She is an eloquent speaker, an expressive author. Elizabeth Edwards is effervescent, effusive, and has an excellent mind. She understands profound policy issues as easily as she prepares a sandwich. Her memoir appeared on The New York Times bestseller list. Few think of Elizabeth Edwards as every woman. Other daughters of Eve might say Edwards is exceptional; surely, she is not as I am. Yet, life experiences might have taught Elizabeth Edwards otherwise. Just as other ladies, she is brilliant, beautiful, and not nearly equal to a man.
It is said, as individuals, we can achieve all we conceive, if only we truly believe. President Barack Obama once knew this. He lived this veracity. Indeed, candidate Obama's audacity and accomplishments gave Americans hope. When Barack Obama reached for the sky he realized what no one thought he could. The electorate was energized. People came to expect the country was in for a change. Now, it seems Mister Obama is bogged down by what Eisenhower understood, concerns of the Military Industrial Complex.
The intricacy of the Armed Forces mission does not confine itself to forceful martial escalation. Nothing escapes the wide reach of combative nation building. Lives are lost. Limbs crushed. With bullets ablaze, brains are battered or blown to smithereens. Hope suffers. Hearts are hurt. The economy is also affected.
I love you Ted Kennedy. I have for a very long time. Please let me count the ways.
I have forever thought Senator Edward Moore Kennedy was the more effective, endearing, enduring, committed, and constant Kennedy. Perhaps it is my age, or the lackluster logic of hindsight. Possibly, I was too new to politics when I was very young. After all, my interest was only ignited at the age of five. Maybe, I might relate more to someone whose birth rank is more similar to my own, or to a person who, like me, throughout his life was thought to be more Liberal than the two older siblings he is often associated with. I know not with certainty why I feel as strongly as I do. Nonetheless, my impression of John Fitzgerald Kennedy and Robert Francis Kennedy cannot be compared with my sense of Ted, Edward Moore Kennedy. Oh, how I admired, appreciated, and adored Teddy Kennedy, and will for all of my days. The reasons . . .
The mail arrived. It was from MoveOn.org. Overwhelmed with work, I thought to delete it. I noticed the surname of the sender was the same as a friend of mine. Only that [cosmic] coincidence led me to open the message and peruse. I read Daniel Mintz's words with interest, for he spoke of what I miss in the news. Mister Mintz did not focus on the folly of a few executives at American International Group, Incorporated (AIG). The representative from MoveOn offered what is more real to me, an average American.
As we've seen with AIG this week, the powerful don't give up their special treatment without a fight. They're spending millions on lobbyists to quietly kill the provisions that would make them help pay for America's priorities. 1 And despite all the posturing in Congress over AIG's bonuses, too many senators are still listening to the banking and insurance lobbyists on the issues that aren't in the headlines.
So we need to speak louder than the lobbyists . . .
Today's Washington Post calls it "a populist budget" 2 because it cuts taxes for most Americans while ending unfair tax advantages for the richest among us. The best part is that it takes all the money we'll save and invests it in critical national priorities that will help build and strengthen the middle class.
Obama's budget gives tax breaks to working families instead of CEOs. And it closes the tax loopholes for special interests that cost us billions, like:
The loophole that lets companies take tax breaks for sending jobs overseas. This will save us more than $200 billion over the next decade. 3
The loophole that lets hedge fund managers pay a 15% tax rate on their income, instead of regular income tax like the rest of us. That will save us more than $20 billion. 4
The loophole for big oil companies that gives them huge tax breaks even when they're posting record profits, saving us more than $30 billion over the next decade. 5
The loophole that gives the richest Americans bigger tax breaks for their deductions. Right now, a teacher who contributes $1,000 to the Red Cross gets a $150 tax break. A Wall Street executive making the same contribution gets a $350 tax break. 6
Quality references were offered for each claim. Research for me is more real than rhetoric. Almost as an automaton might, as I read, I reached for the telephone. I smiled at the thought that I might respond as directed. I called my Senator in Washington, District of Columbia.
Wherever Americans turn, they are asked the same question; what issue is most important to you. If you could, what would you tell the President of the United States to do? What do you think must be his priority, or the country's greatest concern. Television commentators turn microphones on citizens. Radio announcers inquire; what does the audience think. Newspapers poll. Organizations count survey ballots. Legislators look for constituent answers in electronic mailboxes. Each attempts to usher in a new era. They want the common people to help shape the discussion.
Wherever we are, whom ever we might be, there is much to learn. The being that sits, stands, walks, or talks, the one right beside us, may be the source of wisdom, and the wonder we never knew to wait for.
Too often, we run hither and yon. We make assumptions and believe these to be true. Many of us see enemies around every corner. Our allies, we presume, will look much like us. In truth, there is no veracity to what we have come to accept as factual. Our existence is malleable.
We are taught. We lean. We have faith in what we think we see. We believe that those we love tell us the truth. Humans swear by their rationalizations, and intellectual justifications. We are certain of our feelings. Mankind thinks instinctively, he or she knows what is correct. Yet, if we dare to imagine, then, we will discover that what we can conceive, and believe, even if others think it is not possible, we will achieve.
