Thanksgiving

Right now life for many is not so good.  Right now life for many is very, very good.  I fall somewhere in between, and I am thankful for that.  However, to state that I am thankful for what I have also assumes I shall continue to have what I have, unless I do something stupid or illegal to cause me to lose what I have.  But that's not the way it is, and my life is about to change drastically if Sen. Bishop has his way and state employees' pay is cut by 5%.  Then the district I am in might further cut my pay, and make me pay more for my benefits.  I have done nothing but continue to work hard at my job, yet, since what I do is not valued, I am going to lose wages.  Many of you who read this blog have family members who will also lose, I wonder why that doesn't bother you enough to support us in our fight to maintain the wage we now earn.  When things were good in this land, we teachers we're told not to compare ourselves to the private sector, whose earnings where substantial.  Now, things aren't so good and we are being told that we deserve no more than those who are in the private sector and have had their pay cut.  (I need to thank a peer for this truth).  The pay cut will not lower my out of pocket expenses necessary to my profession.  Continuing education is costly and I need to continue to earn credits to renew my certificate.  I am not complaining that I need to keep learning, I am only stating that I pay for the mandatory learning.  And there are many other "voluntary" expenses that we spend on our job, like paper because the school always runs out of it before the year ends.  If education is valued in this country, like those in politics say it is, then why are those of us who are "highly qualified" with Bachelor Degrees, and Master's Degrees, and passing grades on certification tests, and endorsements on our certificates not valued?   If you have a job where you are secure, be thankful.  If you have a job that puts you in the "wealthy" category, be thankful because the politicians want you to be happy because you are a financial asset to them.  If you have a job you love that doesn't pay a lot, but you don't really need the money, be thankful.  If you have a job where you are valued and are financially compensated, be thankful.  Me?  I'm thankful I have the opportunity to possibly reach people who will see that what is about to happen to teachers, is not right, and hopefully you will speak up for us, and your kids.  There is a reason those in power want you to think public education is so very lacking, they would like to privatize education.  The rich get richer and can afford to be more educated, so the wealthy continue to be powerful and in control.  I didn't believe this for a long, long time, I do now.  I would love things to continue as they were, I was very happy being part of the working middle class, but we are disappearing.  Please, please begin to get this.  What you have today, may very well be gone tomorrow, even those of you who think you have it pretty good.  I thought I did.
Rosemary

Nolan Finley responded to me.

Truly, I got this response within minutes of sending my letter to Mr. Finley.  He didn't even have enough time to think about it.  Wow, you read that so fast, and responded so quickly, I can tell a good columnist from a bad one. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Nolan Finley" To: "rose42benn@comcast.net" Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 8:04:08 PM Subject: Re: Pay grades Oh come on. Tell me you can't tell a good teacher from a poor one. From: rose42benn@comcast.net [mailto:rose42benn@comcast.net] Sent: Monday, November 22, 2010 08:02 PM To: Finley, Nolan Subject: Pay grades Hi Nolan, I address you this way because I want to be your friend, I mean why be adversarial? I also want to talk to you about merit pay for teachers. "There's nothing wrong with a teacher making more than $100,000 a year, as long as that paycheck is going to a top-notch instructor. How does one define a "top-notch instructor"? That really is the problem isn't it? You can't. Teaching is like no other profession. It changes every day. A teacher's job today, will have other demands tomorrow. Why? Well, because teachers deal with human beings. Teachers do not produce a product. Teachers do not sell a product. Teachers do not care about a product, they care about kids. The state legislators would like us to produce a product, a being that can pass state tests, and then who cares? Well, teachers do. The "Our Editorial" in Sunday's paper, says that "adopting a merit pay system for teachers would allow the very best to earn the pay they deserve. And it would encourage all teachers to strive to be the best." Here is what I see everyday, stressed out, burdened children. I guess I am not a very good instructor, deserving of merit pay, because I just want them to get through the day. I see very capable children, not able to cope because mom is sick. I'm not a very good instructor because I hug them, let them cry, and then say, let's get to work. I see children who can't access the curriculum demanded of them because, well, they just aren't very smart. Why? Well, because they just aren't very smart I try to make them smart but they can't keep up, so I hug them, let them cry, and then say , let's get to work. So if merit pay goes through, well, I'm screwed! The editorial stated that a better way to find cost savings is in teacher benefits. What I can't figure out is why teachers keep getting compared to the private sector. Teachers have at least four to five years of college under their belt, they have that degree that the state thinks all human beings should have. Then most teachers continue to strive for perfection and get a master's degree. Why is a Master's in Business Administration, worth more than a Master's in Education? So why can't teachers benefit? Perhaps you think I am rambling, so let me tie it all together; I have worked long and hard for many years, my students have succeeded, and now you think I should just sit back and watch what I thought I had earned, be taken away. Well, I am not going to do that. 
Rosemary

Mike Bishop's after us again

 Wrote this to Sen. Bishop and tried to email it to him but got the message that that page could not be found when I hit submit, old email probably.  Need him to read this though and you too.  The article that precipitated this was in the Detroit News so I will be writing them too. 

