Catholicism: What I Like

I read a post on Saur's Blog about the Pope. Apparently he believes that if you're not Catholic, you're going to hell. This is the general consensus among the Christian religions, and I'm really glad the Pope is now in the same category as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell. But that's not what this post is about.

Despite my general aversion to religion, I did learn a few things from the Catholic Church. One of the things I liked was the emphasis on good works. Though the motivation for being a Good Samaritan is an easier pathway to heaven, the principal is a good one. The notion that one should help those who cannot help themselves (otherwise known as gathering good karma) and atone for the wrongs they have done (rather than simply asking for forgiveness) is something I've kept with me.

The idea that one should refrain from committing sin rather than simply asking forgiveness (once you've done whatever it is you shouldn't be doing) is also a decent idea. It definitely leads to a more repressive society, but constantly having to think before you act about whether you're doing the right thing probably prevents a lot of disasters in a lot of lives. The sheer number of things that are considered sins makes it impossible to ever live without a constant feeling of guilt, (but hey, guilt is what keeps you doing the good works, right?). Though I'm not perfect, I do try to make an effort to think about what I'm doing before I take action.

The high importance placed on education is something ingrained in my soul. Unfortunately, the need students feel for getting that education is based more on fear (of being subjected to a variety of horrible punishments) by the nuns, priests, or your parents, making some students extremely happy to graduate and be rid of the burden. Although my love for education is based mostly on my need to find out the truth about things, the discipline to get that education probably comes from the Catholic Church.

3,608 US Soldiers killed in Iraq
26,558 US Soldiers wounded in Iraq

Worth Reposting

Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:

1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos slogans symbols, songs and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.

6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

8. Religion and Government are Intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

9. Corporate Power is Protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

10. Labor Power is Suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.

12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism.

13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

The Feminine Mistake?

One of the measures of a civilization is how its children are raised. I believe that America has greatly devolved with regards to childcare. Shelter, heat, and food are essentials that are becoming harder and harder to afford, especially with the drasctic and excessive raise in gas and food prices. Two adults in most households must work just to make ends meet, and children are slipping through the cracks. They are spending more time in daycare and less time with their families. We tend to ignore this when we look at American culture, and specifically our young people.

I love being home with my son. I would love to do it until he's ready for school, but we just can't afford it. We discussed not having children until we could afford for one of use to be at home with them, but decided that I would probably be in menopause by then, so it would be best to start now. I've worked in the childcare industry and have not been impressed at all by what I've seen. I would advocate small, home-run daycares over an institution any day. For women who can afford it, I believe that they should stay home with their kids.

Truth, Justice, and...

Superman Returns seems to have gone slightly political. Many people see Superman's slogan change as minor, but I think it represents a larger world view, one that cannot be ignored. It is difficult for Superman to fight for truth in a world where its definition is hazy. We watch news conferences filled with spin and "reality" shows that do absolutely nothing to mimic real life (mostly because that would be incredibly boring). When our soldiers are fighting a war for lies and no one is held accountable, there is no justice.

And what exactly is the American Way? It seems to have more to do with the work of Haliburton than with the work of Green Peace. It is consumerism (oil, and our disposable, planned obsolescence society), greed (Haliburton), superficiality (just watch Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, Extra, etc...), colossal errors in judgment (Bush), and abandonment (the poor, the education system, those in need of health care, Social Security, immigration...). We have run this nation so far into the ground that even Superman doesn't want to be associated with us. Even my father, generally the winner of "Staunch Republican of the Year", thinks we have a better shot at raising a family and doing well for ourselves in Europe or Canada.

2,543 US soldiers killed in Iraq
18,874 US soldiers wounded in Iraq
Accurate count of Iraqis killed: Unavailable

Grasping at Straws

As a teacher, I do my best to remain neutral in the classroom on all subjects, especially those that I am most passionate about. I won't talk about politics, I avoid questions about religion, and I refer them to their parents when it comes to drugs. I do this because I wouldn't want anyone to tell my child how to think about these issues, so I guess it's sort-of a "do unto others" kind of a thing, which is why I was appalled to learn that educators, coaches, and mentors in New Jersey are touring Fort Dix, taking rides in helicopters, and shooting weapons so that they can target their students and encourage them to join the military. Due to this program, recruitment in New Jersey is up, though it is down in almost every other state.

I firmly believe that NO ONE, including a teacher or principal, gets to talk to my child about a career choice (especially one that could get them killed), or any life choice, for that matter, without my presence or permission. The military says the program is designed to give educators a better understanding of what it does. I'm quite clear on the objectives of the US military, thank you very much. I find it disturbing that the government uses the fact that schools use federal money to force them to allow things to happen that are not in the best interest of the student, such as allowing recruiters to spend time in schools and talk to children without parental permission.

