September 25, 2012

1. This week I turn 52; hence, two factoids that I think may only interest me: 50 and 54. The ages of bear Bryant Bryant and John Wooden, respectively, when each won his first NCAA national championship— Bryant in football, and Wooden in basketball.

2. Just when I thought I was finished writing about Neil Armstrong, I encountered another fascinating insight, this time from WORLD magazine. Armstrong was never known to be a dedicated Christian. Thomas L. Friedman, no conservative Christian himself, wrote about Armstrong taking a tour of Jerusalem's Old City. He was taken to some of the locations where Jesus walked. Friedman quotes Armstrong as saying, “I have to tell you… I am more excited stepping on these stones than I was stepping on the moon.”

            That is an interesting quote from one who claimed to be a deist.

3. TIME had interesting article last week regarding the convergence of technology and austerity, which is producing a large number of renters. More people than ever are renting everything from clothes to caskets (the caskets are rented few viewings only, not for burial… in case you were wondering.)

            Statisticians have even entered into the dialogue, “Better to buy an $800 stroller if you use it more than 400 times,” according to one. On the other hand, I suppose, they have figured out that if a stroller is to be used 378 times, it is cheaper to rent.

4. Have you heard of Lecrae? He is a rapper whose new album, GRAVITY, stands at the top of the iTunes charts this month. What makes this interesting is he is a Christian, and many of his lyrics are very explicit–talking about God, Jesus, and the Christian life. May his tribe increase.

5. I think Texas citizens must radically rethink the way we educate children in our public school system. When Judy and I were training for foster care, we heard a resource speaker, who was the founder of the most successful daycare centers in Abilene. She said something to us that day that I have never forgotten, “We will not lose all of the children (in a day care center) for the sake of one child (who would not be won).”

            That was a novel way of saying: were her workers to continue to accommodate one incorrigible child, it would disrupt their relationships with all the other children to such an extent that proper childcare would be unattainable.

            This is precisely the problem with education in Texas; schools do so much to accommodate children who refuse to be accommodated, other children who are serious about learning cannot learn. The result is frustration on a massive scale and test scores, which continue to descend.

            I have taught in a private Christian university and in a private Christian high school, and was very blessed to have administrative support to the extent that, if a student was disruptive in class, I could easily dismiss him (or her) from my class for the day so as not to negate the learning of the other students.

            My father was a public school teacher for 20 years, and my mother taught in public schools for over 20 years, and both faced fewer disciplinary problems than exist today; moreover, they were able to discipline students in a timely manner.

            On the other hand, my wife, Judy, has taught the last few years in a public junior high school in Tyler. In Tyler public schools, should a student become unruly in class, teachers have to follow a version of the following procedure:

1. Verbally warn the student.

2. If the behavior continues, call a parent and document the time, the student’s bad behavior, and the parent’s response in a behavioral log (a notebook located on the teacher’s desk). In the call to the parent, the teacher informs the parent that if the behavior continues, the student will be sent to detention.

3. If the behavior continues, the teacher sends the student to detention.

4. The teacher then emails the appropriate principal and the teacher in charge of the detention hall.

            All of this is taking place… while the teacher is attempting to teach class! Furthermore, try following procedure when more than one student is misbehaving.

            I have been thinking a lot about public education. I will express more of what I think in the future. Today, suffice it to say, we as a community must empower teachers and administrators with more freedom to address disciplinary problems in a timely manner.

            This is best for the students who desire to learn.

            Equally important, this is best for the students who do not desire to learn.

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.