In the true spirit of getting all those extra special features on the DVD or the Blu-Ray, I am going to post my unedited column here (along with a link to the edited version). How exciting! It's like you're getting a behind the scenes look. So, without further adieu, my latest column in all of its unedited splendor.
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While driving down to San Antonio to visit my parents for Thanksgiving a little over 12 weeks ago, a little pebble flew out from the back of a dump trunk and hit my windshield just directly above the inspection sticker. The damage was a 3-inch horizontal crack.
After a week passed, the crack was still there, and I had not made any attempts to have it repaired. From time to time, I would mention to my friends that I needed to get that crack fixed. But, my plate was full, and my wallet was thin. It was all about priorities. I was busy shopping for Christmas gifts, having the brakes on my car fixed, paying the dentist, and paying for my cholesterol and blood pressure prescriptions. The crack descended to the bottom of my priority list.
Today, the crack is still there, but thanks to the winter blast of 2011, it is now 12 times bigger, reaching almost completely across the span of the whole windshield. Needless to say, my priorities have shifted a little and the windshield is now near the top of my priority list.
Education (and the education system in general), it seems, has always been treated like the crack on my windshield. We talk about it a lot. We pay lip service to it all of the time. Some people speak of how the system is broken and needs to be fixed. Politicians speak of leaving no child behind or the importance of winning the science fair over winning the Super Bowl.
Unfortunately, there are going to be no winners when DISD (and other school districts across the state) start cutting teachers, counselors, and administrators. There are going to be no winners when classrooms sizes increase to fire-code-threatening levels. There are going to be no winners when entire campuses close and when fine arts programs are cut. Apparently, this seems to be okay with many of our leaders, too.
Teaching, as we know it, will change if these cuts occur (and not for the better). I can’t even begin to visualize student desks organized in any kind of way besides rows and columns. I can’t even see how there would be room for the 4 student computers that I currently have in my classroom. I have a hard time seeing how I am even going to maintain any sense of order and structure if my class size increases by 10. I am sure that many DISD teachers would agree with me in those assessments. I know many non-teachers out there don’t believe it, but teaching is hard. It will feel almost impossible next year when these cuts are implemented.
Does anybody out there even understand how this scenario could send a ripple throughout the country? The inability to successfully educate our children can only eventually lead to higher drop-out rates, crime rates, poverty rates, teen pregnancy rates, and the list goes on. This is not good for anybody, even people who don’t have children in school. Everyone is a stakeholder whether they like it or not. There is an old African proverb that says, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Sadly, this village called the USA doesn’t seem to care too much about that. There will definitely be children left behind.
Like my cracked windshield, education is being taken for granted. True, there are many problems with the educational system in America. There are many things that need to be fixed and dealt with. We could say that there is already a small crack in place, no doubt. When these cuts happen, there will be a huge crack across the windshield when all is said and done. Will we deal with it?
It is all about priorities and education just doesn’t seem to be that vital. The government will bail out the private-sector banks and huge corporations in the best interest of the economy and its citizens. Who will step in and help out our children, teachers, and schools? Taxpayers will fund a 1.2 billion dollar stadium to have the Cowboys in their backyard. But, when it comes time to pay property taxes, will they complain about it because they don’t even have a child in the school system?
Weeks ago, people from all over conglomerated here in North Texas for the Super Bowl. Tons of money was spent, pockets were lined, business owners smiled (even if the weather put a damper on it). The 2 quarterbacks that competed make million-dollar salaries. Big time companies spent an average of $100,000 per second for an advertisement during the game. I like that Obama said it, and I never expected it to come to fruition less than a month after his speech, but we’ve got a long way to go before being the winner of the science fair will take precedence over winning the Super Bowl.
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Link to the column as it appeared in the Dallas Morning News: http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/local-voices/headlines/20110218-michael-haring-when-will-we-make-education-our-top-priority.ece
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Super Waste
Soon, people from all over will be travelling to North Texas to watch the great spectacle that is the Super Bowl. Arlington spent tons of money to update their local airport in order to accommodate the influx of private planes that will be landing there. Airlines have added extra flights to accommodate all of the Super Bowl travelers. Hotels are practically booked solid. Road improvements and beautification projects have been sped up and completed so that the visitors to North Texas can remember that this area was a nice place to visit.
Over 100,000 people will attend, paying upwards of $600 a ticket for upper bowl to $900 for lower bowl (face value of course). More than likely, they will pay even more than face value for those tickets. And how much are luxury suites? Upwards of $250,000, maybe? I really don’t know for sure, but when I Googled it, that number appeared quite often as a low-end figure. I’m pretty sure it is safe to say that great amounts of green will be exchanging hands in North Texas for Super Bowl week. Just imagine. If each of the 100,000 people that attend actually only pay $600 for a ticket (which we know is a low-end estimate), that generates $60,000,000 right there. If you build it, they will come. Jerry built it, and they are coming in droves with their wallets open, ready to spend. It will be a great game I’m sure.
