Spring Break

[The title is a link to DaltonSherman's speech at Dallas ISD Convocation... Click on it!]

Yes, it's Spring Break 2011 and I have been spending a lot of time in political action. I am not happy about it. I was sure that after I left college my protest marching and sit-in days were over but here I am on a much needed holiday playing politics with people who haven't the slightest interest in protecting children. (sigh) Sometimes doing the necessary is... well... necessary.

On Saturday, I marched with 11,000 people to the capitol of Texas to protest the huge cuts in education that were being demanded by the state of Texas. Here in Pflugerville, we are faced with cutting 20 million dollars. 20 million dollars. I can't even fathom that amount and yet for me, it comes down to class sizes getting larger which means even more students falling through the cracks. It's like Reagan-omics all over again. Every study ever done in education has consistently reported that lower class sizes raise achievement for students. Every study shows that early childhood education levels the playing field and helps children living in poverty to learn and to be successful. Hell, even our early Texas forebears felt that education was so important that they instituted a land grant policy to provide for and fund public education. Maslow has told us in our child psychology classes that until basic needs like food, shelter, and love are met, NO ONE is able to focus on learning and yet we are looking at eliminating each of those items through raising class sizes, cutting preschool programs and raising the cost of education. It's discouraging.... So there we were, me and my buds, hoofing it off to the capitol to protect our kids and their hopes for a quality education.

We listened to inspiring speakers; we closely scrutinized the representatives that were standing in front of us to show their support; we even wept a little as a young boy from Dallas asked us if we believed in him. Oh yes I do, Dalton, and that's why I stood there shouting and raising my sign. I am a teacher for all children, Dalton, but you did us proud.

On Monday, I got into my work clothes (and my shit kickers, again) and went back up to the Capitol to talk with some representatives. Our representative, Mark Strama is a good friend to education. My students still remember his visit to our school where he spoke in an assembly. We met him in the hall and thanked him for his support. We stopped by Dawna Dukes' office and spoke to her assistant about our concerns for education, but she has supported education in the past and we are confident that she will continue. We headed off to Representative Gonzalez' office and actually had a long visit. While he was open to using the "rainy day fund" to allay the huge cuts which will hack into education, he also had other items on his agenda and felt that local school boards should be responsible for their budgets. I agree, in theory, but happens when you have a lousy superintendent and a lackadaisical school board? Where's the protection for schools and their students?

Then we were off to visit with Representative Schwertner from Georgetown. Okay. Wow. Well, this is where I knew I would never be cut out for politics. (Not like I ever had any illusions or even aspiration. Yuck!) Rep. Schwertner continually referred to the degeneration of the nuclear family as the root of all the ills of public education. Well, you know what? The nuclear family was an invention of the 1950's and it was then that society began to have one crisis after the other. The nuclear family was never referenced in the bible that Rep. Schwertner seems to live by. And, guess what else? I cannot refuse a child entrance into my classroom when he or she does not come from a family background i.e. a mother, father and children, that Rep. Schwertner seems to feel is the only one good for raising children. Not that I would EVER refuse a child, but isn't THAT the whole point of PUBLIC education? To give everyone an education so that they are able to participate in our democracy which relies and is dependent upon an educated electorate? OMG!!! Having said all that, I believe that Representative Schwertner has a good heart and good intentions. I still have hope that our words will encourage him to look beyond his rose-coloured glasses and realize that children do not get to choose who they live with and how those adults choose act. Someone needs to defend and protect our wee ones. Rep. Schwertner would be a good man to do that... if he steps up.

And there's more. On Thursday we're meeting to plan the strategy for the next board meeting. Somewhere in all this I am still trying to train for the Diva Dash, clean up the classroom and get the class library organized, and spring clean and organize my house. Good grief. There are just not enough hours in the day for my life.

Ah well, I'll rest when I'm dead...

in 114 years or so...

:p