Texas superintendents advocate for changing the focus of public schools

I know I am very critical of the public school systems. I criticize them because I know what my small town school system was able to offer me. Some of the teachers in our high school drove 70 miles once or twice a week to attend classes at the university so they could further their own education and keep up with the current technology...and that was 18-22 years ago! I can only assume they obtained great resources for us through different grants and government programs for rural areas. As a result, in my small graduating class of 57 people, at least four of us have a doctorate degree.

The rural area I grew up in had/has a fairly high poverty rate. In the 2000 census, the median household income was $23,083. Yet, the community and the school system worked together to ensure the kids had access to a quality education and good experiences (many times free...paid for by the Lion's Club, local businesses, and other local organizations).

I know that providing poor kids with quality education is possible. I'm sure it's more challenging to control quality in a large system like Dallas, but it is possible...and the resources are available. So, yes, I'm critical...of teachers, administrators, and systems, in general...when I see kids with tremendous potential failing miserably.

So, when I came across a recently released document created by 35 superintendents in Texas over the last two years, I was extremely encouraged to know what was going on behind the scenes. As I looked through the list of superintendents, I was also very encouraged to see our very own Dallas Independent School District superintendent, Michael Hinojosa, on the list.

In an AP article, Keith Sockwell, chief executive officer of Cambridge Strategic Services, profoundly stated, "When we look at our public schools today, I'd say they're doing a dadgum good job of preparing our kids for the 20th and 19th Century. It's almost like we need to blow it up and start over."

These superintendents recognize the importance of technology. "We believe that the new digital environment will have more impact on the generation and transmission of knowledge than anything since the invention of the printing press," and understand that preventing kids from using technology in the classroom is not the solution. "...Students come to traditional school settings with a mastery of iPods, Wii game systems, cell phones and other devices that must be 'powered down' in class. The challenge is finding a way to use gaming techniques and other technology to enhance the curriculum and create a more relevant and engaging learning environment."

I am dumbfounded when I hear politicians talk about voting against the stimulus bill because it puts too many funds into public education. What are they thinking???!!!!

Too often, I find the desire to become more innovative is limited to children in higher-income districts. It excites me to hear that they are advocating for ALL children by changing the policy at the top.

"We're asking for comment," said Stephen Waddell, Birdville school district superintendent. "We want people to read [the document] and respond."

I would love to see this happen and would love to be involved; I'm sure many of you feel the same. Unfortunately, I can't find how. If anyone knows, please inform me/us!

Let's work with these superintendents to help equip our children to become the great innovators we know they can be!

Lessons from Gran Torino

SPOILER ALERT!!! If you haven't seen Gran Torino and plan to, you may not want to read this post just yet. If you haven't, I highly recommend you see it. Once you have, please comment and add your own reflections to this list.
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Here are some of my reflections and little life lessons from Gran Torino.

You can "kill" (win over) people with kindness. I was impressed with Sue's ability to see past a grouchy old man and his racist comments. Sue was wise enough to know she had something to offer Walt. He needed the unconditional love her family, and the community, offered him...and he eventually figured out he had much to offer as well.

Look deeper than the surface. Sue did this. Not only did she look past the racist comments herself, but she took Walt into her world to challenge her own family to get past their assumptions about him and challenged him to get past his assumptions about the Hmong. She was a great teacher who saw something more. As a result, his honesty and lack of tact challenged her and her brother to make wiser choices to live up to their own worth and value.

Little things done in and by the community make big changes. In the Hmong culture, family name was important so Tao had to work for Walt to bring credibility back to their name. Though every culture may not see this the same way and neighbors may not provide free labor, I think of my dad who always hired a teenager or two from the community to work on the farm with him. Teenagers are cheap labor and working (especially when we work alongside them) provides great life-lessons--even when just raking leaves, fixing small household issues, or doing a small project.

Doing something for someone else benefits everyone. When Walt couldn't think of anything for Tao to do, he sent him across the street to fix the neighbor's eye-sore house. It was a perfect fit...Tao had to do free labor...neighbor's homes were in disrepair--maybe because of lack of time, lack of money, or lack of knowledge of how to repair...and Walt had time, tools, and knowledge of repairing. Walt was being self-serving because he didn't like looking at the eye-sore, but in the process, he created "community" because other neighbors came to him asking putting in their suggestions for what else Tao could do. The effort became a win-win for everyone.

