I seem to find time to write on the blog when I'm sitting at airports, enjoying the people watching and ceaselessly repeating loops of the same news on CNN. Life has been pretty busy lately.
I started my new job in Fresno, teaching high school Earth Science. Well, I started it in August, but haven't really been moved to chronicle any story. Don't get me wrong, the kids are absolutely amazing. They dazzle me with their unique and fun personalities every day. I'm still trying to figure out some of my kids and what makes them tick, but the majority of them are so sweet and lovable and you can't help but want to work hard for them. Most of them. And my colleagues are a lovely bunch, too. Not as outgoing as my Baltimore colleagues and certainly not as much "hey let's go out" in the bunch, but they all are hard-working and have a great team spirit.
My school administrators know that I am technically only staying for a year. I wanted to be totally up front about that so there wouldn't be any uncomfortable questions about why I have to miss a couple days of school every so often to go on residency interviews. They hired me nonetheless and I like to think they are incredibly smart - they know a damn good thing when they see it. And, just as I suspected when I wanted to join the school where I'm at, they have provided me lots of support and encouragement, but more importantly, once they realized I knew what I was doing, they haven't smothered me with needless stuff. At many "failing" schools (I hate that label because the school/teachers ARE NOT the ones failing the kids) they require so much ridiculous paperwork and documentation. It doesn't improve teaching - the opposite, actually because it takes time away from the teacher to plan and meet with students so they can finish the paperwork that SAYS that they will meet with students and create a plan to help students succeed. Silliness really.
In news from the Doctor front, it has been OK. I have a few interviews for residency...and lots of rejection emails. They all read the same way: "You are a great candidate, blah blah blah...We had so many candidates apply, blah blah blah...We can't invite you for an interview, blah blah blah...We wish you success in your career." I feel like screaming at the computer screen sometimes as it delivers its almost daily dose of negative news. I've basically stopped hoping that I will get any more interview invitations. When I get the "noreply" emails in the subject heading, I have almost resigned myself to another rejection. It's maddening, really, the dichotomy between the education field, where I'm loved and sought by countless school leaders, and the medical field where I'm apparently a black mark that nobody wants to touch. HEY GUYS - I FAILED A TEST. ONE TEST. ONE...FRIGGIN'...TEST. Many of the folks in charge of residency programs today would have failed the exams we have to take today, too. (The exam was much easier back in the day). Not trying to make excuses, but sheesh - look past the tests every now and again and look at the person, would ya? You will find some hidden diamonds.
And in family news, my grandma fell and hit her head a few weeks ago. That means a trip to the ER and a CT head. There was nothing wrong, but her blood pressure wasn't behaving so she got admitted. That turned into a 4 day stay. Since then she has been at a rehab hospital trying to regain her strength...but in much pain and discomfort. I keep praying for God to either fix her completely or take her Home with a capital H. So far, He hasn't really listened or else He is very busy right now or else I'm not on the priority list.
At the moment I sit at gate 86, watching them board a Boeing 777 for the flight that also goes to Dulles an hour before my flight to Dulles (I connect there to get to Buffalo). The CNN buzz is acting strangely like a gentle white noise that is relaxing my senses but also putting my thoughts in overdrive. My sleepy meditation is only jarred every so often by the comparatively very loud "Now boarding Executive Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, various other medals that make you important, 100,000 mile flyers, First-Class, Business Class, Priority Lane. Anyone who paid extra to board early. HEY!! YOU!!!! PEASANT WITH AN ECONOMY TICKET!!! STAND TO THE SIDE! The Red Carpet is for IMPORTANT PEOPLE ONLY!"
Some day I'll be important. Until then, I'll keep waiting in line for a seat.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
ATL and Med School in my Six. MD Full Steam Ahead
"This is your Captain speaking. Hope you enjoyed your time in Atlanta - our flight to Los Angeles should take approximately..." It is August 3rd and time to go back home.
During the Week...
