"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives." Are teachers responsible for what they do to kids "because they have to"? Do kids care whether it's the teacher or some outside force at work? Chicago teacher Will Okun has a new blog post out (‘They Schools’) about, among other things, the sometimes terrible things that teachers do to urban youth, most of it involuntarily. Okun quotes a teacher who says, "I have been an unwilling participant in the destruction of young lives. Simply being witness and not speaking out daily makes me feel the soulful guilt of a thief." He also links to a very political (and very foul-mouthed) video called They Schools, by Ded Prez, which is perhaps one of the angriest screeds from a student's perspective that I've seen in a while. Watch at your own risk. May be NSFW.
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Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 11:12 PM
"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives."
It is a surprise no one responded to this post yet (sarcasm).
How many of your readers are unwilling participants where the only "speaking up" they do is on this blog under a cloak of anonymity.
Nobody wants to hear the truth. There is always someone else to blame.
Why didn't you do something? (I exclude George S., whether or not I agree with his actions is irrelevent. He at least did something)
Don't wait for the union. Don't wait for others to do something. Speak up now.
How many of your readers are unwilling participants where the only "speaking up" they do is on this blog under a cloak of anonymity.
Nobody wants to hear the truth. There is always someone else to blame.
Why didn't you do something? (I exclude George S., whether or not I agree with his actions is irrelevent. He at least did something)
Don't wait for the union. Don't wait for others to do something. Speak up now.
Wed Feb 20, 2008 at 11:47 PM
"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives."
I have at least 200 referrals and numerous communications with with school and downtown regarding safety and academics at Hyde Park.
I have no affirmative responses.
In fact I have a whole stack of responses that say I am nasty and the bad guy for reporting and "complaining" about what I see.
Almost like here on this blog, each time I point something I see as bad or something that would be illegal anywhere else in the real world outside CPS.
Speaking up in CPS gets you fired. I know I have seen it with PAT's that complain and get "clicked" off. I am the delegate @ HPA. Naturally they get released for classroom management: of third year freshman gang bangers that can not read, do 1st grade math and come to class once every two weeks.
YES there are many people out there who are part of these crimes. As I say on a few occasions: one day there will be a house cleaning and those who hurt the children will not be happy what happens to them.
There are too many folks out there saying "well I can not do anything." Not doing anything is being part of the problem! Not speaking about those who are obviously corrupt and complicit in criminal and unethical activities.
There is only one side to be on: the right side!
Doing nothing is the wrong side!
I have no affirmative responses.
In fact I have a whole stack of responses that say I am nasty and the bad guy for reporting and "complaining" about what I see.
Almost like here on this blog, each time I point something I see as bad or something that would be illegal anywhere else in the real world outside CPS.
Speaking up in CPS gets you fired. I know I have seen it with PAT's that complain and get "clicked" off. I am the delegate @ HPA. Naturally they get released for classroom management: of third year freshman gang bangers that can not read, do 1st grade math and come to class once every two weeks.
YES there are many people out there who are part of these crimes. As I say on a few occasions: one day there will be a house cleaning and those who hurt the children will not be happy what happens to them.
There are too many folks out there saying "well I can not do anything." Not doing anything is being part of the problem! Not speaking about those who are obviously corrupt and complicit in criminal and unethical activities.
There is only one side to be on: the right side!
Doing nothing is the wrong side!
Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 12:21 AM
"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives."
Dead on Kugler!
Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 2:25 AM
"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives."
What? Chicago Board of Education meeting. During that meeting, the Chicago Board of Education will vote to approve the largest number of school closings in the history of Chicago.
When? February 27, 2008. Sign in to speak: Lobby, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Public participation: Begins at 10:30 a.m. Actual meeting, begins when the Board comes out of "Executive Session" (usually between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.) to actually debate and vote on the lengthy agenda.
Where? 125 S. Clark St., 5th floor Board Chambers. Sign in for public participation in the lobby. Pickets and protests outside on the sidewalk (Clark St. side unless the numbers overflow) beginning around 9:30 a.m. (Call CTU for specifics).