Sometimes evil is just evil. I kept thinking Walt's efforts with Tao would somehow win over the gang members. I wanted them to change. I hoped for the happy ending. But sometimes that behavior has to be brought out and purged from the community...even if they are relatives and close friends.

Relationships have more impact than retaliation. Purging from the community is hard. Fear is part of it; wanting to believe they can change is another part. Tight-lipped is not limited to the Hmong. But the deep sense of love and concern won over. I know the police don't always come. And even when you can point out who did something, it doesn't always result in arrests. However, I believe that a deep sense of caring and concern for each other, stimulated by a passion for justice, can change that.

I know there are other lessons that I may be missing. I'd love to hear yours.

Faith...an important part of who we are

Pardon me for continuing to post news clips of President and Mrs. Obama, but I'm home this week and am able to access much more news than when I'm at work all day. Plus, I think it's important for us to hear what they are really saying...and not the soundbytes that can be taken out of context or misconstrued.

But, more so, I think his words are profound. He acknowledges that religion has often been used in ways that allow us to discriminate and used to divide. He acknowledges that there are people of all faiths who follow very similar principles. He acknowledges that people of all faiths...and of no faith...are important to our work ahead and should be valued for their contributions. He recognizes that we wil not all agree. But also points out that our faith challenges us all to work together.

He speaks of his own conversion not being because of someone proselytizing, but because of what they were doing with and for people in the community. It was their non-discriminatory, non-overtly evangelistic faith in action that ultimately helped him understand the higher purpose Christianity offers...but he continues to understand the goodness in other faiths as well.

I've embeded the video, but I'm also attaching a large portion of his comments (below) because they were encouraging and meaningful to me.

I raise this history because far too often, we have seen faith wielded as a tool to divide us from one another—as an excuse for prejudice and intolerance. Wars have been waged. Innocents have been slaughtered. For centuries, entire religions have been persecuted, all in the name of perceived righteousness.

There is no doubt that the very nature of faith means that some of our beliefs will never be the same. We read from different texts. We follow different edicts. We subscribe to different accounts of how we came to be here and where we're going next—and some subscribe to no faith at all.

But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know.

We know too that whatever our differences, there is one law that binds all great religions together. Jesus told us to "love thy neighbor as thyself." The Torah commands, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow." In Islam, there is a hadith that reads "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself." And the same is true for Buddhists and Hindus; for followers of Confucius and for humanists. It is, of course, the Golden Rule—the call to love one another; to understand one another; to treat with dignity and respect those with whom we share a brief moment on this Earth.

It is an ancient rule; a simple rule; but also one of the most challenging. For it asks each of us to take some measure of responsibility for the well-being of people we may not know or worship with or agree with on every issue. Sometimes, it asks us to reconcile with bitter enemies or resolve ancient hatreds. And that requires a living, breathing, active faith. It requires us not only to believe, but to do—to give something of ourselves for the benefit of others and the betterment of our world.

In this way, the particular faith that motivates each of us can promote a greater good for all of us. Instead of driving us apart, our varied beliefs can bring us together to feed the hungry and comfort the afflicted; to make peace where there is strife and rebuild what has broken; to lift up those who have fallen on hard times. This is not only our call as people of faith, but our duty as citizens of America, and it will be the purpose of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that I'm announcing later today.

The goal of this office will not be to favor one religious group over another—or even religious groups over secular groups. It will simply be to work on behalf of those organizations that want to work on behalf of our communities, and to do so without blurring the line that our founders wisely drew between church and state. This work is important, because whether it's a secular group advising families facing foreclosure or faith-based groups providing job-training to those who need work, few are closer to what's happening on our streets and in our neighborhoods than these organizations. People trust them. Communities rely on them. And we will help them.

We will also reach out to leaders and scholars around the world to foster a more productive and peaceful dialogue on faith. I don't expect divisions to disappear overnight, nor do I believe that long-held views and conflicts will suddenly vanish. But I do believe that if we can talk to one another openly and honestly, then perhaps old rifts will start to mend and new partnerships will begin to emerge. In a world that grows smaller by the day, perhaps we can begin to crowd out the destructive forces of zealotry and make room for the healing power of understanding.

This is my hope. This is my prayer.

