Nutmeg in the Garden

She loves to be outside and, so far, doesn't

venture past the side and backyard.

AND she hasn't peed on the couch once since

being FREEEEEEE!!! (knock on wood.)

Read this Book, Pass it On

This book is interesting and has a lot in it that

helps explain why I had such

a problem with the documentary

"Waiting for Superman" but

couldn't articulate it....it is very critical of charter schools (which is hard to take since my kids benefit from a great one...but I do understand and lean towards agreeing with her point...). The book is also about testing, report cards, the arts and sciences and how poverty is really the issue we need to address...and doesn't simply focus on rooting out the bad teachers.

(I am surprised they don't ALL go "bad" or at least get prematurely "burnt" after all the demoralizing treatment!... Can we please stop blaming teachers and

unions for everything now?)

My crazy idea (not in the book but I thought I'd put it out there!): Instead of asking for the bare minimum and continually losing ground...instead of continuing to cut-cut-cut... why don't we go completely in the opposite direction. Why not have a big public debate and PUSH for more money than we had in the last 10 years and more than we had in the 90's...what if instead of cutting the education budget... we double it!!! (cheers, applause, sighs of relief!!!)

Can you imagine TWO teachers per classroom, sharing the load. (2 1/2 days each in the classroom and the rest of the work week doing prep work/meeting with parents etc.) Instead of one teacher for every 30, how's about 2!?! If they work at the same salary as before the crazy cuts and with the normal expectation of a raise every couple of years and a decent amount of job security and full benefits...and YES, summers off to take that extra job or to take summer classes...hey, we might even be able to retain the talented ones!!

What could this do for our country?

It would INCREASE the deficit!!... but not much in comparison to everything else (war spending and tax cuts)....

It could REALLY educate ALL of our kids (not just the rich ones!) AND employ a whole lot more people who currently wouldn't even consider teaching as a viable option to support their family. (Rather than obsessing about maintaining the "perks" for wallstreet to attract "talent" why not apply some of that philosophy to those educating our kids! Brilliant!)

Thinking about the interactive 2012 budget pie chart from the NY Times online newspaper makes me think we could easily double spending in education. (So simple, ha!)

Maybe end some tax cuts, close some business loopholes or do what the republicans do....we could go ahead and increase the deficit for the stuff WE think is important.