Hi Mike,
I have been in my school district long enough to be at the top of the pay scale for someone with a Master's Degree.  I earn every penny I am paid.  My day begins at 6:30 and ends, on most days, around 4:00.  The actual school day is 7:13 until 2:10.  I get to school early so that students who need to see me for help can, I stay late because there is not enough time in the school day to get all of my work done, and I am very efficient.  I have students who come for help at lunch, so I don't take my contractual forty minute non-working lunchtime.  I deal with angry parents, needy parents, and worried parents, who want to blame teachers for their child's inability to master all of the standards the state has declared necessary for all Michigan students to learn, even those with learning deficits.  I have a fantastic work ethic, I am highly educated and I am worthy of respect.  I have numerous expenses related to my profession; continuing education credits, fees to renew my certificate every five years, supplies for students who don't have what they need, lunch money for students who come to school with no lunch and no money, professional publications, conferences I choose to attend because they keep me updated on educational strategies, and on and on.  Out of my pay, on top of the taxes we all pay, also comes union dues, and a new 3% tax to help pay health care benefits for someone else who will retire before me.  I am giving money away!  As for the nine month year and all holidays off, my husband worked for Ford Motor, he had all holidays off and five weeks of vacation, plus sick time and personal time off.  He made more than me too, and he was not an executive.  Oh and when he was "off" he was off, unlike teachers who normally have loads of work to do during summer break and all holiday breaks.  You have it pretty nice by the way, I won't insult you by telling you what you make, what your health benefits are, and will be, and what your work year is, but it's a pretty nice job for that kind of pay.
Sincerely,
Rosemary Schimmel

Sarah for President?

Sarah Palin believes that she could beat President Obama in 2012, and is seriously considering running.  I was watching The Ed Show tonight and he asked this question to a media personality; Does Sarah Palin really believe that she could beat President Obama if she ran for the presidency?  Unfortunately the respondent did not answer the direct question, instead she chuckled and said, "If she got the people who voted for Bristol Palin then yeah, but in the real world..."  The question was "Does Sarah Palin believe she could beat President Obama in 2010?"  and the answer is YES!  And because she believes it, the people who voted for Bristol Palin on Dancing with the Stars, even though she is the worst dancer, will vote for her.  THIS IS THE REAL WORLD, many people voted for Bristol Palin even though she is the worst dancer ever simply because she is the daughter of Sarah Palin, and many people will vote for Sarah Palin for president simply because she is Sarah Palin and they think she is God.  So BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID.  I am not writing this in jest, I am quite serious, Sarah Palin is like the Monkeys, (I am referring to the musical group popular in the 1970's), media made, not knowledgeable in her field so constantly improvising, and so in love with herself that she is deluded.  The Monkeys thought they were good, they weren't; Sarah thinks she's president material, she's not.  Why is she not presidential material?  The same reason the Monkeys were not true musicians, SHE'S NOT REAL, SHE IS FABRICATED!  Please get this.
Rosemary

Rosemary

Toyota Ad

It appears the people in charge of advertising for Toyota think parents here in America include their offspring in their car buying decision.  I don't know about you, but growing up I do not recall my parents ever asking my opinion on the choice of vehicle they were thinking about buying.  Here is probably how the decision was made; make - Ford of course because my father worked for the company; style - just big enough to comfortably hold a family of five; color - my mother and father picked between whatever was available on the lot; extras - none, if it wasn't included in the base price then it wasn't needed.  According to the current advertisement for Toyota, just because you're a parent today doesn't mean you have to be lame, and your lameness is shown in your car buying choice.  In the ad, this not so cute youngster is so pleased that he gets to climb into a Toyota Highlander while an older student is just so embarrassed that he is being picked up in a pea green station wagon (think Vacation).  I am sure if my brothers or I ever showed our disdain for the car my parents drove they would have told us we could walk.  Over the years, my husband and I have purchased and leased many cars, we never made our decision based on the opinions of our children.  We bought/leased what we could afford, oh and always a Ford since my husband worked for the company!  I don't get how the people who came up with this ad thought it was good, and I certainly don't get how the people who approved the ad thought it would sell their product.  If parents today really cave to the pressure of their children to purchase a "cool" vehicle, then they really are lame.  The worst thing about this ad is the idea that a youngster is so status conscious that he looks down on those who are not as fortunate as he, and that he has that amount of  control over his parents.  Think about it.  What does an ad like this say about our society today?
Rosemary

I Don't Know What God Thinks

I don't know what God thinks.  I know people who think they know what God thinks.  I am a Catholic, and therefore I am supposed to know what God thinks, but I don't.  I believe in God, I believe in Jesus, and I believe in the Holy Spirit.  I believe in the Holy Trinity.  I have been taught many things, but I don't know what God thinks.  I am not sure why abortion is such a political siren.  When did it become a platform for getting into office and why would anyone vote for candidates based solely on their views on abortion?  God thinks about a lot, I think.  I think that God wants us to care about the unborn, as well as the homeless, the unemployed, the hungry, the abused, the rich, the famous, the heathens and the believers.  I think that God wants us to think.  For those who want to repeal Roe vs Wade, you might think that it will only affect women and their right to have an abortion.  I am afraid, if repealed, it will affect a woman's right to make a personal decision regarding her health.  Just so you know, I can't imagine ending a pregnancy voluntarily, or advising someone I love to do that, but neither have I ever had to be a part of that decision.  I believe the more we talk about abortion in the political arena the more those who don't value life, at any stage, feel vindicated to eradicate it at any stage.  I truly believe that if  abortion was left out of the political fire, there would be less of them because no one would be saying, "But it's my right."  When there is all this fighting over just this one issue, and so much wrong with our world, I truly wonder what God is thinking.
Rosemary

