MONKEY BUSINESS...

I don't read liberal comments on my blog much. The commenters have so little to say beyond name calling. I did hear from a friend that a comment about my blog was that I can't write - they were dismayed- a school teacher and I can't write! Hmmmm- and their proof is??? Maybe I'll just bumble along anyway-- do you think I should? If I don't MONKEY BUSINESS wins. MONKEY BUSINESS is the left's attempt to control what you think. For a long time they got away with this- people accepted what they said and didn't demand any proof (including yours truly here). But it must be frustrating for them now because- we're on to their MONKEY BUSINESS!!

Have any of you been to any of the Helena School District planning meetings? The planners are working on a survey- coincidentally called.... THE SURVEY MONKEY!! Well, there's lots of MONKEY BUSINESS on the SURVEY MONKEY and at the planning meetings. Everyone is invited to the meetings and to do the survey. Just go to the Helena School District web site and click on planning- you should find the SURVEY MONKEY there for you to click on and you can take the survey. It's interesting to be in a box that someone else has constructed for you and then to be told that they are collecting your ideas. REALLY?? I remember the life boat scenario from the old "Strategic Plan" fight here in Helena. You see- if someone tells you there are certain people on a life boat and it is sinking so someone has to get out and they ask you who should be thrown over board- they have put you in a box of their world view. Maybe you should have the option of each person swimming for a bit- or floating someone off the back etc.This is all symbolic of course but you get the idea- if someone else makes up the rules and the agenda you aren't really expressing your opinion or your ideas- you're responding to theirs.

Here's how the SURVEY MONKEY goes- would you like a traditional school that impedes learning or an open concept school where all the students are happy and getting a good education? Gee- are you sure all traditional schools like the KIP academy ( which has the best academic achievement in the nation) are impeding academic progress? Are you sure all open schools are wonderful? After all, we built open schools at Rossiter and Four Georgians and we had to put in temporary walls that have been permanent since the schools were built. But, I don't want to be a trouble maker and mention all this. I don't want to appear ignorant so I guess I just better go along with this program. After all, I sure don't want to impede academic progress in Helena. Yeah right.

Here's another one- do you like our schools the way they are today where children and family needs are not met, or schools where there are places for all people in the "community" to meet and get their needs met (think- Federal Grant family resource centers that teach people how to fill out a job application and get gas for their car etc.) Wow- but I thought schools were for children to get an education? Are you duplicating any services here? How will this impact a competitive education that is academically focused? Gee- I guess everybody needs these services and there's no other option to choose here unless I don't want kids needs to be met. But wait a minute- aren't children's needs at school to learn math and reading?

And so it goes- these gurus know the future (actually someone in Washington D.C. gave them that secret). They know everything, and if you don't agree you're just backward and ignorant. They now know how to make kids graduation and career ready too, thank goodness, they've done a very poor job up to now. But wait a minute, let's explore some of these ideas. Connectedness-hmmm- sounds kind of like whole language which has been a whole failure for 30 years. Project learning- hmmm- sounds a lot like cooperative learning which never worked and was a fiasco. Oh my- collaboration? See cooperative learning again. You mean this whole thing could be a huge experiment with our education system that becomes a huge failure? Yes, indeed.
                                                      
I'm reading Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. This is an interesting book if you're interested in French history. It's always eye opening to read history and find that what is happening where you are today is often not new at all, but something that happened the same way many times before. Here's a quote I loved "The counterfeits of the past take assumed names, and are fond of calling themselves the future." Right on Victor!! How COULD you have known the people doing our school planning??

Seriously, beware of all of this. Good change comes incrementally and locally. Common Core Standards are truly another well intentioned fiasco. Our teachers and students have been pulled hither and yon with all this CENTRAL PLANNING. Let's stop all the MONKEY BUSINESS and get back to good, competitive academic education, MONTANA STYLE!!