So, this week’s Gallery theme over at Sticky Fingers is … outside my front door.
Well, at first I took it literally and went for this photograph. You know, they’re always on my doorstep trying to get in.
And, then I realised that maybe I should show you what’s really outside my front door … so without further ado, I give you the beautiful Tampa Bay area …
Over the years, there have been many changes in Florida’s education system. As a teacher of almost 17 years in the state of Florida, the latest change is a slap in the face. I admit that at this time I am crying “UNCLE.”
I have given up on my dream of teaching. When the newest bill passes, it will mean that the career I have chosen has come to an end.
If you haven’t heard of SB6 or HB7189, let me tell you about it from a teacher’s perspective.
The main idea behind the bill is to have teacher’s salary at a base level. Then, based on how well their students perform on a certain day, the teacher will be given a “bonus.” They haven’t decided on an exact measurement of testing, however, FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Aptitude Test) has been thrown out there.
I have taught children with learning disabilities. By the time I get these children in my class, they could be anywhere from 1-4 years below grade level. That means that they will NOT test at grade level on the FCAT. It doesn’t matter how hard I try, it will not happen. My students have consistently shown gains, however, it is difficult to bring a child to grade level when they are so far below level. Yes, it can be done. However, it has to be a group effort. The child’s parents have to be willing to help out and the child has to be willing to work hard.
I also have had students who don’t care about the testing. They will just “Christmas Tree” the test. An 11-year old who may have stayed up to late the night before or the child whose dad was arrested the night before or the child with a stomach virus or the child or parent who doesn’t like me and doesn’t want me to be successful or the child who broke her arm or the child who just moved into my class will now determine my salary?
Testing is not only stressful for teachers, it is stressful for students as well. Many times students will vomit due to nerves before or during the test. Some of the students worry about their performance and do not want to be placed in remediation the following year.
The young teachers who are just graduating are of concern. These young teachers will not stay in Florida. Why are you asking? With a small base salary, they will not be able to qualify for a mortgage or car loan or anything else they need credit for. Bonuses do not count when making big purchases. The mortgage companies will not count the bonuses when purchasing houses.
In what other profession does someone else’s performance determine your pay? Should a dentist be paid less because his/her patient has a cavity? All of the information was given to the patient on how to take care of their teeth, but they chose not to floss and brush their teeth. Since the patient has a cavity and they didn’t use the tools they were given, should the dentist be penalized?
Another concern is that if their students do not show gains, the teachers will lose their teaching certificate. If they lose their teaching certificate in the state of Florida, then they will not be able to teach in any other state. How will they be able to provide for their families or pay back student loans
Tenure is also tied into this bill. At this time, many people are focusing on this aspect of the bill. If an administrator is doing his/her job, then they can get rid of a teacher who is on a continuing contract. They just have to be willing to document. When a “bad” teacher is in the classroom, it’s because an administrator is not doing their job.
Another key component is that teachers will no longer be paid more money for higher degrees. It doesn’t matter if you have a bachelors or a doctorate. Everyone will be paid the same. It’s amazing that the Florida legislature doesn’t value the teacher who has earned a higher degree. It’s amazing to me that the Senate feels that education is not important.
They will also terminate the Dale Hickman fund, which paid bonuses to teachers who became National Board Certified. This is a test in which teachers go above and beyond to get certified. Teachers have to prove that they work within the community to help students with education. It’s not just a 9-5 job. Teachers who are nationally board certified will lose the bonus that they receive for becoming certified. Another slap in the face to educators!
At this time, my sister and my daughter are beginning teachers. They are looking at teaching outside of Florida. I have talked to many teachers who have said they won’t be able to afford to stay in Florida.
When all is said and done, who will be left in Florida to teach the children?
A Soon to be Ex-Florida Teacher
To all the strong, fierce, independent, loving, amazing women out there … keeping it all together, especially my pal W who is stronger than she knows.
Enjoy!
Like every loving couple, the hubby and I have our agreements like politics, a good glass of sauvignon blanc and the perfect way to spend a day with the kids … kayaking at Grandma’s.
And, then we have our disagreements … like which video games the boys should be allowed to play, when he should go for the “snip” and what proper trifle is.
You see, for as long as we’ve been married, the proper trifle recipe is something we’ve never agreed upon.
I grew up in England with a Scottish mother who made trifle the way her mother taught her. With jam. No sponge-soaked jelly (aka strawberry flavoured gelatine). So, when I make it myself I do it the same way, but the hubby always moans about it not tasting right.
He also grew up in England, with his mum hailing from ‘Boro. Theirs is a family recipe made with the jelly.
So, just whose recipe is proper?
