School success isn’t about race; it’s about parents | Other voices - The News Tribune

School success isn’t about race; it’s about parents Other voices - The News Tribune

This is an enlightening piece in the News Tribune.

Tired of Education by Legislation

The Washington State Legislature is busy working on new ed "reform." Fifteen years ago or so, when I was still relatively new to education, that was the first time they laid "reform" on me. At that point they gave us the EALRs and the WASL. I was happy because I saw this as a more "authentic" measure of student progress, unlike the "bubble tests" popular at the time. Kids with learning disabilities struggled with those tests, trying to track where to mark their answers on the answer sheets. That was just plain cruel.

Now, after years I can describe only as miserable while trying to meet those standards, I am eager to see WASL's behind slinking down the hallway in utter failure. Veteran teachers I worked with at the dawn of WASL predicted it would eventually be gone and forgotten. They were right, but it took longer than they expected. I am anxious to see what takes its place.

Of course, my confidence has taken a major hit in recent years as I struggled to get my students up to snuff in the key subject areas, especially after the push of the Education and Secondary Education Act, otherwise known as "No Child Left Behind." I shall stick with the official title, abbreviated as ESEA. All I can say is, if the head cheerleader for ESEA is a model for what we hope for its goals, good luck. Test scores, especially a single, high stakes test given once a year are not the best way to measure the growth of children. The results of such tests are no way to measure the effectiveness of a teacher, either.

A few years back, I was singled out because my class did well on the Reading part of the WASL. I was quizzed as to my teaching methods, and it seemed I was thought of as some sort of fount of wisdom. The same year, my students' Math scores tanked. My response was, "If I take credit for those reading scores, I have to take credit for the math scores. No thank you. There are too many other variables at work here."

So, now I'm in the position of wondering, "When will this latest legislation fade into the black hole of "reform."

Birding or Bird Watching?

I have yet to really embrace the verb "to bird." I grew up knowing it as bird watching because that's what Dad called it. Many bird enthusiasts have embraced the verb, as well as the noun "birder." I tolerated that for some time, but not now.

About twelve years ago I took the Master Birding course from my local chapter of Audubon. It was a great course, with the identification classes taught by Dennis Paulson, a nationally recognized authority on shorebirds. Upon finishing the course, I was officially a Master Birder. Cool.

About four years later I was meeting some neighbors of my in-laws. One of them found my being a Master Birder to be quite hilarious, due to the fact that the term sounds similar to an activity not usually discussed in polite company. I am no longer a Master Birder. Nor am I a Master Bird Watcher. I'm just a bird watcher.

Even though I completed a course which entitled me to the rating of master, I've never really felt like a master. Advanced intermediate maybe, but not master. Frankly, I don't know how some of my classmates have found the time in their lives to get the bird identification practice needed to become as proficient as some of them have. I'm more than just a little jealous!

Winter Hummingbirds

I continue to be amazed at the resiliance of the Anna's Hummingbird. One or more always seem to hang around my feeder throughout the winter. When the weather turns really cold (around here that means anything below freezing) I always expect they will disappear and not return. I don't understand why these birds don't freeze solid in such weather. Those tiny little bodies, they have so little mass to them. Wouldn't they lose heat so quickly as to become hypothermic during the long cold night?

Thinking of this reminds me once again of the complexity and fragility of our world, and the impact we have on it. Humans have made more negative impacts on the natural systems and cycles of Earth than any other living thing. In fact the only thing I can think of that possibly can eclipse human despoliation of the planet is an asteroid impact or our Sun reaching supernova status.

There is one thing which makes an impact greater than any. Our global population is now beyond six billion individual lives, yet their are so many among those masses who believe they must procreate beyond all practical guidelines. Often they believe so for religious reasons, sometimes they are driven by perceived economic benefits. In wealthy nations they can afford to say, "I want to have lots of kids!" just because it sounds fun or is thought to be rewarding in some non-economic way. And our government rewards such thinking through yearly tax credits.