Who: Any member of the public can attend a public meeting of a public body. Teachers. Principals. Parents. Students. Custodians. Taxpayers who want to see how CPS is spending the nearly $6 billion in its total budget every year.
Why: School closings.
Among other things, the CEO of CPS will recommend that the Board of Education approve Board Reports closing or severely changing 19 public schools in Chicago. The seven members of the Chicago Board of Education will also have received the complete reports of the hearing officers who held public hearings on those closings between February 4, 2008, and February 16, 2008.
How long will it last? The meeting? That depends on how much the CEO and the Board think they can get away with. The results of the meeting: For some teachers, families, and kids, it's the end.
When? February 27, 2008. Sign in to speak: Lobby, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Public participation: Begins at 10:30 a.m. Actual meeting, begins when the Board comes out of "Executive Session" (usually between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.) to actually debate and vote on the lengthy agenda.
Where? 125 S. Clark St., 5th floor Board Chambers. Sign in for public participation in the lobby. Pickets and protests outside on the sidewalk (Clark St. side unless the numbers overflow) beginning around 9:30 a.m. (Call CTU for specifics).
Who: Any member of the public can attend a public meeting of a public body. Teachers. Principals. Parents. Students. Custodians. Taxpayers who want to see how CPS is spending the nearly $6 billion in its total budget every year.
Why: School closings.
Among other things, the CEO of CPS will recommend that the Board of Education approve Board Reports closing or severely changing 19 public schools in Chicago. The seven members of the Chicago Board of Education will also have received the complete reports of the hearing officers who held public hearings on those closings between February 4, 2008, and February 16, 2008.
How long will it last? The meeting? That depends on how much the CEO and the Board think they can get away with. The results of the meeting: For some teachers, families, and kids, it's the end.
Thu Feb 21, 2008 at 2:32 AM
"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives."
There are no unwilling participants. I was just watching the final disk (6) of "The War." Years ago, on a cold winter night like this one, my father told me: "There is some evil for which there are no words." He wasn't a poet, and worked hard all his life in the Post Office, except for the five years he was working harder as an infantryman serving in the 44th Division in World War II. He was talking about driving his regimental commander into one of the death camps they had come across during their walk from the French coast to the Austrian Alps in 1944 and 1945.
It was very late in his life, and I asked him why he hadn't told me these things before. He said a few things, not many, one of which was that he wasn't sure I was ready to pay attention long enough. Another, which he wasn't the only one I've heard this from, was that it had taken him most of two decades to shake off the nightmares that came back with that "smell."
Don't tell me there are unwitting participants. The reason our fathers and grandfathers walked through those places and remembered those smells for all eternity was that they and their commanders knew that the day would come when someone would deny the very existence of what they had seen and heard and, for memory's sake, smelled.
Inactive. Mute in the face of bad things?
But not unwilling. If you're there, you're either part of the solution or part of the problem. Life's like that finally, no matter how much you might want to avoid it.
It was very late in his life, and I asked him why he hadn't told me these things before. He said a few things, not many, one of which was that he wasn't sure I was ready to pay attention long enough. Another, which he wasn't the only one I've heard this from, was that it had taken him most of two decades to shake off the nightmares that came back with that "smell."
Don't tell me there are unwitting participants. The reason our fathers and grandfathers walked through those places and remembered those smells for all eternity was that they and their commanders knew that the day would come when someone would deny the very existence of what they had seen and heard and, for memory's sake, smelled.
Inactive. Mute in the face of bad things?
But not unwilling. If you're there, you're either part of the solution or part of the problem. Life's like that finally, no matter how much you might want to avoid it.
Tue Apr 8, 2008 at 12:04 AM
"I Have Been An Unwilling Participant In The Destruction Of Young Lives."
Don't Be an Unwilling participant in harming a student with diabetes.