A quick look at the ever trustworthy Wikepedia website tells me that traditional (aka proper) trifles do not contain jelly. And, that the first trifle was actually just a thick cream flavoured with sugar, ginger and rosewater, It wasn’t until later when milk, custard and alcohol soaked bread were added.
Where does that leave us?
Well, we both agree that proper trifle is a delicious and elegant dessert that absolutely must have copious amounts of sherry. Besides that, it’s all a bit of a deadlock, I’m afraid.
How about you? What’s your take on proper trifle? Jelly, jam or both?
FYI
Jam (UK) = Jelly (US)
Jelly (UK) = Jello (US)
This past Saturday, my middle son had the last flag football game of the season. He played really well and scored another touchdown for his team. I’m so proud of him for wanting to play this rough and tough game and feel really lucky to have been able to capture this image of him running after his competition.
He’s expressed an interest in trying out for his middle school football team so even though I know I really shouldn’t, I did. I found myself daydreaming on the sidelines … of my boy playing for his college and then the Tampa Bay Bucs or Seattle Seahawks one day in his future.
When the game was over, the first thing he came up and said to me was, “Mum, I think I want to try basketball next.”
A mummy can dream, right?
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To say I’ve been a little stumped by this week’s prompt of “me” for the Gallery over at Tara’s blog Sticky Fingers is an understatement.
With so many sides to me, do I really just have one picture that reflects who I am?
Well, maybe!
I could choose one that is of me with my boys. Or one of me with my friends. Or hanging with my hubby. Or one with my mum. Maybe one of me on holiday.
But, no.
I’ve picked this one of me … goofing off! At my favourite store. My boys were hiding shamefaced whilst my sister took this photograph. Good times!
So, on Sunday night my regularly scheduled program was rudely interrupted with a news break.
And, I knew immediately what it was.
A decision had been reached.
But, which one?
As soon as I saw Diane Sawyer, all smiles, I knew which.
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve health care reform legislation.
At first, I cheered.
Yeah!
No longer can insurance companies deny my oldest son complete health care coverage because of this hospital experience.
But, then came the jeers.
The Facebook and Twitter comments that I’ve read over the past couple of days from people so angry and incensed by the passage of this historic bill are really outrageous.
It’s even clearer that it’s a bill that truly is supported along party lines and party lines alone.
Which leaves me grappling to understand the Republican reluctance to health care coverage for all. I’ve heard the argument that it means a loss of freedom. Surely not. Putting the management of our healthcare system in the hands of the government and doctors rather than the insurance industry is the best part of this bill.
No sooner had President Obama signed the bill than attorneys general from 13 states … led by Florida, I might add … filed suit to stop the overhaul contending the law is unconstitutional.
Unconstitutional?
Hmmmmm?
Well, then aren’t my taxes unconstitutional? That 6.2% you take out of my wages to cover medicare? If my sons happen to get drafted, isn’t that unconstitutional. And, isn’t it unconstitutional that my oldest son has been denied health care coverage?
I will end this post, very happy … and with a quote from Vice President Joe Biden right before the bill was signed …
This is a big f***ing deal.
Don’t tell anyone, but I really enjoyed this sunny Saturday.
The weather was lovely.
The skies were blue, clear and we got outside and enjoyed the day.
Sunday was a different story … it was rainy, wet and miserable although I did enjoy the sound of the rain.
My choice is for everyone anxiously awaiting summer’s arrival … Sunshine on my Shoulders by James Taylor the late great John Denver.
Enjoy!
Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me highIf I had a day that I could give you
I’d give to you a day just like today
If I had a song that I could sing for you
I’d sing a song to make you feel this waySunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me highIf I had a tale that I could tell you
I’d tell a tale sure to make you smile
If I had a wish that I could wish for you
I’d make a wish for sunshine all the whileSunshine on my shoulders makes me happy
Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry
Sunshine on the water looks so lovely
Sunshine almost always makes me high
Sunshine almost all the time makes me high
Sunshine almost always
So, I was watching the Today Show the other morning when a segment about “Spring Must Haves” began. I was half watching it, half day dreaming when a product suddenly caught my attention.
At first I thought it was a new, fugly bracelet.
But, then the lovely presenter explained what they were … wrist sponges.
Yes, you read that right. Sponges for your wrists.
And, exactly what are these strange wrist sponges for, you ask? Apparently, they were invented to stop water from running down your arms when cleaning your face or washing up.
Well, at first I found myself all taken in by this new product and thought ooh, yeah that’s great. What a good idea?
Then I came to my senses and kind of thought, well isn’t that just laziness? Maybe, it’s a new concept to some, but can’t you just pull up your sleeves? And, maybe have a towel at the ready? It is only water, after all. I mean, the way I wash dishes, I just don’t think those are going to help. Nor will they really help when I clean my car or bathe my three-year-old?