I have had an incredible time in Atlanta. Between my own travel itinerary and Captain K and family taking me to some amazing and less-touristy places, I have seen many awesome things. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express by the airport (which I highly recommend because it is cheap and has breakfast and really nice employees). I saw the Coca-Cola Museum, The ATL Botanical Gardens, an AMAZING Aquarium (by far the coolest one I have ever seen), the MARTA (ATL Subway system, similar in experience/design to Washington DC), Confederate Park AMAZING Laser Light Show (sponsored by Marriott), the Westin Hotel Peachtree Plaza (still undergoing renovation from the Hurricane many years ago and still smells like dampness/mildew inside - not pleasant), the CNN Center (where I met Dr. Gupta - the person who currently holds my future job!), and I even went to the Varsity (where the food leaves a lot to be desired, but it IS an experience you must have once...no really, just once). Talking about food, I experienced some delicious places in ATL. For starters, Capt K and NK took me to The Porter in an eclectic part of town. It is an old train depot and the decor still has luggage and is super cool. I had some awesome fish 'n chips there. I also went to Rays in the Town during Restaurant Week (sponsored by BofA) and had a salad the likes of which I have never experienced before. It was a Shrimp with Feta cheese and watermelon in a lemon sauce. This was the most amazing combo of flavors I have ever experienced in a salad. I loved it. And I got SUPER excited about the main dish, thinking it would be similarly awesome. Unfortunately, my Parmesan-encrusted flounder was both uninspired and unmemorable. It was actually just cafeteria quality food. Too bad, because if it was like the salad I would have come back forever. Another cool place I ate was called Tap. Billed as a "gastropub", it captured my attention with a grilled/roasted grapefruit - definitely something worth trying. Your mind can't decide whether you are eating fruit or BBQ; and that is a pretty cool combo for your mind to be confused about!
Other than the humidity, ATL was super cool and I'm so glad I got to experience it! Thank you to ASA for giving me an opportunity to interview and meet some awesome folks at their company, also. (And for those of you wondering, yes I was offered a position, but no I was unable to take the offer because of family commitments back home).
One Week Prior (July 28)...
I didn't sleep much last night. I had been anticipating this day for months - actually, a whole year, from the first time I took the exam and missed passing by a few points. A year ago, it was like my whole life was thrown upside down - again - as I sat in the Yaldizzle's home staring at a screen that showed what I had been dreading - I hadn't passed. I thought I couldn't be seeing it right - I HAD to pass! In the hospital, I knew what to do almost every time - what the hell happened? But no, the screen wasn't lying and my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. This time, however, I had a different game plan. I reviewed the material like my life depended on it and I went into the exam ready to do battle. Usually, results came out in 3 weeks - so I had my heebie-jeebies last week waiting for results. But they never came. And today, I was flying to Atlanta for a week! I was interviewing with a regional airline for a flight attendant job and was super excited about that; but also excited that I could explore Atlanta, a city I had not yet seen. But my scores just HAD to come out today and I was anticipating, finally, becoming a Doctor, officially.
The only solution was to hand over control - something I continue to work on and improve on. So, thank God for AA who graciously offered to take my password and look up my scores. Afterwards, she would describe the same pulse-racing, heart pumping out-of-your-chest, palm-sweating, head-hurting feelings I felt the week before. Surprisingly, I didn't feel that as much this time - probably because I was on an airplane at 35,000 feet when Andrea looked up the results. But until I got on the airplane, I think AA was ready to kill me because my texts to her started at 5am. AA is generally pleasant...unless you wake her up. Let's just say I'm alive today because she gave me a TON of leeway today. When we landed in SLC and I hurriedly turned on my phone, the very first text I received was from DA: "congrats Doctor" was all I saw on my preview screen and I lost it. There, in a metal tube, as we taxied to the gate in SLC, I broke down and released the tears of joy that had been suppressed for over a year. The stress of a year finally was instantly released and I felt so light. And God placed the best flight attendant on that flight that day, who gave me a reassuring look and a tissue. But interestingly, she didn't ask what is wrong - she instead asked "what happened?" A minor detail but it seemed like people knew that this was good news (perhaps the tears juxtaposed with the huge friggin' smile on my face gave it away?)
And SA was right about chocolate - eating it during the exam raised my score significantly.
Four Weeks Prior (June 30)...
Today was the big day - I was staring down 350 questions and 9 hours at a computer. I was ready. This exam was NOT going to defeat me. I would prevail. And through each block of questions, I kept thinking about what SA had told me - she raised her score about 13% by eating chocolate and she claims there is a study about this. Ya ya, we'll see. (My chocolate is ready in my locker to eat inbetween each block.)
August 4:
It has been a long week and I slept quite well last night after I got home from ATL. Today, I will celebrate with family and friends. I feel very blessed to finally be, Doctor.
During the Week...
