“We Told You So” Doesn’t Come Close to Covering It…
For those of you who can’t “hear” my tone because you’ve never met me, let me assure you this is not one of my sarcastic, fired-up rants. It’s been seven exhausting, depressing, ridiculous and in some cases, surreal years thanks to NCLB (No Child Left Behind). Seven years is apparently the exact amount of time needed to pass before our nation’s policy makers, journalists, and titillating-gossip-only-news-junkies figure out that those teachers who have been complaining about and rallying against many of the horrible changes NCLB has wrought… are in fact, right. Teachers suspected what has now been confirmed: NCLB’s policies were intentionally put into place to create nationwide failure among public schools in order to make school privatization more appealing to the public.
Jim Horn at Schools Matter shares:
… it just took Time Magazine seven years to ask someone on the inside if what we have been saying for seven years is true, but later is better than never, you might say. Susan Neuman, former Asst. Sec. of ED under Rod Paige, now admits that insiders at ED saw “NCLB was a Trojan horse for the choice agenda.”
“Neuman gives no clue as to how she will make amends for staying silent during the past 7 years of educational genocide, as millions of children, parents, and educators have been brutalized by the policies she promulgated and promoted.”
*****
From the Time Magazine article (with bold emphasis mine):
There was always something slightly insane about No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the ambitious education law often described as the Bush Administration’s signature domestic achievement. For one thing, in the view of many educators, the law’s 2014 goal — which calls for all public school students in grades 4 through 8 to be achieving on grade level in reading and math — is something no educational system anywhere on earth has ever accomplished. Even more unrealistic: every kid (except for 3% with serious handicaps or other issues) is supposed to be achieving on grade level every year, climbing in lockstep up an ever more challenging ladder. This flies in the face of all sorts of research showing that children start off in different places academically and grow at different rates.
Add to the mix the fact that much of the promised funding failed to materialize and many early critics insisted that No Child Left Behind was nothing more than a cynical plan to destroy American faith in public education and open the way to vouchers and school choice.
Now a former official in Bush’s Education department (Neuman) is giving at least some support to that notion.
*****
Horn also links to TeacherKen who wraps up his blog post:
“No Child Left Behind has been very destructive to many of America’s public schools. And to have someone as connected as was Susan Neuman acknowledge that for some supposedly dedicated to the well-being of our schools and students it was instead serving as a vehicle to attempt destroy the public schools (and thus a chance at a meaningfully improved economic future for many of our young people) strictly on ideological grounds is something about which everyone should be aware.”
*****
Some self-reflections about my job and responsibilities as a teacher as well as my responsibilities as a parent and the educational experiences I want my own children to have are posted here, here, here, and here.
****
No wonder I need a hug!
Shannon’s Gifts
It was Shannon’s birthday last week! I promised to share what we’d sent once she let us know she’d received her package…after all, I didn’t want to post photos and let the cat, or in this case, DOG out of the bag, ruining her surprise!
We picked out doggy material for her *extensive* fabric collection (and because it was so darn cute~Shannon will think of a wonderful craft for it) and found some coordinating ribbon:
Then I spelled out Angel Kisses with Scrabble Tiles, adhered them to painted tile trays, and added pretty buttons in Shannon-ey colors:
And of course, I made her a birthday card!
White cardstock, folded not quite in full thirds:
A sunny paper for the inside and outside:
A coordinating paper for the “underfold” front of the card, with extra pieces cut out to make a coordinating gift tag:
Some pretty adhesive-backed paper lace (this is some of my FAVORITE STUFF!):
Coordinating chipboard letters spelling “friend” (I made sure the “E” wasn’t glued all the way down, otherwise the card wouldn’t have opened!
Smaller ivory letters to spell “Dear” (Shannon is a dear friend, after all!) and to spell her name on the gift tag:
“Happy Birthday” for the inside of the card, on pretty paper, with foo-foo trims punched out, and corners rounded…I added lime green brads to the corners as well:
How the card looked open, from the back:
…and the front!
Talk about FUN!~
*****
~I’ve never been a fan of apricots, but Smitten Kitchen is tempting me to give them another try with Breakfast Apricot Crisp…
~My daughter, who puts Ranch dressing on just about everything (okay, except pancakes), will have to keep a copy of this recipe from A Pioneer Woman Cooks in her “My Parents are Kicking Me Out of the House” cookbook when she leaves for college in five years.
