Ronneburger, Julie [Julie.Ronneburger@newsweek.com]
on behalf of; Web Editors[Web.Editors@newsweek.com
Please see Mr. Alter's response below
"i totally agree. i'm for parent contracts to make them more accountable too....but the lack of accountability by teachers is the most glaring right now, and one the unions must grapply with... best- Jonathan Alter"
My response:
Mr. Alter:
Thanks for your response. I am glad to read that you see the importance of parent responsibility. However; I remain puzzled by your focus on the "lack of accountability by teachers". What exactly do you want teachers to be responsible for and how do you see the unions as dealing with this?
The problems that I encountered as a classroom teacher were many. I had no problems with course content and as a result of my Jesuit education I likewise had no difficulty with classroom management. However; student absenteeism, parental indifference and students' refusal to complete homework assignments were real problems. We have far too many students in our classrooms whose parents lack the skills to be parents and as a result their feral children cause problems.
I would assume that you believe there are far too many incompetent or ineffective teachers in the classroom. In my years of teaching I only encountered a few and they did not last. I believe the real problem is that new teachers do not receive appropriate support and assistance. For them it is like being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool and told to swim ... but in their case to teach, manage and control. Remember for the vast majority of teachers when the bell rings and the door is closed it is a one person show.
In the event that there is a person teaching who should not be teaching school administrators have the process to document, meet and confer, and if needed dismiss. However; far too many administrators have attained freedom from the classroom and are loathe to return to observe, evaluate and offer assistance. The union's role in any process is to see that the process is followed correctly and a teacher's due process rights are followed.
The problems facing the American education system are many and to focus on one and only one aspect will achieve nothing. As we have achieved little in the problem areas of drugs, crime and poverty we will continue to flounder with education. We have no focus, no agenda, no plan, and little leadership.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Check Please on PBS -KQED
THE MOUNTAIN HOUSE RESTAURANT
After watching an episode of KQED's Check Please and reading the comments on the Check Please web site, in which the Mountain House Restaurant, in the Kings Mountain Community of Woodside, California, was reviewed (praised by one and roasted by two), I decided to share some thoughts. It seems there are obvious flaws in the way KQED presents this program. At times it comes across like a Fox network reality survivor program. An enjoyable restaurant experience should not be defined by the drive or distance to reach it, the weather or the parking lot configuration. The experience is all about the food and service! While the gentleman, Lou, recommended and loves the Mountain House, the two women, Marcia and Helen, did not share his opinion
Lou had a pleasant drive from Belmont to the Mountain House whereas the women complained of their trek from Oakland and San Francisco respectively. Maybe all participants should be from the same geographic locale or KQED needs to eliminate travel as a factor in the restaurant reviews. Both women began their reviews with complaints about the "seemingly haphazard" and "helter-skelter" parking and continued by expressing their annoyance as a result of walking in mud or soggy earth, and in Helen's case trying to avoid the "big drops of fog and strong wind". Were these two ladies made aware of the fact that the Mountain House is at an elevation of approximately 2000 feet, surrounded by towering redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains and occasionally kissed by fog? They were most definitely not in the urban environs of Berkeley and San Francisco.
Once inside the restaurant the complaining continued. Marcia, from Oakland, enjoyed her salad, buffalo steak and her companions' fish dishes; but described the soup as "bland", the vegetables "too al dente" and the garlic mashed potatoes lacking in garlic. Marcia is a contradiction in that she admits to ordering "simple dishes"; but then states she would have felt differently had the "food had more panache". It would seem that if you want more panache then don't order simple food – order the special items with dash and flair.
Helen, from San Francisco, was warmed both literally and figuratively by the fireplace and pleasant ambience of the Mountain House; but her mood changed upon hearing ten people loudly sing "Happy Birthday" at a nearby table. She stated that the singing was "louder than I've heard at Chuck E. Cheese." I find this ironic, that a woman criticizing the food at the Mountain House admits to even being in a Chuck E. Cheese !!!
As for Helen's dinner: the Cajun popcorn shrimp were not Cajun enough, the seasonal greens salad were not seasonal enough nor was her table "intimate" as promised. She did state that their cocktails were well made. The menu's wording of some item descriptions was, in her opinion, "too grandiose". Having seen buffalo steaks and elk chops she ordered shrimp scampi with pasta. Apparently her disappointment over the Cajun popcorn shrimp could not be overcome. As a parting shot Helen admits she would, if ever in the neighborhood again, stop in the Mountain House for drinks; but would "take them a recipe for Cajun popcorn shrimp".
