FISH TALK

It has been said it is difficult to know what fish talk about.  They know they cannot change the water.  Fish probably talk about how they must adapt to the changes the water brings to them.  Schools can change.   The student must realize they must adapt to the changes brought to them.  

HELP MAKE A BOOK REVIEW FOR STUDENT BETTERMENT

The KC Star and local book review media such as Rainyday Books do not address the issues of Kansas City and local authors as they could.  I have written and sent book copies to said media outlets and none will respond with an interview or book review.  In fact, their silence is deafening.  I have written a book about how to support a student so he or she will realize a gain in educational success.  The media reports on how the district and proponents wish to change a district.  District change will not guarantee student success.  Student success will guarantee district change.  It takes all of us, teacher, parent, administrator, community member, to work with the student.  It takes a village to educate a child.  Start the dialogue with me at graspeducation.blogspot.com.  Help me gain a book review / interview in the Kansas City area.  You will be glad to read my book and discover at least one avenue to help our students better themselves educationally, better the school district, better the community and better our national interests.  Thanks and I look forward to your input on the blog and in starting a dialogue to change the KC district by improving student educational success.

DAILY GOAL FOR STUDENTS - 2012 PLEDGE

It is almost 2012.  Time for the schools to change from a teacher focus to a student focus.   High school administrations like to voice they are preparing the student for college or work after high school.  This is too far of a goal for a student.  Every day in school IS the life of the student.  Every day in school IS when a student should listen, learn and do what assignment is given to them.  Every day in school IS the sole goal a student should strive to achieve.  While administration is measuring a daily teacher goal per the lesson plan preparation and diversity of content.  The student has the one goal - graduate.  What a wrong scenario.  The administration must stand with the teacher, not in evaluation only, and be sure each student comprehends and completes each daily assignment.  Each day is a lesson for the student to learn as each day is the life of the student.  My plea for 2012 is for every administrator to stand beside with the teacher and look at the students as a team to get the student on the path of daily focus and completion of assignment.   Each parent and teacher should join as a team to ensure the goal for the student is daily.

PLEASE VISIT BOOK ARTICLE

There was an article about my book in the Independence Examiner.  The article was written by Frank Haight.  Please visit the webpage listed and the website for the book.  I hope to have you as a reader of my book and a regular member and contributor of this blog.  Thanks for the support.  http://www.examiner.net/news/news_columnists/x919542292/Haight-Author-hopes-students-will-G-R-A-S-P-tips-for-success

MANUFACTURING VS. SERVICE INDUSTRY SCHOOL SYSTEM

America has changed over the years from a society of manufacturing industries to service industries.   Service industry is based upon appeasing the client.  Service industry is measured on the end result, usually making a sale.  Service industry is more likely to cut corners with the client so that the end result is met.  Manufacturing industry is based upon the accountability for the assembly of the product.  Manufacturing industries are about the means along the process towards reaching an end of a well assembled and accountable product.  Public school education has changed over the same period in time.  Public school education has a means and an end.  The means is each student’s daily comprehension, understanding  and accountability towards each subject.  The means in school is to produce a student who knows each subject matter and is accountable for that gained knowledge.  The end of a public school education is the issuing of the diploma.   More emphasis is placed by school districts upon the end which translates into more diplomas awarded to students.  Less emphasis is placed upon student understanding and comprehension during the high school education.   Students are held less accountable and within lower standards for comprehension along the means.  Correct spelling, proper grammar usage, math proficiency, historical information, writing ability, scientific concepts, etc.  are not as important as it used to be when America was a manufacturing society.  Schools are educating and appeasing students towards an end of receiving a diploma only.  This is a symptom of a service industry society.   Public schools are turning into a service industry.  Public schools should revert back to a manufacturing mode to produce a better product,  accountable fully educated graduated student.   Then each end product, the student awarded a diploma, is of measurable and accountable quality this USA society deserves and requires as we progress more and more into the 21^st century.

