teacher quality

    There has been a lot of ink spent on teacher quality lately. There is supposedly an indefinable quality that makes someone a good teacher. The lack of this indefinable "something" supposedly makes a bad teacher. What actually makes the difference is education--the teacher's education. A well-educated teacher can explain things in a way that makes them interesting--because he or she understands them. A well-educated teacher knows when he or she is not well-versed in a particular aspect of the subject being taught, and spends time learning more about it before attempting to teach it to students. A poorly educated teacher does not seem to know that what is lacking is a thorough knowledge of his or her subject matter. We have a national exam for teachers, but not every state requires that prospective teachers take this exam, and they should.

the millenium

For those who are still waiting for winged beings with harps, or superheroes with capes and tights, to make a paradise on earth--it's going to be a do-it-yourself job--bring a bucket and a shovel, or something else useful.

blood drive

     I have been seeing a lot of commercials for the Red Cross blood drive recently. The Red Cross should try to capitalize on the current popularity of vampires and have a yearly Halloween special blood drive. It would work. Maybe some Hollywood vampires would help.

presidential debates

     Sometimes the candidates from the two major parties debate one another on television before a presidential election. Why don't we have a televised debate with every election? One that includes questions from the audience, or from viewers at home?  Nearly everyone has television available--the debates could be re-broadcast for those who might have missed them. Public debates should be a standard part of  elections--for president, governor, senator, congressional representative, and perhaps more local offices. Speaking in public is what those running for election want to do for a living, so it really shouldn't be considered a burden to be asked to speak in a debate neither candidate would be "running".

got logic?

     If you get up early in the morning when it is still dark, and want to find a pair of matching socks without turning on the light, how many socks would you need to pull out of a drawer that had ten red socks and ten blue socks in it?














three

school buildings

     Too many teens and tweens have no place to go and nothing to do. Why not leave the school buildings open until 9 or 10 o'clock at night, with facilities available to students? The gym, the library, the cafeteria--closed or open for business--could be left open and staffed by parent volunteers, if necessary. The kids would have someplace to go, and they just might find something to do.

"F" for faith-based

     If faith-based education means no form of logic, evidence, or persuasion can convince the student that he or she is in conflict with reality, then you may take  the "F" for failure grade to mean "F" for faith-based. This isn't about God, and whether or not God exists, or what God does and does not do. It's about grammar ( including whether to use its or it's ), word usage ( including do words have meaning, and is their purpose communication ), geography ( including the roundness of the Earth ), science ( including is learning genetic ), and math ( including does 1+1=2, every time ).