When trying to figure out the disappointment and at times hostility directed at the Mountain House by urbanites Helen and Marcia, one only has to examine the restaurants these two ladies recommended. Marcia offered a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco called Da Lian which she loves as it reminds her of her time spent in China. Helen was predisposed to enjoy Da Lian as she admits to eating "Chinese food about four times a week". For her part Helen recommended an Italian restaurant called Buca di Beppa which has been described by another reviewer as the "Chuck-E-Cheese of Italian restaurants." That says it all.
Somehow the restaurant playing field needs to be leveled. It is no surprise that the women were not impressed with the Mountain House and that Lou was not pleased with the women's choices. Clearly alleged urban sophisticates may feel out of place in the casual elegance and charm of the Mountain House with its eclectic and carefully worded menu. Finally, this mountain resident has never been in, nor ever will be in a Chuck E Cheese like Italian restaurant. Life is too short for bad food and bad wine. As for the Mountain House Cajun popcorn shrimp, they have always been a family favorite – Cajun or not. We feel fortunate to have a restaurant that offers wonderful food, excellent service and a relaxed dining experience so close to home.
After watching an episode of KQED's Check Please and reading the comments on the Check Please web site, in which the Mountain House Restaurant, in the Kings Mountain Community of Woodside, California, was reviewed (praised by one and roasted by two), I decided to share some thoughts. It seems there are obvious flaws in the way KQED presents this program. At times it comes across like a Fox network reality survivor program. An enjoyable restaurant experience should not be defined by the drive or distance to reach it, the weather or the parking lot configuration. The experience is all about the food and service! While the gentleman, Lou, recommended and loves the Mountain House, the two women, Marcia and Helen, did not share his opinion
Lou had a pleasant drive from Belmont to the Mountain House whereas the women complained of their trek from Oakland and San Francisco respectively. Maybe all participants should be from the same geographic locale or KQED needs to eliminate travel as a factor in the restaurant reviews. Both women began their reviews with complaints about the "seemingly haphazard" and "helter-skelter" parking and continued by expressing their annoyance as a result of walking in mud or soggy earth, and in Helen's case trying to avoid the "big drops of fog and strong wind". Were these two ladies made aware of the fact that the Mountain House is at an elevation of approximately 2000 feet, surrounded by towering redwood trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains and occasionally kissed by fog? They were most definitely not in the urban environs of Berkeley and San Francisco.
Once inside the restaurant the complaining continued. Marcia, from Oakland, enjoyed her salad, buffalo steak and her companions' fish dishes; but described the soup as "bland", the vegetables "too al dente" and the garlic mashed potatoes lacking in garlic. Marcia is a contradiction in that she admits to ordering "simple dishes"; but then states she would have felt differently had the "food had more panache". It would seem that if you want more panache then don't order simple food – order the special items with dash and flair.
Helen, from San Francisco, was warmed both literally and figuratively by the fireplace and pleasant ambience of the Mountain House; but her mood changed upon hearing ten people loudly sing "Happy Birthday" at a nearby table. She stated that the singing was "louder than I've heard at Chuck E. Cheese." I find this ironic, that a woman criticizing the food at the Mountain House admits to even being in a Chuck E. Cheese !!!
As for Helen's dinner: the Cajun popcorn shrimp were not Cajun enough, the seasonal greens salad were not seasonal enough nor was her table "intimate" as promised. She did state that their cocktails were well made. The menu's wording of some item descriptions was, in her opinion, "too grandiose". Having seen buffalo steaks and elk chops she ordered shrimp scampi with pasta. Apparently her disappointment over the Cajun popcorn shrimp could not be overcome. As a parting shot Helen admits she would, if ever in the neighborhood again, stop in the Mountain House for drinks; but would "take them a recipe for Cajun popcorn shrimp".
When trying to figure out the disappointment and at times hostility directed at the Mountain House by urbanites Helen and Marcia, one only has to examine the restaurants these two ladies recommended. Marcia offered a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco called Da Lian which she loves as it reminds her of her time spent in China. Helen was predisposed to enjoy Da Lian as she admits to eating "Chinese food about four times a week". For her part Helen recommended an Italian restaurant called Buca di Beppa which has been described by another reviewer as the "Chuck-E-Cheese of Italian restaurants." That says it all.
