsense of the prior week, counting and boxing up CAHSEE exams, talent shows, cheerleader tryouts, stolen I-Pods, staff development agendas and setting up for the EAP exam… I had forgotten to load the answer sheets in the bins for the teachers.  Of course no one discovered this until the day of the exam, and I was three hours away! 

 

So… “Castleman you got some splaining to do”!!   I have been assessment coordinator at my school for seven years and nothing like this had ever happened.  What was I thinking?  Personally, I think it was a Freudian slip because I think Cal State should be giving their own placement exams!  Regardless, our lead campus supervisor (I do not want to be in this world without her) and an awesome counselor quickly covered my ample behind and it had all worked out, even though it totally disrupted two days of instruction for six teachers!

 

This made me think… just how quickly we are to point out the errors of other people.  Granted I had to dig really deep to find critical issues for this school,  but I didn’t have to look very hard at in my backyard to find my own.  However, this incident did make me a more humble committee member.  When a VC colleague became too critical I would quickly remind him, “Stick a fork in it… it’s done” and we would all start laughing.  Who knows, perhaps this makes us better leaders when look at each other through the eyes of humanity and see that at any given moment we are all just a step away from forgetting the answer documents.   

 

3-14-08 -- Queen Bees and Wannabes

A couple a weeks ago I convinced my boss to let me go to a conference outside of the county.  When I read the name, I knew it was training that I needed and I needed to bring it home… the title, “Mean Girls.”  After reading the book, Reviving Ophelia, by Mary Pipher some years ago I have made it my battle cry to bring to light all the awful pressures that we place on teenage girls.  How our young women can make it through adolescence without imploding is simply beyond me.  

 

Our school is no different, you see them everyday… smiling trying to fit in or just the opposite, pretending that they just don’t care about societal norms; either way they are hurting inside.   Guess I took the easy road given I have two Shih Tzus, (who are Queen Bees themselves) but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that parents need some heavy duty help in leading their daughters through this rough time.  If you saw the movie, “Mean Girls,” starring Lindsey Lohan (I know kinda ironic) you will understand what I am talking about.  This movie was based on a book, Queen Bees and Wannabes… Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends and Other Realities of Adolescence written by Rosalind Wiseman.  I recommend every parent read this book.  Heck, I wish my own mother had read this book. 

 

Because I coached cheerleaders and spirit groups in suburban Dallas, I am asked to judge cheerleader tryouts at our school each year.  It is the highlight of my year, in that I view cheerleading as a sport.  Watching these girls compete is an awesome experience.  Unfortunately, not every girl makes the squad.  After attending the "Mean Girls" conference I caught myself wondering about the dynamics of our own students throughout this process.  Teen movies are notorious for making the cheerleaders prime candidates for the "mean girls."  Well, of course the way they present "school officials" is less than flattering too.  Who could forget the principal in Ferris Bueller's Day Off or the voice of Charlie Brown's teacher?  I think it is grossly unfair to label a certain group of girls as the “mean girls.”  It has been my observation that the “mean girls” can be the ones of any clique who are climbing the food chain to the top ranks.  Because of uncertainty of their position, they will tear down other girls to make themselves appear in control.

 

To obtain status in the “herd” girls can become down right nasty.  The popularity game and girl battles dates back generations, but never in history have we witnessed the widespread psychological damage of this generation.  Through our counseling offices we routinely deal with cutters, eating disorders, girl on girl bullying, gossip, Internet slander, theft, gangs and suicide attempts.  I have blogged myself about the rise of girl gangs in our city and the apathy I personally witnessed as an ambulance drove one of its victims away.  This year we’ve dealt with two felony assaults (both girls) in one of the safest cities in America.   Boys are easy… they roll around on the ground for a couple minutes punching each other, then it is over… girls are a much different story.  I routinely “diffuse” girl issues that began in elementary school.  When girls are hurt emotionally they hang on for dear life.  When all seems calm, they bring it out of their bag of weapons to use yet another day.   I have found the most effective wayto deal with this is by sitting the girls in the same room… allowing them to yell and cry and get it out of their system.  Eventually they run out of steam and “hurt” and move on to the next drama.

