These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

WHAT??????

I do not believe what that (other) one just said!!! He suggested that our school systems would be better if we put (unqualified?) people ("Troops to Classrooms") in the classroom to teach without "exams or certification that are required in some states."

WTF???????????????

Is the next suggestion to be to allow those same children to be treated for medical needs by "Troops to Operating Rooms" without "exams or certifications"?????????

No disrespect toward our returning troops, but this is ridiculous!!!

I don't have children in school anymore. But I have grandchildren in schools and great-grandchildren who will soon be there, and I have a lot .... A LOT .... of difficulty accepting uncertified or untested teachers as the future of our school systems!! Those of you with young children better have a heads up, a snapped heads up, about that other one. He's freakin' scary with some of his ideas!!

Damn.

~~~~

UPDATE on Thurday morning: the program is called "Troops To Teachers." I've done a little research this morning. It has been around for a while. Here are two bits of interest:

At http://www.nvti.cudenver.edu/resources/VETSNET/vol14no2/TroopsToTeachers.htm
Troops to Teachers has been helping military personnel, primarily retirees, to begin new careers in public education since 1994. Troops to Teachers began as a Department of Defense program to help career military personnel transition to another public service profession during the major drawdown of the active duty military forces in the mid-1990’s. Legislation authorizing the original program expired at the end of 1999. Fortunately, members of Congress recognized that Troops to Teachers was bringing quality teachers to public school classrooms and there was a need to maintain the program. With the support of Congressman Thomas Petri of Wisconsin, Senators McCain of Arizona and DeWine of Ohio, along with others, legislation was introduced in 2000 to continue Troops to Teachers as a teacher recruitment program under the Department of Education. Troops to Teachers is now part of No Child Left Behind Act’s Transition to Teaching effort to attract mid-career and retiring professionals into public education as teachers. This is a cooperative program funded by the U.S. Department of Education and managed by the U.S. Department of Defense, through the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), headquartered in Pensacola, FL.

At: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50513
To qualify for the program, candidates need a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification that the Troops to Teachers program can help finance....


Two things of concern that remain to me: (1) It is tied to "No Child Left Behind," which is known to be a failure on many levels. (2) The Prez Wanna Be apparently wants to eliminate the exams and certification!!! Again, do you want your children taught by unproven, uncertified people????

10 comments:

  1. Lyn to be truthfull I turned it off. I couldnt stand anymore of his negative comments. He is feel sorry for me and not what a president should be made of.My neighbors gave me a 18 page story on him it was scary. I wish I could share it somehow but I gave it back he is a hothead.

    ReplyDelete
  2. And that would be the day I pull my child(ren) from the public school system and home school.

    ReplyDelete
  3. he's got dementia.
    he also thinks palin's child is autistic.
    the man is so spread thin, it's almost heartbreaking.
    he knows not what he says, or means, or thinks anymore.
    kind of reminds me of reagan when he was in the iran-contra hearings and didn't know what the f**k was going on.
    but they just keep plugging along. bless their little out-of-touch hearts.
    i seriously think this man is going to die november 5th. it's just too much for him.

    ReplyDelete
  4. OMG- I about flip my lid when I hear him talk. I have already started to plan my escape route should he somehow end up leading this country.

    I also couldn't believe that he alluded twice to Palin knowing about autism--you know, since she has a son with DS . . .

    GGGGRRRRR

    ReplyDelete
  5. I don't have a problem with too much that he says (Palin is the one that gets me all insane), but when he said that I did the same thing. I said, "WHAT? Let's make them into teachers just because they've served in the military?" I hope he means soldiers with education degrees or something. That made no sense whatsoever!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oy. Out of touch much, McCain? Ugh.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You struck a nerve with this one.
    My children have experienced firsthand the problems that occur when someone who is unqualified and uninterested is left to teach children. (you know what I mean Auntie) No matter what the system--public, private, or home--the people doing the teaching need to know what the h*** they are doing. The laws in some states are so liberal that the people doing the teaching cannot be held accountable. If my son's teacher isn't doing a good job, there isn't much I can do. If my ex isn't doing a good job of home-schooling the other children, it almost takes an act of congress to do anything about it.
    I remember the furor in TX a few decades ago when the legislators dared to mandate testing all the teachers to make sure they were qualified to teach.
    I believe that each parent is responsible for his/her child's education. It is terrifying when you have no real say on what goes on.
    I'll get off my soapbox, except to say that I don't think either prez candidate knows what to do about education. Lowering the standards for teachers is definitely not the way to go, though. -s3-

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hmmm. I wrote a reply to several of these earlier, but I guess in my excitement, I forgot to publish it. Sigh. I'll try to reconstruct.

    Red, I understand that. I've done that, too, but I have to tell you that you need to watch and listen for yourself. I used to say, I'll listen for the "summary" of all the reporters, cause they talk it to death, anyway. But .... Not one of the reporters or analysts last night mentioned that issue!

    Casey, I would do the same.

    Cameo, I don't get why people don't see that the puzzle doesn't fit, like putting the pieces of several puzzles together and trying to force them into place.

    Beans, he is confused, and I can't imagine the nation in his hands. With her as the back-up quarterback. s.c.a.r.y.

    Cheryl, the thing that bothers me about him is that he seems so convinced of some things, yet so seriously out of touch with the reality of issues. And her? Heaven spare us.

    Casey, oh, gawd, yes.

    S3, I know the struggles you have faced, and I thought of you in the midst of this. Unless there is "quality control", the children stand to lose, and in that, the future of the nation suffers. There needs to be a baseline requirement for teachers, a baseline minimum requirement for students, and a testing system for everyone.

    And absolutely .... lowering ANY standard is NOT OK!!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh dear, he sincerely does frighten me!

    ReplyDelete

If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!