I'm not really sure what I want to communicate through these except maybe my current thoughts and opinions (and, boy, do I have a ton of those).
Right now, my thoughts turn to education reform and what I do and don't like about President Obama's proposals.
- I do like the fact that students are expected to make progress from where they are and are not expected to achieve some unrealistic (unrealistic for some) predetermined score.
- I do not like the idea of merit pay. There are so many things that are wrong with this that I will save that for another post.
Essentially, I am concerned - no, downright pissed - that people that are not in schools and classrooms day in and day out are making policy. Do I, as a schoolteacher, believe that I should be creating policy on shaved ice stands? No, I'll leave that to the people in the shaved ice industry - the people that know the ins and outs of ice, flavored syrups, and the construction of those multi-colored, dome-shaped stands. I don't assume that since I am an occasional consumer of shaved ice that I know enough about it to mandate changes that would require servings be served in a certain amount of time - example: the time elapsed from order to in customer's hand must not exceed 45 seconds. I would not feel qualified to make this mandate because even though I have watched people make shaved ice, I have not EXPERIENCED MAKING the shaved ice.
Another example is driving. Watching people drive for years and playing driving video games does not give my son the know-how to drive or qualify him to make driving laws.
I think I've made my point without belaboring the issue - too late you say? Oh well! That's just me.