 

As pointed out in the “Mean Girl” conference, I had been missing the most important part… forgiveness.  My advice had been “You don’t have to like each other, but you have to co-exist and we will have none of this immature behavior on this campus.”  Well duh… wasn’t very supportive was I?   What I will do in the future is speak of forgiveness… there is a scene in the movie where a teacher has all of the 11th grade girls in the gym… she asks them to close their eyes and raise there hand if they have ever been hurt by another girl… most hands go up.  Then still with eyes closed she asks them to raise their hands if they have ever said anything nasty about another girl… yet again hands go up. 

 

Helping our girls understand that they do not live in a perfect world, and just as they hurt people, they are to forgive those to hurt them.  Novel idea huh?  Think I’ve heard this before, how about you?  If we are to live in this nutty world, we have to learn to let go of pain.  As my pastor, Rick Warren, pointed out a few weeks ago in his sermon, when we hang on to hurt, we are the only ones hurting.  The object of our pain isn’t suffering from our bitterness.  So the only logical thing to do is to forgive the person and let it go.  

 

Now before I begin a chorus of KumByYa, let me end by saying we all get hurt… if I can make it through the day without being call the “B” word I’ve had a good day.  Teaching our young girls how to channel their hurt by writing it down, talking to a positive role model or maybe even blogging will allow them to deal with the insanity of the world without turning the focus on themselves.  Personally, I have asked a friend in probation if he would help me present this information in a parent seminar in a couple months… I have a feeling I will have more blog material in the future.

 

 

3-13-08 - High School Talent Show

Sometimes I forget where I live, with the Entertainment Capital of the World just over the hill.  This week I was asked to judge the 2nd annual talent show at our school.  I have a bit of experience here, given that my beloved childhood dance teacher, Miss Jacque, also directed several regional beauty pageants.  As a high school/college student she asked me to return the favor of the slow torture at the ballet barre to judge several regional/state competitions for her.  And… as a young adult I was blessed to donate hours of my life in the pursuit of excellence in college choir so… as amateur as my experience may be, I was delighted to accept a judge’s chair.

 

Now this wasn’t your run of the mill high school talent competition.  This was the sort of contest that makes you forget that some of the best contestants are frequent flyers in the discipline office in lieu of a glimmer of hope for their future.  The evening began with a dramatic performance by some of our finest thespians with a snapshot of how meticulous our talented young teacher who took on this project kept the kids on track.  The sponsor had been warned by administration (us) for weeks not to let the acts get out of control.  As administrators we dread “the morning after the show,” filled with upset parent phone calls complaining of the lewdness of some acts.  Despite the cast of shady characters, those calls never came. 

 

This act was followed by various forms of song ranging from musicals, country, pop, latino pop, and another drama sketch. The act that stole my heart was a young man who wrote his own song, played it on the piano (Billy Joel style) while he sang and played the harmonica.  I sat there in the presence of greatness and thought to myself… only in California.  Until… two boys who had claimed “white power” began a krump (street) dance.  I had to wonder, how did these two young men, who have made their distaste for minority culture known, learn this ethnic dance and perform it very well.

 

Just when I thought I had seen the best of our best, a Rockabilly band took the stage complete with big bass and pompadour hairstyles.  My mouth actually fell open.  One of my colleagues leaned over and told me that they were now opening for a popular LA band.  These kids are in high school!!!   This group lead us into intermission with a six foot tall yellow chicken dancing around stage.  Although school administrators are no longer allowed to have fun, I had to fight myself from jumping on the stage and doing the chicken dance along with the big bird!

 

When we returned from break I thought… ok this half is destined to be a let down given the caliber of talent performed during the first half of the show.   I was wrong!  Suddenly one of my habitual truants came onto stage with a beautifully choreographed modern dance as he did tricks with his soccer ball.  Is this what this child is doing while he is ditching school I thought to myself?  Following a couple more musical numbers the stage went black… suddenly a young man was twirling lights to Techo-trance music.  I glanced down at my program to realize that it was one of the biggest jerks at our school.  This young man was one of the most defiant kids I have known; yet he was absolutely mesmerizing on stage.  The evening ended with our favorite boy band lip sync/dance act that always brings the crowd to its feet.  Surprisingly, this wasn’t the most talented act of the night. 