As of today:
2,525 US soldier dead in Iraq
18,572 US soldiers wounded in Iraq (at least)
Over 50,000 Iraqi s killed

It's About Time

This is a case of, "right idea, wrong way to go about it". Our Secretary of Education is traveling to other countries to find a way to change the shape of US education policy. Though Spellings is not the first person in this office to do so, it does seem that she's traveling quite a bit more, and often to countries that have nothing to offer us academically.

I agree that we have a lot to learn from certain countries about education, especially if we want our children to be able to compete on a global scale, but some of the ones Spellings is traveling to leave a lot to be desired, and open her up to the criticism that it's all just PR. England's system is beginning to go downhill, but they still have National Education Standards, like France, which is something this country could certainly benefit from. The program in Japan is incredible, and though she's not going there, looking at education in China could also be beneficial. If we're going to go by test scores, she should stop by Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany to get some insight into math education, though she is going to Russia, a country that is way ahead of us in science, along with Canada.

With the war in Iraq and the economic problems we have at the moment, education seems pretty low on the priority list for most Americans. With elections approaching, it is up to the average American to shape the debate. We must steer the politicians away from volatile issues where nothing gets resolved such as gay marriage and abortion and focus on more pressing issues, like how Americans can receive affordable health care and why our children are not as well educated as those in countries with more kids and less money.

What We Don't Know

I've been watching a series on the Discovery Channel called What the Ancients Knew. When I was discussing the Japanese ability to create non-electronic robots, I was overcome by how much we don't know and how much we ignore.

We ignore so much of the knowledge of the past because we see it as provincial, quaint, and small-minded. We forget that from those ideas come our own. We can expand on something someone knew thousands of years ago and come up with something like a microchip (it has to do with ceramics). We are looking less and less to the past, and as a result, important scientific discoveries are being held up, or worse, completely overlooked.

We are so far behind the rest of the world educationally, but we should be even more ashamed of how little we have been able to accomplish with the information we have. At this point in history more people have more access to the most information humankind has EVER had. Shouldn't we be doing better? Are we really, as a country, as a world, or even as individuals, working up to our potential? Somehow, I doubt it.

Freedom from Fear

Despite President Roosevelt's carefully written and well-meaning words decades ago, I do not feel free from fear. In fact, I believe my government has become the personification of fear.

As a woman, I am afraid. I am terrified that myself or my child will be raped, become pregnant, and be forced to have the baby when the decision of what to do with our own bodies is finally taken out of our hands. I fear I have few advocates within the government. Women make up a small percentage of all three branches even though we are a little more than 50% of the population. Maybe affirmative action isn't just for schools and businesses anymore. I am afraid that I will not be able to afford the health care that being a women entails - regular visits to a gynecologist, birth control, breast exams, etc... I am afraid that my child will eventually be sent off to fight in a war that has no merit, no benefit, and no hope of being "won".

As an educator, I am afraid. I shudder at the thought that my lessons will have to be scripted to ensure that they are preparing students for standardized testing. I fear that I will be forced to pass students who have not earned a passing grade so that the "success rate" of the school looks good on paper. I already have too many students who come to me in 8th grade not being able to write a coherent sentence, form a decent paragraph, or read anything longer than two pages. I am afraid that I am failing them, that I am not doing enough to fight for them, and that in the end, this will be a less educated nation because I was too scared to stand up for them and therefore, lose my job.

As a citizen, I am afraid. I do not trust that those in government are looking out for the best interests of their non-corporate constituents. I do not believe that my tax money is being spent responsibly. I fear that accountability and transparency in government are things of the past and we are moving toward an era of secrecy and betrayal. I feel that my government is an intruder, not a protector. I am afraid that in 10 years, we will all be speaking Chinese. I am afraid to run for office because I know my privacy will be invaded, those around me will be targets, and every mistake I have ever made will be quietly scrutinized and made public when it suits my opponent.

We are not free from fear. We are a nation of people cowering under our beds, waiting for the White House to crash down around us any minute. We have become used to fear, almost comfortable with it, and do more to ignore it than to rid ourselves of it. Isn't it about time we refuse to be afraid?

REVOLT

At this moment, 47 states are launching some kind of revolt against the No Child Left Behind Act. For those who are not familiar, the Act demands a large amount of standardized testing which takes a substantial amount of time away from instruction. Teachers have spent more time preparing their students for the testing because their salaries and evaluations are partially based on how student perform on the test. A lot of instructional time is being used for this purpose, and as a result, our students are less and less prepared for life outside of the school system. Besides all of that, though the Act is a federally mandated program, states must pay for the tests themselves, causing significant strain on already tapped-out education budgets. As a teacher, I have always been a proponent of public education. Unfortunately, teaching in public school has become a canned, scripted experience. I need more creativity and autonomy in my classroom. Homeschooling and teaching in private schools is quickly becoming a more viable option. What will happen to the children left behind by the No Child Left Behind Act?

