The New Blog

The new blog is:

www.year-five.blogspot.com

The Finale

Year 4 has been over for quite a while now. Year 5 is right around the corner. There's so much to do during the next few days. I'm actually becoming a little panicky...not good! **taking a deep breath** I'm sure it will all get done.

Campaign '08

I know, I'm a little late on this one...oh well. This video comes from funnyordie.com.

no school work for 5 days!

I think I can do it. I plan on not doing ANY school work until Saturday. Nothing. I'm not even going to look at email. The email thing is going to be VERY difficult. I hope I can make it. I need to find some distractions. Any ideas?

BTW...I hope everyone is enjoying their time off! Just a few weeks left. :(

save the main library

The city's 2009 budget is proposing to close the main library! Unbelievable. One would think that books would be immune to budget cuts. Guess one would be wrong. A group of library supporters have set up a blog to enlist help and keep the public informed of any new information regarding the main library. Check it out.

Dunk Tank Trauma

From everything I heard, last Friday's carnival was enjoyed by many. There were a few glitches here and there, but that was to be expected. I appreciate everyone pulling together to make it a great event for the kids and families. I can't say that I enjoyed my time in the dunk tank. I'm not very fond of being in large containers of water. I guess I'll do anything to make a buck for the school. Well, almost anything.

ONE MORE DAY!

e on Education

I believe a school shouldn't have to sell snacks to pay for field trips. I believe a school shouldn't have to make the choice between keeping a reading specialist and a nurse. Decision makers must give schools the money necessary to provide the resources and tools necessary for ALL children to learn. Despite what politicians say, it's not easy to do more with less. I believe preschool should be free and mandatory for ALL children. Kindergarten should also be mandatory. I believe parents should be held more accountable for their children's education. It's about time parents share this accountability with teachers and administrators. We must provide tools and resources to parents so that they will be able to send their children to school ready to learn. Billions are being spent overseas to "build" democracy. How much money should be spent on "building" a life long learner? How many bags of Chex Mix has the Department of Defense had to sell lately?

Senator McCain on Education

Senator Obama on Education

'Reading First' Funds Headed for Extinction

Another interesting article in Education Week. Check it out.

Reading First Chronology
January 2002: President Bush signs the No Child Left Behind Act into law, and federal officials kick off the Reading First program in a series of workshops and video presentations.

March 2002: Publishers’ representatives and reading organizations ask the U.S. Department of Education to clarify Reading First rules, saying that many state officials believe there is a list of approved programs and products they must purchase for participating schools. The department says no such list exists.

April 2005: Publishers file complaints with the Education Department’s inspector general charging that federal officials were promoting the use of some commercial texts and assessments in Reading First programs, while discouraging others.

September 2005: The Education Department’s inspector general opens a broad inquiry into complaints about the Reading First program. A month later, Republican and Democratic leaders of the Senate education committee ask the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, to conduct its own review of the program.

September 2006: The first of six inspector general reports concludes that some federal officials and consultants may have had conflicts of interest and appeared to promote certain products that they were associated with.

May 2007: Congress grills federal officials and consultants in hearings highlighting the findings of the inspector general reports.

December 2007: Congress cuts the Reading First budget by 61 percent, to $364 million for fiscal 2008.

May 2008: A federal evaluation commissioned by the Education Department’s Institute of Education Sciences, finds that the $1 billion-a-year funding for Reading First had no measurable effect on students’ reading comprehension.

June 2008: House and Senate appropriations panels vote to eliminate all funding for Reading First.

SOURCE: Education Week

Four More Days

Just For Fun - I'm Digging This Tune

Five More Days

Five more days. Five more days. Five more days. Five more days.

There was an interesting article in today's L.A. Times about why Asian students do better than Latino students. I found the article fascinating. Check it out. There's another article in the Times about California's drop out rate. Looks like 1 in 4 California high school kids drop out of school. Sad. Time to refocus our energy and resources on education.

Wednesday

Ten more days left! Yes, I'm definitely counting. It's been a tough year. I'll be happy to say ciao to it.

I don't think I'm going to surpass my Year-3 posts total of 120. This is post number 93. I need 27 posts in 14 days. I don't think I can make it. Oh well. I'll be happy with 100+ posts.

I have a bunch of Tribes letters to respond to. Hopefully, I'll be able to post an interesting letter in the next few days. I'll try to write back to the kids during the weekend. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with myself this weekend. Wendy, Kathy, and Stephanie are helping me out with a few tasks. Actually some really big tasks. I really appreciate the help. I know what I'll do, I'll visit rooms and finish going through everyone's content standards binder. Yup, that's what I'll do. I don't think I'll be able to do it tomorrow or Friday. Oh, and I need to work on the class lists. Yup...that's going to take a while.

Lots of interesting things happened today. Two kindergarteners decided to use crayons to draw all over the MPR bathroom. What a mess! So...they spent the morning scrubbing walls. I spent a lot of time dealing with keys. Spent a bunch of time dealing with another issue - wish I could talk about it, but can't. Suspended a kid who showed his wee wee to some friends in class. Talked to A LOT of people. Half of the conversations I don't even remember...so sad.

I hope the rest of the week is calm.

Tribes Letter of the Week

I get so much joy from these letters. In the age of email and text messages, I'm so glad we're doing our part to keep the art and tradition of letter writing alive. I really wish I could post all of the wonderful letters I get from the kids. These letters are definitely "what's right with the world."

Say It Ain't So!

From Education Week

Elimination of ‘Reading First’ Funding Advances
By Alyson Klein

The full Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday approved a fiscal 2009 spending measure that would eliminate funding for the controversial Reading First program, while providing modest increases for other programs serving disadvantaged students and those in special education.

The bill, which was approved on a 26-3 vote, would provide about $61.8 billion for the U.S. Department of Education for fiscal 2009, which begins Oct. 1. That would be a 4.2 percent increase over the current fiscal year.

On June 19, a House Appropriations subcommittee also voted to scrap the Reading First state grants program as part of a similar 2009 spending bill financing education, labor, health, and other programs.

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings urged lawmakers to reconsider their decision. State-reported performance data for the program “indicates impressive gains in reading comprehension,” she wrote in a June 25 letter to leaders of both chambers’ committees on appropriations and education.

“Zeroing out Reading First would endanger our academic progress, send the wrong message to teachers, and, worst of all, do a disservice to our nation’s neediest students,” Secretary Spellings wrote.

Created as part of the No Child Left Behind Act, which became law in 2002, the Reading First program was financed at about $1 billion annually until this fiscal year. Congress slashed the funding to $393 million for fiscal 2008, after a series of reports by the Education Department’s inspector general suggested that conflicts of interest had occurred among officials and contractors who helped implement the program in its early years.

The Senate panel did not discuss the decision to kill funding for Reading First during debate over the fiscal 2009 education spending bill. But in the House, Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, cited the results of a preliminary federal evaluation of Reading First, released May 1, which found that the program has had no impact on students’ reading comprehension.

Emergency Spending Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee also approved $14.5 billion for Title I grants for districts, a 4.3 percent increase over fiscal 2008. And it voted to hike spending to help states cover the cost of educating students in special education, under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, to $11.4 billion, a 4.1 percent increase over this fiscal year.

Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, who chairs the Appropriations subcommittee that deals with education, called the proposed bottom line for the IDEA “woefully inadequate, but better than what we’ve done.”

Meanwhile, the full Senate yesterday, on a 92-6 vote, gave final approval to an emergency-spending bill financing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that would also permit the federal government to continue reimbursing schools for administrative and most student-transportation costs covered by Medicaid, until at least next spring. A Bush administration directive sought to halt the practice.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an arm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, issued a final rule in December that sought to eliminate the reimbursements that school districts receive for certain administrative and transportation expenses from the Medicaid program. Districts receive such payments to cover the costs of transporting some students in special education, for instance.

But, also in December, Congress approved legislation that keeps any school-related changes to Medicaid from taking effect until July 1. The spending bills would extend the moratorium on changes to the school reimbursements until April 1 of next year. Lawmakers who support the moratorium hope that by that point they can negotiate potential changes with the next administration—or just leave the reimbursement program in place, lobbyists said.

The emergency-spending measure would also create a “new GI bill” to expand education benefits for veterans of the armed forces who have served since Sept. 11, 2001. It would provide more than $62 billion over 10 years to help cover the cost of books and tuition, and a monthly living stipend.

But the bill does not include $400 million to provide a one-year extension of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, a program that gives federal aid to make up for diminished timber revenues in counties that are home to national forests.

A version of the legislation initially passed by the Senate last month had included the money, but it was stripped out as part of a compromise between Democratic leaders in Congress and President Bush, who had threatened to veto the bill if it contained too much domestic spending.

Without the money, some districts will be forced to make dramatic budget cuts, including laying off employees, supporters of the provision said.

The House of Representatives approved the emergency-spending bill June 19 by a vote of 416-12. President Bush is expected to sign it.

Vol. 27

Missing Matt

I'm already missing Matt. He was such a great partner, such a great confident, and tremendous support for me and really for everyone. I'm really happy about his promotion, but I'm sad for our loss. Not only is he good at his job, but he's one of the nicest and most sincere people I've ever met in my life. With all honesty, I can't say that I'm thrilled about doing my job and half of his. I appreciate that Glenda and Cheryl will also take over some of his duties. We have a GREAT support team. Next year is going to be tough. We'll make it work. I'm remembering what Dewitt Jones says, "Celebrate what's right with the world." Ok, Dewitt...I'll celebrate in a couple days. Let me wallow in my sorrow until at least Friday.

Celebrate What's Right With the World

There's so much right with the world. Lately, my days have been so hectic, so stressful, so negative that I forget that there is so much right with MY world. I need to celebrate what's right with MY world. There's so much to celebrate...like Edwin's letter and all the other wonderful Tribes letters I get. Like the hugs I get at lunch. Like the compliments the kids give me on my shirt and shoes. Yes, they pay attention to those things. Like kindergartener Jovan who shared his wonderful story with me today. He was so proud of his writing. And so was I. MY world is worth celebrating.

My inspiration for celebrating what's right with the world comes from Dewitt Jones. His wonderful video challenges us to "recognize the possibilities and find solutions for the challenges before us." Take a few minutes to watch the video. Let's celebrate!

Tribes Letter of the Week

I LOVE getting Tribes letters! They definitely bring me joy. I wish I could post all the letters I get. Some of them are so cute. Like this one... (I'm sure Edwin wouldn't mind me posting his letter.)

Shout Outs!

I'm sure Mr. C had no idea his field trip to the Getty would end up in the back seat of my car listening to my rants against Hillary Clinton and gushing praise for Barack Obama. Poor guy. One of his students fainted at the Getty and had to be taken to the UCLA Medical Center Emergency Room. Mr. C didn't hesitate to jump in the back of the ambulance to be with his student! That's dedication. Luckily, the student is fine. I'm not sure how Mr. C is doing. He looked kind of pale when he got out of my car. Another shout out to his mom for taking care of the rest of his students! Lots of heroes in the "C" family!

LA Times

Last week I wrote a letter to the Times praising the fine education I received at CSU Dominguez Hills. The letter was published on Monday. Check it out.

Interesting...

From Education Week

Senate Panel Also Votes to Kill Funds for 'Reading First'
By Alyson Klein

Washington
A Senate Appropriations subcommittee voted today to eliminate all funding for the Reading First program, as part of a fiscal 2009 spending bill that would provide modest increases for other education programs.

Last week, a House Appropriations subcommittee also approved a fiscal 2009 spending measure that would scrap funding for the controversial reading program, which was authorized as part of the No Child Left Behind Act.

In explaining his panel's decision to zero out the program, Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., the chairman of the House Appropriations panel, had cited the results of a preliminary federal evaluation of Reading First, released May 1, which found that the program has had no impact on students' reading comprehension.

But Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, the chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, gave no reason today for his panel’s plan to end funding for the program.

Richard Long, the director of government relations for the Newark, Del.-based International Reading Association, called the actions by the House and Senate panels “unfortunate.”

“We hope this doesn’t mean that the emphasis on reading improvement and professional development is dropped,” Mr. Long said.

Speaking last week in response to the House subcommittee’s action, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings said, “it would be tragic to cut the nation’s only reading program when so many policymakers and teachers know it’s working to increase achievement.”

The Department of Education has just released an analysis of state test-score data showing that a majority of states have seen gains in reading fluency and comprehension in Reading First schools. ("Keep ‘Reading First’ Funds, Advisory Group Urges Congress", June 24, 2008.)

Slight Increase for Some Programs
Reading First, a major initiative of the Bush administration, received about $1 billion annually until Congress slashed the program’s budget to $393 million for fiscal 2008, the current year.

Lawmakers acted after a series of reports by the U.S. Department of Education’s inspector general that suggested conflicts of interest had occurred among officials and contractors who helped implement the program in its early years.

The Senate bill would provide $61.8 billion in discretionary spending for the Education Department in fiscal 2009, which begins Oct. 1. That would be a 4.3 percent increase over the $59.2 billion appropriated for 2008.

Sen. Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the top Republican on the Appropriations subcommittee, said he wished the panel had more money to work with.

“I don’t think it is a good bill—I think it is the best we can do,” Sen. Specter said during the subcommittee meeting. “There’s so much that could be done if we simply had the funding.”

The measure, which the subcommittee approved by a voice vote, would provide $154 billion in discretionary spending for education, health, and labor programs, a $7.6 billion increase over last year.

It would boost funding for Title I grants for the education of disadvantaged students to $14.5 billion, compared with this year’s $13.9 billion. The new total would be $225 million more than President Bush’s fiscal 2009 budget request of $14.3 billion.

Sen. Harkin said that even with the increase for Title I, the appropriations would fall “well short of the funds authorized by the No Child Left Behind Act.”

The bill would hike spending to help states cover the cost of students in special education, increasing spending for grants to states under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act from $11.28 billion in fiscal 2008 to about $11.4 billion next year.

“We wish the numbers could be higher than they are,” said Mary L. Kusler, a lobbyist with the American Association of School Administrators. “But we are encouraged by the increases for [special education] and Title I.”