Somehow the restaurant playing field needs to be leveled. It is no surprise that the women were not impressed with the Mountain House and that Lou was not pleased with the women's choices. Clearly alleged urban sophisticates may feel out of place in the casual elegance and charm of the Mountain House with its eclectic and carefully worded menu. Finally, this mountain resident has never been in, nor ever will be in a Chuck E Cheese like Italian restaurant. Life is too short for bad food and bad wine. As for the Mountain House Cajun popcorn shrimp, they have always been a family favorite – Cajun or not. We feel fortunate to have a restaurant that offers wonderful food, excellent service and a relaxed dining experience so close to home.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Jonathan Alter's Newsweek Article
Jonathan Alter's recent denunciation of the American education system and his attack on teachers is both inaccurate and misleading. He has identified teachers as both the subject and object of accountability. He wants teachers removed from the classroom when they fail and and rewarded when students succeed. What is so blatantly and glaringly missing from this article is any recognition and expectation of accountability from both students and their parents.
It is easy and convenient to blame the failures of the education system on the teachers' unions. However; having been a teacher for almost 40 years ( I am now retired) most teachers recognize both the NEA and the AFT as little more than paper tigers. Both the judicial and the legislative branches of government must also take responsibility for conditions in our schools. If the teaching profession is as safe, secure and comfortable as Mr. Alter would have us believe then why are we facing a teacher shortage in the hundreds of thousands?
If accountability is to be the new battle cry then let's make it universal. Both parents and students must be held accountable for attendance, attire, attitude, behavior, and homework. Attending school and being successful is serious business and far too many parents and students have forgotten this fact. It is no surprise that some charter schools and most private schools are successful. Their success is not just the result of excellent teachers and excellent teaching; but the result of responsible and involved parents and well disciplined and motivated students.
If the American education system is to improve and succeed then all involved in the system must be held accountable --- not just the teacher in the classroom.
It is easy and convenient to blame the failures of the education system on the teachers' unions. However; having been a teacher for almost 40 years ( I am now retired) most teachers recognize both the NEA and the AFT as little more than paper tigers. Both the judicial and the legislative branches of government must also take responsibility for conditions in our schools. If the teaching profession is as safe, secure and comfortable as Mr. Alter would have us believe then why are we facing a teacher shortage in the hundreds of thousands?
If accountability is to be the new battle cry then let's make it universal. Both parents and students must be held accountable for attendance, attire, attitude, behavior, and homework. Attending school and being successful is serious business and far too many parents and students have forgotten this fact. It is no surprise that some charter schools and most private schools are successful. Their success is not just the result of excellent teachers and excellent teaching; but the result of responsible and involved parents and well disciplined and motivated students.
If the American education system is to improve and succeed then all involved in the system must be held accountable --- not just the teacher in the classroom.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Big Russ & Me
Big Russ & Me
Several months ago I purchased Tim Russert’s book about his father, Big Russ & Me. Like many similar purchases I had plans to read it; but not immediately. Mr. Russert’s (little Russ) sudden death last month changed all that. During a pl
Having a dad who fought and was injured in WW II, having attended a Catholic grade school (St. Rita in
A quick look at the chapter headings will convince you that if you are a baby boomer you will enjoy this book. With chapters titled: Respect, Work, Baseball, Discipline, 1968, Politics and more you will relive your childhood in these pages.
In the chapter titled Respect you will read: “After supper, nobody had to remind us to do our homework; it was part of our daily routine and we just did it.” Mr. Russert continues: “This may sound hard to believe , but when my sisters and I were in school, homework was something that children did all by themselves.” Additionally Mr. Russert states: “ Self-esteem wasn’t something you started out with; it was a feeling that you earned through hard work.”
In the chapter titled Discipline Mr. Russert recounts the words of warning of the Prefect of Discipline at
In this chapter Mr. Russert also makes a very timely and telling observation: “ It’s important to have high expectations of children and young people, and it’s equally important to give teachers the authority they need to impose discipline and teach accountability. In this respect, I believe that parents of my generation have often failed our kids. We are so eager to be understanding and sympathetic, that we end up being too lenient, even as we further undermine the already diminished authority of teachers, coaches and administrators”.
In 2006 Mr. Russert wrote Wisdom of Our Fathers --- if it is half as good as Big Russ & Me then it will be well worth reading.
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