Dying River

Dying River

She flows
Through mountains and deserts
Carving canyons over eons
40 million depend
To irrigate and drink
The great, sprawling cities
Denver, Las Vegas,
Salt Lake, Phoenix, Tuscan,
LA, and San Diego consume
This finite source
Based on archaic law
Written a century before
"Use it, or lose it"
The rights held dear
By the progeny
Of those first white settlers
Who forged the land
At the expense of those native.
Now sick and depleted
Her flow trickles
And ends before reaching the sea.

Democratic Socialism

People scare at the word socialism in any context. They immediately conjure images of the failed communist states, conflating the two different terms. Obviously, in education, in life, we need healthy competition but there are definitely things a government needs to help provide for a country's own best interests. A protected, well-educated, healthy, and generally happy population with the ability to move, access, and transport goods and services throughout the given area with a sustainable environmental impact (so our progeny can be part of that).  So strong defense (not offense), education, healthcare, environment protection, time for family, friends, and play, along with a viable infrastructure.  That may be the essence of democratic socialism.  A healthy democracy that provides a fair platform for competition of ideas, innovation, goods, and services.

Autumn on City Greenroofs

 Few are the days that a walk along the High Line is without crowds.  While people watching is part of the beauty, this misty day was sublime.

Atop the vast roof at the Morgan Distribution Post Office building, a look at NYC's largest building site to date, the Hudson Yards Project.  A 52 story building went this year and the foundations for a 90, two 70's, and a 60 plus story buildings are underway.  On this roof, the noise of construction is overshadowed by the sound of crickets, birds, and the wind passing through the grasses.

Tulum

No Trespassing!

 Before arriving at this trail the forest ranger joked that the owner of the adjacent property did not take kindly to people on his property.

Care for the Unborn

The anti-abortionists are out again trying to knock back that pesky law.  They want to protect the unborn.  In reading Naomi Klein's "This Changes Every Thing", I was struck by the extent that pollution largely disrupts species at their most vulnerable stage, within the egg, the womb, the larvae, the youngest stages of development.  It's obvious when pointed out but I am victim to the presence of a vivid photograph of a large animal soaked in oil or choked by plastic rather than the absence of countless adults a few years down the line because a leaked chemical killed the eggs of that same species in their breeding grounds.  This is increasingly true of people, populations that are subject to live near big pollution sites, their reproductive systems are measurably compromised.  If you really did want to protect far more unborn, say no to tar sands, fracking, mountaintop removal, and the criss-cross of pipelines, that regularly pollutes so many places and push lawmakers to entice alternatives.  We want our descendants to have an environment that is hospitable to the young. 

Public Education 101

There are six fundamental problems with public education which underlie everything else.  Teachers and students do not buy in to the mission of the Board of Education.  Far too many resources are spent on the latest fad in teacher techniques, then discarded just a few years later.  Students do not have any real consequences and nearly unlimited "second" chances.  Schools are disconnected from their communities and have no autonomy to make decisions.  There is too much emphasis on testing.  Our American society has less and less respect for and belief that education will get you ahead in life.

A key difficulty, at least here in NYC, is the fact that the teachers and students are well aware that education is not a top priority for the Board of Education.  Passing percentages are.  Testing is.  Student statistics are.  Honors programs are not.  Highly functional labs, shop programs, music and art programs are not.  These programs exist and prosper because of motivated students and exceptional teachers despite having to scrape for funding.  If teachers and students do not have buy in with the mission of the school (who are beholden to the superintendents), it doesn't matter how much you pay them (or in the case of the students, pretend with them) they are not going to put the extracurricular time without getting compensated monetarily.  There is this whole "Race to the Top" jargon which attaches a huge amount of money to on-time graduating percentages and testing, so where does this money get allocated?  Summer school, pm school, laboratory makeup times, and trying to track down the truents takes the majority of it.  Essentially the money is going to the bottom.  Again, extracurricular activities, shop programs, bands, honors programs, and sometimes even sports get whittled away.  Students know, they may not be able to articulate it, but they know they are a letter corresponding to number: a P or an F, an H, an ELL or an IEP.  Many play the game just to get out, while some, the highly motivated ones, utilize the best of their teachers and their own resourcefulness to move beyond the system.  Teachers are masters at venting about how ridiculous the education system is in the safety of the offices and lunchrooms, but are increasingly to timid to make a united stand.  They want to protect their jobs, their pensions, and their health care, yet this timidity makes it easier to chip away at all three.