Then there is the philosophy that we must have a continuously growing population to keep our economy healthy, which I have long believed sounds like the biggest pyramid scheme in the history of the world. Or maybe it's the purveyors of actual pyramid schemes who advance this plan as a way to ensure there continued economic security. But it's always the ones at the bottom of the pyramid who wind up suffering, and in the global pyramid those will be the impoverished and powerless.

Romney's Religion Speech

Mitt Romney today defended his Mormon faith in public. Among other things he argued that many citizens are trying to remove use of the word "God" from the public arena. He went on to say, "It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America -- the religion of secularism. They are wrong."

What Romney has forgotten is that there are religions which do not believe in "God." Buddhists do not have a capital G "God," although I understand some elevate Buddha to the status of a god. Shintoists also lack the capital G "God," as do the Taoists and Confucianists (alright, I admit their is some debate about whether the latter group is actually part of a religion). There are others who practice religions with no god, capital G or otherwise. Removing the word "God" from the public arena would be fair, not secular.

Religious Reactionaries

The latest radical Islamic brouhaha occurring in Sudan convinces me more than ever that religious conservatives of any stripe are out of their minds. In our country they call themselves things like Moral Majority and Aryan Nations. In Afghanistan they are known as the Taliban, and the only thing preventing our zealots from ruling like the former leaders of that nation is something called the Constitution of the United States.

I remember well when I first learned of the atrocities being committed in Afghanistan in the name of Islam. The law or principles known as Sharia were responsible for the justification of public beheadings and chopping off hands. I first saw a picture of an Afghan man holding up a hand dangling from a string, sporting a very pleased grin. Another picture showed a woman dressed in a burkha on her knees in the street being verbally attacked by men for whatever her perceived immoral behavior was. Judgement was passed summarily in Afghanistan in those bad old days, not much opportunity for legal appeal.

A British teacher is in jail in Sudan presently for allowing her students to name a stuffed bear "Mohammed." This is perceived as an insult to Islam. She was sentenced to fifteen days in jail, which is apparently pretty horrific in Sudan. She could have faced forty lashes, and today protesters filled the streets calling for her execution.

When the American press referred to the young California man captured while fighting for the enemy in Afghanistan as "the American Taliban," my first thought was, "No! Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson are the American Taliban!" Truly, if people of their ilk could have their way America would quickly become as medieval as any conservative Islamic Republic. My wife once dated a man who told her that according to the bible all homosexuals should be killed. He is also an American Taliban. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who run a website called GodHatesFags.com, among other bigoted activities could also be potential members of our Taliban.

Do you have any nominees for the American Taliban?

Those Rotten Seattle People!

This morning in a local paper a reader whined about the passage of HJR 4204. The whining was aimed at Seattle, the great satan of Washington state. Anytime a statewide office goes to a Democrat, or a ballot issue perceived as "liberal" passes, the shrill complaining begins. "Seattle has too much power!" It's not fair that the Seattle liberals always get what they want!" Cue the tantrum.

The reader in question proposed that a change be made to our state legislative system. Rather than each legislative district electing two representatives and one senator, that senators be elected by county. This certainly would reflect the makeup of the U.S. Congress, but that's not necessarily good. Any time you give a group power disproportionate to its size, you have an unfair situation. I would rather see our legislature go unicameral than switch to the county senator system.

One common argument for the supermajority is that it is needed to "protect property owners." In fact, the only people it protects are people opposed to any issue which requires more than a fifty-percent plus one majority to pass.

What makes me happiest about the victory of 4204 is knowing that school levy opponents may finally have to actively campaign to get what they want. For years school staff have been asked to donate money and time to pass school levies. This change in law eases some of the pressure on them and transfers it to the people who want to eliminate a major source of school funding.

Please, don't suggest that the legislature "fully funding" education is the solution to the levy problem, not getting rid of the supermajority. I would be entirely happy to get rid of levies altogether if the legislature ever comes up with a fair system to fully fund K-12 education in Washington. Until then, the simple majority should rule.

Global Idiocy

Global warming and global economy. Separate concepts, right? But is the global economy driving global warming?

