I certainly hope that confession is good for the soul, because I have lots of disturbing things on my mind today.
I confess...
I confess that it has rained and flooded for days, and it will continue to do so at least through Sunday. This has been the most depressing Fourth of July holiday. Ever.
I confess...
I confess that I feel so sorry for the Prescott, AZ firefighters' families. What a tragedy! It seems that either our country is burning up or flooding.
I confess...
I confess that we've been watching The Tenth Kingdom miniseries while we've been here at the lake watching it rain. Now we can's stop saying "Suck an elf!"
The Tenth Kingdom trailer
I confess...
I confess that it's 1960 all over again here in Alabama. The Alabama Department of Education's Plan 2020 will replace No Child Left Behind, the Bush-era program that required that 100 percent of all children, regardless of race and economics, be proficient in math and reading by 2014. Plan 2020's new annual accountability system sets different goals for students based on race, disabilities and economic status. Yep, you didn't misread this. The plan seeks to accomplish that by setting different annual math and reading goals for students in different subgroups. According to Plan 2020, the nine student subgroups are American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, black, English language learners, Hispanic, multirace, poverty, special education and white.
Though students in different subgroups are given different goals in math and reading, students in the lower-achieving subgroups — black, Hispanic, English language learners, poverty and special needs — are expected to improve at a greater rate than students in the higher-performing subgroups over a six-year period. Really? How can this be when you've already lowered your standards and expectations? This doesn't make logical sense to me.
Plan 2020 has been approved by the U.S. Department of Education, so it is now the law of the land.
I am disgusted. I don't think it's fair to lower the standards and expectations in any subgroups and then to label this discrimination as progress.
Politicians and educators are ruining the futures of our young people. In Alabama, many of these folks making these decisions do not have children in public schools. Plus many of the school districts are unaware of these changes. Scary, huh.
So basically if you're the mother of a young black male with a learning disability, you might as well pack his bags now for prison. Send him now and don't waste his time in school. {This is hyperbole, young students of Alabama. I'm sure you won't be taught how to recognize it.}
I know that I rarely discuss politics on my blog, but I love children and I care about Alabama's children.
I confess...
I confess that I really need to find some happy. I'll get out of my funk by Sunday because it's Shelley's sixteenth birthday, rain or shine.
Until next time...
Blessings!
Ricki Jill
The 10th Kingdom is one of our all-time favorites. It took us a while to find a DVD of it. So if you see it somewhere (in a used movie/music/book store, maybe), GET IT!
ReplyDeleteOk, reading about that bill just made me sick to my stomache.
ReplyDeleteVery happy about your girlie's bday though. Cake makes everything better.
I confess I am unable to get the code for my blog button! I tried several times and still couldn't get it. Maybe it's the rain. I know that's trivial. Yes, there are a lot of sad things going on right now. I hear ya.
ReplyDeleteI am horrified by that law, too, Ricki Jill. You wonder exactly what the country will come to with the education standards being lowered even further. It is craziness. I hope your funk is gone by morning! xo Diana
ReplyDeleteGirl you deserve some much needed happy time in your life!
ReplyDeleteIt really stinks not being able to do a darn thing about something that you care about so much and have fought so hard for to change.
Us moms are screaming and no one listens.
Everyone just gives up now so easily, what happened to the America that fought for others and our rights. Now we just lay down and take it.
Thank you so much for keeping me up on my game and you have made my life a lot happier now its time to go get yours.
Take the day off and enjoy your family and Shelleys Bday!!!
Amy
That is terrible. Hopefully they will realize the travesty before children are affected. I hope the sun shines for you soon.
ReplyDeleteTomorrow is a new day a new dawn and we must hold on to hope and not fear becoming involved. I hope the sun shines on you or in your heart.
ReplyDeleteWOW that education plan is a total smack in the face to minorities and a huge step back toward undoing so many advancements in equality. No wonder you feel disgusted over it.
ReplyDeleteRain here has been the same, we are so tired of it and ready to see the sun again.
Hang in there, and have an awesome weekend.
I confess if it keeps rainy I will need a conoe soon
ReplyDeleteMy son turns 16 tomorrow!!!! Let the sugar shock begin (hopefully it replaces the regular shock) :)
ReplyDeleteI think all this rain has us all down. Let's start doing a sun dance. xo Laura
ReplyDeleteI'm so worried for the children of America. They are trying to enforce standards all over the country that were not developed by teachers. They were made by corporations that want to sell products to school districts. That seems wrong to me.
ReplyDeleteI also don't believe that all children should be common. They are all individuals!
SERIOUSLY!!! I can understand student's with disabilities (depending on the problem, needing a different goals, but by race and economic status??? Unbelievable. I can see why you are up in arms. That is so wrong. Being a different race and/or a different socio-economic class doesn't mean you can't learn at the same rate as any other student.
ReplyDeleteAll students need a strong oral language foundation, an explicit reading program, and good vocabulary development to progress well in learning to both decode and understand what they are reading. Those are all things that can be taught in a regular classroom and all students would benefit from.
Wish Shelley a happy 16th. Are you doing something special (of course, you are. Silly me!)
I'm sorry you're down and there's lots of bad news to deal with.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about this horrible bill being passed.