Companies will pay millions for their 30-second ads that will run on television during this grand spectacle. It is such a great exposure opportunity since millions of people will be sitting in their houses tuning in on their flat screen TVs, waiting for their pizza to be delivered, and for Stan to get back from his beer run. When Stan finally gets back with the beer, they will be able to rewind the DVR so that he can watch the spectacular play that he missed while he was out at the neighborhood grocery store that now has a permit to sell beer and wine, thanks to a recent city election. He won’t miss a second of what is sure to be a great game, I’m sure.
People will brag on Facebook and Twitter about how much it cost them. They will say it was worth every penny, though, and would do it again without a second thought. They will post videos of the Black Eyed Peas doing their halftime show and brag about how amazing it all was. OMG, That was a gr8 halftime show! And, it will be a great halftime show, I’m sure.
Afterwards, they’ll probably complain a little bit about the traffic situation after the game. They may even complain about $8 beers, ironically. But, deep down inside, that will just be a minor imperfection to what was a fantastic experience. They will get back in their private jets, their commercial airline, or their SUVs and travel back to wherever they came from, thinking positive thoughts of this very hospitable area. They will think to themselves, “Hmm..what a nice area. I should come back here someday.” And, the citizens and businesses of North Texas will truly be hospitable, I’m sure.
Come Monday morning, everything will be back to normal. The hotel, airline, retail and restaurant industries will be checking their ledgers and counting profits. The TV ads will be judged in all kinds of media, generating even more exposure. The NFL will start worrying about whether there will be a next year. Ted Williams will be on the news again. Diane Sawyer will host a new follow-up special to the “Congresswoman and the Astronaut.” And, school districts across the state will go back to work, trying to find ways to cut costs while still educating students. Some districts will decide to cut pre-k programs. Some will decide to cut school nurses, librarians, music teachers, and assistant principal positions. Some will increase class sizes and shut down campuses. Some may do all of the above, and more. And all of these decisions will lead to bright and successful futures for our young ones, I’m sure.
I’m as big a football fan as the next guy, but priorities are priorities, and something seems a little off center to me. Finland and Korea, watch out! Here we come!
Over 100,000 people will attend, paying upwards of $600 a ticket for upper bowl to $900 for lower bowl (face value of course). More than likely, they will pay even more than face value for those tickets. And how much are luxury suites? Upwards of $250,000, maybe? I really don’t know for sure, but when I Googled it, that number appeared quite often as a low-end figure. I’m pretty sure it is safe to say that great amounts of green will be exchanging hands in North Texas for Super Bowl week. Just imagine. If each of the 100,000 people that attend actually only pay $600 for a ticket (which we know is a low-end estimate), that generates $60,000,000 right there. If you build it, they will come. Jerry built it, and they are coming in droves with their wallets open, ready to spend. It will be a great game I’m sure.
Companies will pay millions for their 30-second ads that will run on television during this grand spectacle. It is such a great exposure opportunity since millions of people will be sitting in their houses tuning in on their flat screen TVs, waiting for their pizza to be delivered, and for Stan to get back from his beer run. When Stan finally gets back with the beer, they will be able to rewind the DVR so that he can watch the spectacular play that he missed while he was out at the neighborhood grocery store that now has a permit to sell beer and wine, thanks to a recent city election. He won’t miss a second of what is sure to be a great game, I’m sure.
People will brag on Facebook and Twitter about how much it cost them. They will say it was worth every penny, though, and would do it again without a second thought. They will post videos of the Black Eyed Peas doing their halftime show and brag about how amazing it all was. OMG, That was a gr8 halftime show! And, it will be a great halftime show, I’m sure.
Afterwards, they’ll probably complain a little bit about the traffic situation after the game. They may even complain about $8 beers, ironically. But, deep down inside, that will just be a minor imperfection to what was a fantastic experience. They will get back in their private jets, their commercial airline, or their SUVs and travel back to wherever they came from, thinking positive thoughts of this very hospitable area. They will think to themselves, “Hmm..what a nice area. I should come back here someday.” And, the citizens and businesses of North Texas will truly be hospitable, I’m sure.
Come Monday morning, everything will be back to normal. The hotel, airline, retail and restaurant industries will be checking their ledgers and counting profits. The TV ads will be judged in all kinds of media, generating even more exposure. The NFL will start worrying about whether there will be a next year. Ted Williams will be on the news again. Diane Sawyer will host a new follow-up special to the “Congresswoman and the Astronaut.” And, school districts across the state will go back to work, trying to find ways to cut costs while still educating students. Some districts will decide to cut pre-k programs. Some will decide to cut school nurses, librarians, music teachers, and assistant principal positions. Some will increase class sizes and shut down campuses. Some may do all of the above, and more. And all of these decisions will lead to bright and successful futures for our young ones, I’m sure.
I’m as big a football fan as the next guy, but priorities are priorities, and something seems a little off center to me. Finland and Korea, watch out! Here we come!
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