I believe this good is possible because my faith teaches me that all is possible, but I also believe because of what I have seen and what I have lived.

I was not raised in a particularly religious household. I had a father who was born a Muslim but became an atheist, grandparents who were non-practicing Methodists and Baptists, and a mother who was skeptical of organized religion, even as she was the kindest, most spiritual person I've ever known. She was the one who taught me as a child to love, and to understand, and to do unto others as I would want done.

I didn't become a Christian until many years later, when I moved to the South Side of Chicago after college. It happened not because of indoctrination or a sudden revelation, but because I spent month after month working with church folks who simply wanted to help neighbors who were down on their luck—no matter what they looked like, or where they came from, or who they prayed to. It was on those streets, in those neighborhoods, that I first heard God's spirit beckon me. It was there that I felt called to a higher purpose—His purpose.

Want a volunteer project?

Every once in a while we get a large group wanting a one-time volunteer project. I don't often advocate for one-time efforts. But here is a situation where I think a group could really come alongside in a way that would benefit people long-term.

Help purchase and install television converter boxes for seniors.

For those of you who don't need the converter box coupons, collect them anyway. Encourage your church groups to collect them. The government is providing $40 coupons. I've seen some computer stores with $40 converter boxes. So, at no cost to you, you can purchase a converter box and help a senior, who may or may not have the technology experience to know or understand the upcoming change.

The House just approved a bill that extends the February 17 deadline to June 12. So, there is now time to collect contact different senior housing and retirement homes, collect converter coupons, purchase converter boxes, and plan a day to install them. The management at Roseland TownHomes, where I work, has requested this kind of help for the senior high rise in Roseland.

It doesn't matter where you are in the United States, the change takes place for everyone. And I'm sure there are seniors across the country who aren't sure how to handle the change, but need their TV for information purposes.

Getting to know the community is critical

I love this woman!



Just like with her husband, she is such a positive presence. They both set a tone of inclusion and valuing people. Monday she visited the Department of Education. Yesterday, they visited an elementary school together. Today she visited HUD. She is getting to know her community...ALL of her community. How cool is that?!

Here are some of her words that struck me the most:

So in addition to meeting you all here at these agencies, I’m taking time out, as well as Barack, to get to know the community that we’re in. We’re going to be visiting schools and neighborhoods throughout this area, because Barack and I always believe that investing in the community that you live in first and foremost is critical. And for the people here in this agency, we are now your neighbors.

So it’s important to remember — not that you need any reminding — but the issues that you’re working on every single day, in whatever way you are working on them, in whatever capacity, affect this community that we live in, as well. They affect you, your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors.

Obama signs SCHIP bill

One thing I truly respect about President Obama is his tireless dedication and commitment to ALL children...and ALL people.

Last week President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act that will demand equal pay for equal work between men and women. This week he signed the SCHIP, a bill that will continue healthcare for 7 million children, provide healthcare to an additional 4 million children, and lift the ban on states to provide healthcare to legal immigrant children if they choose to do so.

In his speech, he committed to the children:

We are not a nation that leads struggling families to fin for themselves, especially when they’ve done everything right. No child in America should be receiving his or her primary care in an emergency room in the middle of the night. No child should be falling behind at school because he can’t hear the teacher or see the blackboard. I refuse to accept that millions of our children fail to reach their full potential because we fail to meet their basic needs. In a decent society, there are certain obligations that are not subject to tradeoffs or negotiations. And healthcare for our children is one of those obligations.

Despite the tax situations with his chosen leaders, I still say he's setting a good standard that ALL people should be treated equal--poor children and women included.

The Obamas: Setting a new standard of "values"

Who created the rulebook that says if you make more money or if you hold a high position, you have to act differently?

For some reason, I think we have been convinced that if we make more money, we should spend more money, be in a certain neighborhood, and have certain friends. Think about it. How many people who grew up in poverty, went to college, and became highly successful, moved back to live in the same community where they grew up? On the other hand, how many went of and became successful, got a big house in a nice area, began buying more expensive clothes, and spending more money in the unspoken name of "prestige"?

Why does having money or having a higher position dictate that we must remove ourselves or change our lifestyle?