*****
Check back tomorrow when I post photos of our toddler making Daddy’s Father’s Day card… it involves PAINT!
Show and Share Thursday: Favorite Redhead
Are you in shock? After missing two Show and Share Thursdays, here I am, rarin’ to go!
Continuing on with I Saw Red...
This is a photo of me and one of my favorite redheads, Shannon! Aren’t we oh-so-glam? We’re both holiday girls, that’s for sure, but today’s an extra special day for her~ that’s right, it’s her BIRTHDAY! It’s a “milestone” birthday too (she had a two year head start on me), which makes me even more pleased to “show and share” her with you!
Shannon is funny. Shannon is smart. Shannon is the hostess with the mostest. Shannon is Dear Daughter’s godmother. And Shannon is creative and crafty. She made me something red the last time I visited Alaska:
Dah-lings, it’s a beaded red stretch bracelet! Go ahead, ooh and aah…
…just don’t try taking it off of my wrist. It’s MINE.
Guess who has her own Etsy shop? SHANNON. It’s called AngelKissesAlaska! Some additional photos of some jewelry…. Holiday items… Another bracelet (this time, snowy white)… You can contact her via her Etsy link to ask about special orders~
Won’t you help me wish this special friend a very happy birthday? (No, I have no clue who Grey Worldwide might be or might do, but this is soooooo up Shannon’s alley!)
*****
Here’s a peek at the card I made for Shannon (details AFTER she receives her birthday box in the mail):
*****
*Have you ever played Hot Potato? Try eating one with jalapenos! Recipe from Cream Puffs in Venice.
*****
Tonight Dear Daughter graduates from the 8th grade. I’m off to finish my first ever banner (paper, not fabric), bake some cupcakes, and teach my husband new breathing techniques to lower his blood pressure. She’s attending “8th grade Prom” tonight. In a black dress. Without either of us chaperoning.
He’s not doing so well.
RED-dy for Creativity
I see red every day in my computer/craft nook, in the form of Russian lacquer, Vera Bradley table decor, and this, my red mock-odile accordion file:
Inside are all sorts of stickers, decorative papers and other scrapbooking embellishments, sorted after G.G. sent the case to me for Christmas. Yes, I’m one of those odd birds who LIKES organizing things. A place for everything, and everything in its place.
(Could be!)
Hobby Lobby is where I’ve seen similar cases (in powder pink, and mini-accordion files, no less!) lately… now that I think of it, H.L. also sells mock-odile hat boxes too!
**If you like the place mats, they’re Vera Bradley Americana.**
*****
Not only was I inspired to post about my red case, but the card-making bug bit me as well! With Father’s Day right around the corner, it seems appropriate:
More tools and doo-dads (psst…I was also inspired to make a birthday card and goodies for Shannon too! Those will be in tomorrow’s post!)…
White cardstock, green speckled paper, and family photos for the front…
photo corners…
some of my favorite letter tiles…
a complimentary green checked patterned paper on the inside…
Ta da! (I folded the cardstock ALMOST in half, leaving enough overhang for a fold to which the “Father’s Day” tiles were glued.)
Dad’s card is taken care of…what to make for Dear Husband?
*****
*GoodyBlog has come through, yet again, with an awesome Father’s Day gift idea! Make Your Own Cool Music Video for Dad!
*If Dad loves to camp but this summer’s gas prices have put a kabosh on those plans, why not make him a S’Mores Pie? Thanks to Smitten Kitchen!
*The Pioneer Woman Cooks a rather manly sounding side dish, Crash Hot Potatoes…
*Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen delivers for the morning crew…If Dad is the coffee shop type, why not make some Orange Scones with Rhubarb and Cherries?
*****
Still reading, Shannon? I told you, NOT UNTIL TOMORROW!
Happy Almost Birthday, dear friend!
Red, Red, Red…I Saw Red, Day Two
Summer fun and summer sun make for apple red cheeks and a desire to make multiple passes through the playground equipment!
*****
It’s June 2 and I’ve got moving on the brain. Today’s to-do list includes paper shredding, family-document-binder-organizing, letter writing, and blogroll tending. Add to that the daily chores of laundry, vacuuming, with a lot of playing with the toddler thrown in for good measure, and I have a full schedule. This is Dear Daughter’s last week of school- her “transition ceremony” (apparently it’s not called “graduation” here) from junior high takes place later in the week, along with her first semi-formal school dance. Dear Husband is having some mild heart attacks over it all, while I’m looking forward to seeing her gussied up again. She used to be such a girlie girl, all dresses, hair bows and pretty tights, but time has certainly marched on, and functional fashion has replaced the frillies. Volleyball, tennis and track will do that I guess! She’ll be a high schooler. Our eldest graduates in 2009, daughter in 2012, and toddler in, what….2022? Yikes!
Getting back on track~ the packers come to start filling my house with big brown boxes on June 24. We drive back to Oz around June 27 or so. The fourth of July will be spent in our new home, though I’m not sure we’ll have our household goods by then~ seems I need to add “posting-blogs-in-the-queue-just-in-case-we-don’t-have-computer-access-for-a-bit” to my to-do list.
*****
*Check out the latest edition of Kids Craft Weekly and of course subscribe for a summer full of wonderful, developmentally appropriate early childhood/family activities.
*Photo Jojo has me thinking of fun ways to take group photos…after all, for military formals, family get-togethers, etc., we always pose, huddling in, trying to smile sincerely, trying NOT to blink. Time for FUN to be reintroduced to my photography!
*Before you sign your children up for every sports or camp activity known for their summer “break,” read Children Deprived of Time to Play Are Deprived of the Childhood they Need and Deserve. As usual, I’ll be spending time with my children running through the sprinkler, drawing pictures in the sand with a stick, going for walks (either early in the morning or after dinner due to the daytime heat), playing board games, and letting them play by themselves, on their own.
*****
Have you been Seeing Red? Do tell, and check out the links to other participants at Sadie Olive!
I, Michaele, Saw Red: Day One
On a slow yet not entirely slouchy Sunday, I took time to appreciate the red pillows on my couch and loveseat. Why? This year in the Bordertown, they’ve not only brightened the brown, but they’ve supported my arm while crocheting baby blanket after baby blanket, and provided a comfortable resting spot for my family’s heads for afternoon naps, story time, or movie night. Family together time, gifts to welcome new life, a shot of color in an otherwise mostly sand and cacti infused location… thank you, dear pillows:
I’ll be posting red photos all week, inspired by this lovely blog post…
*****
Another “read,” this time, BLOGS!
*Lisa helped me realize all of the work that goes into making a quilt- and made the process seem much less migraine-inducing than I’d imagined it… who knows, I might actually work up the gumption to start cutting my newly acquired fabric into strips!
*Mamacita at Scheiss Weekly had me laughing and nodding with her post addressing beauty, The Emperor is Naked.
*The Pioneer Woman Cooks the nummiest looking chicken salad…
*Doug shares the Love of Classroom Teaching by Margaret Edson.
*Check out ManBabies.com for some silly photos of dads and their kids, just in time for Father’s Day! Thanks to Goodyblog for the link!
*****
Happy June!
Comic
Can you tell? It’s me!
Thanks to Kevin for the link to MakeBeliefsComix.com!
Links~So SEW!
It’s been busy around here! The daily blog has been put on the back burner for a bit- have you missed me?
I’ve managed to get caught up on reading and thought I’d share some links with you:
Recipes:
Penne Rigate with Spinach and Garlic Cream Sauce from Posy Gets Cozy
Pistachio and Lemon Bites shared by Cream Puffs in Venice
The Pioneer Woman Cooks Pots de Creme
Gruyère-Stuffed Crusty Loaves from Laura Rebecca’s Kitchen
Photography:
Di at Designer’s Block shares Fairy Tale photography by Eugenio Recuenco
Terry photo-documents the importance of first impressions at Bent Objects
I may just have to learn Photoshop now! PhotoJojo has provided a link for Mac keyboard “skins” (covers) that show keyboard shortcuts to make things easier…
*************
Thanks to coupons at Michael’s, Hobby Lobby and Joann’s, I’ve made some affordable and oh-what-a-treat purchases this week to see me through the rest of the summer and into the beginning of the school year. I found Amy Karol’s (find her at Angry Chicken) “Bend-the-Rules Sewing” book…aprons, coasters, purses, and lap quilts, here I come!