I have had an incredible time in Atlanta. Between my own travel itinerary and Captain K and family taking me to some amazing and less-touristy places, I have seen many awesome things. I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express by the airport (which I highly recommend because it is cheap and has breakfast and really nice employees). I saw the Coca-Cola Museum, The ATL Botanical Gardens, an AMAZING Aquarium (by far the coolest one I have ever seen), the MARTA (ATL Subway system, similar in experience/design to Washington DC), Confederate Park AMAZING Laser Light Show (sponsored by Marriott), the Westin Hotel Peachtree Plaza (still undergoing renovation from the Hurricane many years ago and still smells like dampness/mildew inside - not pleasant), the CNN Center (where I met Dr. Gupta - the person who currently holds my future job!), and I even went to the Varsity (where the food leaves a lot to be desired, but it IS an experience you must have once...no really, just once). Talking about food, I experienced some delicious places in ATL. For starters, Capt K and NK took me to The Porter in an eclectic part of town. It is an old train depot and the decor still has luggage and is super cool. I had some awesome fish 'n chips there. I also went to Rays in the Town during Restaurant Week (sponsored by BofA) and had a salad the likes of which I have never experienced before. It was a Shrimp with Feta cheese and watermelon in a lemon sauce. This was the most amazing combo of flavors I have ever experienced in a salad. I loved it. And I got SUPER excited about the main dish, thinking it would be similarly awesome. Unfortunately, my Parmesan-encrusted flounder was both uninspired and unmemorable. It was actually just cafeteria quality food. Too bad, because if it was like the salad I would have come back forever. Another cool place I ate was called Tap. Billed as a "gastropub", it captured my attention with a grilled/roasted grapefruit - definitely something worth trying. Your mind can't decide whether you are eating fruit or BBQ; and that is a pretty cool combo for your mind to be confused about!Other than the humidity, ATL was super cool and I'm so glad I got to experience it! Thank you to ASA for giving me an opportunity to interview and meet some awesome folks at their company, also. (And for those of you wondering, yes I was offered a position, but no I was unable to take the offer because of family commitments back home).
One Week Prior (July 28)...
I didn't sleep much last night. I had been anticipating this day for months - actually, a whole year, from the first time I took the exam and missed passing by a few points. A year ago, it was like my whole life was thrown upside down - again - as I sat in the Yaldizzle's home staring at a screen that showed what I had been dreading - I hadn't passed. I thought I couldn't be seeing it right - I HAD to pass! In the hospital, I knew what to do almost every time - what the hell happened? But no, the screen wasn't lying and my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. This time, however, I had a different game plan. I reviewed the material like my life depended on it and I went into the exam ready to do battle. Usually, results came out in 3 weeks - so I had my heebie-jeebies last week waiting for results. But they never came. And today, I was flying to Atlanta for a week! I was interviewing with a regional airline for a flight attendant job and was super excited about that; but also excited that I could explore Atlanta, a city I had not yet seen. But my scores just HAD to come out today and I was anticipating, finally, becoming a Doctor, officially.
The only solution was to hand over control - something I continue to work on and improve on. So, thank God for AA who graciously offered to take my password and look up my scores. Afterwards, she would describe the same pulse-racing, heart pumping out-of-your-chest, palm-sweating, head-hurting feelings I felt the week before. Surprisingly, I didn't feel that as much this time - probably because I was on an airplane at 35,000 feet when Andrea looked up the results. But until I got on the airplane, I think AA was ready to kill me because my texts to her started at 5am. AA is generally pleasant...unless you wake her up. Let's just say I'm alive today because she gave me a TON of leeway today. When we landed in SLC and I hurriedly turned on my phone, the very first text I received was from DA: "congrats Doctor" was all I saw on my preview screen and I lost it. There, in a metal tube, as we taxied to the gate in SLC, I broke down and released the tears of joy that had been suppressed for over a year. The stress of a year finally was instantly released and I felt so light. And God placed the best flight attendant on that flight that day, who gave me a reassuring look and a tissue. But interestingly, she didn't ask what is wrong - she instead asked "what happened?" A minor detail but it seemed like people knew that this was good news (perhaps the tears juxtaposed with the huge friggin' smile on my face gave it away?)
And SA was right about chocolate - eating it during the exam raised my score significantly.
Four Weeks Prior (June 30)...
Today was the big day - I was staring down 350 questions and 9 hours at a computer. I was ready. This exam was NOT going to defeat me. I would prevail. And through each block of questions, I kept thinking about what SA had told me - she raised her score about 13% by eating chocolate and she claims there is a study about this. Ya ya, we'll see. (My chocolate is ready in my locker to eat inbetween each block.)
August 4:
It has been a long week and I slept quite well last night after I got home from ATL. Today, I will celebrate with family and friends. I feel very blessed to finally be, Doctor.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Does Education Matter?
In terms of dollars and cents, but more importantly, in terms of personal health and happiness, study after study has shown that getting a solid college education matters immensely. In an article in the NY Times recently, economist David Leonhardt shows just how much a completed college degree can matter.
"The median college graduate now makes about $25,000 a year more than the median worker who attended college but didn’t graduate."It is not just about money, however. It is about personal wealth, health, happiness and achievement. Obviously, not everyone who is rich required college. Many can point to even high school dropouts who are now filthy rich as examples of why they may not need college. But this argument, in today's new global society and changing job market for US citizens, is irresponsible. It is similar to when a patient who smokes tells me she doesn't have to quit because her granddaddy smoked and he never got cancer and he lived to be 89. That is an EXCEPTION, folks. We know that the rule is much dire. The rule is that you expose yourself to ridiculously higher risk levels of cancer (lung, mouth, lip, stomach, etc), COPD, hypertension, cardiac artery disease, deep venous thrombosis, chronic/peripheral arterial disease, and even other more obscure diseases.
Every person has to make their own decisions in their life and nobody can force them to do otherwise. We can't force someone to make right decisions, we can only give them the tools and knowledge that can guide them toward success - but ultimately, we all live our own lives.
But man, this is some compelling evidence. Click here for the full article.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Quickies: Delays, Tests Results, Delays, Night in Vegas, Hope, (Updated Below!!)
UPDATE ON JULY 29: I have arrived in ATL. I made the red eye flight from Vegas, had a great aisle seat next to a lovely couple, and got to the hotel without a hitch. I then promptly fell asleep which is why I didn't let you all know I had arrived sooner. But yes, I am alive and well and enjoying the lovely countryside where everyone, but EVERYONE, says hello as you pass by. I could get used to the South, yes indeedy. Except, somebody forgot to mention to God to layoff the heat/humidity at 6 in the morning! I can say that getting off the plane to that mess of weather at 6am made me realize how great we have it in Fresno - our nights are incredible.
1. Delays: Every other time I have taken the USMLE, results arrive in three weeks. Hence, last week Tuesday I was beyond nervous all afternoon and evening in anticipation of my arriving grade. I felt in my heart I had passed, but you just can never tell. I waited and my heart pounded. I awoke at 4am and started checking the computer. Every email message that would arrive in my inbox made me nervous - was it the one?! But around noon, well after results usually arrive in in-boxes, I realized there was to be no results. Another week of waiting and anticipation was the only result to be had.
2. Test Results: So, I waited another week, spending a lot of time working out and swimming in the pool to relax my mind and take it off of the test. My family and friends, God bless you all, did an amazing job keeping me distracted. But there was still no guarantee results would arrive today. The USMLE states not to bother them until it has been at least 6 weeks - they definitely under promise and over deliver, a good thing. However, if it were to arrive today, I was planning on flying to Atlanta for an interview and would not be able to retrieve the results early in the morning. Hence, God brought AA into the picture; I gave her my log-in information and this morning she checked and when I landed, my heart beating way too fast and my nerves a hot mess, there was the text: "Congratulations Doctor!!"
3. That brings us to my trying to get to Atlanta. I'm flying there for an interview with an airline and they are flying me "Non-Rev" - that means they aren't making revenue off of me and I fly stand-by. The flight from FAT to SLC, which was the one we were all worried about, went without a hitch. SLC, however, was a completely different story. Flight after flights that went to ATL was overbooked. From 830am until noon I watched flight after flight leave without me. Then, I was to be rebooked on a flight through Vegas that left SLC at 140pm. However, when I went to board that flight, there was some sort of problem with the ticket. Res Agents on the phone said they couldn't do anything to fix it because I was still listed as not having flown at all. Weird, I must have teleported from FAT to SLC. Res told me the Gate agent could handle the situation. Not true. The Gate agent said there was absolutely nothing she could do - I had been locked out of the system. Great. Stuck in SLC with a bunch of proselytizers and no way out! In the end, the AMAZING lady at the place I'm interviewing was able to intervene and get the ticket fixed. With 20 minutes before the 340pm flight to Vegas, we got my ticket fixed and I am in Vegas now, waiting for my 1130pm flight to ATL.
4. When in Vegas, rule number one is to live it up. So, I took a $6 shuttle from the airport to the Strip and walked up and down the strip. I'm exhausted quite frankly! I got to enjoy the views both in day time and night. I used $20 to gamble, which I promptly lost in about 30 minutes and that was it for the gambling. Besides, I was more interested in one thing: the Bellagio water fountains. I spent almost an hour and a half there. It was incredible. Relaxing and rejuvenating. I'm now back at the airport as I write this, using the amazing internet connection (and it's free!). FYI: on top of everything else, the Salt Lake City internet sucked!
5. Hope: Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in Hope, be Patient in Tribulation, be Constant in Prayer." One of the most challenging periods of my LIFE has just ended. I can't say I enjoyed it and I most certainly won't say I would consider doing it again. But, now that I have arrived at the end, it feels great. I feel accomplished. The hope that I had, but more importantly, that my family and friends had for me, that never diminished and certainly never extinguished, has been amazing and carried me through. God bless you all.
1. Delays: Every other time I have taken the USMLE, results arrive in three weeks. Hence, last week Tuesday I was beyond nervous all afternoon and evening in anticipation of my arriving grade. I felt in my heart I had passed, but you just can never tell. I waited and my heart pounded. I awoke at 4am and started checking the computer. Every email message that would arrive in my inbox made me nervous - was it the one?! But around noon, well after results usually arrive in in-boxes, I realized there was to be no results. Another week of waiting and anticipation was the only result to be had.
2. Test Results: So, I waited another week, spending a lot of time working out and swimming in the pool to relax my mind and take it off of the test. My family and friends, God bless you all, did an amazing job keeping me distracted. But there was still no guarantee results would arrive today. The USMLE states not to bother them until it has been at least 6 weeks - they definitely under promise and over deliver, a good thing. However, if it were to arrive today, I was planning on flying to Atlanta for an interview and would not be able to retrieve the results early in the morning. Hence, God brought AA into the picture; I gave her my log-in information and this morning she checked and when I landed, my heart beating way too fast and my nerves a hot mess, there was the text: "Congratulations Doctor!!"
3. That brings us to my trying to get to Atlanta. I'm flying there for an interview with an airline and they are flying me "Non-Rev" - that means they aren't making revenue off of me and I fly stand-by. The flight from FAT to SLC, which was the one we were all worried about, went without a hitch. SLC, however, was a completely different story. Flight after flights that went to ATL was overbooked. From 830am until noon I watched flight after flight leave without me. Then, I was to be rebooked on a flight through Vegas that left SLC at 140pm. However, when I went to board that flight, there was some sort of problem with the ticket. Res Agents on the phone said they couldn't do anything to fix it because I was still listed as not having flown at all. Weird, I must have teleported from FAT to SLC. Res told me the Gate agent could handle the situation. Not true. The Gate agent said there was absolutely nothing she could do - I had been locked out of the system. Great. Stuck in SLC with a bunch of proselytizers and no way out! In the end, the AMAZING lady at the place I'm interviewing was able to intervene and get the ticket fixed. With 20 minutes before the 340pm flight to Vegas, we got my ticket fixed and I am in Vegas now, waiting for my 1130pm flight to ATL.
4. When in Vegas, rule number one is to live it up. So, I took a $6 shuttle from the airport to the Strip and walked up and down the strip. I'm exhausted quite frankly! I got to enjoy the views both in day time and night. I used $20 to gamble, which I promptly lost in about 30 minutes and that was it for the gambling. Besides, I was more interested in one thing: the Bellagio water fountains. I spent almost an hour and a half there. It was incredible. Relaxing and rejuvenating. I'm now back at the airport as I write this, using the amazing internet connection (and it's free!). FYI: on top of everything else, the Salt Lake City internet sucked!
5. Hope: Romans 12:12 says "Rejoice in Hope, be Patient in Tribulation, be Constant in Prayer." One of the most challenging periods of my LIFE has just ended. I can't say I enjoyed it and I most certainly won't say I would consider doing it again. But, now that I have arrived at the end, it feels great. I feel accomplished. The hope that I had, but more importantly, that my family and friends had for me, that never diminished and certainly never extinguished, has been amazing and carried me through. God bless you all.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Elderly and Disabled Put At Risk by DUMB Government Ideas
California recently decided that one of the ways to cut its budget deficit is by slashing money to home health workers. These include nurses, health aides, meals on wheels deliveries, and other individuals that go to the homes of elderly and disabled citizens and provide them with care to ensure that they can continue living independently, in their own homes. When I first heard that California was going to reduce the wages and benefits to these home health workers, I found it to be an incredibly STUPID idea - another example of our government leaders acting EXTREMELY DUMB (something they have proven time and again that they are adept at!)
Why is this decision dumb? Because while it may cost $1500 a month to provide home health services to one person, it would cost the government nearly $6000 a month to cover the costs of a nursing home for this same individual! Some may argue we should cut that expense, too; if the elderly can't afford to pay for home health or nursing homes on their own, then they should just have to deal with it, some might say. I puke a little at the thought that people like this exist in our world. But I can show why that is an incredibly stupid argument as well. If we don't provide any care to these individuals, guess what - 911 is three numbers away and the hospital is a short, but expensive Ambulance ride away. The cost of the ambulance and even a short hospital stay can then skyrocket upwards of $50,000 for the individual - multiplied by the numerous times these folks will end up going to the hospital for falls, lack of nutrition, and other chronic diseases of the elderly. Someone on fixed Social Security benefits without savings is not going to be able to pay for these expenses and they will end up right back on the taxpayer.
There is an incredible New York Times Article on this topic that you can read and see further examples of why this is such a stupid idea. Just click on the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/us/21aging.html?pagewanted=1&hp
It is very sad to me that in our rich nation, we continue to see policies that cut the nose off to spite the face. We see this in other aspects of government ideas, such as education. Rather than spend the money upfront for quality early education and K-12 programs tied together with access to housing, healthcare, jobs, nutrition, etc, we instead run a threadbare operation...and ultimately end up spending MUCH more money on prisons down the road. It costs A HECKUVA LOT MORE MONEY to house a prisoner for a year than to provide excellent opportunities early in life!!
I am really beginning to question whether dumb people outnumber smart people in our society. And if so, why haven't we smart people done something about the dumb people? We have all come to feel so powerless to stop stupid policies that, in a way, we have just come to quietly acquiesce and accept them as inevitable.
Lord help us!
Why is this decision dumb? Because while it may cost $1500 a month to provide home health services to one person, it would cost the government nearly $6000 a month to cover the costs of a nursing home for this same individual! Some may argue we should cut that expense, too; if the elderly can't afford to pay for home health or nursing homes on their own, then they should just have to deal with it, some might say. I puke a little at the thought that people like this exist in our world. But I can show why that is an incredibly stupid argument as well. If we don't provide any care to these individuals, guess what - 911 is three numbers away and the hospital is a short, but expensive Ambulance ride away. The cost of the ambulance and even a short hospital stay can then skyrocket upwards of $50,000 for the individual - multiplied by the numerous times these folks will end up going to the hospital for falls, lack of nutrition, and other chronic diseases of the elderly. Someone on fixed Social Security benefits without savings is not going to be able to pay for these expenses and they will end up right back on the taxpayer.
There is an incredible New York Times Article on this topic that you can read and see further examples of why this is such a stupid idea. Just click on the link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/us/21aging.html?pagewanted=1&hp
It is very sad to me that in our rich nation, we continue to see policies that cut the nose off to spite the face. We see this in other aspects of government ideas, such as education. Rather than spend the money upfront for quality early education and K-12 programs tied together with access to housing, healthcare, jobs, nutrition, etc, we instead run a threadbare operation...and ultimately end up spending MUCH more money on prisons down the road. It costs A HECKUVA LOT MORE MONEY to house a prisoner for a year than to provide excellent opportunities early in life!!
I am really beginning to question whether dumb people outnumber smart people in our society. And if so, why haven't we smart people done something about the dumb people? We have all come to feel so powerless to stop stupid policies that, in a way, we have just come to quietly acquiesce and accept them as inevitable.
Lord help us!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Teaching for America
"Just passing through."
"A threat to public education."
"Just building their resumes before moving on with their lives."
There has been a lot of debate about Teach for America, lately. The NY Times covers Teach for America quite a bit, I'm guessing because the NYC corps of Teach for America members is the largest in the nation. But, in almost every article I read, there is a general pattern that is followed, almost exactly, every time.
It goes like this:
1. Teach for America is in the news for another amazing accomplishment, like TFA teachers raising test scores in their classrooms more than other traditional teachers.
2. An explanation of what TFA is - a corps of stellar recent college graduates who work in some of the most difficult classrooms in America. Invariably, these days, there is mention of how incredible it is, in this economy, that almost 20% of the top graduates at many Ivy League schools are applying to Teach for America instead of Deloitte and Touche.
3. Of course, "there are critics" who criticize Teach for America because, as I put some of the quotes at the top of my blog post here, we are just passing through. We are not committed to the cause of teaching. We are just rookies using these hard to staff schools as a social experiment. We are not possibly as great as a veteran teacher. We should be ashamed of ourselves for just using already poor and disadvantaged students just to build our own resumes.
4. The article will usually finish by summarizing the amazing accomplishment that they originally wrote the article about in the first place.
I have never been asked to contribute to these articles, but I figure I have a blog with a readership of 6 people who I can vent my frustration to about this topic. And for full disclosure, I was a Teach for America teacher from 2004-2006 in the Baltimore City Public School System.
Here's how my article would be written:
1. Teach for America teachers THROUGH OUT AMERICA, placed in some of the hardest to staff schools, are accomplishing amazing things with their students.
2. Teach for America is a corps of recent college graduates from schools THROUGH OUT AMERICA, with diversity of ethnicity, culture, personality and opinion not seen in the traditional teaching pool. Individuals come from amazing schools, including small liberal arts schools like Whittier College (my college - nope, it's not an Ivy League, but frankly, I too am frustrated that TFA is branding itself more as a bastion of the Ivy Leagues, instead of pushing the fact that the majority of its greatest teachers come from Colleges like mine. In fact, my first year teaching, one of my housemates was from Dartmouth - he couldn't hack it. Funny, the small liberal arts school kid - me - was awarded Rookie of the Year that year by my school.)
3. There are critics - insert the oft-repeated and tired quotes that I have above. But, let's add that the very schools that they criticize Teach for America for abusing are certainly NOT being inundated with the veteran teachers these nay-sayers demand to see in those classrooms. Additionally, not even the majority of traditionally trained teachers who dedicate their lives to the profession are interested in staying at these difficult schools for their whole career. But nobody who is criticizing Teach for America - usually Professors in Colleges of traditional Teacher Preparation - is offering a better solution that is also viable (and, most ironically, most of them wouldn't dare go teach in the schools Teach for America places at, either!) Either put your money where your mouth is, or shut up and move out of the way so that those of us who would rather do instead of just say can get stuff accomplished!
4. What other articles often fail to recognize or state is that Teach for America, at the heart of its mission, includes for the very fact that not every individual attracted to the program will stay in a classroom for over two years. Solving the problems of educational inequity - the so-called "achievement gap" - won't be accomplished if we only attack the problem within the field of education. What these big-mouthed, degree-laden education professors seem to be continuously missing is that we NEED people in our nation who worked in a school for a few years to get a better grasp of the problems faced by our students, so that they can then present plausible and solid solutions in whatever field they ultimately decide to dedicate their lives. Someone who has seen the challenge first hand can then make decisions in the arenas of housing, nutrition, healthcare, transportation, etc more effectively. THIS IS THE POINT!
5. My article wouldn't end with a summary of the amazing accomplishment - most people have pretty much figured out that Teach for America is a good thing. I would end, instead, with a plea. My favorite colleagues at the school I worked at in Baltimore, were my favorite because they were supportive, provided helpful hints and feedback through those challenging first months of teaching. They neither put me on a pedestal nor disdained me merely for the fact that I was a Teach for America member. They treated me like they would any other colleague - once I earned their trust and respect, we were a solid family. If we hope to raise our profession, we can't just sit idly and wish things stayed the way they were 20 or 30 years ago. We can't propose "solutions" that sound great but are not feasible, like super monetary incentives to get veteran teachers in these difficult classrooms - especially in this current economy! We must stop blaming and putting each other down. Rather, we should be the ones dictating the discourse for the future of education! We should not be allowing people who haven't ever been close to the front lines to be dictating teacher contracts and prescribing solutions. WE should be at the forefront of the positive changes necessary for our children. Ultimately, it must stop being about the adults and start being about creating amazing, life-changing, unforgettable educational experiences for the children we serve.
And the very last sentence in my article would challenge the biggest assertion by critics. I would include this quote from Donna Foote, author of "Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America". She writes, "there are much easier ways to burnish a resume than a two-year commitment to hard labor in some of the crummiest classrooms in America." Indeed.
"A threat to public education."
"Just building their resumes before moving on with their lives."
There has been a lot of debate about Teach for America, lately. The NY Times covers Teach for America quite a bit, I'm guessing because the NYC corps of Teach for America members is the largest in the nation. But, in almost every article I read, there is a general pattern that is followed, almost exactly, every time.
1. Teach for America is in the news for another amazing accomplishment, like TFA teachers raising test scores in their classrooms more than other traditional teachers.
2. An explanation of what TFA is - a corps of stellar recent college graduates who work in some of the most difficult classrooms in America. Invariably, these days, there is mention of how incredible it is, in this economy, that almost 20% of the top graduates at many Ivy League schools are applying to Teach for America instead of Deloitte and Touche.
3. Of course, "there are critics" who criticize Teach for America because, as I put some of the quotes at the top of my blog post here, we are just passing through. We are not committed to the cause of teaching. We are just rookies using these hard to staff schools as a social experiment. We are not possibly as great as a veteran teacher. We should be ashamed of ourselves for just using already poor and disadvantaged students just to build our own resumes.
4. The article will usually finish by summarizing the amazing accomplishment that they originally wrote the article about in the first place.
I have never been asked to contribute to these articles, but I figure I have a blog with a readership of 6 people who I can vent my frustration to about this topic. And for full disclosure, I was a Teach for America teacher from 2004-2006 in the Baltimore City Public School System.
Here's how my article would be written:
1. Teach for America teachers THROUGH OUT AMERICA, placed in some of the hardest to staff schools, are accomplishing amazing things with their students.
2. Teach for America is a corps of recent college graduates from schools THROUGH OUT AMERICA, with diversity of ethnicity, culture, personality and opinion not seen in the traditional teaching pool. Individuals come from amazing schools, including small liberal arts schools like Whittier College (my college - nope, it's not an Ivy League, but frankly, I too am frustrated that TFA is branding itself more as a bastion of the Ivy Leagues, instead of pushing the fact that the majority of its greatest teachers come from Colleges like mine. In fact, my first year teaching, one of my housemates was from Dartmouth - he couldn't hack it. Funny, the small liberal arts school kid - me - was awarded Rookie of the Year that year by my school.)
3. There are critics - insert the oft-repeated and tired quotes that I have above. But, let's add that the very schools that they criticize Teach for America for abusing are certainly NOT being inundated with the veteran teachers these nay-sayers demand to see in those classrooms. Additionally, not even the majority of traditionally trained teachers who dedicate their lives to the profession are interested in staying at these difficult schools for their whole career. But nobody who is criticizing Teach for America - usually Professors in Colleges of traditional Teacher Preparation - is offering a better solution that is also viable (and, most ironically, most of them wouldn't dare go teach in the schools Teach for America places at, either!) Either put your money where your mouth is, or shut up and move out of the way so that those of us who would rather do instead of just say can get stuff accomplished!
4. What other articles often fail to recognize or state is that Teach for America, at the heart of its mission, includes for the very fact that not every individual attracted to the program will stay in a classroom for over two years. Solving the problems of educational inequity - the so-called "achievement gap" - won't be accomplished if we only attack the problem within the field of education. What these big-mouthed, degree-laden education professors seem to be continuously missing is that we NEED people in our nation who worked in a school for a few years to get a better grasp of the problems faced by our students, so that they can then present plausible and solid solutions in whatever field they ultimately decide to dedicate their lives. Someone who has seen the challenge first hand can then make decisions in the arenas of housing, nutrition, healthcare, transportation, etc more effectively. THIS IS THE POINT!
5. My article wouldn't end with a summary of the amazing accomplishment - most people have pretty much figured out that Teach for America is a good thing. I would end, instead, with a plea. My favorite colleagues at the school I worked at in Baltimore, were my favorite because they were supportive, provided helpful hints and feedback through those challenging first months of teaching. They neither put me on a pedestal nor disdained me merely for the fact that I was a Teach for America member. They treated me like they would any other colleague - once I earned their trust and respect, we were a solid family. If we hope to raise our profession, we can't just sit idly and wish things stayed the way they were 20 or 30 years ago. We can't propose "solutions" that sound great but are not feasible, like super monetary incentives to get veteran teachers in these difficult classrooms - especially in this current economy! We must stop blaming and putting each other down. Rather, we should be the ones dictating the discourse for the future of education! We should not be allowing people who haven't ever been close to the front lines to be dictating teacher contracts and prescribing solutions. WE should be at the forefront of the positive changes necessary for our children. Ultimately, it must stop being about the adults and start being about creating amazing, life-changing, unforgettable educational experiences for the children we serve.
And the very last sentence in my article would challenge the biggest assertion by critics. I would include this quote from Donna Foote, author of "Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America". She writes, "there are much easier ways to burnish a resume than a two-year commitment to hard labor in some of the crummiest classrooms in America." Indeed.
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