In my 8 years working in New York City, there were regions, districts, and now networks.  There has been the workshop model, cooperative grouping, scaffolding, impact math, inventive spelling, student-centered learning, least restrictive environment.  Can we use that new lady's name for our lesson planning framework, or not?  For a time it was taboo to teach grammar or drill kid's times tables.  Sometimes you need an Aim, but that may change to an Objective.  Hold on, I.O. is better.  Should a lesson start with a question or a statement?  Always start with a Do Now, except when it should be an Entry Routine.  For a  little while you could not write on student work, so you needed to add Post-it.  It is alright to write on them now but you should attach a rubric that is on a 10 point scale.  No, wait, it is better to use the 4 point scale the students are used to, because that is their scoring for the middle school literacy and math exams.  We do not track students, but they are a 1, 2, 3 or 4 depending on the scores.  You can add a 5 to that if you feel it is exemplary work.  Exit slips.  Smart boards are out, Promethean boards are in.  Put up students' work in the class, but it doesn't have to be over 8 feet high.  Align the curriculum to the test, but don't teach to the test.  The only thing consistent is the constant reinvention of the proverbial wheel.

There are no consequences.  There really aren't any consequences!  The best way to learn that is to watch a new immigrant's two month progression in a middle school classroom.  At first they are wide-eyed, nervous, polite, respectful, and studious.  They drop all of those qualities after their honeymoon.  They realize anything goes.  Forget skipping a homework assignment.  They can curse a teacher out, fight in the hallway.  It is hard to be suspended and the "save room" is a free pass to hang out and get ideas from their more seasoned mischievous peers.  If things get really bad, just make something up about the teacher.  Teachers are considered guilty and need to prove their innocence.  No adult will bother them on the way home.  Too many parents are working multiple jobs and often live too far from the school to be able to really figure out what is going on.  Their neighbors often do not know each other and the children go to different schools all over the city.  Some students travel almost two hours on buses and trains to attend my high school!  Can a parent really take that many hours off of work to come check on their child?  If a student fails a class in high school, they can take it again in summer school.  If that doesn't work, pm school and evening school may do the trick.  Each gets less rigorous (Rigor is a big buzz word for teacher's lesson plans.) where just a student's mere presence is enough to pass in the evening.  All this said, most principals know the pulse of their school but their hands are tied in making real decisions.  

There are standardized exams for nearly every year.  In New York, students do have to pass a set of state exams in math, science, English, and history, and they can be very difficult in the wording of the questions and, in the case of science, the immense scope of material stuffed into the curriculum.  There is, thankfully, a nice little curve on the exams.  A student needs a sixty-five to pass but the score really translates to somewhere around a forty percentile depending on the year.  Sadly, this is still difficult for many students because they may have been passed along each year and do not have the basic scaffold of skills and vocabulary to be successful.  Yes, I have been asked by administrators in my previous school to move a child along.

America does not hold a high regard for education.  In the media, teachers are often considered second rate even though most have achieved a Master's degree.  Though some of those degree programs should definitely be questioned!  Our most famous and revered people are reality television stars often with very little talent, sports stars, and cable news blowhards.  Teachers are are often blamed for the multitude of influences on educational success of their students.  They are integral during the few hours a day they have charge of their students, but the students spend the vast majority of their time in and around their homes.  Socioeconomic factors play an enormous role.  Each student comes to school with "the things they carry" from their private lives--the beautiful moments and the horrific events.

Schools should be integrated into their community.  They should not only provide children the math and verbal skills, but the well-rounded multidimensional guidance that includes academics, music, art, sports, clubs for children and their parents.  Principals should be in charge of their schools and teachers should be in charge of their classes, with checks and balances.  Nurture students but be honest with them.  Use standardized testing as a periodic metric.  Value education.

28th Amendment

What should be 28th Amendment be?  This is a question that is being posed on NPR this week.  There were many submissions.  Here are a few I heard:

-Decriminalize all drugs
-Take away corporate personhood
-Give congress term limits
-Stop the revolving door for congress and K Street lobbyist
-Eliminate the gerrymandering of legislative districts
-All citizens have the right to vote
-Re-framing the 2nd amendment (right to bear arms) to the 21st century
-Only publicly funded elections
-Privacy rights regarding the internet
-All bills in congress can only have one topic stated in the title (no earmarks, etc.)

There were more, though I think the most potentially detrimental on a national scale are the issues of corporate personhood and, increasingly, internet privacy.