The Senate subcommittee released few other details about the Labor-HHS-Education spending bill, which the full Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider Thursday. On the same day, the full House Appropriations Committee is schedule to take up its Labor-HHS-Education bill.

Vol. 27, Issue 43

Graduation? Promotion?

There's an interesting article in today's LA Times about middle schools toning down their eighth grade "graduation" ceremonies. Many elementary schools are doing the same. I have to come out on the side of those who believe in toning down such celebrations. I say this as a former fifth grade teacher and organizer of many promotion ceremonies. I totally understand the need for people to celebrate. Celebration is great! I'm a true believer in celebrating success. I believe recognition and celebration for the completion of elementary school is appropriate. Are long, flowing, strapless gowns, suits, flowers, balloons, stuffed animals, hooting and hollering families, candy leis, etc. really necessary or appropriate for sending our fifth graders off to middle school? I'm not so sure. I think it's important to remind fifth graders they are not graduating, but rather being promoted to the next grade level. Graduation happens in high school and college. High school and college graduations are milestones that deserve huge celebrations...not going from fifth to sixth grade. We need to remind kids that they still have 7 more years to go. Seven more years of studying and hard work. We send mixed messages when promotion celebrations resemble graduation ceremonies. I'm not sure what an "appropriate" promotion ceremony looks like. I have a few ideas, but I'll leave the decision making to the fifth grade team. I'm thrilled that so many kids have been telling me about the colleges that they'll be going to and what they'll be studying. The other day, third grader Toni told me she was going to Stanford. I told her she made an excellent choice. I also told her she needed to keep working hard to get there. She told me she knew that. I asked her if I could go to her graduation. With a HUGE smile on her face, she said "of course." I hope in 2021, I'm in Palo Alto hooting and hollering for Toni!

Today's List of Activities

Today was a busy day. I forgot to write down everything I did today. I'm going to try to remember everything.

I went to a meeting at the TRC about service learning. I drove back to school. I made a pot of coffee. I stared at the naughty boy and naughty girl in the office. I moved the recycling containers out of the office into the hallway. I checked email. I listened to a voice message on the phone. I took the mail out of my box. I went to guard the milk. I asked Kentae, Gary, and Adrian why they were wearing hoodies in 90 degree weather. I went outside to set up the putting green. I putted. I missed. I watched the kids play golf for awhile. I said hi to Bishop. I waved at Cheryl. I checked email again. I talked to Glenda S about the new online payroll system. I talked to Ruselle about something. Don't remember what it was. I told Kathy we need to correct something that had been copied because it had incorrect information. I bought a water and a diet dr. pepper from the vending machine. I checked email. I talked to Bishop about the new playground hours. I talked to Cheryl about the new playground hours. Ruselle and I delivered the new recycling containers. I checked email. I typed up a flyer to send home to parents about the new playground hours. I talked to Kristi a couple times. I waved at Leticia and Robin in the hallway. I talked to Ruselle about something. I talked with Leticia. I talked with Stephanie. I ate almonds while I was talking to her. I returned a call to HRS. Darn, I forgot to return another call. I talked to Outey in the hallway. I unpacked the Grade 4 Science end of course exams. I moved the planters around in the front of the school. I got mad because someone moved the planter that's located near the elevator room. I talked to Ruselle about something. I talked to Erika about Kindergarten diplomas. I checked email. I talked to Ruselle about something. I called the parent of a kid who hadn't been picked up on time. I wiped down the phone and counter. I cleaned the white board. I wrote Thursday's events on the white board. I turned off my computer. I talked to Ruselle about something. I turned my computer back on. I emailed Glenda and Ruselle the revised 08-09 bell schedule. I told Laura I could talk to her on Thursday. I turned off my computer. I left.

I'm sure I've forgotten a bunch of other stuff...like going to the bathroom...but I'm sure you don't want to know about that. Right?

From My Email Buddy

D'Hills

There's a great article in today's LA Times about how the new President of Cal State Dominguez Hills is trying to change the university's image. Apparently, it has been known as a "remedial university." Really? I didn't realize that I spent all those years (got my bachelors, teaching credential, and masters at d'hills) at a "remedial university." I thought I was getting a first class education at a small, ethnically diverse university. I really enjoyed not spending hours trying to find parking. I also enjoyed the professors actually knowing my name and actually caring about me. I'm proud to be a graduate of D'Hills. I enjoyed every moment I spent there. I really hope the new president is able to change the university's image. It's a great school.

The Book Whisperer, Donalyn Miller

The Book Whisperer
By Donalyn Miller

Donalyn Miller is a 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher in Texas who is said to have a "gift": She can turn even the most reluctant (or in her words "dormant") readers into students who can't put their books down. After responding to reader questions in her popular, "Creating Readers" Ask The Mentor column, Donalyn has returned to blog. She will write about how to inspire and motivate student readers, and respond to issues facing teachers and other leaders in the literacy field.

June 16, 2008

Out of the Box

I just finished reading Airman by Eoin Colfer, and today’s obsession is flying. I spent an hour on the Internet investigating the invention of kites, balloons, gliders, and airplanes. It is clear that Colfer researched early flying machines and the brave, crazy men who dared to build and fly them. After reading this adventure, I know that the invention of the gas-powered engine was a pivotal link in creating a working plane, and that balsa wood and canvas make a good, light frame for one, but let’s face it, I did not pick up this book because I needed research on planes, and it won’t be the reason the boys in my class will clamor to read the book next year. They will read Airman because they want to fly.

While surfing To Fly is Everything, a virtual museum on the history of human flight, I smiled thinking about the random information I have picked up from a lifetime of reading fiction. Thirty years ago this summer, I impressed my counselor at Girl Scout camp when I approached my horse from the side, not the back, like most novice riders. She asked me if I had ridden before, and I told her, no, I had just read every book Marguerite Henry had written. I got a basic primer on cloning in a college genetics course, but I learned about the ramifications of cloning from Jurassic Park. Unlike Crichton’s thriller, though, the only time I felt white-knuckled terror in that class was the day of the final.

I think reading popular fiction gets a bad rap. In many classrooms, reading books that are “good for you” supplants reading books that are just good. Every book has the potential to teach readers. Reading is the best way to build background knowledge about an endless list of topics. All teachers know that readers outperform non-readers, not only in English class, but in science and social studies classes, too. And those powerhouse readers are not just reading nonfiction.

One discovery I made while working with young readers is that a fiction book often sparks curiosity in a nonfiction topic. Last year, I had a student who knew staggering amounts of information about medieval architecture, armaments, and chivalry. He read fantasy books constantly. From sea turtle migration, to Mount Everest’s summit, to Frank Lloyd Wright, I can trace many of my students’ tangential interests back to a great fiction story they enjoyed.

Nonfiction reading feeds the flames for fiction reading, as well. Fascinated with the bombing of Pearl Harbor? Read Under the Blood Red Sun and witness the event through the eyes of Japanese-Americans. Intrigued by puzzles and riddles? Read Chasing Vermeer and solve the mystery right alongside the protagonists (you can pick up an art lesson, too).

