I am so proud of our State Rep. Maureen Walsh for voting in favor of legalizing marriage for gay and lesbians in our state. Her speech was POWERFUL. Shame on those who are trying to overturn it. See it here....
I went on a trip last weekend to observe a school that is passing the MSP (our state test) at 80+%. Kudos to them. And while I won't fault them for their hard work, perseverance and success....I think that they lost the "whole" child in there. No art, no music, no "fluff" as they put it. All tests and lessons are given in MSP format with the MSP in mind...ALL. Think back to your childhood...what do YOU remember about school? What do YOU want your children to remember about school? While I want all of my students to be successful on the MSP, it is more important to me that they are successful in LIFE. Enough said.
Great runs this week. Treadmill and some cool outdoor ones. That's ok. I'm thankful I get to run. This weekend, I'm participating in a virtual run for Sherry from Montana who was abducted a mile from her house at 6:30 in the morning while going for her run. She was murdered. I have been heartbroken. I am humbled to participate in this.
Happy Birthday to your Dad! Sounds like quite a guy.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely agree with you - there is a lot more to teaching/shaping our youth than test scores!
Happy birthday Skip!
ReplyDeleteHooray for teachers like you who care more about the whole child rather than just the numbers!
And bravo for participating in the virtual fun this weekend! Such a sad story.
Happy Birthday to you dad. He sounds like a special guy. Hug him. You are lucky to still have him.
ReplyDeleteMany people are afraid of things that are different than the "norm" they are used to. Or they use the bible to say the things are "wrong." But it is the same bible that teachs us NOT to judge. We are all given free will. The right to choose for ourselves even when it is something new or different. Think about the history of our country, if it were not for those who were willing to do something new and different. Something shunned by others, our lives, our freedom would be something quite different. God bless those who are willing to allow us ALL to think for ourselves!
It's great that the school scores so high but in shaping an individual there is much more than test scores invovled. If the suppression of the arts had successed (because it was viewed by the puritians as evil) our lives who lack any color at all. We would simply live to keep our human race alive with no joy or purpose beyond survival. Our schools are getting too concerned with testing and calling everything else optional...or offering it at a price which many can not afford.
I'll be running Saturday - as bright and colorful as possible - hoping to finish what Sherry was kept from finishing and to start a new feeling a boldness as we all join together to celebrate a life that was all too short.
Happy "DAD" bday!
ReplyDeleteThe thing I remember about school were my friends, the interaction with teachers/profs I had NOT test related and the different ways we learned things..not just cramming it all in and then spitting it out for a test..
The population makes a big difference for test results too. I don't care what people say, a lot of poverty influences those scores whether it should or not. The fluff is very important. It is what some kids excel at so without it their self esteem dips even lower. We are one of the states trying to get rid of NECAP and it should happen soon.
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