4 Bike Rules

Attention Biking Newbies:  This is a tribute to the new bike share.  Here are the basic 4 rules and guidelines to traverse the roads of NYC and Brooklyn.  Despite the despondent motorist claims that bikes are taking over the road, this just takes another fraction of the roads back to non-motorized vehicles and maybe slows life down while speeding up those last minute necessary short trips.  Bikes are always the shortest time.  The slowness I am looking for is the heightened, real time awareness of all the senses while temporarily disconnected and not enclosed in a glass/metal isolation box, whether be it office or car.  So, allow me this digression and maybe you will survive:

A.  Disconnect. Temporarily turn off, unplug the headphones from your ears so all of your senses are being used to be completely proactive.  While, in my opinion, biking is extremely enjoyable, it is by know means a joyride.  Consider it more a real-life game of Frogger.  There are multiple hazards.

B. Lock it.  They get stolen.  I have had two of them stolen.

C. Watch for Parked Car Doors Opening.  They open without warning.  Passenger doors are worse because they never look in the side view mirror.   It is a quick way to go over the handlebars. 

D. Stereotype cars.  Yes, I believe stereotypes are appropriate for cycling.  There is no time or ability to gaze in the eyes of a motorist to determine his or her level of awareness to the surroundings and bikes, though thankfully less and less, are not on the priority list.  This is my short list, but feel free to create your own, and I am listing them from most to least dangerous:

ALWAYS USE CAUTION
1. Minivans.  Either driven by moms with multiple children who are invariably distracted or by the religiously devout that can't, and therefore are unable to, acknowledge your existence even if they are themselves wonderful individuals.  They physically don't see you.  (Read more about brain chemistry and our uncanny ability to use filters, in this case cultural, to only recognize certain things even if they are in our visual spectrum.)  These cars almost always drive erratic.  Always give room and play them with caution.

2. Dollar vans.  They are aggressively looking to pick-up fares and their eyes are only focused on a pedestrian with a hand hailing down a cab.  They will pull over at moments' notice.  Use caution.

3.  Taxi drivers.  See above but if you notice they do have a fare they drive aggressively but are focused on the road.

4.  Sedans.  Are less entitled.  They know their place among other people so have more empathy for the welfare of others and possible consequences to their pockets.  They use blinkers and are deliberate with their directions.  Generally less likely to run the lights.  Play them as cautious but they may surprise you.

AGGRESSIVE DRIVERS
5. Large SUV drivers. They feel they own the road, don't give a fuck about a lowly biker, have multiple blind spots and are invariably aggressive.  Play them that way and they are predictable.  Oh, they never use turn signals.

6. High-End cars.  Again, they are highly entitled but can see more of their surroundings.  They also have enviably good sound proofing of road noise, compounded with state-of-the-art sound systems.  They are aggressive.  Play them that way.  Note with SUVs and luxury vehicles, they will run the red light if it "just" turned from yellow.

7. Accessorized Low-End Cars.  Aggressive.  You can often hear their mufflers.  Conversely to the previous entry, they are insulated from exterior noise by their own car sounds.


CAUTIOUS DRIVERS

8.  Economy and Hybrids.  Often too cautious because they are overly concerned either with the dent an accident could have on their wallets or the plight of our crumbling environment, respectively.  They are annoyingly deliberate with their signals; sometimes you can pass them in the process of turning.  Play as cautious and if you are approaching a changing light and they are as well, run the light.  You will be fine!

The Election

I am relieved by the election.  No surprise to anyone, I'm sure.  The rich will still be rich.  The biggest victory is that the possible Supreme Court nominees will be more in tune with equal rights for real, breathing (not corporate-entity) people.  Marriage equality, women's rights, the environment, and the ridiculous drug policies in this country all inched forward. My hope of all hopes, is that we address our infrastructure, energy research, and climate change needs to be prepared for the future.

The filibuster needs to be reformed so the gridlock in the Senate can get cleared.  Hopefully, individuals in Congress vote their conscience rather than just straight party affiliation.  Though with the every two year election cycle, and congress peoples' seemingly only interested in reelection is not very encouraging.  If in two years, your congressman only voted his party, vote him out for not represent the 40% or so that did not vote him/her in.  The GOP really should not double down on the obstruct Obama agenda, he is there, work with him.  Stopping government just slows things down.  Let his policy decisions including debates and, thus, compromises play out, then reevaluate at the end of his term.  If it doesn't create positive movement, we can change agenda with the next presidential election.  Bush/Cheney were allowed to run amok for eight years, it didn't work in disastrous ways (the economic depression, deficit, illicit wars). 



And to those watching Fox, or really ANY cable/radio talking heads, STOP.  You might realize there really is a lot of good going on in this country, in our communities as we slowly recover from the recession and wars.  You don't have to listen to NPR, just take a news break and enjoy your family and neighbors.