When we, as educators, denounce reading fiction as escapism, and claim that reading nonfiction is the only place for learning and inquiry, we unnaturally compartmentalize the reading experience. What readers gain from reading does not fit into neat little boxes, any more than life does. Reading is complex because readers are.

Do I read for entertainment? enlightenment? education? Yes, yes, and yes. I read for all of these reasons, often at the same time. Ultimately, I think there is only one reason to read—to get answers to our questions—be they emotional, spiritual or intellectual. In this way, every act of reading is an act of inquiry, even when all we want to know is, "What happens?"

from: edweek.org

Stress

Last week was one of the most stressful weeks of the year. It was pretty bad. So, I decided to take Sunday off. No school work at all. Nothing. Although I did buy something that was for school. Does that count? Anyway, I decided to spend the day shopping. Spending money on stuff I absolutely don't need always seems to calm me down. I bought a few things at Cost Plus. Love that store. I was using a gift card that a friend gave me for my birthday. I bought a rug at Bed, Bath and Beyond. I used a 20% off coupon I got in the mail. I browsed Barnes and Noble. Well, I did more than browse...I bought a couple books. While I was standing on line, there was a little boy, maybe 6 years old who kept asking his mom what stress was. I think he saw a little book that had stress in the title. The mom told him it's when you're frustrated, angry. I thought how great it is that this little boy has absolutely no idea what stress is. I hope he doesn't know its evilness for a very long time. After Barnes, I went over to Macys to walk around. I bought a couple shirts. One of the shirts was 50% off, PLUS I had a 15% off coupon. Check me out with all my coupons! I checked out the new Vons in Seal Beach. I got lunch. I chilled out at home for a little bit. I ended the day with a walk along the beach. I try to walk the beach at least twice a week. I walk the bike path from Granada to Junipero. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't have written that in case one of you want to kidnap me or something. Aha, but you don't know what days I walk! Wait! You know one of them is Sunday. Guess I'll have to mix up the days now. Anyway, walking isn't exactly something I enjoy doing. It's definitely a chore...but a necessary one. Overall, it was a pretty good day.

More David Sedaris

If you haven't read Holidays on Ice, you absolutely must! If you don't listen to This American Life, you absolutely must! One of my favorite David Sedaris stories is "Santaland Diaries." David chronicles his adventures as a Macy's Santaland elf. The link will take you to the This American Life website where you can listen to David tell the story. Click on "full episode." Great stuff!

Odd Jobs

I'm not sure if most people realize the very mundane things I have to do as part of my "job." I'm supposed to be the "principle teacher," the "instructional leader." A lot of the stuff I do has nothing to do with that. I'm sure many think my job is glamorous, full of perks and privileges. Guess again. Here's a list of the not so glamorous things I have to do (most very important and some not):

Sign a bazillion forms a day.

Walk the playground to make sure the architect's drawing of the playground lines are in the correct location. Make editions/revisions to the drawing.

Rewrite the school page for the School of Choice Options book.

Beg (literally) city officials to not tear up Walnut until we're off track.

Call/email the city numerous times to make sure we get purple recycling bins. (I'm still waiting for the classroom containers.)

Check and approve payroll.

Check the substitute website to see who's absent. Forward the info to the secretary and support team.

Write a bazillion letters of recommendation.

Attend meetings that are boring and a waste of my time.

Shoo corn vendors away from the school.

Bag trash.

Guard milk.

Open ketchup and hot sauce packets.

Listen to the district's pest control guy tell me that the ants invading our building are from Argentina.

Shoo skateboarders away from the school on weekends.

This is just a partial list. There's a lot more. I think I'm going to start writing down everything I do. Geez, I hope I can remember to do that.

75 Posts!

Congratulations to me! Year-3 had over 120 posts. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to beat that. I'll try.

Any David Sedaris Fans?

I've been trying to read David Sedaris' new book before I go to sleep. I've read about four chapters so far. The man is a literary genius. Great stuff. Check it out!

Head Start

One of this week's enjoyable moments (probably this week's ONLY enjoyable moment) was attending the Head Start "graduation." It was pure delight to see the kids sing, dance, read, and play. The parents in attendance were so proud of their little ones. The Head Start kids are so smart...they are so ready for kindergarten. Our Head Start teachers need to be thanked for their very hard work preparing the kids for kindergarten. Thank you Rebecca, Jasmin, and Yanira! I wish EVERY single kid could attend Head Start. I'm a proud "graduate" of Harbor Hills Head Start(Lomita, CA) Class of '73. Yes, I'm a South Bay boy!

Obama and McCain on NCLB

We know who the two candidates for president will be. How do they feel about NCLB? Both Obama and McCain believe the NCLB goals are good things. You can read more about the candidates' views on NCLB in a current Education Week article. Check it out.

Toy District

Today, Ruselle and I took a trip to the Toy District. It's always an adventure hitting the streets of downtown L.A., especially the Toy District. Ahh, the crowds, the smells, the deals. We hit about four or five stores, I'm not quite sure. We bought a bunch of toys for the testing raffle, stickers for the student store, and stuffed animals for the carnival. One funny thing happened. In the sticker store, I heard a cell phone ring, but I didn't see a cell phone. I noticed the ring was coming from the sales lady's chest. She pulled the cell phone out of her bra. I wanted to laugh, but I refrained. We hadn't paid yet. I guess it's a good use of personal storage space. I guess. We ended the trip with lunch at Olvera Street. It was a good day.

A personal letter from Barack Obama

I just checked my verizon email account and guess what I found? A personal letter to me from the presumptive Democratic nominee for President of the United States. Let me share. (notice he signed it Barack?) Oh yeah, I'm in...

Edward--

I'm about to take the stage in St. Paul and announce that we have won the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. It's been a long journey, and we should all pause to thank Hillary Clinton, who made history in this campaign. Our party and our country are better off because of her. I want to make sure you understand what's ahead of us. Earlier tonight, John McCain outlined a vision of America that's very different from ours -- a vision that continues the disastrous policies of George W. Bush. But this is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past and bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love. It's going to take hard work, but thanks to you and millions of other donors and volunteers, no one has ever been more prepared for such a challenge.
Thank you for everything you've done to get us here. Let's keep making history.

Barack

And the winner is...

Finally, Democrats have selected a candidate for president. Let the race begin. I'm not sure if Obama should pick Clinton as his VP. What do you think?

The End is Near?

For those of you politically inclined, it looks like Obama v. Clinton will soon be over. I hope someone calls Hillary (not at 3:00 AM) to let her know. I wonder if it's too early to send in my resume for a possible job in an Obama Department of Education???

Monday

Compared to the last couple of weeks, today was extremely calm. A few issues here and there. I actually managed to get nine evaluations written. Nice. I have three more to go. I'll finish those tomorrow morning. I'm really enjoying reading blog summaries. I'm glad that so many bloggers are enjoying the reflective aspect of maintaining the blog. One teacher wrote in his blog summary that the constant reflection of his practice has definitely made him a better teacher. That's fantastic! I've found that my constant reflection of my practice has made me bitter, mean, and at times extremely depressed/ing...just kidding!!!! (sort of) I'm so sad that American Idol is over. I'm pretty much down to watching one tv show a week...the Tudors. I love that show. So sad, Queen Anne got her head chopped off. Talk about a quickie divorce! Dexter and Weeds will start soon, so that will increase my TV viewing by 50%. Not bad.

