I was a lazy ass today

and did not ride my bike.
I did however buy groceries for myself and look for a laptop computer which I need desperately now. Why would one need a laptop computer so bad one may ask? Lets say the person in question teaches three classes of current events and two classes of debate. Now, hypothetically these classes would have textbooks and other random yet seemingly nonessential materials available, like chalkboards and computers. Since these classes have none of the aforementioned the instructor purchased 25 copies of the local newspaper to be delivered to the school daily. This instructor paid for about half the subscription and the educational institution in question was responsible for the other half. Of course, the education institution has other things to spend its money on - consultants, nationwide searches, banquets and conferences which are much more important than grassroots education. So they just didn't pay the paper, which the paper then promptly canceled their subscription. So yesterday this instructor in question walked around in the rain trying to find his papers - not to be found. Now there are 115 students and one teacher who have no materials to read (hell, who reads anymore anyway), and who teach or study in the basement (yep, the basement). The instructor is going to end up paying for these f@#$ng papers, just watch...he just has to get used to the idea of parting with that much money due to the beaurocracy. What makes this worse is that I knew this was going to happen yet I had some hope that it would not. Since I knew it was going to happen at some point I should not be surprised, yet this is when I get most pissed off - when a paradigm I've held becomes true. Yeah, the laptop, I think I could make this class work with the laptop and maybe a projector. I can get a projector I think and maybe even a laptop. Well, the next few days we will be watching "Spying on the Home Front" and then "Bush's War." We will write a paper on Bush's war. I suggest watching this actually.

I have an even better idea. Lets layoff 600 people which the understanding that most of them will be called back at the beginning of the school year. OK fine. Makes sense to me. In order to save money and comply with archaic rules we will do this. In addition to doing this we will pay them unemployment until the vast majority of them are called back one day prior to the start of school. Yes, this makes a lot of sense to me as a cash savings plan. Lets just let a few go though so everyone can worry about their jobs. Furthermore, we all like surprises so you can find out not only what courses you will be teaching but often what school you will work at one day before school (this is a good thing because as a group teachers don't really like to plan things). This is also great for morale. Not to mention that we all have Masters degrees and in the case of the younger staff are subject to stiff regulation by the state. Now lets characterize this group in the press as a bunch of overpaid losers who cannot do anything else. Then lets continue to 'hate on them' when test scores are published and low and behold as if by magic - Rhode Island lags behind the other states in the region...of course because the 'schools' are failing. Never mind the fact that about 7 out of 10 students does not speak English (in the city at least) at home or about 4 out of 10 come from dire poverty. Also never mind the fact that 40% of the students in the state come from the inner city which have traditionally done poorly on every measure of educational progress. Lets compare RI to other states with equally similar demographics - lets see New Hampshire and Vermont (which are the states RI is compared to on an important test). Yep, this makes a whole lot of sense comparing the second most urbanized state in the US (RI, NJ is first) to rural northeastern states which have more in common with rural NY and Pennsylvania. Since I lived in Vermont for seven years I can personally attest that Vermont and Rhode Island schools share little in common in terms of demographics including measure of diversity, school culture and indeed community support. Of course its the fault of the children and of course the teachers that students don't speak English well or they are from poverty.

Well, I don't know where that all came from but I've got to go now!