Monthly Archives: October 2012

Health Care and PBS

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About a year ago, I was facing two major appointments followed by eye surgery — twice.

Pre-op physical first. I told the scheduler that I had a complete physical in August. No use; the Almighty Computer wouldn’t register a shorter appointment. I had to schedule the full 30 minutes. Luckily, doctors are smarter than the scheduling computer, so this was quick and painless.
Cataract surgery: The left eye had its cataract removed on a fine Friday morning. Right eye happened two weeks later. Recovery was smooth, despite my nerves.
So… I was “down one eye” for a while. I was grateful to work in a cubicle; I wouldn’t have to worry about rowdy students throwing things at me. Two years ago I would have worried about chairs flying through the air. No more! My coworkers aren’t the “throwing chairs” types. (Paper airplanes at times, but that’s another story.)With 20-20 hindsight, I see that I might have better off scheduling these surgeries some other time. I made a serious effort to miss as little school as possible by using a long weekend and having both eyes done on Fridays. October was also the month for parent-teacher conferences, a field trip out of the office, and the start of the not-to-be-forgotten state test season
Under the Affordable Care Act, insurance companies cannot refuse me coverage because of my pre-existing condition, cataracts in both eyes. Health care is important, whether for the eyes or the ears or any other body part. I support President Obama because he made health care for all a priority for all Americans. I’m beyond my reproductive years, but I still support women’s rights to make their own health decisions with their own doctors. When I get older and wiser and face coverage through Medicare, I’d rather see Obama’s version than Romney’s vouchers.
And when I reach the next fork in the road, I’ll support the network that reminds me that it’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

“Fozzie, turn left at the fork in the road.”

Thanks, PBS.

“I’m on my way to New York to break into Public Television!’

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Fire drills and testing season

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When is a fire drill not a typical fire drill?

  1. When the building leader is shouting “The fire department is here! Get everybody out!”
  2. When the FedEx truck comes and finds the secretary in the group standing on the sidewalk and manages to deliver the package, despite the building being evacuated.
  3. When the biggest dilemma is whether or not to lock the office containing the state test booklets.
Test security is huge. HUGE I tell you. In a brick and mortar school, the test booklets remain in the office vault when they’re not actually on a student’s desk bonding with a number two pencil. Teachers can’t leave them in an unlocked, unsecured, unsupervised room. So as the two teachers in the middle (locking) office heard the alarm and evacuated their little corner of the building, they had all kinds of questions running through their minds.
  • Do we keep the tests secure by locking up?
  • What if the fire department needs to get in the room?
  • What if they smash in the office window and ruin the test booklets by covering them in shards of glass?
  • If it’s a real fire and the test booklets burn or get smoke damaged, how will we get them replaced in time?

Heaven forbid there ever be a real disaster in a testing situation. Oh, the places we go and the lengths we’ll travel just to make sure that no child is left untested.

Cases of Official Test Booklets and the pallets that carried them in.

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Mr. President, be strong!

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Dear Mr. President;

Four years ago, I suggested it was okay, even advisable, to show your strength. Taking the high road doesn’t always mean letting the competitor have the advantage.  Wednesday night, I worried. Thursday through my workday, I worried.

I’m still worrying.

President Obama, you remain calm in the face of stress. You think through your decisions in order to make the right ones. You understand the seriousness of your job. The gray hair and frown wrinkles show that you’ve internalized the conflicts and challenges you’ve faced, that you’ve aged much more than you might have had you remained in the Senate.

Mr. President, you are a skilled listener and negotiator. Your body posture gives nothing away. You might seem to agree with an enemy even as you’re planning to disagree publicly and take action to prove it.

In a campaign debate, these strengths can appear as weaknesses. Each time Mitt lied, we saw you tense up a little – only a little. Those who don’t understand might think you didn’t notice or that you – gasp! – might agree or give in.

But Mr. President, we heard you the next day in Madison. You reminded your followers that taking on the opposition means acting, not shouting. It means voting, not booing. It means pointing out the ridiculousness of considering PBS a moocher. Big Bird, one of the 47%? Say is isn’t so!