$4.15

Gas at the Chevron station near my apartment is $4.15 a gallon. Yesterday it was $4.10. Lets make bets to see when it hits $5.00. Unbelievable.

Random Ramblings

I walked the beach two days in a row. Good for me. Yesterday, my hip was really hurting, so I had to cut my walk a bit short. My hip has really been hurting lately. I hope I don't have arthritis or worse. I guess it's time to give up the break dancing. I knew this day would come but I didn't think it would come so soon. I guess I can't live in the 80s forever. I guess I'll have to cling to my iPod filled with Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Culture Club, the Go Gos, Adam Ant, and Billy Idol.

Speaking of the 80's. I want to again thank everyone for a wonderful birthday. I was blown away by the kindness and thoughtfulness of everyone. The kids were so cute. They were more excited about my birthday than I was. Time sure does fly. Blanca gave me a really cute card. It reads "Do you realize that 40 years ago...call waiting referred to a line outside of a phone booth...an airbag was someone who talked too much...spam was found only in the kitchen...a cell phone was what you used to make your one call from jail..." Too funny!

I had to buy a new computer. My computer is on its last leg. It keeps crashing. It's ready to crash permanently at any moment. Hopefully, the new one will arrive this week. I don't think I could survive a day without a computer.

He Was Robbed!

Cook beats Archuleta. WTF? I demand a recount!

Classified Appreciation Week

A HUGE shout out to our classified staff. Your work is very much appreciated. Thanks for making a difference in the lives of kids and families!

Where's Barack?

Young and in trouble

No, I'm not talking about me. The PressTelegram has begun a series of stories on youth crime in the city. Check it out. The statistics are very scary and very sad.

Appreciation

I really appreciate the people I work with. I'm so lucky to be able to work with talented, dedicated, and driven people. So many just quietly go about their work. Not interested in adulation or reward. A shared vision drives their work. Our kids are so fortunate.

HEY YOU GUYS!

It's already been a long week...and it's only Tuesday. Not good. Today's Key Results visit went really well. We saw two GREAT content standard driven lessons. VERY good! I appreciate the teachers allowing us to observe their reading workshop. Thank you. I managed to get us new purple recycling bins AND mini recycling bins for the classrooms. Good for me! Tomorrow's the last principals' meeting for the year. I hope there isn't any more bad news. I can't take any more bad news. Any Electric Company fans out there? I used to LOVE that show. LOVED IT! I read on perez that PBS is bringing back the show. How cool is that? I loved it when Rita Moreno screamed "HEY YOU GUYS!" Lets keep our fingers crossed that the rest of the week is calmer than Monday and Tuesday.

What a week!

What an exhausting week. I should be in bed right now, but I'm just too exhausted to get out of my desk chair and crawl into bed. That's sad. We are getting so many new kids who are just, how shall I put this delicately, very very needy. It's so scary and it's so sad. And of course we have the home grown Whittier needy ones. Is it July yet? I am so ready for this year to end.

On a happy note, David Archuleta kicked butt on this week's Idol show. He sang two great songs. Dreadlocks guy got the boot. Much deserved IMO. Of all the great Bob Marley songs to sing, he had to sing I Shot the Sheriff? What was he thinking?

On a sad note, I'm listening to the Dodgers on the radio. They're losing. I'm getting sick of listening to the commercials for Tommy Lasorda's wine.

I hope all the teachers had a nice appreciation week. I hope the teachers know that their support staff appreciates their hard work. Teaching is hard work.

I'm Back

It's been a long time since a post. I think this is the longest I've gone without a post since the Year-3 days. The last few weeks have been very busy and a bit stressful. We've tracked back on (stressful), I've moved (very very stressful), and I was really sick last week. I hate moving, I'm not so fond of tracking back on, and being sick is not fun. I'm feeling much better in case you're wondering.

This morning I was going to give some books to Karen, when I noticed a kid (first grader) halfway in and halfway out of his classroom. He was standing on the threshold, with the door almost closed. I asked him why he wasn't in his class learning. I immediately thought he was in trouble. He wasn't in trouble. He told me that he was "trying to fart." I wished him good luck with that and I continued on my way to Karen's class.

This afternoon Wendy gave me a personalized autograph from David Archuleta! How cool is that! Hey, I'm a fan!

From Education Week

Commentary

Education Beats Incarceration
By Tom Carroll

We’re No. 1! We lead the world in prison incarcerations. If only we were No. 1 in education.
The sobering news from a new report by the Pew Center on the States is that one of every 100 Americans is behind bars. Of greater concern is that one in nine black men ages 20 to 34 is in jail. If only they had spent more time in school. The Pew study, “One in 100: Behind Bars in America 2008,” found that the United States has the largest per-capita prison population in the world, followed by Russia. The highest-scoring European countries in international education comparisons are among those with the lowest prison populations. The study links growing U.S. incarceration rates to a wave of policy choices that send more lawbreakers to prison, along with increased use of prison stays for those who break probation rules. Compounding this trend, more public schools are choosing to use law enforcement to deal with disruptive school behavior. A recent report from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, “Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline,” found that a growing number of schools are pushing young people out of classrooms and into the juvenile-justice and criminal-justice systems; African-American students, who make up less than 20 percent of the overall youth population, account for one-third of suspensions, and they are more likely to be referred by their schools to the juvenile-justice system.

States and local jurisdictions want to be tough on crime. But there are better choices. “For all the money spent on corrections today, there hasn’t been a clear and convincing return for public safety,” says Adam Gelb, the director of Pew’s Public Safety Performance Project. He suggests that “more and more states are beginning to rethink their reliance on prisons for lower-level offenders and finding strategies that are tough on crime without being so tough on taxpayers.”
The average annual state expenditure on a prisoner is $23,876, in contrast to $8,701 per year on a K-12 student.

The average annual state expenditure on a prisoner is $23,876, in contrast to $8,701 per year on a K-12 student. The average in-state college tuition is $10,674 a year.
States and localities that are attempting to control crime by spending more on prisons would be better off spending more on schools. Texas, California, and Florida, for example, hold the highest state prison populations, while at the same time they fall below the national average on providing opportunities for educational success, according to the Quality Counts 2008 report. (Quality Counts, Jan. 10, 2008.) In the Johns Hopkins University-based study “Locating the Dropout Crisis,” these states also rank among the leaders in their number of high schools considered to be “dropout factories”—schools where graduation is not the norm, attended by almost half of the nation’s African-American students and nearly 40 percent of its Latino students.