I believe it is a wonderful world where babies of any race, religion, color, creed, or breed can live in peace.
Please share what you believed, and what you have come to recognize is more real than you originally thought possible.
Millions in America were focused on the future. Billions, worldwide, anxiously awaited change. On January 20, 2009, the Presidential Inauguration was broadcast hither and yon. Barely a television, radio, computer monitor, or big screen was turned off. Most all tuned in to see Barack Obama take the Oath of Office. Nary a one were as moved as they were on that occasion.
Even several Republicans said they were excited. For countless, it seemed a light was turned on. Finally, the American people, our allies, and those who are often characterized as adversaries, had hope. We, collectively, believe it was possible to walk through the din that had been our doom and envision an Earth united.
The world was wowed with thoughts of what would be, as were many Constitutional scholars, concerned citizens, and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse. Yet, there remained a persistent thought; our potential would not be fully realized. Several understood, as Senator Whitehouse so solemnly expressed in a speech presented on the Senate floor, a day after the festivities, As We Look Forward We Must Also Look Back. Few had an opportunity to see or hear an oration that was perhaps as honest and historic as the Presidents.
One might inquire; does art imitate life or life imitate art. Beverly Naidus, Artist, Activist, Educator, and Writer, the author of her third book Arts For Change reflects on this thesis. Might we muse of what was, is, will be, and how each has been transformed.
The Persian Gulf was ablaze. George Bush was in the Oval Office. Talk of a war was everywhere. Americans were told the conflict would be over quickly. However, there may be, as there was, collateral damage. Civilians died. Soldiers did too. Throughout the nation, people spoke of how we must "Support Our Troops." The President assured us, there was no reason to worry. The mission would be accomplished. "We will not fail," the Commander-In-Chief clamored. If we were to remain safe in the United States, "massive air and missile attacks on targets in Iraq" would be necessary.
I have a dream. I dream of a day when Americans will separate themselves from a difficult past. I dream of a time when partisan politics will not divide us. In my dream, I see a nation united; one in which Black children, white, Brown, yellow, and red offspring, people of any race, color, or creed will rise above their own imagined limits. It is more than my hope, it is my vision that together, we as a nation can give birth to what others think unbelievable. I have faith that my fellow man and I can give birth to what was not thought possible.
We can restore what was once good, and build what will be better. Old habits need not challenge us. These can be the catalyst for deep and authentic change. We need only begin.
As educators, parents, and persons who were once young and now thought to be elders, wiser, and more wondrous, we might relate to a tale the author of Blink and The Tipping Point tells. As a teenager, raised in rural Ontario, Malcolm Gladwell was set apart from the more mundane students. One might assume from his appearance, or more aptly, from his infinite inquisitiveness, as a lad, he must have been bright. Persons who hear the author speak, or read his prose, trust a littler Malcolm must have been a prodigy, surely a genius. Certainly, if as a child, he was sent to special training camps, and he was, it must have been because the young Gladwell was being groomed for greatness.
We have been on message that the goal is to work for the students. For the K-12ers, this is a matter of kids and their families. We take this stance very seriously. We may even jump on people if they even slightly blow us off. And it's because we actually know children and families who contribute to our society by their being in our classrooms. So, why shouldn't we be a little pissed off when others seemingly don't care about such or forget about such. I'm right there with you.
And in spite of my first paragraph, I don't want to do it. I need to light my fire.
Sometimes when I can't light my own fire, I can turn to the words of Elliot Judd, the 2006 TESOL president, who gave a plenary address in Tampa that spring on whether TESOL is a job or a profession. He reminds us that in order to be there for our students, we do need to attend to our professionalism. The plight of our students and our professionalism are tethered. Without our attention to professionalism, we cannot attend to the students in the ways we prioritize.
Elliot's plenary was for the profession of TESOL, but I think his words apply to foreign language education in general. Hence, where you see "TESOL," you might insert your own "foreign language education" alphabetization.
Elliot didn't publish his speech, but Mark Algren--the TESOL president next year--took these notes. Together we've edited them. Be sure, though, that in the paraphrasing, we give full credit to Elliot for these thoughts. I turn to them often:
***
Elliot Judd, Associate Professor. University of Illinois at Chicago Elliot says:
The call! I get a weekly call from someone who wants to get into teaching ESL with no training or experience: "Can you give me a short article about TESOL? I just got a job and need to know what to do. Give me a 10 page article and then I can go out and practice."
Whatever you can do or dream, you can begin it.
Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.
Begin it now." ~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), [German Poet and Dramatist]
One person with a belief is equal to a force of ninety- nine who have only interest. ~ John Stuart Mill [Philosopher]
We are born with an innate wisdom. Each step we take helps us to grow wiser, or more full of woe. The information we acquire often gives birth to anguish. Too much elucidation is never enough. As an infant, we yearn to learn. Babies gaze, grasp, and get what they desire. No harm comes to one who cannot move beyond, thus, thrives, in a protected environment. Those fresh from the delivery room do not harbor expectations. Few are placed upon them. Existence, for the newborn, is a game of anticipation. There are no rules, no regulations, and initially no reprimands. The littlest children believe and thus, they achieve.