 

Now I had a moral dilemma… how in the world do I judge this?  We could have easily had fifteen winners!  Do I factor in the discipline issues for who had performed their act perfectly?  If I scored as if I didn’t know them, would it be the boost they need to stop their downward spiral?  What should I do?  I kept hoping that silly chicken would come whist me away from my confusion for a dance… but he never came.  I had been “Judging” since my own high school talent show, but never before had I been faced with such a dilemma. 

 

At that moment I remembered that I am not the same person I was in high school.  And, had it not been for positive role models in my life that corrected me along the way, there is no telling where I might have gone.  As long as there will be teenagers, there will be stupid decisions and mistakes.  I put aside my need to “fix the world” and voted based on talent.  Hopefully this success in these young lives will help them as well.  For I guess the greatest challenge dealing with young people is seeing them not for what they are, but what they can become.

3-11-08 - Getting Cranky

Ah… testing season!  While the rest of the world smiles and watches colorful little flowers pop their heads out from the last winter’s frost, Debbie and I are held captive in little dusty textbook room counting endless copies of state mandated exams.  For years I have tried to “get rid of” this particular part of my administrative duties, but year after year I allow myself to be convinced that no one can do it as well as I can (“I” meaning mostly Debbie) Of course we both have our own little form of psychosis… I have issues with books all facing the same direction and Debbie gets a bit territorial over the #2 sharpened pencils.  Despite ourselves we seem to re-emerge in June as sane human beings and are assimilated back into society as if the madness never happened.

 

Today was the first day of the “season.”  All California tenth graders are administered the California High School Exit Exam, as well as eleventh and twelfth graders who have not yet passed.  This particular exam is required for graduation so the stakes are quite high.  After seven years of giving this particular exam, both Deb and I remarked that we didn’t seem as agitated as previous years and I actually woke up this morning with a smile on my face. 

 

Despite the rush of stupid little questions, testing was going quite well.    I was quite smug with my sense of ease until I came across a young man sitting at a table.  I had spent the previous 15 minutes “shooing” tardy kids to class or their testing sites and thought nothing of questioning this young man as to why he was not in class.  I asked, “Where are you supposed to be right now.”  He replied, “Right here.”  I started laughing (a precursor to anger inherited from my father) and said; “I don’t think I remember us scheduling anyone under the tree for 1st period.”  That’s all it took… this young man shot off like a rocket.  I then gave him a prompt escort to my office and a suspension phone call to his father while he continued to berate me.  His father agreed to come get him.

 

I then managed to return to the 889 testers for business as usual.  I drove around campus in the trusty golf cart checking testing sites, when I heard a call for wheelchair.  A co-administrator had tripped on the tarp that was placed on the gym floor for protection and fell on her already injured knee.  I rushed to the gym to find her with tears in her eyes and unable to walk.  I assisted her with ice and bandage and insisted that she go to the hospital.  Once she was enroute to the office, I returned to my rounds.   We had used 10 portables, the Library, the Multipurpose Room, and the Gym as testing sites.  Of course all the teachers I misplaced from the portables had to be “dropped” in prep period classrooms while the rest of campus went on with school as usual.  The logistics of this particular exam is a nightmare.

 

Unfortunately, we were forced to place 350 testers in the gym since our large campus was now stretched to its capacity.   Upon my return, I explained the mornings outburst to a colleague only to find out that the kid I had just suspended has Asperger Syndrome… now I felt about an inch high and returned to office to contact his parents and attempt to work out a compromise. 

 

Following my plate of “humble pie” I returned to the gym again to assist with the larger number of testers when I was greeted a campus supervisor requesting assistance with a belligerent young man of her own.  After numerous attempts to convince him to put away his I-Pod he refused and was getting mouthy with her.   The next few minutes are a blur, but I do remember using a statement I have used only one other time in my career, “Go ahead and hit me, it’s a felony”!  This young man was smart enough to refrain from the act, but noticing the tattoos on the back of his neck my following questions were “When did you get out of the Hall” and “Who is your Probation Officer”?  He was also escorted to the office for a brief vacation.  I would have preferred a chain gang, but California law prohibits common sense solutions.   I called a couple of friends I have in the Juvenile Authority and suggested a little extra love for him.