Still, I wish I had blooming well thought of it … they’re probably raking it in!
It was February.
Just a couple of days before Valentine’s Day.
2007.
My oldest son had just come down with a fever, chills and bit of a runny nose. He seemed otherwise okay, but I took him to see his pediatrician nonetheless because at that time he suffered a lot from strep throat. And, I knew if that was the case, he would need antibiotics immediately.
His pediatrician wasn’t available so we saw an associate.
She tested him for strep, but it came back negative.
She then proceeded to tell me about a really fierce strain of the flu going around and decided to test him for that. That came back negative too.
We were sent away, my poor son’s nose and throat sore from the testing, with instructions that it was most likely something viral and to just treat his symptoms as needed.
We picked up my middle son from school and went home. After dinner, my oldest son did something he never does … he asked if he could go to bed. He told me he just wanted to lay down, read and sleep so I agreed and gave him more medicine for the fever.
I checked on him periodically through the evening and gave him a final dose of fever reducing medicine before the baby and I turned in for the night.
*******************************************************************************
A few hours later, a weak cry for “mummy” woke me.
I immediately ran through to where it was coming from … my oldest son’s room.
And, the worst kind of panic set in.
He was lying in a crumpled state on the floor by his bed. I rushed to him and before I touched him, I could feel the heat coming from his poor feverish body. I tried to move him, but he said he couldn’t move his legs.
More panic.
What had happened? Trying not to fear the worst, I screamed for my husband to come through.
He staggered through and picked my boy up and put him back in bed. We gave him more fever-reducing medicine as I dialed the doctor’s number.
But, then they started.
Febrile convulsions.
And, more panic.
At the time, I didn’t know what they were. I just knew something was very, very wrong. My husband grabbed the phone from me as all I could do was howl and he dialed 9-1-1. I didn’t know what to do other than to just hold his writhing body until it calmed.
I remember after the convulsions had stopped, him looking up at me … broken … with his beautiful blue eyes and telling me not to worry.
Thankfully, the emergency services arrived very promptly and began examining him right away. My littlest one who was just a baby at the time was awake and screaming in his crib so I remember trying to answer their questions, but all the time thinking I need to get to him. My middle son was sound asleep in his bed, undisturbed by the night’s turn of events.
It was clear that my son was too exhausted to walk so the EMT’s were carrying him down the stairs when the convulsions started again. And, then I crumbled myself. Almost collapsed and I think I may have had I not been holding the baby.
I guess I thought that there would be no more since we had medical help there, but alas.
They took him out to the ambulance and it seemed an eternity before they told us they had stopped. A kindly, older EMT told me that these febrile convulsions can be the equivalent to my son running a marathon which was why he was unable to walk or barely move his legs.
Neither myself or my husband were allowed to travel in the ambulance with my son and watching it pull away was the absolute worst kind of feeling. My hubby drove close behind in his car and told me he would not let it out of his sight.
I stayed behind. At home. Panicking.
The baby was still crying so I sat down to feed him and try to collect myself before picking up the phone. I called my oldest brother first as he always knew what to do or say, but there was no answer. I next called for my mum who was staying with my other brother at the time.
As soon as I heard his voice, I couldn’t speak. I just could not get the words out. He knew something was wrong and said he would get in touch with everyone and that they were all going to head over to my house.
Later, he told me driving over to my house, he had feared the worst with regards the baby — SIDS. Never did he imagine it was my big, strong, athletic laddie.
*******************************************************************************
My son spent five days in All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg where they poked and prodded him, testing him for meningitis, encephalitis, brain tumours, cancer and more.
Thankfully, he didn’t have any more serious convulsions than those he had at home.
And, he got the most amazing care. I can not praise the doctors, nurses and staff any more.
Turns out he had the flu. The test that had been done in the doctor’s office had rendered a false negative result.
He missed almost two weeks of school and right before the state’s annual standardized testing. His class sent him Valentine’s cards telling him he they hoped he got well soon. It took a while, but he eventually did. He lost a lot of weight and it seemed to take forever for him to put it back on. After we got home from the hospital, it took him a long time to fall asleep on his own. Truth be told, it took me a long time before I would let him. To this day on some mornings, my husband and I wake to find my son has slept with his light on. And, it’s okay.
I’m so thankful for family and friends who got us through that time. My mother, brothers, sister whose daughter suffers from epilepsy, friends were all a tower of strength for me and my son.
And, today … I don’t hesitate to give my sons the flu shot every year. I’ve seen what the flu can do. And, the panic that starts to set in whenever one of them so much as gets a fever. It’s indescribable.
This post was inspired by this week’s writing workshop prompt #2 over at Josie’s fabulous blog Sleep is for the Weak.
What you said