In study after study, we have seen that education investments that improve school performance and increase graduation rates can reduce rates of incarceration, increase economic competitiveness, and lower health-care costs. The Economic Policy Institute found that payoffs for education investments are dramatic and long-term. Children in poverty who receive high-quality early education have significantly fewer arrests than peers without this opportunity. The Committee for Economic Development found that investing $4,800 per child in preschool can reduce teenage arrests by 40 percent. High school completion increases the payoff. The Coalition for Juvenile Justice reports that high school dropouts are three times more likely to be arrested. The Alliance for Excellent Education has found that almost $2.8 billion in additional annual earnings would enter the economy if we increased high school graduation rates. Community college and higher education investments produce even greater returns. Yet the Pew study found that the rate of prison cost increases is six times greater than the rate of cost increases in higher education.

Education also lowers health-care costs. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that if the 1.2 million students who drop out each year earned high school diplomas instead, states could save $17 billion in health-care costs over the graduates’ lifetimes. The Pew study is alarming, but what is most distressing is that state and national leaders are not taking more proactive steps to change this picture by investing in education. We need to learn from countries that have strong school performance and low prison populations. Our success in a competitive global economy will increasingly depend on our ability to meet the learning needs of students who currently are being pushed out of our schools. Educating each one of today’s students for successful participation in a complex world is a demanding challenge. No teacher should be expected to do this job alone.

The first step states can take is to ensure that teachers have the support they need to succeed. Schools serving low-income children and students of color often have teacher-dropout rates that exceed even their student-dropout rates. The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher finds that teachers are leaving because they are not given leadership backing to build a culture of success with principals, colleagues, students, and parents. It is time to recognize that great teaching is not an individual accomplishment. Quality teaching is a team sport. What is most distressing is that state and national leaders are not taking more proactive steps to change this picture by investing in education.

The second step is to recognize that teacher collaboration in other countries is buttressed by, and contributes to, a consistent national framework of teaching and learning standards. It is time to abandon our uneven academic quality and two-tiered education system in favor of collectively built national standards for teaching and learning, with the goal of ensuring that no child will have an inferior education simply because of where he or she lives. The third step is to prepare and hire well-qualified teachers who have demonstrated time and again their ability to improve student performance. Our competitors in other countries have shown that this begins with closing the gap between teacher preparation and teaching practice. Teaching residencies that provide extensive clinical experience and apprenticeships in urban schools are proving to be particularly effective in Boston and Chicago. We can also accelerate the effectiveness of new teachers with induction into a professional community that sustains their growth with continuous professional development embedded in the day-to-day work of their schools.

The fourth step is to provide teachers with career paths that recognize and reward their accomplishments. Teachers’ responsibilities and compensation should grow as their expertise and effectiveness deepens. It is time to support multiple career paths with pay systems that recognize accomplished teaching and reward effective performance. To be tough on crime, be strong on education. State leaders would be much farther ahead if they worried less about how many prison beds they have and concentrated instead on improving the schools and teachers they provide.

For decades, we have tried to manage school improvement with command-and-control, regulatory, prescriptive, or market-based incentives that treat school leaders, teachers, and students like the targets of change rather than its agents. We need to replace these approaches with strategies that empower those individuals to lead and shape the reinvention of their own learning organizations. National leaders should pledge to support educators who are engaged in a cultural transformation of their schools to support 21st-century teaching and learning.

Tom Carroll is the president of the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future, in Washington.

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books

The L.A. Times Festival of Books will be next month, April 26 and 27 at UCLA. It's a must attend event for anyone who loves or even slightly likes books.

Something Education Related...Finally!

Education Week is a great weekly publication of the nation's education news. Check it out. One of several education related blogs Education Week hosts is Motivation Matters. The authors, Kevin Bushweller and Katie Ash, explore what motivates kids to do better in school. It's worth reading.

What was he thinking?

I have to give Dave a 2 out of 5 stars for last night's performance. What was that song? Awful song choice. There are a couple other kids sneaking up on his heals. This is the best group of singers in a long time. The Australian guy was pretty good. Dave needs to step it up a notch. Don't you think? What does this have to do with education? Absolutely nothing! I can't believe it's already Wednesday. This vacation is flying by! So sad.

Happy Vacation

I've reached a bit of a milestone...over 50 posts for the year...not bad! Hopefully I'll be able to make it to 100 by the end of the year. Today is the first day of our three week vacation...woo hoo! I hope everyone has a great vacation! I'm sure the three weeks will fly by. No school work for me today. I need to get the car washed, go to Barnes, and get my hair cut. There will be plenty of time for work tomorrow, or the day after, or the day after that.

A Typical Day at Work

The Kid is Back!

Perfect performance. Enough said.

A heart that can't be mended

from today's Press Telegram

By Dr. Mauricio Heilbron Jr.

I just finished sewing up a dead boy.

I pronounced him dead at 10:34 p.m. Sunday. It's now 11:27 p.m. I know I won't be able to get to sleep for a long time. I feel like I shouldn't.

I'm a trauma surgeon at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. I was sulking in my call room on Palm Sunday because I missed yet another important moment in my 5-year-old son's life. A tarantula crawled all over him at his best friend's birthday party, and my wife had e-mailed me a glorious photo of this big, hairy arachnid on my son's face. The phone rings, and I am summoned to the ER for a "gunshot wound to the chest." That's bad, but around these parts, sadly not a surprise. Then the ER secretary adds, "... in a 12-year-old." That changes things a bit. As I hurry down to the Emergency Department, I play out several horrific scenarios in my head - a mental exercise in preparation for what certainly was to be a difficult situation.
I arrive to a room filled to capacity with doctors, nurses, techs, volunteers, firemen, policemen and paramedics. The strictly medical people are swarming around an impossibly small figure, in a flurry of needle sticks in search of a vein, monitor-pad placement in search of a vital sign, stethoscopes vainly searching for a breath sound or a heartbeat. The non-medical personnel had formed a concerned and curious peanut gallery. One ER doctor blurts out the important points, "GSW to the chest, pulses in the field but ... ," while another ER doctor is prepping this small chest for an ER thoracotomy. In English, an "ER thoracotomy" is where you flay open a chest in a soon-to-be-dead patient, in the hopes of finding a hole you can quickly but temporarily fix. Once that is done, it gives you a chance to give the patient necessary things like blood and IV fluids (where they now will not simply flow out of those repaired holes), and get him to the OR so you can fix him properly. It is the trauma surgery equivalent of a Hail Mary football pass. This is not a "difficult situation"; this is a nightmare.

The ER doctor hands me the knife, as if to say, "Here. It's yours." I think the kid is dead, or if not dead, then he certainly is "unsalvageable," which is a horrible word to use for a human being. I don't think he's fixable. However, if he is to have any hope of survival, the only way to save him is to crack him open and try to plug up the holes. Cracking open an 11-year-old boy (he was two months shy of his 12th birthday) is going to tear my own heart in half, I think to myself, but this is part of what I do, so I slip the gloves on and take the knife.

There is precious little skin to cut through, and I'm in the chest in a few seconds. His chest cavity is filled with blood, which spills out of his chest like a macabre waterfall to the floor. There's a shredded tear in his lung, and a big, ragged hole in his heart. All the IV fluids that my associates are pouring into the patient are flowing out this hole and on to my shoes. I put my finger in this hole - such a big hole in such a small heart - but blood and fluids still flow unfettered. My other hand finds another, larger hole on the other side of his heart. My fingers touch. His heart is empty. Mine breaks.