Demand Accountability, Demand Transparency

It is time for the people to finally demand what's been alluding us for years. While this can be seen in a political light, I think it needs to be applied to anyone with any kind of authority. From School Board members to CEO's to the President, we must demand accountability and transparency.

Our schools are suffering, our health care system is atrocious, and social security is dying. The public is not demanding that anyone be held accountable for these things. Senators and Congressmen are re-elected even though it's quite obvious we have some serious domestic issues. Reporters ask questions but don't require actual answers. CEO's embezzle millions and no one goes to jail. The Vice-President virtually disappears and no one asks where he's been. Parents don't get involved in their local schools. People pay thousands a year for prescription drugs and don't ask why they're so expensive. Americans are not demanding accountability from each other or their government. If things are going to improve, this is the first thing that must be changed.

People lie. People in power lie a lot. Especially when they've made a mistake. Demanding transparency doesn't mean needing to know everything about someone's personal life. It means demanding proof of what people say to us. We should see budgets and agendas for people in public office. We should know how every cent is being spent as well as what our Congressmen, Senators, and other federal, state, and local government personnel are doing during working hours. When we ask questions, we need to insist on getting the answers. We cannot allow ourselves to be appeased anymore. We know what we want. Why aren't we fighting for it?

So what do we do?

I happened to ask someone yesterday what we should do on a personal level to improve our current situation. Not only did he answer the question, but I was guilted into answering it as well. Here is a more thought-out version of the answer I gave him. Please note: clicking on the title of this post will lead you to a list of political action organizations.

I think we need to organize people in our communities by using the library system. Instead of discussing all of our various problems with the government we join together on one issue: Education. I chose education because it is through education that people learn to think for themselves, something I feel the government is trying to avoid at all costs as evidenced by NCLB. It is an issue everyone in the community can relate to, and it is a good way to rally communities around the schools.

So the question becomes: How do we organize groups of people and convince them that their participation in improving education is important? Offering free courses at local libraries in educational law is a great place to start. A lot of people really don't understand the No Child Left Behind Act and how badly it is hurting our students. Teaching parents how their children learn and lecturing on various learning disabilities is also helpful. Teachers and community leaders can volunteer to teach short classes at local libraries in politics, philosophy, and psychology. Finally, we can invite local politicians to speak to these classes and then ask them actual questions instead of the crap reporters ask. Writing Community Corner articles for our local papers about these classes and meetings increases visibility and participation. It's not something that can be done overnight, but it can be done.

I'm a Geek, and Proud of It!

America's high school students are starting to realize that life is not about what you wear and what you watch, but what you do. The nerds are starting to realize that they are not alone. Finally, the band geeks, the science nerds, the orchestra dorks, and other academically inclined groups are banding together in recognition of the fact that they like school, they enjoy learning, and they are proud of it! It's a great trend and I hope it continues. I see a lot of Americans placing importance on things that matter little in the general scheme of things. Far too little focus is placed on excellence in academic areas, art, and music. In fact, as we are seeing, children have been ostracized for being interested in those things. If we want to change the way we look at education, we need to change the way we treat the people who are interested in learning.

Maybe We Should Learn Chinese

This article brings up a good point, American schools are lacking in cultural education. It's not just Chinese culture that our students are missing out on. The world has expanded. We can easily have contact with people of all cultures through the use of the Internet, phones, and even airplanes. We are severely behind in language education. A majority of Americans still speak only one language. An embarrassingly low number of Americans have passports and use them to travel often. Our knowledge of our own geography, let alone world geography, is reprehensible. We need to teach our children about the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and South America. We need to expand our idea of the world and how to interact with it. It starts with education.

PLEASE NOTE: If you are interested in boycotting all things Chinese, go to http://chineseboycott.blogspot.com. I should mention that I disagree with American relations with China, and I used China as an example because it was what the article was based on. I do believe that Americans have a limited view of the world, and the only way to remedy that it through study and travel.

Teaching Them To Fish

The One Campaign is currently undertaking the education of children in Africa. This organization is stressing the important role of education in allowing people to rise out of poverty and into hope. A child in Africa can be educated for as little as $20 dollars a year with the help of this organization. Educated students in these nations will provide opportunities and advances their family members never dreamed of. How can anyone in their right mind not see that education is the key to alleviating the suffering in the poorest of nations?

The Mission Statement of The One Campaign
"WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.

WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs - education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans - would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget.