 

 

I returned to the Gym, yet a third time… turned my radio off and sat down daring anyone to call me for anything.  This lasted about fifteen minutes until I got the heebie geebies and had to get up and check on everything again.  About noon-thirty we concluded the exam.  All the testing bins were being returned to the “Hole”… aka the textbook room. Debbie began to help me inventory… room numbers were simply not coming out correctly.  Fatigue had set in and I was worn out emotionally.  All I remember is saying room 6-21, meaning room 7-21 when Debbie corrected me I snapped… “You know what I mean”!    After putting up with my sass for seven years now she looked me squarely in the eye and said “You’re getting cranky.”  CRANKY??  CRANKY??  You’ve got to be kidding!   I wasn’t “getting” anything!  I firmly stood in the land of Cranky and had now set up shop! I was tired of tests, tired of smart mouth kids, tired of stupid questions, and just down right tired! 

 

Just as if she was dealing with ornery child, Debbie said… “go get something to eat and you will feel better.”  Well, she was right, even if it was diet food.  I was able to return to sort bins and shuffle exams with her for the following day of testing.  And I guess testing isn’t that bad, heck I actually missed the irate parent who wanted to complain that her daughter was suspended and arrested for stealing a girls’s I-Pod the previous day.  Sometimes blessings come in testing bins!

3-7-08 - Barking Dogs

It was now 9:00 p.m.  I was just walking out of school for the day with my dogs barking (the kind in my shoes not the ones with tails.)  Today we were visited by “the wigs” because one of our All Star students won a contest and will have the honor to present his bill on the floor of the California Assembly Floor.   I had worn navy heels much higher than my norm and now my feet were swollen and hurting badly.  Although I was in pain, the day had been a good one, and my hurting feet was a small price to pay for the good which happened in the life of this young man today.

 

Ryan upon first glance is like any other kid, lots of friends, handsome, intelligent beyond his years, but his particular story goes much further.  You see, Ryan has been a foster child since age two.  He had been moved around all his life and ended up at Royal to finish his education and graduate.  We are blessed with a campus of All Star teachers and his insightful history teacher entered her class in a contest “There Ought to be a Law” in which high school students could actually write bills.  Ryan won the contest from 600 entries and today was his day to shine.   An assembly was scheduled for social studies students to see Ryan receive an award from our state Assemblyman and a smorgasbord of other city and county officials.  Following the awards our students were led in a question/answer session with there elected officials.  I was especially proud of our moderator, one of our own staff members, who actually made the students feel as if they were participating in a national CNN event.

 

During the assembly Ryan was given an opportunity to explain his bill to his classmates.  Being in the foster system all his life, he understood personally the toil it has on young people.  In his case, at a very mature 17 years old he wanted to sign with the Marine Corp so he would be eligible for a $10,000 signing bonus.  This would not be an issue for a student living with their families; you get a parent to sign for you...  deal done.  It was very different in Ryan’s case.  In order to obtain consent since he is technically a ward of the state he was required to go before a judge for approval to enlist.  Unfortunately, he got a judge that let her political opposition of the war get in the way of common sense and denied permission.   Ryan was denied his $10,000 bonus and came home a very disappointed young man.   He stated all we wanted is what other kids have, the right for the family who knows him the best to make decisions that directly impact his life.  When this contest was announced he found an emotional topic.  Standing in a borrowed suit, he stood before his peers and explained his plight.  Tearfully, he quickly gave thanks to an amazing Marine recruiter (already mentioned in blog) who supported him throughout his journey.  During Ryan's speech, this school administrator could have heard a pin drop in a gym packed with teenagers.

 

On the way back to the office I was joined by somber colleagues, we discussed what an incredible opportunity for our kids to discuss issues with the movers and shakers in our city and state.  I remember a couple of teachers in high school who provided similar opportunities for us.  As I look back at the people I graduated with years ago, we are now across the nation experiencing amazing opportunities.  My high school was in a rural area, but that didn’t stop my teachers who threw us on busses and took us to the Meccas of politics and culture.   This year, one of our government teachers (today’s moderator) donated his time to take students to hear the Republican debates.  This pride and dedication to our young minds will be the reason we can rest easy in our rocking chairs and know that the world is in good hands.  For those who dedicate their lives to the next generation whether it be in schools, scouts, sports or any other venue … THANK YOU!