The boy's family is brought in while I am bathed in his blood, as "studies have shown" that this is better for everyone involved, to be present as the end nears. I scramble for a way to just stop the bleeding. I just want it to stop. It's spilling over my hands on to the gurney. His mother is begging me to do what I can. I know I can't do anything. She tells me to take her heart, and give it to him. I know that's not possible, and she knows that's not possible, but she could not be more serious. The first ER doc is sitting alongside the mom, gently telling her that we've done everything we can do. His mother looks at me. My hands are still in the boy's chest, trying to do something, anything. In her eyes, I see a soul that I am about to crush with a little nod of my head. I do so.

As the howl of unimaginable grief shakes the entire ER, I am filled with anger. Why do we still sell guns in this country? What is this child doing on the streets after 10 o'clock at night? Why are we killing our innocent young soldiers overseas, and ignoring the merciless gangbangers - terrorists in their own right - that are invading ourstreets here at home? I try to put these thoughts away, because now, in front of his family, I have to sew him up. I have to close this huge gash in his left side, that I made. I place the first stitch, and as I'm tying the knot, I look at the boy's face. He's small for 11, not that much bigger than my son Ben. All the adrenaline is gone. My shoulders sag. I feel myself start to cry, and I know that I can't stop it. I have no way of hiding because literally everybody is looking at me, including his mother, and my hands are busy, so I can't wipe the tears away. I make eye contact with the mom, and whisper "I'm sorry." I finish closing his chest up, and shuffle off to the sink to wash this child's blood off my arms.

In the doctor's area, I start filling out the pointless paperwork. Several nurses and doctors come over to offer encouraging words, or a consoling hand on the shoulder. I want to quit. I don't want to do this anymore. I want to quit because that means I can go home. When I go home, I can quietly open the door to my son's room, and sit on the floor right next to his bed. I'll watch him sleep, that blissful sleep only found in young children. I'll watch him for hours, and tell myself how lucky I am to have him in my life. I want my son to put my heart back together.

But I can't go home, as I'm on call until 8 a.m. I can't quit. Tomorrow I have patients, surgeries, rounds - the usual stuff. Hopefully, I'll be home for dinner. When I come through the door, I'll hear his cheerful yell of "Daddy!" and he'll jump into my arms. He will in all likelihood never know how much that moment means to me, but it is precisely that resuscitative energy that will restore me. To keep coming back to this sort of work.

I will sneak into his room after he falls asleep. I'll give him an extra kiss good night. And then, just maybe, I'll close my eyes.

Dr. Mauricio Heilbron Jr. is chief of surgery at Little Company of Mary Hospital in San Pedro and a trauma surgeon at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach.

Tragedy

As I was driving down Cherry this morning on my way to school, I noticed several news vans on 15th Street. Just as I passed the vans a news report on my radio mentioned a Long Beach boy was shot and killed on 15th Street. My heart sank. I knew we would be involved some how. I just knew. Sure enough, he was a former student. His sisters still attend the school. I forget how dangerous our neighborhood is. I forget that our kids and families live in the middle of this danger. I forget we work in the middle of this danger. I forget how vulnerable they and their families are to the madness of gang violence. I often wonder when the city will stop focusing on downtown and start taking care of the problems of the central city, the westside, and northtown. How many more kids have to get shot before someone does something? Why are gangs allowed to run rampant in neighborhoods. Neighborhoods where families are trying to live quiet, productive lives. Why aren't good people rising up and taking to the streets? Where are the protests? Why aren't we holding our elected officials and police department accountable for something so basic as the safety of citizens. I'm angry.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Sunday

What a gorgeous day today! You could see Catalina AND downtown Los Angeles. I love being able to see downtown. It means the air is cleaner than normal and I can take a few deeper breaths...nice! I was going to do some school work tonight but I forgot the paperwork at school. Oh well. I'll do the work tomorrow morning. I don't feel like watching television. I was going to watch John Adams on HBO, but I think I'll catch the repeat. I'm sure it will be repeated half a billion times over the next few weeks. I'm so glad we only have five days left. Woo hoo! I'm so exhausted. I definitely need a break...as does everyone. I'm hoping the week is semi-quiet/calm. Lets hope for tranquility!

Saturday

I really didn't get much done today. I did finish the perfect attendance stuff and I did get stuff ready for Thursday's staff development meeting. I still have a lot to do. I have a couple evaluations to get done. I need to get some stuff together for a meeting I have on Wednesday. I figure I'll be able to catch up on work during vacation. The paper just piles up. I'll recycle a huge stack of accumulated papers and a few days later I have just as many papers in my office. It's crazy. Oh well. I caught a kid tagging on a step in the front of the school today. I think I scared the "poop" out of him. I told him to clean it up or I would call the police. He cleaned it up. He could have easily bolted, but he stayed and did what I told him to do. Gotta give him credit for that. Good thing he didn't pull a gun on me. I need to watch it. The neighborhood has been very sketchy lately. Sometimes I forget what could happen. No new budget news. That's good. I hope I don't get any more bad news at my Wednesday meeting. I can't take much more bad news. I've been a stress case the last few weeks. But I think I'm holding my "poop" together pretty well. I haven't yelled at anyone (lately). That's a good thing. Five days til vacation!! WOO HOO!!! Next week eight of our friends are going to be observed by the Cotsen people. Good luck you guys! You all are amazing teachers! It's going to be a very difficult decision as to who becomes the Mentor. I lost my debit card. I feel naked (I know, nasty image) without it. I had to go to the credit union this morning to get a new one. I hope the new one comes soon. I'm always losing things. Not good. Some of you could probably take advantage of that. Teacher says "I turned in my data on time. You probably lost it." e says "You never turn in anything on time. How could I lose something you didn't turn in on time?" Teacher says "I was really proud of myself because this was the first time I turned in my data by the due date. And now I'm sad because you lost it." e says "I'm sure you made a copy of everything. Turn in the copy to me by the end of the day. Have a nice day."

Procrastination

The Book of General Ignorance

What were George Washington's false teeth made from? "Wood" you say? WRONG! From page 97 of the book..."The set made when he became president was carved from hippopotamus and elephant ivory, held together with gold springs. The hippo ivory was used for the plate, into which real human teeth and also bits of horses' and donkeys' teeth were inserted." Ummmm...that's gross.

The kid choked...so sad...

Last night David Archuleta totally choked (on American Idol). I stayed up until 10:00 to hear him sing. So sad. He was so nervous. He totally forgot the lyrics to the song he was singing. So sad. I'm sure he'll do better next week. There's a story on Perezhilton.com that his dad was yelling at him during rehearsal and that really upset him. Papa Archuleta needs to step back a bit (if the Perez story is true).

I need to get out more...

Last weekend I decided to rent a movie. So I rented Super Bad. One of the funniest stupid movies I've ever seen. I loved it! Hilarious! Any other funny movie suggestions?

