After further musings on the topic, I decided that one of the key reasons for this is the time frame. Students in Southeast become adults at age 18. That’s how it works. The only early route is having a baby. Unlike my students, I saw 18 as a very different transition. I’d be going to college and would still be very much dependent on my parents. I had the luxury of more time to mature and could pursue that goal methodically (or if the assumption of method is too presumptuous, we can at least say I could take my time).

The socio-economic gap and the need to grow up fast in certain respects likely means the process is less even. Any of us who have seen parents fly off the handle know that they don’t have the level of maturity we remember parents having. A colleague of mine mentioned that life expectancy should also be factored into this. Adulthood comes faster but doesn’t last as long. This is only going to further the maturity gaps.

Taken to the next level, we began discussing how our students sometime display maturity beyond our own (some of them have kids after all and I’m certainly not ready for that ballgame). In their environment, that’s an area where you will likely need a high level of maturity. Unfortunately, that same environment demands very little academic maturity (or maturity related to acquiring academic skills). Consequently, they don’t grow up in this respect with the same haste.

This thought is still very much half formed but it’s something I’m going to keep in the back of my mind as I deal with my little 9th grade babies and their grating refrain “Can I get some candy?”

Wanted and urban education share a bond in my world because I went to see Wanted in the theatre after my first week at Institute. The presence of students who were middle-school aged and younger watching graphic slow-motion head-shots only strengthened the connection.

Ridiculous as that sounds, let’s take it a step further. The movie makes a blood and gore argument in favor of a highly pragmatic set of ethics. Star Trek makes a similar argument from time to time (The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one). However, Wanted pushes the point to an extreme. “Kill One. Save a Thousand.” I was considering this in an education context as I drove to grad school tonight.

I’ll spare everyone the direct comparison to Wanted and the notion that we could kill off a few students to ensure the rest received a good education (if for no other reason than the recent release of “The Box”). But what about a world where we could drop some serious suspensions/expulsions?

Granted, the suspensions have been high at Ballou, but I’m talking about throwing out some serious expulsions. Would killing these kids education save the rest of them? It might. I know a few kids at my school who destroy any classroom they walk into. If we tossed them out of school early, would some students that could go either way fall into line?

Or, put in starker terms, how many students’ education would you irrevocably sacrifice to ensure the rest succeeded? It’s an interesting question, particularly in a world where the system is consistently failing (in a statistically irrevocable way) a certain percentage of kids. Either way, kids are missing out on their best shot at a better life. In the aforementioned scenario, that reality turns into a conscious choice.

Whenever I start to think deeply enough about one of these extended metaphors, I often find my way back to reality through the metaphor. After all, in Wanted, the society of assassins was corrupt and began killing people for money so they could live it up.

Where have all my principals gone? They’re never around. We never know where they are. I think we should put some of those Planet Earth motion capture cameras in their offices.

This hyperbole is not to say I believe they aren’t doing their jobs. It’s more to emphasize that I have no idea what part of their jobs they’re doing or where they’re doing it.

Frustrating.

We’re not having the best year at our school and I think it starts at the top. Especially when the school has a fleet of relatively inexperienced teachers. The problem is difficult to solve because there’s no good way to tell your boss you need them around more. I remember reading a good Post article about teacher morale (the favorite union rallying cry) and relationships with principals. It really struck a chord with some of the problems I have this year.

I know a lot of teachers that will charge the ramparts and work insane hours planning lessons and tutoring students. Yet these teachers’ efforts and energies are wasted on the little bureaucratic nightmares that invade an organization without sufficient leadership. Teach 28 students that are more than two grade levels below? Yes sir! Can’t find extra paper? I’m not coming back for year 3. The challenges aren’t at all equal but when good teachers are grinding away at lesson plans they feel invigorated; when little administrative problems slow that down, hard work does too.

John Sullivan… this kid makes Genarlow Wilson look like justice at the highest level.

http://www.slate.com/id/2234594/

Race: it’s still a fun topic.

http://www.theroot.com/views/10-books-didnt-get-treatment

The HIV in DC.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27hiv.html?_r=3&sq=HIV&st=cse&scp=4&pagewanted=all

Now we’re talking about power standards vs. prioritized standards. I’m somewhat shocked that DCPS isn’t just sending us their choice for prioritized standards. Of course then they’d just be power standards. This is a distinction we just learned.

The DCPS lady is doing a much better job presenting this. I suspect she may have written it or at least read it previously. I’m a bit scared of her but I’d like her to deliver the rest of the presentation.

We have two more days of this. Let’s keep that in mind. I don’t have keys to my classroom. I have no idea where any of the administrators are. They’re at least high enough up the totem pole to dodge this.

I want to go back to the Tech Committee meeting. Also, new teachers are welcome to join the Tech Committee if they have ideas or resources that might improve collaboration and efficiency at our beloved institution.

I wish I had more reliable internet access right now. The delay is killing me. However, I have a completely desperate and possibly awesome idea. Let’s see if it works.