I also picked up Therese Laskey’s “Softies” so I can make some cool characters for my toddler and my students (I love the robot and ice cream sandwich!)…
Some edge punches by Martha:
And a much-needed desk caddy (on a lazy Susan):
*************
I hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day weekend as much as we did!
Show and Share Thursday: School on the Brain
While most teachers and students are ready for the school year to come to a close, I’m busy “getting my craft on” in the form of preparing my school binder for August. I’ve visited Office Depot, purchased my binder, page dividers, and page protectors. Hobby Lobby and Michael’s lured me in with various coupons (it was a conspiracy I tell you) and conveniently enough, school-themed scrapbooking paper was on clearance. A sign, obviously.
The pile:
My paper selection for the front cover:
Adding some ribbon and doo-dahs (er, “embellishments”):
Papers for divider pages, title blocks of polka dotted paper framed with photo corners:
The spine:
…and the finished binder!
I *really* need to get back to teaching!
********************************************
*I’ve discovered another awesome FOODIE BLOG! The Pioneer Woman Cooks is my new favorite diet destroyer- go, go go! Perfectly detailed photography and directions for recipes- hey, I said “go, go go!”
*The Graphics Fairy shares some wonderful ephemera- I can’t wait to sort through the pages from her Victorian Alphabet Book to make one of my own!
*Laurie at Laurie’s Charming Designs has miraculously erased my aversion to chalk (heh heh heh, I know, that was bad) with her beautifully painted plates, trays, etc. Of course I’m also a fan of her pincushions and am sorely tempted to ask if she’d transform my lidless sugarbowl into a pincushion for my future craft area…
********************************************
An offering for Q and A…you ask me questions, I’ll answer. Pretty simple. Keep it clean or I’ll put you in Time Out. Either comment here or email me: michaelek1(at)yahoo(dot)com
1/2 Day, Extended Day, Full Day Kindergarten
Are you a parent of a soon-to-be kindergartner? Whether you’re dreading August (and cutting those apron strings) or can’t wait for stores to fill their aisles with back-to-school essentials and watching your neighborhood streets for signs of new-bus-driver-route-practice, knowing your young student’s kindergarten schedule is going to be essential in planning your time (and his or hers) for this very special school year!
Will your child be easing into a new academic routine by participating in a half day or extended day program, or does your school district offer full day kindergarten? You might hear arguments for and against any or all of these choices (and whatever other program schedules that might exist), but in my opinion, what makes or breaks any kindergarten schedule are the expectations, intentions, and knowledge (or lack thereof) of developmentally appropriate practice of the adults involved and their resulting respect or disregard for the world of young learners.
Here are some helpful references:
* The Top Ten Signs of a Good Kindergarten Classroom
* Kindergarten Readiness: Is Your Child Ready for School?
* Helping Young Children Start School
**********************************************************************
Half Day Kindergarten: (my classroom sample schedule)
A half-day program typically lasts three and a half to four hours, though I’ve heard of some districts offering kindergarten classes that are only two hours, forty-five minutes long. Most teachers will have a morning class and an afternoon class that follow the same daily curriculum schedule. Depending on the district’s transportation budget, morning students will typically ride the bus to school in the morning with parents or babysitters providing their own transportation home before lunch, while afternoon students will be dropped off at school by parents or day-care providers at lunch time, and then ride the bus home at the end of the school day.
*8:00 – 8:30 Arrival; Put backpacks/coats away; white/chocolate milk choice chart for snack; activity at desk after bathroom, washing hands, etc.; correspondence from home to teacher; attendance taken, Pledge recited; finish desk activity (this is also a good “chat time” for students to communicate and catch up with one another before having to focus their attention on the teacher)
*8:30 – 9:00 Calendar/Morning message/Story/Songs and Fingerplays
*9:00 - 9:30 Writing/Language/Literacy (journals, environmental print, new vocabulary, phonemic awareness, etc.)