Now, Mr. President, it’s time to stop being polite. It’s time to show the world what your competitor already knows; you are a force with which to be reckoned. You are willing to stand up, speak up, and rise up swinging. You’re willing to stop putting up with the dangerous garbage spouted by the Republican Ticket and their Tea Party Pals.

So Mr. President, show that strength. You don’t have to hide it. When Mitt tries to leave you speechless, speak right up and show him.

Show him that you are the President, and you intend to remain so.

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The price of time off

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I only took the morning. In fact, I finagled two appointments in one morning so I could handle these issues with one morning off instead of a few hours or even two half days. See how teachers think? We hate being gone. Even in my current job, where I don’t have to prepare plans for a substitute, I don’t like being away from school.

I was rather pleased to manage my schedule in such a way as to minimize time off. But I couldn’t feel too smug; look what I faced when I got to school. This is my gradebook. The puffy A+ symbols mean that students have submitted work to be graded.  The only classes with nothing to grade are those that haven’t started yet.

Daisy’s Gradebook

The load was significant, too. Most of the section gradebooks had at least ten portfolios or tests in them.

I filled up my WSRA – Teaching Wisconsin to Read coffee mug and I hit the ground running, er, clicking. By the time the day was done, I had replied to seven parent emails, graded two science portfolios that came in the mail, and –well, see for yourself.

Daisy’s Gradebook – later

That’s a beautiful sight, those blue A+ icons. Now let’s see if I can be ready for Friday, when the first writing portfolio, a personal narrative, is due.

 

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As seen on Facebook – Women on Voting

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 This quote came from a neighborhood team leader. I’ve heard similar sentiments in my local campaign offices. I’ll keep working and writing and volunteering to keep women’s status one of equality, not subservience. I’m disappointed that we’re still fighting, though. I thought we fought these battles already.
See how President Obama is fighting for women’s rights: http://ofa.bo/4ScB6h
One vote counts, people. Your vote is important; my vote is important. Every vote matters. Right now, voter contact is a high priority. Talk to your neighbors and your relatives and your friends. Help them register to vote. Drive them to the polls – or to the city clerk’s office to order an absentee ballot. Rather than depend on millionaire donations, President Obama’s campaign is depending on people. People like me, and people like you, reader.
And finally, a bit of history. 1920, and then 1964. What pictures will represent 2012?
People, it’s in our hands.
Let’s make the 2012 election one for the books – in a positive way.

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October is the cruelest month.

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Forget April; October is the month that throws us into a frenzy at the O.K. Chorale. Parent-teachers conferences, NFL football season, appointments, weather, and more, culminating with the ever-overwhelming state testing. This year involves more travel than ever.

Last year I traveled twice for testing. We’re a public charter school, so our students take the required state tests every year. We’re a virtual school, so our students are scattered all over the state. To test, we go to them. We set up test centers in several locations around the state and then we assign our students to the location closest their home. When that’s all scheduled, we schedule our teachers to travel to the test locations.

So that’s the end of the month – testing, which crosses into November, too. Let’s jump back to the top of the October calendar.

Appointments. Two this week, at least one next week. I have a staff meeting Wednesday, too. Why do I do this to myself? No, don’t answer that.

NFL travel: Chuck has to go to Indianapolis to run the station’s satellite truck before, during, and after the Packers play the Colts.

I have parent-teacher conferences for three nights, too. Conferences look different in a Virtual School, but they still mean three additional evenings at school.

But wait, there’s more! While we slice and dice our schedules so that the bunny gets fed and Amigo isn’t on his own for too long, there’s one more game that means travel for Chuck – and while he’s in St. Louis eating fried ravioli and sending satellite transmissions of the Packers, I’ll be heading out to guide a large group of students to fill in the bubbles neatly and thoroughly, erase any changes completely, and make their new marks heavy and dark.

La Petite is stepping in. Amigo will keep her company for a few days while Chuck and I hit the road for our respective job responsibilities. Amigo will feed her bunnies, Sadie and Krumpet, and jam on guitar with La Petite’s significant other, a talented musician.

October is the cruelest month for our schedules. When that’s over, we’ll start preparing for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays – lots of them. I think I can handle that portion of the calendar year.

I don’t even want to think about March.

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