Morning Runs

Each morning in the dim light of predawn, my rental car windows fogged from the night's dew, I crept out of the placid, monotonous meander of this gated village of white-walled condominiums and sprawling lawns. With a little more gas, I headed straight down the avenue, over the inter-coastal water way, and parked next to the pier of Deerfield Beach in front of what was a Howard Johnson.  No shoes, no shirt, and my bathing suit. I trotted down to water's edge for my early morning run.  With low tide, the sand is hard, my foot steps showed a dig of my forefoot and the slight touch of my heal as I ran to the inlet and back. My tracks followed the undulating motion of the waves.  The sun rose on the horizon.

Sandy

92nd Street on the Rockaways.  One street, three blocks wide from ocean to bay. Every house was flooded with at least 6-plus feet of water.  The whole of people's soggy belongings piling up on the street.  50 foot parts of the boardwalk are strewn about 2 blocks from the ocean. A foot of sand covering the street.  Cars rendered useless.  To think that that is only one street and each street for miles going east along Long Island, Belle Harbor and Breezy to the west, and then miles south along the Jersey Shore are as devastated.  Some were fortunate, many more are much worse off.  Spirits are still high in this neighborhood.  Manpower is what they need.  If one has gas in their vehicle, fill it up with friends, gloves, shovels, and some garbage bags and get out there. That's how it will get done. 

Neighborhoods, volunteers, and government are indispensable.  Neighborhoods and volunteers band together to clean out, cope, comfort, protect, and move beyond the disaster.  The National Guard, Red Cross, FEMA, power companies, and, of course, the Department of Sanitation are there.  They are essential in rebuilding the infrastructure that we so depend on.  We see first hand what happens when no electricity stops the gas pumps from distributing gas.  Patience, accountability, and understanding are absolutely necessary for the rebuild.

  

Running Races

Just a few years ago, and I mean about four or five, running races here in NYC was an easy last minute event.  I could peruse the internet, find a race, show up, pay some money, and run.  Races in Central Park with the New York Roadrunners Club were always crowded, which does make racing worthwhile and give a feeling of being part of something.  There was usually an eclectic group of people including slim elite athletes running like a group of gazelles in the front and a big cadre of rounded individuals getting themselves back into some kind of shape.  People generally wore the basic running shoes, jogging shorts and some cotton t-shirt from the bottom of their workout drawer.  Being Manhattan, there definitely was a group that had the newest running thing.

It's changed.  I can't run in races anymore.  For one, I would have to know the race schedule and my schedule more than a few days in advance.  Secondly, I would have to regularly check on the website for the registration openings, wait the week or two from when I noted the schedule, remember, and sign-up within the few hours that the race remains open.  They fill up quickly.  I don't want my weekends scheduled too far in advance.  What if some unforeseen road trip, family visit, swell, random visiting friend arrives, or an Bear Mountain bike ride comes up?  Last winter we booked a place in Puerto Rico the day before we left.  This is not Danielle's ideal scenario, but she relinquishes her much better sense of scheduling while traveling.  That is when I am on my game.  Plus, when I do schedule a race, seemingly everyone just bought a new running outfit at Jack Rabbit Sports.

Avalon, NJ

Just steps from the beach for an entire week.

 Playing through the eyes of a little boy.

Family.  If all mundane worries are, however briefly, left at home, it can always be and was a perfect week.

Chalk One Up for Big Business

Chalk one up to propaganda!  Union workers voted for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker in Tuesday's recall election.  The only conceivable reason someone would vote directly against their own interests is the result of misinformation.  I know full well that one can be frustrated with their union for its miss-steps and sometimes questionable practices, but taking away collective-bargaining will only hurt all working class people in the long run.  Our entry into the middle class income bracket is a result of the long fought battle for worker rights, fair wages, affordable health insurance, and livable pensions.  This happened through the collective action of groups that could stand toe-to-toe with their bosses.  Ignorance in a population is a beautiful thing to preserve to keep the money flowing up.

10 Years (now 11!)

It has been my hope from then until now, that we as a society begin to live, not out of fear and revenge, but with compassion, knowledge, and empathy of the other in our evermore interconnected world.  Whether we think in terms of world, country, community, or family, we need to reflect on how our actions affect others and how others actions affect us.

This has not happened, and therefore, ten years later, we are involved in four wars (two official) and are deep in a financial crisis.  The environment continues to be destroyed for our short term benefit.  We seek the shelter of religion, yet conveniently forget that compassion and forgiveness are key tenants of all the world's religions.  More people are living in fear and seeking revenge, thus fundamentalism is growing throughout the world.  Military and humanitarian efforts are odds with each other, but need not be.  The differences are stark and both efforts are mired in financial and political obligations, unmovable religious tension, resource degradation and exploitation, and the monstrous imbalance of access to money.