*9:30 – 9:50 Recess
*9:50- 10:20 Math with math manipulatives/technology/exploration
*10:20 –10:45 Learning centers with curriculum concepts/topics integrated: books, painting/clay, computers, one on one time with teacher, math manipulatives, pretend play, blocks/building, puzzles, creative construction zone, puppets, writing, listening (cd or tape player), and weekly poem. Students will have free choices as well as “must try” centers, and students will straighten up centers before moving to their next activity.
*10:45 – 11:05 Center and classroom clean up, washing of hands before snack. Snack.
*11:05-11:30 - Storytime, Show and Share, Songs, Concept Review, prep for home (students empty cubbies, pack backpacks, straighten desks/chairs)
I have an hour for lunch, prep, and whatever lunchtime duty I might have for the upper grades, and then repeat the above schedule for the afternoon class, typically from 12:30-3:30.
Extended Day Program Particulars:
When I taught in Alaska, the extended day schedule alloted four and a half hours for students, with teachers working with two groups of students each day, with both groups of students “overlapping” for shared recess, lunch, and “special” time (PE, Music, Library).
Group 1 would attend school from 8:30-1:00, while Group 2 would attend from 10:30-3:00 (the overlap time when both groups of students attended class and activities together was 10:30-1:00). The academic portions of the schedule for each group were slightly expanded and could include computer lab time (though that was another “large group” option), and both groups had their own snack time halfway through their activities. Calendar activities and an additional story could take place with both groups together at 10:30 which freed up each individual group from redundancy.
The transportation situation was the same as the half day program.
Full Day Kindergarten: (my sample schedule)
*8:00 – 8:30 Arrival; Put backpacks/coats away; white/chocolate milk choice chart for snack; school lunch/home lunch chart; activity at desk after bathroom, washing hands, etc.; correspondence from home to teacher; attendance taken, Pledge recited; finish desk activity and chat time with peers.
*8:30 – 9:00 Calendar/Morning message/Story/Songs and Fingerplays
*9:00 - 9:30 Writing/Language/Literacy (journals, environmental print, new vocabulary, phonemic awareness, etc.)
*9:30 – 9:50 Check out books at the library (it was a daily option at my last school instead of a once-a-week visit)
*9:50- 10:20 Math with math manipulatives/technology/exploration
*10:20 –10:35 Snack
*10:35- 11:15 Learning centers with curriculum concepts/topics integrated: books, painting/clay, computers, one on one time with teacher, math manipulatives, pretend play, blocks/building, puzzles, creative construction zone, puppets, listening (cd/tape player), writing, weekly poem. Students will have free choices as well as “must try” centers, and students will straighten up centers before moving to their next activity.
*11:15-11:30 Center and classroom clean up, bathroom/washing hands before “special” (PE, MUSIC)
*11:30-12:00 PE/MUSIC
*12:05-12:45 Lunch and Recess
*12:45- 1:15 Bathroom/washing hands, then Storytime, Show and Share, Songs
*1:15- 1:45 Rest and Relaxation (some students take naps, others look through books quietly)
*1:45-2:15 Art or Computer Lab time
****2:15-2:45 Round two of centers, or explore science/social studies concepts in large group lessons, though some students need a second snack at this time as well.
*2:45 Concept Review, prep for home (students empty cubbies, pack backpacks, straighten desks/chairs)
*3:00 Dismissal
**** The second round of centers (with materials focused on curriculum topics) provides students with extra time to explore and work with manipulatives and other equipment or resources to expand and solidify their understanding of concepts introduced. Many parents think that a full day program means that students will cover MORE curriculum topics, stretching into first grade material…”working ahead.” This is NOT usually what happens, rather, the kindergarten curriculum is experienced more in-depth by students during the extra time in the classroom, enhancing comprehension and facilitating further exploration with concrete, “real” experiences and reflection.
**********************************************************************
Remember, the schedules I shared above are only examples- and your transportation situation will be determined by your district. Take advantage of any Kindergarten Round-Up/Registration opportunities your child’s school offers, pick up information packets or check the school’s web site for schedule information and a sneak peek at what you and your child have to look forward to!
**********************************************************************
In case you’re interested, here’s the link to my post about Kindergarten Round-Up and the observations I make when I meet new students for the first time.
Blogged