So when I read about Michelle Obama spending her first few days in the White House meeting with the entire staff and getting to know them, I couldn't help but be further impressed. The article went on to talk about the Obamas' plan to keep their daughters as down-to-earth as possible--no nanny...the kids pick up after themselves...and President and Mrs. Obama still plan to attend parent meetings at the school.

I've read the critics who say the Obama's are "wooing" the press. But, in all of my adult life, I have never heard of a president or presidential family who was so intentional about being inclusive...about ensuring that the people who are traditionally at the bottom (...literally...they are in the basement of the White House) are valued. That's so refreshing.

It's refreshing to think that the message coming from the White House is inclusivity, valuing all people, and reprimanding those who spend our stimulus tax dollars on lavish jets and bonuses rather than, "Spend! Spend! Spend!" It's a message in values for our country.

Life is hard. Mentoring is harder.

Vacation had started off pretty good. I had cleaned most of my house and had prepared two different meals--great for homemade leftovers. I was looking forward to coffee shops, reading, blogging, and working on some other longer-term projects.

About two hours into my coffee shop relaxation time, I got a phonecall from one of my 24-year old "kids." I have known him since he was about 11. He's always confided in me, for some reason, despite the fact that he recognizes that our experiences are completely different and there's no way I can possibly understand some of his circumstances.

About junior high, I began getting worried about him. He was such a quiet and shy kid in elementary school. Once he got into middle school, things started changing. He got involved with girls and became the girl-magnet. He was constantly in trouble at school. He transferred from school to school, trying to avoid problems. But, somehow, problems followed him. Evidently, he didn't like or respect most of the teachers and administrators at his school He wasn't a bad kid though. He became such a comedian and was *always* very respectful to me.

He made it through high school by resorting to an online diploma program. Once he had "graduated," we worked to get him into college. He only lasted a semester. But, he went out on his own and began working...a job he has to this day. A few years ago, he started going to a trade school for a certification that he recently finished.

I was worried about him early on but, unlike many of his friends and relatives, he has made some great choices over the years.

Today, though, his phonecall was out of frustration. One of his not-so-wise choices over the years was having four kids with two different moms. He has spent lots of money in trying to establish paternity and child support. Throughout that process, one of the moms has caused him a lot of grief, sending him back and forth to court and not letting him see the kids when she doesn't feel like it or when her new boyfriend is around.

Today I couldn't empathize with him though. I have no sympathy for him. He knew the girl was "messy" and trifling, yet he had not just one, but two kids with her. He hasn't followed up on the sporadic court processes (however, I wonder if he really knows how to do that in the way that would help his case. He's only 24!). He's spent thousands of dollars on attorneys trying to get his child support straightened out and I don't know enough about the process to tell him what he's doing right or wrong.

He may not be the best dad yet, but I get the sense he's trying. His dad has been in prison since he was a little kid, yet he's always been his role model. I thank God he finally got past trying to be like his dad.

After an hour of us arguing back and forth--me stressing responsibility and him saying he's giving up--I was exhausted and exasperated. Not only does he continue to spend money on child support and attorney fees for two of them, but he still has two other kids who need his attention...one who is sick right now and needs medical attention.

I don't know what to tell him. He's frustrated...and stubborn. Everything I offer he's supposedly already tried. He's tired. He's irritated. He calls me for the answers and I don't have them. I want to help him but I don't know how.

His solution is to get some "quick money" by selling drugs to help him get back on his feet. I know he tells me this for shock value, but I also know it's not unlikely. It's something he knows how to do...and it's the way his friends make ends meet. At this point, he doesn't care about the long-term consequences.

He wants to provide for his kids but he keeps running into brick walls. And now he has exhausted his money trying.

I want him to face the struggle...to figure it out. I want him to do that...I NEED him to do that for himself...his kids...his younger brother and sister...and for the community where he grew up. I need him to do that so *I* know it can be done. I want him to set the example that life can be tough, but you can persevere...but I don't know that it's that easy.

I know he's not the only one who has been in this situation, but I don't know what to tell him, how to encourage him, or what to say to challenge him. I don't know if our hour-long phone conversation made things better...or worse.

Growing up in the inner city is not just physically and economically challenging, it is mentally challenging as well. It's very hard to fight a community mindset and example that being moral, doing things the "right" way doesn't pay off. Living in the inner city makes it hard to worry about long-term consequences when immediate consequences are so prevalent.