Free trade agreements are the fertilizer for the global economy tree. The idea is that there be no restrictions to trade between nations. Laissez-faire for the world, more or less. Of course, that puts nations where government regulates industry at a disadvantage, like the United States. Mega-nations like China pump out products containing toxic substances, ship them around the world, and the industry regulations that protect American consumers from these products are rendered null and void. At the same time, the EPA regs designed to keep our air clean and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are weakened because so much manufacturing is done where there is no EPA.

All of this could create pressure to rescind many laws designed to improve the quality of life in our nation. That fits my definition of idiocy.

Security for My Homeland

My perception of what homeland security means is not what the Department of Homeland Security wants it to be. DHS wants me to worry about fluids and zip lock bags. I actually worry about the security of our food supply. DHS wants me to worry about how to prepare for a terrorist attack. I actually worry about keeping foreign terrorists from entering our country on foot across our northern or southern borders. Why do we never hear about these issues?

Food security is a huge issue. We are becoming more and more dependent on overseas sources for our food. As our farms become less valuable for producing food, their value as residential or commercial real estate increases under our current system of zoning and property taxes. The fertile valley farmland in and around my community is disappearing. New housing developments or commercial centers are springing up. Obviously, we need places for people to live. Those people will need places to work and shop. Is it impossible to meet those needs without gobbling up farmland?

No. It is possible, and necessary. We must insure a stable supply of food right here at home. While it may be cheaper to import food, I do not believe it can ever be as secure as food produced in our own communities can be. We have no control over production methods overseas. We do not know how safely food is secured during the transportation process over thousands of miles, possibly through multiple ports.

These concerns help explain why I now buy much more locally produced food than before. It doesn't hurt that the food is fresher and tastes better. Freshly picked strawberries and tomatoes beat the large grocery store versions hands down. It is more expensive to buy the produce I buy, but it is money well spent.

It is not as if we are starving in this country. I wonder if the rate of obesity among Wal Mart shoppers and their families is greater than at "higher priced" grocery stores. Are those shoppers merely reacting to the always low prices by purchasing and consuming more than necessary? It is apparently true that lower income groups tend to have a higher rate of obesity. I certainly can't prove the low price connection, but it's worth thinking about. That cheap food tends to come from large farm conglomerates through large corporations, often from places far away. Much of it is highly processed, which generally has a negative impact on nutrition and health. We use large amounts of fuel transporting the food to where it will be used. The fuel we are so dependent on the Middle East for. And no, drilling in ANWR won't solve that problem.

What is our collective paranoia doing to us socially? Recently, birders posting to the listserv called Tweeters have been relating stories of being accosted by security workers near some corporate sites. Their transgression? Looking at and photographing birds using high powered optics while on public property. Some have suggested that potential terrorist attacks are the reason for the security concerns. Others cite corporate espionage. Personally, I doubt either type of scoundrel would be as obvious as a bird watcher with a giant scope or lens on a big sturdy tripod stumbling around a popular birding spot.

If you really want to make good use of our military, bring them home and use them to patrol our porous borders. I figure if poor, unarmed Mexicans looking for work can get into the U.S., it should be no problem for heavily armed, well-funded terrorists. Besides, we would solve two problems: terrorists infiltrating the homeland, and illegal immigrants competing for American jobs. Three problems solve, really: We would start to lose that reputation as an imperialist bully we have so deservedly earned in recent years.

Hummers Are Back

Last August while our house was being painted I took down my two hummingbird feeders. Just recently, I cleaned one of them in preparation for putting it back out, but was in no hurry, since it had already been a long time waiting.

Today, while working in the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of a hummingbird through a steam covered window. It was checking out one of my seed feeders, which is painted bright red. I instantly started brewing some nectar to put out in one of my feeders. After allowing it to cool down a bit, I put the nectar in the feeder and hung it up. Within one minute, there were two hummers using the feeder!

Wildlife First

In recent weeks there have been two stories in the papers about wildlife threats to pets. One was local, the other from another part of the country. The wildlife in one story was coyotes, in the other, raccoons. In both stories, family pets had been killed and badly wounded in encounters with these animals. In both stories there was much hand-wringing about how to protect pets and children from marauding predators.

