#1 Shutdown /#2 Education two posts for the price of one

I have been trying to write something for three days now and no luck. Now trying to write something and not watch the Rangers. My nerves aren't handling this 163rd game well.

I just checked the headlines and right now it doesn't look like we have a resolution to the shutdown. CNN released a poll saying Congress' approval rating is down to 10% and both parties are falling in the approval ratings too. Anyone wonder why?

And for us independent conservatives this is maddening to watch. The bigots and tea party members of the Republican party are so bent out of shape trying to do anything to keep Obama from being successful that we are blowing another opportunity to have meaningful dialogue on reducing govt spending and even the size of the government when the debt ceiling talks come up in a few weeks. They are hampering any chance we have of using the debt ceiling as leverage against more government spending. I saw one headline where apparently there was an attempt by "moderate" Republicans to get something done so we can move on. That has failed because the House voted to fund the government and delay the ACA.

I have said this before and I will say it again this group is slowly moving the country to the left. This is not because the overspending big government liberals have the better ideas, they just look more rational to the independents and moderates. And what is worse the tea party really doesn't have a plan. You cannot defund everything you don't like. Sooner or later you have to have some original ideas to move the country forward. Well maybe like a better healthcare plan if you don't like the current one. And I see none coming from the tea party. And the irony is the tea party is suppose to want to reduce government spending, this brinkmanship game playing will end up costing the tax payers more to shut the government down, then restart it. Serious ignorance and idiocy on their part.

We could be sitting down with moderate Democrats and say we will raise the debt ceiling for now, but you have to give us some serious (but not sequester) action on long term spending. They might listen if conservatives were talking rationally. Everyone knows we have to start coming to grips with our budget. It will never happen as long as the current House leadership and tea party extremists make the most noise. I don't know what to say anymore because you just don't see any strength in the moderates. They are really fearful of this tea party group. Yes they are loud and there are some numbers, but sooner or later they will take themselves down because they don't represent the general populace of the country.

We can fund the govt., reduce spending, and work on long term reduction in size of the government and be successful if the moderate conservatives, true conservatives, and moderate Democrats can get together and get to work. Instead the noise rules. Sad sad day and time for our most wonderful country.

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This next half is scarie, scaree, scarey, ......

I have talked about we need to improve the education quality in our country many times. I talk to people all the time and most are coming to the realization that our education system needs a major overhaul. You talk to anyone that works with child development and there are many ideas out there and most are somewhat related in the end goal of matching education to mindset (even a book called Mindset out there), attitude, matching brain development to what is taught in the schools etc. The over reliance on memorization to facts and test taking to facts is not educating our children. There is no critical thinking being developed. Language is a lost art and skill.

Yes we need to improve math and science skills, a definite must, but we aren't going to get there if we don't improve the basics. I talk about this, but I also see the example year end and year out. I have taught faith formation classes for years and still do. I have been working with middle and high school age children that go to public schools. And what I see week in and week out (we have one class a week) would absolutely scare you if you do not see this regularly. I don't blame the children, the teachers, the administrators, etc,,, this is a problem our whole country is facing.

In each week's lesson I try to incorporate reading materials, activities, and something from popular culture to discuss. This year I have 7th graders and last week I had an activity where I grouped them in small teams, and had a relay contest. The team would send one person up to get the question, go back to the group (and they could use the book) answer the question, the next person in line comes up with the answer, if correct, would get the next question etc etc etc.. (on a side note I see many students over the years struggle with reading. The material is not overly difficult. I am not an educator so I can't tell you if it matches grade level, but I suspect it is at the lower end of expectations of grade level based on my children being bored with the material, but we set up high expectations for our children when it comes to reading) Anyway I watched the students in my class struggle with reading, finding the material in the book, even though we just went over the chapter (and yes I know some probably weren't paying too much attention) and writing the question down. What scares me is the reading comprehension is weak, That is bad, the horror is the inability to write and spell. I gave very basic questions and the students struggled to write them down. It wasn't just that I had to repeat myself many times or go slow, it was the spelling. 7th grade is too young to be overly dependent on spell check, these were pretty common words, maybe the hardest were words like mystery or divine, but they would struggle across the board.

Sure there are some suburban schools in nice neighborhoods that still do pretty well, but urban and rural students are struggling. And what is funny I think it is the lack of the challenge we give our students that is partly to blame. We need to raise their expectations and of course match their brain development going forward. We are failing our youth everyday. If we want them to do well in math, science, life, jobs, etc we need to improve the basics. Think about this, most experts say children learn language best when they are very young. If we can't teach them to communicate and how to communicate well when their brains are ready for it, we are moving them backwards before they start.

Okay I am struggling to concentrate and keep my thoughts orderly since the Rangers are in the back of my mind, yet still I want to stress the importance of changing the way we think so we can change the way our children learn. Otherwise things don't look good going forward. There are great ideas being shared by educators and child development experts. It is time we started incorporating them.

And as I have said many times, the lack of critical thinking maybe playing a large part in our inability to demand our government get it's act together.


I just checked the score, the Rangers are killing me, behind in bottom of 6th, uuugghhhhh!!!!! how is that for spelling

And if you are coming to Dallas for the State Fair, expect to pay more this year. I heard five dollars for a corn dog and ticket prices are up. I hope I don't scare you away, but prepare yourself for some sticker shock. Saddens me that the Fair is getting out of reach for many financially, always a great time even off the Midway.

Have a great evening and GO RANGERS ....................................................