Why Teachers Quit.

My district, under some truly delusional actions by the state of Texas, has implemented a program known as total inclusion. No pull outs, no special classes, no content mastery or small group teaching for the kids who struggle to function. Instead general ed teachers are supposed to magically develop the skills to intuitively know how to address multiple IEP mandates for multiple children within a regular classroom setting. To some, this may sound like insanity, but to many this is the endgame for special education wherein teachers are simply observers and record keepers. The sad thing is, I'm a good teacher. I find kids who have talent and I get them to where they need to be. I write recommendation letter, I find college sponsors, I push them, I reward them-which last time I heard is what a teacher is supposed to do. But the New Regime, a rather aggressive and arrogant movement led by Special Ed teachers who see general ed teachers as The Enemy, seem intent on making our lives more complex than it should be.

First, there is the placement itself. A student with mild challenges can be easily incorporated into a regular class with support. That means that the general ed teacher is informed-FULLY-and that care is taken to place the student into a class where his or her numbers won't tip the apple cart. But what is happening is that because of scheduling special core classes for these groups, a full third of some classes hold severely disabled students in a regular classroom. That in itself creates a situation where the teacher must pay due to the special ed student first leaving the regular students to their own devices. Then you have 504's, BIP's and other special designations. We have to file no less than five and sometimes as many as nine pieces of paper every single week PER STUDENT, which with ten students results in 90 pieces of paper be handled. Today the head of Special Ed celebrated all the necessary data we are generating. What she ignores is that in order to do this, many teachers are dumbing down programs, ignoring advanced students and diluting rigor in programs.

Second, there is the issue of classroom management. I am one of those teachers who rarely if ever sends students to the principal. Generally speaking, special ed students aren't referred for behavioral problems. But when you have a situation where you have autistic spectrum kids who can be set off by too bright a light, or a word or an emotionally disturbed student who likes to openly rant over ways to attack people it makes it hard to encourage students to stay in an elective program. when they view it as a holding area for kids who cannot do anything else.I spent half an hour on Friday trying to convince an amazingly talented sophomore to stay in art after she was verbally assaulted by an emotionally disturbed student. My fear is that the talented students will leave and my classes truly will little more than a place to put every problem, every kid who fights, every kid with issues.

I have five years until I can retire. Five years. That's 900 days of teaching. What's sad is I am good at what I do. I had more kids get 5's on their AP portfolios that the rest of the district combined. I have more kids taking AP than any other school. I have more kids in elite art schools or in art programs in major universities than any other teacher in the district. That is what I have always thought I was supposed to do-make kids successful. And while I am good at finding those kids who never realized they had talent, the stark reality is that someone who can't move their arms, cannot read, cannot write, cannot talk, is probably not destined for anything beyond a very limited life. I want to make their lives pleasant, but not at the cost of everyone else. After today, I feel broken. I feel that all my work is simply not worth it. I believe that everything I have done to build up the program has been nothing more than a joke.

I wish I felt differently. I wish I could feel more hopeful. But this is what the feelgood policies of the current crop of educational elites and the politicians of the Left has done to the once noble idea of a free public education. I hope my children will be able to afford decent private schools for their kids. It's over.

Predictions for 2012: Stuxnet, Biden and more

If you have not yet done so, I highly recommend reading the Richard Clarke interview in the April 2012 Smithsonian. I'm not a huge Clarke fan, but he is a master spy and knows the ways of Washington well. What I found the most interesting about this article was that it clearly points the finger at Washington leaks for the information regarding the Stuxnet virus that shut down Iranian certifuge refiners. He also analyzed the inclusion of lawyers, American lawyers, in the composition of this little game. So in spite of the Israeli code in the virus, it is a Washington Creation. Why this matters is that this is a weapon that in their zeal to boost Obama's image was handed over to the Iranians. They aren't stupid. They will rework the virus and turn it back on Europe, on us and on a world where they intend to impose their own perverted brand of shariah.
Richard Clarke Interview in 2012 Smithsonian Magazine

I am going to make a prediction here. Just today Senators McCain and Lieberman said they had a lead on who leaked the classified information to the press. There are several people who could be part of this with Obama, Biden,Clinton, Axelrod, Jarrett and their subordinates all having clearance to access. But regardless who actually used national security to bolster the sagging presidential image, they are going to pin the deed on Joe "Ted Baxter" Biden. Biden has become a political liability and frankly I think there's little love lost between the president and vice president. But here's the problem, Washington is NOT Chicago and Joe Biden is NOT Blagojevich. Having his own presidential aspirations (no matter how misguided) Biden won't take one for the team like Blago did. And as for the vacant VP position, I believe that Obama, using Jarrett as agent, will offer it to Hillary Clinton. The idea is it will appeal to the wounded Clintonistas who feel they were robbed last time as well as attracting the usual set of goopy minded idealogues that will posture that "now it's time for a woman in office." I guess Palin didn't qualify. But I digress.

My personal view is that Clinton will be torn. She loves power. LOVES IT. And she wields quite a bit right now as Secretary of State. You will notice that there are few photo ops of Hillary with Obama. I think that's intentional. She's putting as much distance as she can between herself and this administration. While her first inclination will be to accept, she knows how divisive this administration has become. And her strength is not in Washington. I believe that knowing the taint of the Obama administration could stifle her own attempts for nomination in 2016 that she will say no. So where does this leave Axelrod, who needs someone far more solid to anchor down his ethereal and somewhat aloof POTUS? Don't be surprised to see some governor or even a mayor plucked from obscurity not because of their abilities but because they fulfill a critical socio-economic-ethnic niche.