I have a plan for people concerned about the safety of family and beloved household companions. First, do not let your small children or pets outside unsupervised. Never allow pets to just roam the neighborhood. Second, do not leave food for pets outside. It will attract the aforementioned animals, not to mention rats, opossums, et al. Third, keep your garbage in a tightly closed container in a secure location. Fourth, if you feed birds, set your feeders up in such a way as to be inaccessible to undesirable wildlife. There are many clever devices on the market to assist you. Clean up beneath your feeders regularly.

As to my first point, it is especially common for cats to be allowed to roam. There are many problems with this. Not only are cats easy prey for predatory wildlife, if they happen upon a cat-hating dog the result could be the same. A fight with another cat can end badly as well. How often have you seen a dead cat by the side of the road? I don't think many of them died from natural causes. Also, I hope you keep your cuddly kitty up to date on vaccinations for those random encounters with other domestic felines, or worse, feral cats.

So far, I've only mentioned the dangers to cats roaming, but there are other problems. About twenty years ago I acquired a beautiful male grey tabby cat. He was a stray, brought home by my then roommate. At the time he was my only model for cat care, and he always let his cats roam. So I let Billy roam. I thought, "This is great! He barely ever uses the litter box." What I didn't really think about was what he was using. The neighbor's flower bed, or a child's sandbox for example. I imagine he found all sorts of wonderful scratching posts around the neighborhood as well. Years later, when a landlord told me Billy would need to be kept inside, I was unhappy about the inconvenience, but I eventually learned that it was for his own welfare, and I had been selfish by letting him roam free. A smart veterinarian would tell you the same thing.

Then there is the damage they do to native songbirds and small mammals, such as rabbits and squirrels. Domestic cats stalk these animals not because they need to eat, but because it is their instinct to do so. So, well fed, pampered pets hunt down and kill wild birds that are just trying to survive and feed their young. Millions of them die this way every year.

Many communities already have laws about roaming animals. They just aren't always applied to cats. Here is part of the law in my town:

8.12.020 Impounding authority – Care.

It is unlawful for the owner or person having control or custody of any dog, cat, or other animal to allow such dog, cat, or other animal to enter or trespass upon private property without the express permission of the owner or caretaker of such property. Any such dog, cat or other animal may be seized and impounded. (Ord. 2463 § 1, 1995; Ord. 293 § 3, 1904)

In the end I have just this to say: Take care of your pets. Be responsible and protect them. I will feel sorry if I hear that your dog or cat died in some horrible and unnecessary way, but you, the pet owner, will get little sympathy from me.

Cackling Geese

For a couple of weeks now I've been observing a large flock of geese on my way to work. They have been reliably found in a field between the Picha family farm stand and Sterino Brothers farms in Puyallup. There have been at least 300 and maybe as many as 500 present each time I've gone by.

At first I took them to be all Canada Geese, mostly of some of the small subspecies such as that known as "Cackling" Canada Geese. Just by chance I learned how completely out of touch I am with the world of bird science by reading a post to the Tweeters mailing list I subscribe to. Cackling Geese are now considered a separate species!

Cackling Geese are actually nearly identical in their markings to Canada Geese. The white "chin strap" and black head are iconic. The mainly grey-tan coloration of the body and wings initially appears the same. The most obvious difference to the untrained eye is size. "Cacklers" seem closer in size to a Mallard than a Canada Goose. But there are other differences. The shape of the head, length and shape of beak, the color of the breast feathers. Canada Geese are fairly light breasted. Cackling Geese are noticeably darker breasted. See the picture and compare the size, head, and beak of the Canada Goose at the back to the Cackling Geese in front.

Western Scrub Jay

Less than half an hour ago I pulled into my driveway, opened the door, and started gathering my things, when a flash of blue swooped into the yard and landed on the garage. The Western Scrub Jay looked around warily, then hopped the short distance down to my tray feeder. It paused just long enough to grab my camera from the floor of my pickup and snap a picture. It then flew to a nearby tree and on to a taller tree where it was out of sight.

Over the past five years or so, I've watched this species becoming more and more common in our community. It wasn't that long ago that the farthest north it had been reported was Olympia. They seem to be quite happy around human development, so I find myself wondering if that is a factor in expanding their range. I am not personally aware of reported sightings of this species in local undeveloped areas.