WE COMMIT ourselves - one person, one voice, one vote at a time - to make a better, safer world for all."

And In Their Own Words

This young man should be commended for standing up for himself and his fellow students against a system he feels is unfair. He made sure he started his protest from a position of power, as he is ranked 6th in his class. All of our seniors should be as thoughtful and well-spoken as he. I couldn't have said it better.

Reader's Forum: Here are the reasons why I didn't graduate from Federal Hocking last weekend
By John Wood

Sunday was my high-school graduation. However, despite being ranked sixth in my class, I did not cross the stage or receive a diploma. I did not drop out at the last minute and I was not expelled. I didn't graduate because I refused to take the Ohio Proficiency Tests.

I did this because I believe these high-stakes tests (which are required for graduation) are biased, irrelevant and unnecessary.

The bias of these tests is demonstrated by Ohio's own statistics. They show consistently that schools with high numbers of low-income and/or minority students score lower on state tests. It is argued (in defense of testing) that this is not the test's fault, that the scores are only a reflection of the deeper social economic injustices. This is very likely true. What makes the test biased is the fact that the state does little or nothing to compensate for the differences that the students experience outside the classroom.

In fact, the state only worsens the situation with its funding system. Ohio's archaic school-funding system underfunds schools in poorer areas because it is based on property taxes. The way we fund our schools has been declared unconstitutional four times, and yet the state Legislature refuses to fix the problem.

The irrelevance of these tests is also demonstrated by state statistics -- in this case, the lack of them. In 13 years of testing, Ohio has failed to conduct any studies linking scores on the proficiency test to college acceptance rates, college grades, income levels, incarceration rates, dropout rates, scores on military recruiting tests, or any other similar statistic.

State officials have stated that it would be too difficult or costly to keep track of their students after high school but I find this hard to believe. My high school is tracking my class for five years with help from the Coalition of Essential Schools. Certainly, the state, with all its bureaucrats, could do the same.

Both of these factors, the test's biases and irrelevance, contribute to making it unnecessary. This system is so flawed it should not be used to determine whether or not students should graduate. More importantly, a system already exists for determining when students are ready to graduate.

The ongoing assessment by teachers who spend hours with the students is more than sufficient for determining when they are ready to graduate. However this assessment is being undermined by a focus on test preparation that has eliminated many advanced courses and enrichment experiences. Additionally, since the tests do not and cannot measure things such as critical thinking, the ability to work with others, public speaking, and other characteristics of democratic citizenship, these things are pushed aside while we spend more time memorizing for tests.

After almost a decade and a half of testing, many people cannot imagine what could be done in place of high-stakes testing, but here in southeast Ohio, alternative assessments are alive and kicking. At my school, Federal Hocking High School, every senior has to complete a senior project (I built a kayak), compile a graduation portfolio, and defend his or her work in front of a panel of teachers in order to graduate. These types of performance assessments are much more individualized and authentic, and are certainly difficult, something I can attest to, having completed them myself.

There may be a place for standardized testing in public education, but it should not be used to determine graduation.

Because of these reasons, I decided to take a stand against the Ohio Proficiency Tests, even though it would cost me my graduation and diploma. But why such a drastic measure? The reason is simple; someone has to say no. Education is the key to maintaining our democracy, and I have become disgusted by the indifference displayed by lawmakers who make statements about the value of public education while continuing to fail to fairly and adequately fund it or commit to performance-based assessments.

I have written a number of state senators and representatives from both parties recommending the state allow districts to set alternatives to high-stakes tests for graduation. Having done everything required for graduation but take the tests, I thought I would provide them an opportunity to rethink testing. Sadly, I have not received a response from any of them, even after personally approaching and rewriting them.

What this has taught me is that one voice is not enough, and to make a difference in our democracy, the people must speak with a unified voice. I encourage everyone concerned about the damage being done by high-stakes testing and inadequate funding of public education to speak out. Join me in just saying no to high-stakes testing.

Editor's note: John Wood is a non-graduate of Federal Hocking High School in Stewart. He will be attending Warren Wilson College in Ashville, N.C.

Modern Marx

Karl Marx once said, "Capitalism places value on what a person has rather than on what he or she is." Maybe this is the reason why we have so many problems in our schools right now. If a child does not value what he is, he will not value what he learns, what he creates, or what he becomes. Schools are full of designer clothes, cell phones, CD players, and gameboys. The students focus on who has what, who can conquer which date, and a myriad of other things having absolutely nothing to do with the expansion of their minds. Schools can make all the dress code rules they want and take away all electronic devices, but when parents send kids to school with these things and we have to take them, it makes teachers the bad guys. Capitalism will ultimately be the downfall of American society. We are going the way of Rome. Forget about what you have. Focus on who you are.