Take heart.  There is some beauty in movements and awareness.  There are more individuals and groups feeling empowered to question, to write, to speak, to demonstrate, and to occupy their space.  The organic, biodynamic farming, farmers markets, community-supported agriculture, and fair trade movements are pushing against big agriculture.  More countries are embracing renewable energy through innovation and incentives.  Builders are encouraged to reach goals of reduced consumption through third party certification programs.  Bike lanes are replacing car lanes in some cities.  High speed rail infrastructure is being built in many western and eastern countries.  Some big movies stars are using their fame to inform people of atrocities in far corners of the world.  A huge trove of secret information was released via the internet shedding light on indecencies perpetrated by governments throughout the world.  The World Social Forum is a counter to the World Economic Forum.  A few countries rejected structural adjustment programs pushed by the IMF.  The Arab Spring overthrew various long reigning dictators, inspiring an Occupy Movement.  Whether it's food, education, media, energy, religion, environment, human rights, conflict resolution, or whatever makes your heart beat faster and keeps you up at night pondering, we each can make a difference.

Speaking of Dreams

I had my recurring nightmare last night.  I am teaching in a completely different and destroyed classroom with every pain-in-the-butt, disruptive, academically complacent (lazy), and disrespectful student that I have had in my seven plus year tenure in Brooklyn public schools.  Most, if not all, are from my middle school teaching years; the same place that my wife still works!  My supervisor moved my classroom moments before the class began.  I now have no materials, seating plan, chalk/board markers, and, of course, not enough seat for every child.  Everyone is just coming back from lunch recess.  They are sweaty and highly energized because there was some sort of fight in the hallway.  Moments after the period starts a parade of supervisors, advisors of those supervisors, and kiss-ass teachers parades into my room to observe my lesson.  I am in a complete fog.  I can't think or see straight.  I am stumbling.  There are children throwing paper balls in the back of the classroom.  In another corner, a fight starts and, as I attempt to break-up the fight, others light up cigarettes.  Each moment I look up at the clock and time is standing still.  I can't leave until the bell rings.  Some kids just storm out, the observers are furiously writing in their logs, scowling above the rims of their glasses, whispering to each other.  Time stands still,  and I can't wake up.

This is a reoccurring dream.  In my second month of teaching, seven years ago, everything but the cigarette smoking happened.  Why I stayed, I have no idea!

PR

 Early morning runs, beach, nap, and sunsets off the balcony of a great last minute place we found in Rincon, Puerto Rico.

The NY Post

This tabloid rag is bundled and dropped at the doorstep of every school in New York City.  So generous of the company to give a "free" copy for each classroom.  The paper is full of concise and catchy headings that playfully distorts the English language, chopping words and phrases into understandable jargon that any person of a 2nd grade English language education can understand.  This clearly portrays the standard of education they really want our students to achieve.  They are always considerate enough to have a near naked woman on a full page spread just a few pages deep despite the fact that a teacher showing the same alluring picture to his/her students would result in disciplinary action.  Holding true to their conservative ideals, the writers are directed to sparingly use accurate descriptions, thought provoking and balanced commentary, or any real depth in a topic, so that none of the content can be used as a learning tool in the classroom.  And, despite the fact that 100% of adults employed in each school dedicates their working lives toward the education of the city's unimaginably diverse 1.2 million students, the Post is sure to rail against the pensions they work 30 years to receive, the middle class wages they earn, and the dwindling (but still coveted) health care coverage that so many families depend upon.  Thanks for whole heartedly supporting the political and corporate cynicism toward any public sector job and doing your part in ensuring the vast difficulties and hurdles in educating our youth are just a tad bit more difficult each day!

Fire them all!

There is no doubt the education system is in need of a profound change.  It was designed for the industrial age with bells along an assembly line (1st grade - stamp, 2nd grade- stamp).  Though it is ridiculous to blame one stakeholder in the system, but politically this is so much easier.  Obviously, parents are a huge voting block (can't go there) and administrators (now without tenure) are the "yes men" of the system happily delivering the latest fad in education, like inventive spelling.  That worked great for everyone!  My third week of public school teaching, a teacher across the hall stated that in this country education is a right, but rather should be a right and a PRIVILEGE.  This keeps parents on the hook, kids on the hook, and teachers/schools can spend much less time and money on remediation, toothless discipline, and dumbed down testing to push passing percentages.  The concept of classroom may change in this age, but no change matters if families don't need to uphold their right to what has been a wonderful opportunity for tens of millions of citizens - tax dollars used to help educate our children.