Monday, January 8, 2007

"Winter break reading projects due Monday" who are we kidding?

Winter Break Reading Projects? Put that eggnog down, tell uncle George to get off of that ladder before he breaks something, and make sure you get an ample portion of your reading project completed for review!? What kind of a "Holiday" is that? How much reading did you do during the holidays Larry? You did read didn't you? Surely you didn't squander your precious time with petty tasks like Christmas shopping, enjoying your family, or relaxing and taking in the peace of that experience! No I bet you read the whole time. Just curious...did you have a chance to read the TEA Accountability guidelines? How about the First Initiatives Funding Grant application rules and regs? Spreadsheet on LISD spending? If not any of these, what did you read.
You see, a Winter reading program and a Summer reading program are desperate attempts to SHOW progress but not effective attempts to create it. There's a difference. How about that tutoring idea I mentioned two years ago and repeated earlier in this blog. It's pretty simple. Pay retired teachers to come in once a week throughout the school year to tutor students for an hour a day on testing techniques, reading mastery, and algebra. Allow these tutors to appraise the strengths and weaknesses of the students in their charge and focus on what needs help. Limit students to 5-7 per teacher and make it clear that this effort will be rewarded with any number of incentives to the students themselves pending adequate performance on their test.
Do something positive because pissing everyone off just isn't working. Normal people can see that after getting kicked in the head once or twice, but you seem to have this drive to excel at nonsense. Raising a bond amount when your last was denied? Continuing a program that gets negative press every year? Do you have Munchausen syndrome? You know, the disease that allows folks to hurt themselves among other clinically insane behaviors. Just wondering. By the way...make any headway on that wardrobe?

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