Positivity in Reform

This week, Newsweek profiled the Charlotte, NC school district because of a unique idea: finding incentives for the best principals to take over the most challenging schools. And it seems to be working. Check out An Offer They Couldn't Refuse - it's similar to an idea that the Minneapolis teacher's union explored years ago for teachers but never developed. It makes sense!

Perspective - from Geneen Roth

I first discovered Geneen Roth in college, when I was struggling with "food issues." She's the wise woman who said "you can't hate your thighs and love your self. You have to love all of you." Easier said than done, but it's stayed with me.

I want to share this blog post of hers, Money, loss and what can never be lost, because while it is not about food, it is wise and timely. I am not a "worrier" in the general sense - I don't stay up until my kid gets home, I don't fear the future. But her admonition to be "fierce about staying in the present" resonates with me this summer, as our family explores the many different options that present themselves.

Good food for thought. :)

Women in Leadership

We don't talk much about gender parity anymore... feminism has become uncool. But even today, a woman with a professional degree makes $2mil less over her career than a man. And what's the correlation to the sad stats on women in leadership in Minnesota?! Pretty direct, I'm guessing. There are few women in the top spots in MN - we've never had a female governor - so there are simply few women making "the big bucks." Sad.

J. Brian Atwood of the U of MN's Humphrey Institute writes about the issue in today's Strib: Minnesota Voices: Women still have a long way to go

Cirque du Soleil - High Bars from ALEGRIA

I love that YouTube has scenes from various Cirque du Soleil shows! The hula hoop contortionist from Alegria is also phenomenal.

When I was teaching 7th grade English (and I just had this on VHS) I used to have kids watch scenes when we studied parts of speech. As you watch - what are the nouns? The verbs? The describing words (adjectives & adverbs)? Naming verbs is really fun when the actions are things like this! :)

Tim Wise on Immigration

Facebook | Tim Wise: On Illegal People...and Forgetful Ones: Reflections on Race, Nation and Immigration

I love Time Wise's work - he cuts through the superficial baloney surrounding current cultural issues with a scalpel. Regarding "illegal" immigrants: how many of us really have ancestors who ALL came here "legally"?!? My grandmother says we trace back to William Bradford, and the folks on the Mayflower sure didn't get any advance permission from the locals to settle at Provincetown. My German side also goes back so far it's impossible to say that they came "legally".

Taking on the xenophobes who keep thinking up new ways to harass undocumented folks, Wise is right on: "The degree to which it is ironic is only exceeded by that to which it is pathetic."

For me, it's about the kids. It's not right that the American Dream is denied to so many kids who grow up here - just because they weren't born here. We need to pass the "Dream Act" and ensure that kids are given access to college & careers no matter what their status was when they arrived. They're here now.

Elena Kagan: Is Gender Finally a Non-Issue?

PostPartisan - Elena Kagan: From trailblazer to less of a big deal

Someday the nomination of a woman will truly be a non-event. In the meantime, I'm still frustrated by the small numbers of females in the top ranks of leadership across America - including schools. But it's nice to see us moving in the right direction!

On Gangs... and Employment

Murder on Lake Calhoun | StarTribune.com

Thanks for putting it out there, Gary! These statistics are real, and they aren't going to change by themselves.

PSEO - it's complicated!

MinnPost - Dual-credit focus now is on under-represented, low-income and at-risk students

I'm frustrated by this movement, because what we're seeing at the local level is MCTC and the like targeting students directly & inviting them to participate - often in classes that are high-school, NOT college level.

And now I'm hearing that MCTC has created a "jump-start" program that is literally high-school level. They get the $$ from the school districts, but the "credit" that this kids get doesn't count toward a degree. Lovely.

And it's all cloaked in righteous talk about including more kids of color. In fact, I think kids are getting suckered and it's shameful. With all the money we are spending on AP, IB and CIS classes, kids have no need to go down the road for college preparation or even college credit.