waiting for superman

A few months ago, I saw the thought provoking film, "Waiting for Superman". It's a documentary directed by Davis Guggenheim ("An Inconvenient Truth") about the state of public and charter schools. Before you jump to any conclusions or automatically dismiss the film as propaganda, you have to admit that education in the United States needs some work.  If you can't agree to at least that, stop reading and go play your mindless video games.

Having been raised by two public school educators, I learned early on the value of a good education and have also gained some insight into the complexities of this system. My profession as a social worker has also provided me with insider knowledge about the failings or gains within the system. And thankfully, I have been the beneficiary of a positive school experience and higher education.

That being said, this film was scary, depressing, and a bit overwhelming. Clearly, it was slanted in favor of the privatization of schools. It highlighted the blockage of progress through bureaucracy, lack of resources, unions, and "bad" teachers. It made public education out to be the devil and worse yet, it inferred that public school educators were lazy, uncaring, sub-par in relation to performance, and unwilling to do what is best for their students.  Granted, there are those in the field who have legitimately checked out, those that are tired, those that are lazy, and those that are just plain bad.  But I would argue that they didn't start out that way.  I would assert that most people who go into education start with a passion for learning and have a sincere desire to make a difference in the life of a student.  How those few bad teachers get from point A to point B is another story.

I guess my frustration with the system is that it really isn't about education anymore.  It is about which political party can come up with the most ridiculous legislation and get it passed as law.  Teachers are being asked to do more with less.  They are being forced to teach to a test in order to keep their jobs.  They are being asked to take on more and more and are not being compensated nor respected.  It drives me nuts.  In other countries, educators are revered...in the US, for some reason, they are criticized.  I know that there are bad teachers, but I think that we forget about the good ones...and that to me is quite tragic.

reality check

I subscribe to a housing list serve because people are always asking me about places to live in NYC and let’s face it, it’s sometimes fun to see what is available and who’s moving in and out of the city.  I have to laugh, however, at the poor souls who have not a clue about the nightmare that is moving to and renting in NYC.  I feel sorry for the poor suckers who list things like this:

“Hi!  I’m looking for a really affordable apartment--$600 to $800. Doesn’t need furniture or anything else really.  But I would like a washer and dryer, one or two bedrooms, an elevator is preferred, and I also have a cat.”

I sometimes have to resist the urge to write to them despite not having any info on an apartment just to give them a dose of reality. 

Dear You Wish,

Most apartments in NYC are not affordable—furnished or unfurnished. Finding a one bedroom apartment for less than $1200 is nothing short of a miracle—don’t even think about getting a two bedroom for that. Washers and dryers IN the apartment?  Don’t count on it.  And your cat? You might actually have luck with that one.  For a budget of $600 to $800 anticipate sharing a bedroom and living in Inwood, Washington Heights, or in Harlem…hopefully your new roommie isn’t allergic to cats. If this is not affordable to you, you might want to consider living in an affordable city.

Best of luck,
Reality Check

five minutes of my life

4:35:00pm--Open Sephora compact to freshen up for cocktail party.  A chunk of dark green eye shadow shakes loose and spills onto my white blouse in the not-so-subtle location of my chest.

4:35:30pm--Brush it off causing it to smear and work it's way deeper into the material.  Pause.  Panic sets in.

4:36:00pm--Put down compact.  Reach for Clorox Bleach Pen in desk drawer.

4:36:15pm--Open bleach pen.  Contents from pen drip onto dark denim skirt.

4:36:30pm--Paralyzed by panic.  Can't decide what to address first.

4:37:00pm--Frantically grab a paper towel.  Open water bottle.  Spill contents onto keyboard and then onto skirt.

4:37:30pm--Mop up water paying particular attention to the bleach spot on my skirt.  (FAIL)

4:38:00pm--Use bleach pen to try to get eye shadow out.  (FAIL)

4:39:30pm--Use paper towel from above to wipe my arm.  Smear green eye shadow on the entire underside.

4:39:50pm--Laugh

never forgotten. forever grateful.

All eyes have been on the city this weekend.  And rightly so.  Ten year anniversaries are monumental.  I vividly remember September 11, 2001 and the deep sadness that I felt as the events of the day unfolded. Having just returned from New York City exactly one week prior to the attacks, I felt a tie to the city.  And having lost my father just one year before the attacks, I felt a tie to those who had now tragically lost loved ones.  I remember feeling, once again, a deep, deep sadness and intimately knew the pain and tears of those thousands of families left behind.  I knew that their story was different than mine, but the loss and heartache that came with that loss was the same.

I moved to the city less than 2 years later and have called New York City my home ever since.  My love for the city and my love for the people who reside here grows each year.  As I watch coverage of then and now, those feelings of sadness still well up.  But along with these sad memories, a sense of pride for those that willingly risked their lives on behalf of others also stirs and gratitude for the many miracles that took place & lives that were saved also surfaces.  I hope that this anniversary will remind us of what is really important--that we rededicate ourselves to love that knows no boundaries, to kindness withheld from no one, and a renewed and abiding faith in God.

mr. nyc?

I find it interesting that we herald sports figures as heroes when in fact the reason we honor them has nothing to do with true heroism.  Case in point, Derek Jeter of the NY Yankees recently became the 28^th player in baseball history to reach 3000 hits, with a homerun no less, on Saturday, July 9^th.  A tremendous accomplishment for sure, but does it earn him the title of Mr. NYC as one local paper printed this morning?  On the other hand, this type of stardom can lead to bigger and better things.  In 1996, Jeter founded The Turn 2 Foundation, a charity organization that helps children and teenagers avoid drug and alcohol addiction.  It also rewards those who demonstrate high academic achievement.  As a result of Jeter’s history making homerun, Gillette plans to donate $50K to this worthy cause.  To me, the foundation speaks more to heroism than does being an incredible athlete.  But perhaps you can’t have one without the other?  In the end, I still say that society’s priorities are a bit skiwampus.