3-4-08 -- Practice What You Preach!

I have made it a practice in my life to surround myself with folks who don’t cut me any slack.  In my humble opinion, if a person loves you enough they will be able to cut through life’s pleasantries and tell you like it is.  I guess I was indoctrinated with this idea since birth, since my sassy little mother couldn’t tell a “non truth” if her life depended on it.  As a child I was blessed with an incredible support system, yet I knew if I asked what my mother thought, I would always get the truth … and sometimes even when I didn’t ask for it!  Being reared this way, it has not only shaped who I am as an adult, it was also been a prerequisite of who I choose for my inner circle of friends

 

My first very best friend was Tim Stone, he has held this distinct honor since his birth and I was two.  We really had no choice in the matter given our Dad’s were best friends since their childhood.  I found very quickly that Tim was the real deal, and managed to keep him close throughout high school.    I know to this day, if I needed someone to walk with me through the fire… and tell me along the way how I actually created the inferno, I could count on Tim.  Although now we live two times zones apart, I still consider him to one of my best friends. I remember following a church youth group one night, we discussed the deep philosophical issue of who we considered to be friends.  Tim, a very deep thinker, made the statement; true friendship is what the Bible teaches, “no greater love than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends.”  He followed this profound revelation by saying, “you know this is the kind of friendship that you would dive in the path of a bullet to save your friends life.”  

 

This was no more apparent than when as young adults we decided to go canoeing.  Well… let’s just say there is a reason I left the event with the nickname “Pam Tipie-Canoe.”   It had been raining for what seemed to be 40 days and nights in southwest Arkansas and all the rivers where running so fast we were afraid to put in the boats.  So… since we wanting to get out feet wet, we decided to launch those stupid canoes on a local lake.  Of course we didn’t bother to think about speedboats and the fact it was Memorial Day weekend.   I do swim, but I have never considered myself a strong swimmer, so of course I made sure I had one of those bulky orange life vests around me and hopped into the canoe.   I hopped in this little boat not thinking about the possible consequences.  Sure enough, we were halfway across when some smart soul thought it would be funny to race by us in their speedboat… we tossed and turned, did every thing possible to stabilize but to my fear a 100 yards from the shore, we tipped over.  All I remember is that stupid life jacket floated up to my ears and sinking.  I began screaming… “Tim, my feet are filling up” and grabbed him around the neck for dear life.  He was polite enough not to actually laugh at me until we got to the shore. At that very moment I understood what he meant years ago…a real friend will save your sorry behind before you go under!   One of Tim’s favorite topics happens to be… if you talk to talk, you better walk the walk.

 

This week, you can imagine the look on my face when I was blind-sighted with the same response from one of our counselors.  All day I had been telling truants the same thing, “There are things in life we don’t want to do, but we have to do them anyway.”   “I don’t want to be here at 8:00 a.m. either, but I have to be here and so do you”!    I was rather pleased with myself sharing my infinite wisdom with the children until…

 

At the end of the day I was discussing my inability to diet and exercise with one of our school counselors.  She looked me squarely in the eye and said, “Pam, you need to practice what you preach.”  “There are some things in life you don’t want to do, but you have to do them for your health and well being.”   OUCH!!!  That statement works much better going the other direction.  The reality of this concept became painfully apparent when my doctor told me this week that she had done a fasting blood test and my sugar was high. 

 

Although I was blessed with diabetes in my genes, I had always dodged it.  As a child my mother drug me from doctor to doctor having those stupid glucose tests done. You know, the kind that the poke you with a needle every 30 minutes for four hours to see if your sugar is high.  I had boasted… I could never regulate my sugar because I enjoy eating too much.  Today, I had to eat crow. 

 

I guess to make sense of all this nonsense, today I learned two lessons that needs to be shared with our kids.  First, choose your friends wisely.  If they allow you to make stupid decisions they are not really your friends. And secondly, if you continually make bad decisions whether it be with food, drugs, alcohol, etc, eventually it WILL catch up with you.   