Unfortunately, his (and others') choices are not within my control. I cannot will him to do the right thing. It's hard to know when to listen and when to direct. I can only hope I made the right decision and have the right balance of pushing, challenging, and caring.

Technology causes decline in critical thinking???

Is Technology Producing A Decline In Critical Thinking And Analysis?

Here's my question: Is it technology that is producing a decline in critical thinking or is it the way that educators are utilizing technology that is producing the decline in critical thinking??

In our After-School Academy, I teach a technology class. Last semester the kids were tasked with creating/designing the pages for the cookbook utilizing Microsoft Publisher. I challenged them to think about the different categories of food and find clip art and internet pictures that would fit in those categories. They were insistent about creating their own recipes to include. They figured out how to make colored text boxes, make their words into WordArt, and download pictures from the internet, and then taught each other their new skills (in fact, there were several times where I had to ask them to show me what they were doing and how they did it). The kids have also blogged and created their own photoshows.

The problem isn't the kids. The problem isn't the technology. The problem is those of us who are older, didn't grow up with technology, and don't know (or care) how to utilize it. We are the ones who are putting our kids at a disadvantage.

I know some amazing educators who are writing grants and implenting innovative uses of Google Earth, Google Maps, blogging, etc. into their classrooms. But I also know educators who refuse to try anything new and school districts who block every website possible, fearing the unknown. For some kids, the only technology they receive is practicing taking standardized tests on the computer. That has become the schools' way of tapping into the kids' interest in technology.

The graduate students (future teachers) and professors' I encounter who resist and refuse technology amaze (and frustrate) me. Their resistance and refusal to utilize it puts the children in their classrooms and our future at risk.

Technology (and much of it is free, once you have access to the internet) has opened doors of communication and innovation. We can email, text, IM, Twitter, and blog. We can utilize social networking sites, play games with someone from the other side of the world, create videos, adjust photos, and create our own website. Within seconds, we can view countries we can't afford to visit and have access to any kind of information for any question we might have. It even allows us to communicate with the parents of our school children through email or text messages--a direct line of communication that wasn't available 10 years ago.

Technology is not going away. We can dig our heels in, resist it, and find every way to tell the world that technology is damaging our children's minds. OR We can dive in, incorporate it into our everyday lives, and help ourselves and our children move into the future.

What are some innovative ways you use technology? What are some free sites (or reasonably priced software) you would recommend and how do you utilize them? I would love to know what's out there so I can utilize it and pass the info on to other parents, kids, and teachers.

Ice Storm in Missouri: Federal Disaster causes community to shine

My mom called on Friday to tell me they were okay.

I felt horrible. Though I listen to NPR and follow major news issues pretty closely, somehow I had completely missed that Southern Missouri was one of the major recipients of the ice storm that rocked the midwest...and I hadn't called home in a few days. My parents had been without electricity since Tuesday!

My parents are technically retired. However, my dad is still the Presiding Commissioner of Ozark County. So times like these create a lot of work for him. He just finished dealing with FEMA a few months ago when all of the flooding happened in their area and now FEMA is back, once again, since Ozark County has been classified as a federal disaster area.

My mom explained the down trees, the lack of electricity (and lack of heat), and some of the people with medical conditions who have not gotten the treatment they needed. But what struck me about our last two conversations is what a strong *community* exists in my small town of 632 people.

In the video below, Sonja is letting people use the shower in her beauty shop. The courthouse is allowing people to sleep there to stay warm. Chris and the local bank created an emergency fund for ice storm victims. When I talked to mom today she explained she had to get off the phone because several of them were at the courthouse making phone calls to people in the areas that were hardest hit to make sure people were ok and to see if they needed water or anything.

My brother (who lives in Springfield, which wasn't hit as bad this time) had travelled 70 miles to go back home a town near Gainesville that was hit particularly hard so he and some friends could help clear brush from the backroads so people could get to and from their homes.

Think how strong our neighborhoods would be if we could generate and create this kind of care and concern in each of our own communities.



The pictures (below) can be deceiving. I think it's interesting that the pictures I've seen from friends and family back home, despite the devastating effects, have chosen to focus on the beauty of the moment (with a few exceptions).




Mom and Dad's (normally paved) driveway:


Mom and Dad's carport:


Down electric pole:



Note the thickness of the ice: