Hi Folks:
Been off the List all weekend, just checking back in. A few
quick responses to various posts:
RE: My wife-beating analogy. Just to be clear....I used
this as an ANALOGY, never as a personal accusation. And I apply NOT
to all males nor all critics of the public schools.
Instead, I apply it to a certain kind of critic who engages
in this relentless demonization of the schools. Which has been going
on for over 20 years now and seems to be part of a larger,
conservative political strategy to privatize public education.
(I know. I know. Privatizing public schools sounds extreme.
But darlings, these are the same folks who also want to privatize
Social Security.)
These critics vehemently denounce teachers and hold them
responsible for factors totally outside their control; tell them do
more with less money, put their heads down and work harder or be
fired or docked in pay, if they not "accountable."
These kind of attackers tend to be men (but they certainly
don't have to be.) The people they attack-- -teachers and
administrators--are overwhelmingly those uppity, educated women with
college degrees.
And unfortunately, Minneapolis teachers and administrators
tend to respond to this kind of abuse like.....well, like a dang
bunch of good girls!!!! They just feel bad, put their heads down, try
harder and don't respond.
I've watched this dynamic for years and it's like watching a
sick relationship. I wish the schools and teachers would stand up
for themselves and come out swinging. And I've sometimes wondered if
we'd be having this same kind of dynamic going on if teaching was an
overwhelmingly male profession.
I don't know. I just watch this stuff and wonder. But to
undermine my own argument, I've sometimes watched an equally
reactive, almost mindless dynamic going when cops are being
relentlessly bashed--and that's an overwhelmingly male profession.
Now that I've sufficiently muddied my own waters, I should
probably just fuggedabbadit.
RE: Strib endorsements for School Board: I didn't recognize
two names: Justin Bacon, 22 year old print worker and Charlene
McArdory, 43, state mediator. Does anyone on the List know anything
more about these two? I've never heard of either one, which doesn't
mean anything since there's tons I haven't heard of.
RE: having to fight like a lion for your kids in public
schools, especially if they have learning disabilities. It's true.
You do. Of course, parents also have to fight like a lion for kids
with learning disabilities at private schools too. And if their kid
has a serious learning disability, private schools often say, hey,
we're sorry, but we can't deal with all this ADHD stuff. Good-bye.
Because private schools get to pick and choose. At my kids' public
schools, we regularly get studenets with learning disabilities
transferring in from private school. Because the private schools have
decided these kids are no long worth the hassle.
There are private schools that specialize in learning
disabilities--like Groves Academy, which gets wonderful reviews. And
they take kids from all over the metro area. For a big tuition fee.
RE: Jim Graham says the schools should try to follow what the
U.S. military is doing. And I have to say, I have a lot of respect
for the U.S. military--they've gotten results in racial and gender
integration, education and promotions where many of our other
institutions have failed. The military also gets to kick out their
malcontents, use harsh discipline and exercise total 24/7 control
over their recruits' lives---none of which the schools or other
institutions are allowed to do.
I graduated from a very conservative college where ROTC was
required for all freshmen boys. (but optional for girls.) Because
ROTC was so big on my campus, I actually have a fair number of
friends--both men and women--- in the military.
So here's something hopeful to pass on to my fellow liberals:
some of the most progressive people I meet at my college reunions are
the career army officers. Who have spent their whole careers working
with the widest cross-section of people--all races, religions,
classes, genders. And who truly, truly, truly hate war.
So I second Jim Graham's praise of the army. Isn't life on
this List wonderful and unpredictable?
Lynnell Mickelsen
Ward 13, Linden Hills
A Die-Hard Lefty who plans to go to New York this year and
visit her old college pal, Annie--Colonel Horner to the rest of
you--who is a commander at West Point Academy.
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