I've also never heard the phrase "suck an elf"
Lol
I hope your weekend improves and your daughter has a wonderful birthday:)
I love the 10th Kingdom Movie, we have it too. I have to say I am so tired of the rain too. We have been having so much, rain and heat. I also hope your weekend gets better.
ReplyDeleteEverytime I read about an "improvement" in education, I get more sickened by our gov't. This is seriously part of the reason we would consider not having children altogether. However, the law of the land can be any damn thing, my children will be expected to read, write and do arithmetic....even if I have to teach them myself. Did you know up here in SC, the kids don't even have to learn cursive anymore?
ReplyDeleteOkay, enough of the angry talk. I hope Shelley has a fabulous birthday tomorrow. 16 is such an exciting year.
Thanks for joining the Friday Confessional party.
I actually see some blue sky right now - I know there's more rain on the way - but it is such a lovely sight! The government continues to make the school system bad. That is why many, many years ago we chose Home Schooling. It is very sad Alabama officials thinks this is a good idea - I hope you have a blessed weekend,
ReplyDeleteKathy
We have had a lot of rain here, too...and NC is not any different than Alabama, except now they've taken away women's reproductive rights, as well. What is happening to this country?
ReplyDeleteNot having any school-age children in my life any more, I am fairly oblivious as to what is going on in the educational system. It seemed to me that the no-child left behind idea wasn't really working according to what I heard my teacher friends saying. However, what you are reporting sounds even more appalling. I lived away from Alabama many years, moving back here close to twenty years ago under duress when my mother's health was failing. I used to joke that "Alabama was a good place to be from" because it still seemed so backward, especially after living in Colorado. It still seems incredibly backward to me, mainly because of the "ignorant and proud of it" mindset that many in the small towns and countryside still seem to have.
ReplyDeleteI hope the weather has turned around my sweet friend. I am so incredibly sad about that new law. How very very sad!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo...when ya gonna move away from Alabama and the crazy bad education system? :)
ReplyDeleteOh noes...I have family in Prescott. Is it on fire? I know much of AZ and CO is right now...I better call them. :(
I know it is bloody frustrating when governments say these things about children and have no idea really how to make what they say happen, so every few years they change the way they say the same bloody thing to make it seem like a new bright idea......and like all bright ideas it is usually a bloody stupid idea..........sorry to hear your 4th was a rotten wet one......
ReplyDeleteOh, sweetie, come on over to Texas! :) Hope you get some sunshine - that's what you need.
ReplyDeleteBe a sweetie,
Shelia ;)
Hi Ricki! I was alarmed by the new enactment of the Alabama government. As a part time educator, I understand your plight and sentiments. Education is for everyone. It should not consider age, race, gender and all those socio economic background. It's a right but at this point, it appears to become a privilege to a few. Sigh... Let's just pray that despite of this law, the heavens will make a way for the "discriminated" kids to become inspired and succeed in life.
ReplyDeleteAdvance happy birthday to Shelley!
Oh my goodness, the education system is just falling apart. It makes me angry too. I'm kind of glad that I'm no longer working in it anymore, but my kids are school aged, so it's still close to home anyway.
ReplyDeleteSo much flooding around here too. People have lost so much. If only we could have sent our rain to the places on fire.
I hope your weekend has gotten better. Happy Birthday to Shelley!!
LOL...I can understand crappy education, what a shame. When I was in school in the 60's and graduated in 71 in NY, education was great in the USA, I learned so much from that time. College is different, I'm talking grade and HS..while you're young. Thanks for liking my shawl- runner dear Ricky, I so appreciate your taste! Have a better week honey.
ReplyDeleteFABBY
Sorry about the rain... I wish the excess could be sent here.
ReplyDeleteI think the standards should be the same for everyone, unless the child has some sort of learning disability or physical challenge.
That's one reason why people homeschool or choose a public charter, private, or parochial.
I'm for vouchers; competition helps. Why can't a lower income parent choose like mid-income parent?
Isn't this a little bit like parents who tell their children, "You'll never succeed in life. You're a loser"? And none of us want to be parents like that. What's going on? I don't understand the thinking behind it.
ReplyDeleteRicki,
ReplyDeleteI am in complete agreement with you i.e. the school system. It will get worse as Common Core is implemented across the nation. Thankfully, Texas has opted out of Common Core. It was refreshing to hear the rant! Frankly, we need more rants.
Best wishes to you and the family.
Oh, and send that rain to Texas. We are in an extreme drought situation, complete with water restrictions.
So sad! Our children are grown but hopefully will have grandchildren and the education system is alarming!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing RJ!!!
Blessings,
Cindy
Bless your heart...it is good to get these things off your mind...we all go thru this...and right now, and I am ashamed to even confess it, but some blogging issues are nagging at me...*heavy sigh....
ReplyDeleteWell, we'll both get HAPPY cause I am linking up to you tomorrow.:)
xoxo bj
I love your confessions. Not understanding the educational act whatsoever. Who makes up these new guidelines, I never do know.
ReplyDeleteMy sister teaches 3rd grade and has told me so many times how much she hates the no child left behind law. It's like it's there to hurt rather than help children.
ReplyDeleteI hope Shelley had an amazing birthday!