Article in paper; "Tryst leads to girl's suicide"

A fourteen year old girl and an eighteen year old guy have sex.  According to both of them it was consensual, she was anxious to lose her virginity and chose him.  He was a neighbor and classmate.  She first communicated with him on My Space and told him she thought he was cute.  She also thought he was 15, he said he thought she was 16, or it never would have happened.  She admitted to her mother that she had sex with this boy, the police got involved, he was charged with rape, everything became very public and ugly, she was taunted at school, she killed herself.  These are the facts as I have read them, there is information missing, like who contacted the police and why, but it doesn't matter.  Here is what I want to say about all of this.  Sex is everywhere.  It is in everything kids watch on TV and at the movie theater. It is in the popular books kids read, (or at least hear and talk about).  It is in the music they listen to.  It is in most every ad the see.  It is in the video games they play and it is all over the internet.  Why would anyone be surprised, or appalled that kids as young as fourteen are having sex?  Why do we still have laws that make it illegal for an eighteen year old to have sex with a fourteen year old when everything about our society screams that sex in any way, everyday is okay?  The fashions of the day expose a young girl's butt, thighs, and breasts to the point where I sometimes have to turn away as they walk down the halls, because you know what?  I have seen it all, and I have seen too much.  And the guys, well their pants are worn so low they have to hold on to their crotch to keep them from falling down, but hey, what's wrong with that?  And they kiss and hug, and kiss and hug, and kiss and hug all day long, and no one says a thing, we adults just walk on by.  Why?  because it is so prevalent it is a battle the powers that be have chosen not to fight.  And when we do mention that perhaps the dress is a bit provocative and not appropriate, that the behavior is more risque than we would like to see in a school setting, the parents flock in and say "Stop picking on my kid!"  What went wrong here, according to what I have read, is that someone thought it was right to charge the boy with rape.  Do I like the idea of an eighteen year old having sex with a fourteen year old?  No.  Do I like the idea that a fourteen year old wanted to lose her virginity?  No.  Do I think any of this is right?  No.  But you can't tell someone that what they did was wrong when every message sent to them every day tells them that what they did was exactly what was expected of them.  The fourteen year old should not be dead, and she isn't dead because she had sex, she's dead because she didn't understand, neither do I.
Rosemary

What is the hardest thing you've ever done?  Guess what?  There's something harder.  I really don't know what else I want to say about this because I can't begin to know how hard life can truly be.  Sometimes my life is not all I want it to be, but it isn't hard.  Sometimes my life is unhappy, but it isn't hard.  Sometimes my life just really sucks, but it isn't hard.  Hard means difficult to endure; it also means, cruel, oppressive and unjust.  That's hard isn't it?  What am I going through that is difficult to endure?  Nothing.  What am I going through that is cruel, oppressive or unjust?  Nothing.  My life is not hard.  I do know how hard life is for others though, and I see how they rise beyond the expectations of even themselves.  I believe in the adage that God does not give you anything that you can't handle, I believe it so much I have said, "God, I am not that strong."  I am weak and afraid.  I don't want to be given the opportunity to be strong.  So when I see those who are given more than I could handle, and they are handling it with grace, I am shamed.  If you love someone who is enduring something hard, I hope you will reach out to them because having the support of those you love when you are living with something that is cruel and unjust, just might get you through another day. 

A Reflection

With the end of the year fast approaching, I have begun to look back to the beginnings of this blog of mine.  I believe it started off a bit lighter, there was more humor or a pretense of naivete to it.  Did I get more serious or did the world in which I live become more serious?  It was also a bit more personal, I think, in that my voice was on a more personal level.  I started my blog because I love to write, I wanted to have a way to express my opinion, and I wanted others to read what I wrote, all good reasons.  I am not sure what is has morphed to.  Do I want my blog to become a political rant?  Do I want to just emote?  Am I looking for a soapbox, or am I just wanting to have others respond to real questions I have about this world we inhabit?  I do know that the blog will continue because it brings me joy!  I truly love when people comment, especially when they disagree, because it allows me to step back, think, and then defend my original opinion or alter my view, and that is a very good thing for all of us to do.  Of course I also love affirmation!  So I am going to keep writing and I hope you will keep reading.  If you are someone who reads, thinks, and  then doesn't comment, please consider letting your views be known.  It is not difficult to be able to comment, and I love responding to the comments!  A real dialogue is what I am after.  So I will write, you will read, some of you will comment, I will respond, we will go back and forth, and we will grow.  Isn't that great?  I think I get it.
Rosemary