Without a good education, children are left behind. Americans understand this. Yet, most do not acknowledge, in the United States, very few young persons receive quality instruction. American children do not learn to think critically, creatively, or comprehensively in comparison to those in other countries. Even students enrolled in excellent schools do not excel as children elsewhere do. Internationally, the information published in a 2002, United Nations Children's Fund, [UNICEF] study exposed a frightening truth; America pupils and schools receive poor grades when student performance and instruction are assessed. Today, the American education system remains at risk. As a recent report reinforces, today as we observe our offspring, we must consider the necessity of change. It is time to make Tough Choices (in these) Tough Times. This nation, left behind, must commit to teach our children well.
The exceedingly successful Tennessee businessman may have shrieked with excitement when he realized all along he likely knew what would work well in American schools. "More is best." "Too much is never enough." For an Entrepreneur these adages are thought accurate. Bob Compton, founder and head of several technology and medical firms, a man with a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard knows how to tackle a problem and achieve results.
On Thursday, SB 286 passed with little opposition in the Florida Senate. Legislators who voted for the bill either don't understand the English language and literacy learning needs of the .25 million English language learners (ELLs) in Florida schools, or they simply don't care. In either case, if this bill passes in the House of Representatives and becomes law, it will result in our failure to prepare Florida teachers to meet ELLs' very real needs to learn to read in English and to succeed in school. Whether SB 286 has been motivated and propelled by ignorance or by negligence, it represents a giant step backwards for our students.
The fact is that Florida teachers of reading to ELLs need more ELL-specific professional development than some apparently think. I use the case of "Holly" to illustrate. Soon after SB 286 was introduced in the Senate, a reading teacher named Holly wrote in to one of Florida's major newspapers to assert that, based on her experience, teachers do not need special preparation to teach reading to ELLs. Holly stated that she had not pursued the ESOL professional development required by the state because, she explained, "If I had wanted to become an ESOL teacher, I would have done so."
Indeed, Holly claimed that she was "proud to be a reading teacher." Holly went on to report that last year she had been assigned to teach reading to two classes of Haitian students. In spite of the fact that these recent arrivals spoke "almost no English," Holly noted emphatically that she "was NOT teaching these students English. We focused on phonics."
For most of my life I have been a dreamer. As a child I sat many a fine hour on a creek bank with a cork floating on the water (often with no bait on the hook) and dreamed of other times and other places. In those years science fiction was a staple of reading. Television was young and barely available. Entertainment was found by one's self or not found at all for the most part.
In years past I dreamed of a better life for myself and my family. In those days the dream was more about myself than for other people. As life has continued in time the dream has come to encompass the people around me and now extends to the nation and around the entire globe. Today I dream of a world in which peace, justice, and prosperity are the rule of the day.
Each moment we live never was before and will never be again.
And yet what we teach children in school is 2 + 2 = 4 and Paris is the capital of France.
What we should be teaching them is what they are.
We should be saying: "Do you know what you are?
You are a marvel.
You are unique.
In all the world, there is no other child exactly like you.
In the millions of years that have passed, there has never been another child exactly like you.
You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven.
You have the capacity for anything.
Yes, you are a marvel." ~ Pablo Casals [Cello player, Conductor 1876 - 1973]
School shootings are in the news. Throughout America, adults express concern. Are the children safe when in a classroom. Repeated rounds of ammunition affirm, they are not. Some say times have changed. There seems to be a consensus; we must secure our campuses, Solutions are standard. Society must protect the young. Few think it possible to prevent another occurrence or attack. Let us examine the whole situation, the whole of our children. Perchance, the problem is not as it appears.
It's never been my interest to run a race-based campaign. My message has always been that I want everyone included in a broad coalition to bring about change.
I want to spend more time talking about solving the problems that people are feeling right now. ~ Barack Obama [United States Senator and Presidential Aspirant. January 27, 2008]
In any Presidential election year, we hear of the race. Yet, discussions of "race" are void, or are since a truce was tendered. Americas would like to think of themselves as colorblind. We are not. Citizens of this country embrace "colormuteness, a term coined by Mica Pollock, Associate Professor of Education at Harvard University. What Professor Pollock observes in classrooms and in the hallways of schools throughout the nation occurs each day on the campaign trail. Children who wish to achieve excellence in the classroom are restricted by conventions they learned at an early age in our nation's communities.
Eva was young, full of life, eager to learn. She was enthusiastic. These traits were attractive to all the youthful men in her High School class. Many courted the vibrant lass. Eric won her attention. Each was looking for love. Throughout their lives, these adolescents felt less than connected to their respective families. School was a social forum, a place where it was possible to relate to peers, if not the curriculum. Perhaps, that is why, at such a tender age Eric and Eva mistakenly thought lust, the chemical energy experienced during their every exchange, was deeper than a mere physical desire. The two embraced and baby made three.
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