Vote No to HB 5960
Friday Morning News
Urgent Action Needed-Call, Fax, Email Today
Illinois legislators are again trying to force School Employees into the role of Diabetes Care Aide. The legislators would rather make school employees act as Nurses instead of hiring more nurses. Therefore, we the employees, parents, etc. must tell them that we want them to VOTE NO to HB 5960 on April 09, 2008.
If you let this bill pass the principals will have the authority to delegate that you do the daily blood glucose testing; give Insulin injections, monitor carbohydrate intake. If you wanted to be a nurse, you would have been a nurse.
There are people in Springfield fighting these bills but they need your help. Call, fax, email the following members of the Human Service Committee
Tell them to VOTE NO TO HB 5960 on April 09, 2008 because:
·The Diabetes Care Aide Acts violate the law, 225 ILCS, The Nurse Practice Act
·Unlicensed school employees do not have the knowledge base to safely act in this capacity.
·It is dangerous and will be harmful to the children
Chairperson : Naomi D. Jakobsson n.jakobsson@worldnet.att.net (217) 558-1009
(217) 557-7680 FAX
Vice-Chairperson : Constance A. Howard staterep-constance-a-connie-howard@comcast.net (217) 782-6476
(217) 782-0952 FAX
Republican Spokesperson : Patricia R. Bellock rep@pbellock.com (217) 782-1448
(217) 782-2289 FAX
Member: Sandy Cole (217) 782-7320
(217) 782-1275 FAX
Member: Annazette Collins annazettec@sbcglobal.net (217) 782-8077
(217) 557-7643 FAX
Member: Elizabeth Coulson coulson@earthlink.net (217) 782-4194
(217) 782-7613 FAX
Member: Mary E. Flowers mflowers@hdsmail.state.il.us 217) 782-4207
(217) 782-1130 FAX
Member: Al Riley rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net (217) 558-1007
(217) 557-1664 FAX
Member: Timothy L. Schmitz ilrep49@sbcglobal.net (217) 782-5457
(217) 782-1138 FAX
Vote No to HB 5960
Friday Morning News
Urgent Action Needed-Call, Fax, Email Today
Illinois legislators are again trying to force School Employees into the role of Diabetes Care Aide. The legislators would rather make school employees act as Nurses instead of hiring more nurses. Therefore, we the employees, parents, etc. must tell them that we want them to VOTE NO to HB 5960 on April 09, 2008.
If you let this bill pass the principals will have the authority to delegate that you do the daily blood glucose testing; give Insulin injections, monitor carbohydrate intake. If you wanted to be a nurse, you would have been a nurse.
There are people in Springfield fighting these bills but they need your help. Call, fax, email the following members of the Human Service Committee
Tell them to VOTE NO TO HB 5960 on April 09, 2008 because:
·The Diabetes Care Aide Acts violate the law, 225 ILCS, The Nurse Practice Act
·Unlicensed school employees do not have the knowledge base to safely act in this capacity.
·It is dangerous and will be harmful to the children
Chairperson : Naomi D. Jakobsson n.jakobsson@worldnet.att.net (217) 558-1009
(217) 557-7680 FAX
Vice-Chairperson : Constance A. Howard staterep-constance-a-connie-howard@comcast.net (217) 782-6476
(217) 782-0952 FAX
Republican Spokesperson : Patricia R. Bellock rep@pbellock.com (217) 782-1448
(217) 782-2289 FAX
Member: Sandy Cole (217) 782-7320
(217) 782-1275 FAX
Member: Annazette Collins annazettec@sbcglobal.net (217) 782-8077
(217) 557-7643 FAX
Member: Elizabeth Coulson coulson@earthlink.net (217) 782-4194
(217) 782-7613 FAX
Member: Mary E. Flowers mflowers@hdsmail.state.il.us 217) 782-4207
(217) 782-1130 FAX
Member: Al Riley rep.riley38@sbcglobal.net (217) 558-1007
(217) 557-1664 FAX
Member: Timothy L. Schmitz ilrep49@sbcglobal.net (217) 782-5457
(217) 782-1138 FAX
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