 

The state of California has launched a huge anti-obesity campaign removing all sodas and junk food from schools.  As much as the candy sales will hurt our club funding, teaching our kids to take care of themselves is critical.   Personally, I have made this counselor my accountability partner to stay on my behind if I don’t work out everyday.  My principal has agreed to do a popular diet program with me.  Let’s help our kids make good choices, before they have to rely on the truthfulness of their own friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3-1-08- Obituary of Common Sense

Another good email...

 

Author - Unknown

 

Obituary 

Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who had been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated  valuable lessons such as knowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm, life isn't always fair, and maybe it was my fault. 


Common Sense lived by simple, sound, financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not children are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. 


Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job they themselves failed to do in disciplining their unruly children. It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer Aspirin, sun lotion, or a sticky plaster to a student, but could not inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. 


Common Sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband; churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.

Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar can sue you for assault. 


Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; his wife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by three stepbrothers; I Know my Rights, Someone Else is to Blame, and I'm a Victim. 


Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

 

2-29-08 -- Living in Bizzaro World

Leap Year, I have never really understood this concept.  Every four years we get an extra day… personally I would rather take those 24 hours and use them for another hour or so of sleep, but those little creatures who turn the wheels of time seem to disagree and we get an extra day.  What exactly are we supposed to do with this day?  I personally attempted to use mine as a day of reflection, but things never quite turn out the way we plan.  I was enjoying a grill cheese sandwich and tomato soup provided by our Renaissance class and their thoughtful sponsor when I received a call to return to the office, Bizzaro World* was under attack...

 

As any school employee will attest, we live with a constant struggle of good vs. evil on every high school campus.  The good influence decorates for school dances, draws your name in secret buddies, secretly puts a box of Cherry Chocolate Diet Dr. Pepper on your desk, and waves to you while you are doing lunch supervision.   On the other hand, you also have the evil influence, which promotes gossip in the office, sells drugs to teenagers, and attempts to twist that which is “right” into “wrong.”  This last influence is my reason for being in this profession.  Just like a child playing Superhero, I am on a quest to rid Bizzaro World* of the Evil Doers!  You can call this going “Down a Upward Staircase,” “Situational Ethics” or what ever you wish, but there is a definite influence in our society which attempts to twist everything we were taught as a child was “right” into “wrong.” This is done in the name of the allusive “Gray Area.”   No one seems to know where exactly where the gray area begins or ends in Bizzaro World*, but everything we attempt to in the name of  “right” seems to infringe on the “Gray Area.”  I remember learning in Texas history, prior to statehood there was a place deep in the piney woods of east Texas where all the bandits would hide because it was not controlled by laws of either the Republic of Texas or the United States… I have often wondered if this the origin of the Gray Area?

 

This evil influence takes intelligent educated people and makes them second-guess their moral decisions such as, should a student be expelled for bringing 120 pills to school… because it isn’t written down anywhere?  Or… should a young man who has been bringing a four-inch locking blade knife to school for a month be arrested because he happens to have a learning disability?  Should a student be held accountable for ditching ONLY first period?  Today I had a mother beg me to change her son’s detention because he needed to do community service for stealing a car!  I am the only one in Bizzarro World* who thinks this is totally ludicrous?    Each morning when I put on my Super Administrator cape to fight the forces of evil in land of Bizzaro* I am met with an entire cast of super villains to battle for the minds of our young people.   I have named them, “Immorality,” “Ignorance,” “Denial,” “Peer Pressure,” and the vilest of them all “Multi-agency Politics.” Luckily, when I am zapped by one of these villains and frozen with a “James Castleman face," (aka my father’s, I can’t believe you are that stupid look) another Super Hero charges to my rescue and we continue this battle together. 

 

When I first arrived in the land of Bizzaro*, I made a comment that I felt that I had a spoon trying to take down a mountain.  Over the years, I have found there is actuallya whole bunch of folks with spoons and when we work together we can make a difference.  As we walk through life, we are surrounded by wounded Super Heroes who are exhausted fighting the good fight.  Maybe I am merely a mislead optimist in the Land of Bizzaro*, but I wonder what would happen if instead of throwing our hands up and giving up, we found others and encouraged them for wearing the cape too?

 

*Bizzaro is a copyright of DC Comics