EDUCATORS CHANGING STUDENT SCORES ON STANDARIZED TESTS

This week in Atlanta numerous teachers, administrators and superintendents were revealed to have changed students  scores on standardized tests.  The report indicated this unprofessional practice is  widespread across America and not localized to any particular geographic region.  Too many educators have only two goals in their careers.  The first goal is to reach tenure with a school district.  Then the union can give them protection through job security.  The only other goal for too many educators is retirement.  Educators submit to cheating and sub-par practices to make their student and the district meet and better achievements and set statistical data. The powers overseeing the school district often narrow their look at data, not the individual student’s comprehension of said subject material.  “Students aren't knowledgeable, and are probably lazy and procrastinate, so they cheat. These are crimes based on a lack of knowledge. It's a terrible character trait to develop” Quote by  Fran Cohen.  As my book is about character traits I fully agree with the words of Fran Cohen.  The educator is deficient and lazy while not doing their job and knowledge so the student performance is acceptable.   Educators should not only do what is expected, they must do what is correct.  Let me conclude this entry with a description of the school district the educators have made through cheating.  Sri Guru Granth Sahib wrote,  “ Cheating is eating a rotting carcass.”  

PARENT INVOLVEMENT - CLASSROOM AND THE SPORTS FIELD

Many parents are involved  in their children’s school sports.  Parents should put as much involved participation in their children’s school class room.  Football, basketball, baseball, soccer, etc. are just sports, which translate to mean a game.  School sports are like the lottery.  Each player goes into play with a certain practiced skill. Each player takes a chance at winning.  Both the lottery and school sports contests have one winner.  No matter if only two play against each other or thousands play, only one winner is victorious.  Many parents pay attention to their child participating in a sporting match or game, every inning or down, while encouraging their child to do their best at executing each task to the best of the student’s ability.  The parent yells at the top of their lung to their child how to use their skill each down, swing, kick, move, etc.  The parent does not want their child to lose their chance at being better and recognized  in sport.  The parent wants the child to be the winner.  Too many parents never pay any attention to the class room from which their child is daily educated.  Each day, hour, second every school student is influenced by some subject matter or learning experience.  School class rooms are where most of the children will be exposed to past events, present events, opinions, facts, lessons and appropriate group behavior.  The class room subject and its message is where most students will pull their future livelihood. Too many parents do not know who the teacher is leading all this knowledge exposure for their child.  Each parent and teacher must come together the same as on the sporting field and arena, and team up to make sure each student uses their skill to the best of their ability.  Education in the class room is not up to chance.  Success in the class room equates a student’s effort and the resultant achievement. Each student can be the winner.  The only competition is the student and the comprehension of the subject matter.  Pat Riley said,  ‘There are only two options regarding commitment.  You are either in or out.  There is no option in life as in-between.’  Parents must put the same effort into the daily life of their child in the class room and its curriculum as their child participating during sport.  Teachers must nurture an environment, dialogue and platform for the parent to be in full participation.

SCHOOL POLICIES ON CELL PHONES

The school district I am involved has a collective goal for the students to reach when they take the ACT college entrance test.  The collective composite score for the school should be 21.  Some of the students in  the surrounding schools have reached and surpassed this composite score goal for their school.  The teachers in my school, for the most part, would like to have cell phones and electronic items banned from the school building.  But the policy is students can use their ipods and cell phones in the hallway, common areas and lunchroom.  This is no matter if class is on or not.  Once a student is out of a classroom, electronic items can be used, no matter the time of the school day.  I reviewed the student discipline policies for the surrounding schools which had met our set goal for the composite ACT goal.  Their cell phone and electronic policy is zero tolerance.  No cell phone or ipod is to be visible or used during the school day, period.  When I related this information the comment came forth that unless further survey and data was collected there could be no correlation made between policy and the results for the ACT test.  That was not my intention.  My comment in return says my thought on the matter, 'if you wish to eat like a cheetah, run like a cheetah after cheetah food.'