Today Again

It's with great sadness that I have to again report nothing funny happened today. Nothing really bad happened either. I finished this week's walkthroughs. Great stuff happening. I'm very pleased...or I could use the royal "we"...as in "We are very pleased." Hopefully something funny will happen tomorrow. Actually, now that I'm thinking about it...something funny did happen. But I can't really talk about it. Darryl did something to totally crack me up. And I cracked up at a very inappropriate moment. Damn him! He does that stuff on purpose. I think he does it on purpose to try to distract me. Just when I'm about to give him a list of stuff to do, he says or does something hilarious. Damn him!

I'm reading a new book titled, The Book of General Ignorance, Everything You Think You Know is Wrong. It's a fascinating book. The book explains that many of the facts we learned in school are just plain wrong. For example, we we're all taught in school that cannibals cooked their victims whole in large pots. This is totally bogus! It turns out that the technology to create large water tight pots big enough to hold a whole human being wasn't invented until the late 19th century. Cannibals cut up their victims and roasted, smoked, or salted them. Here's another one. What were Cinderella's slippers made from? Of course we all say "glass." We're all wrong. They were made from squirrel fur. True. Read it on page 233 of the book. It has to do with the French guy who rewrote the ancient Chinese story. He misheard the word vair (squirrel fur) for verre (glass). It's a totally honest mistake!

Today

This post will be quite boring. Nothing funny happened today. Sorry. Nothing really bad happened either. That's a good thing. Although...I was horrified when I read the bulletin Friday night. My "notes" section had many grammatical and punctuation errors. So sad. Second time this week my grammar/punctuation sucked. I need to take a class or something. It's really embarrassing. Did anyone see the series finale of The Wire last night? That show is so good. I'm sad it has come to an end. Project Runway is also over. So sad. Guess I'll focus all my energy on American Idol. I'm pulling for David Archuleta. That kid can sing! I haven't been watching much TV lately. My TV nights are Tuesday and Sunday. The Tudors will be back at the end of the month. That will be good. So much of TV is depressing lately. I'm so sick of all the Clinton/Obama stuff. It's depressing. I wish it were over. As the famous 20th century philospher Rodney King said, "Can't we all just get along?"

WARNING - This post may OFFEND some

I love the Internet. I especially love all the crazy pictures people post on various sites. There's some pretty hilarious stuff out there. Since it's Read Across America season, I'd thought I'd share a recent find. Please don't be offended. It's just a funny picture. Relax. I love reading. I love Read Across America. I love Dr. Seuss.

Don't scroll down if you are offended by crude language and disturbing images.










Admit it. It's funny.

The Rubber Room

My favorite radio show is This American Life. It airs Saturday morning at 10:00 on KCRW. I subscribe to the podcast so I'm sure I'll never miss a show. This morning I was listening to the podcast of the February 29th show. One of the stories was about rooms New York City teachers who have been accused of wrong doing are sent to. Teachers are to report to these rooms every day until their situation is cleared up or until they're fired. The rooms are referred to as "the rubber room." Teachers spend months and sometimes years in these rooms. They receive full pay while they're in the rubber room. They just sit and wait. They play cards. They sleep. They participate in book clubs. They participate in impromptu classes. Can you believe this? There's even a movie about New York's rubber rooms.

Check out the link http://www.rubberroommovie.com/

Who Knew?

Today at lunch, one of the fifth grade boys said he wished he were a bird so he could fly around and poop on people's heads. My first thought was "WTF?" I had to ask him why in the world he would want to poop on people's heads. Apparently in Mexico it's good luck to have a bird poop on your head. Mexicans in the house, please represent...is that true? So then I informed the kid that good luck and bad luck don't exist. What is, is. What will be, will be. Another fifth grader overheard my "I don't believe in good luck" conversation and told me "You don't believe in good luck? No wonder you're always in a bad mood." Kids...don't you just love them? It would be kind of cool to turn into a bird and fly around and maybe poop on someone. Kind of like the Wonder Twins. Remember them? Except they didn't poop on anyone...they just turned into things...ice and stuff...wow...that's old skool!

Balls

Today at lunch I had a three unflated red balls in my arms. They were sort of big balls, so my arms were full. I was taking them to the playground shed. Fifth grader Marcus kept trying to take one of them from my arms. So I started to say, "Marcus, stop yanking my..." I paused because it dawned on me what I was about to say and it could be misinterpreted. So instead I said, "Marcus, stop yanking my TOYS." Too late. Marcus started laughing uncontrollably, because he knew what I was going to say and he actually said it in a low voice. It was funny but it was also sad. The kids are growing up way too soon. Marcus is an interesting kid. Moral of this story...don't carry a bunch of balls in your arms. And stay away from Marcus.

Finger Update

It still hurts. The bandage keeps falling off. It looks nasty. I keep forgetting to take the antibiotics on time.

Ouch!

Yesterday I sliced the top part of my finger on the 17th Street gate. The delivery guys are always leaving the gate open...even though I frequently ask them to please keep the gate locked. I noticed the gate was wide open, so I went to close the gate and lock it when part of the gate slammed on my finger. OUCH! Two or three more millimeters and I think I would have been picking up the top of my finger off of the ground. That wouldn't have been pleasant. How would I be able to type and get all those memos out???? So of course I ran into the cafeteria to remind the delivery guy to lock the gate, all the while blood was dripping from my finger. I headed over to Jennifer to show her my bloody finger. Of course she dropped everything to fix me up...she's the BEST!!! I didn't feel like waiting in emergency for ten hours, so I made an Urgent Care appointment with my "heath care" provider...a very well known HMO. I totally forgot where Urgent Care was, so I was a bit late for my appointment. I think I had to wait about 20 minutes in the waiting room, not bad. A medical assistant took my temperature and my blood pressure. She didn't tell me if I had an abnormal temperature or high blood pressure, so I assumed they were normal. She asked me if I smoked. I said no. I have enough bad habits. So the nurse comes over and asks me about my finger, if I take medication, blah blah blah, and she too asked me if I smoked...what's the deal with the smoking??? So I made a joke, "Wow, I didn't know you guys had smoking and nonsmoking exam rooms!" They didn't laugh. The nurse wasn't very pleasant. I think the medical assistant wasn't pleasant because she didn't want to piss off the unpleasant nurse. Anyway, I got in the exam room and waited for a couple minutes. The doctor came in looked at my finger and told me that I could get a stitch or not get a stitch, it was my choice. Wow! I get a choice. So I chose no stitch. He told the medical assistant to soak my finger in this blood red solution. Then another medical assistant came in. He showed the other medical assistant how to glue my wound and put all the bandages on. It was hilarious. It seemed I was in the middle of a Saturday Night Live skit. How many freakin' medical assistants does it take to put a band aide on my freakin' finger??? No offense to medical assistants...So then the nurse came back in to give me a tetnus shot...she barked at me to take off my shirt...I'm thinking, shouldn't we talk first? small talk? What's your sign? I got the shot. I put my shirt back on. Headed over to the pharmacy to get antibiotics. Left. The whole ordeal took about an hour and a half. Not bad. I could write a whole post about my wait in the pharmacy. I'll save that for another day...all I can say is, OH MY GOODNESS!