Michelle O & The Unlunchables

[Gusgusgus]

Who elected this OBESE hypocrite? None of the previous First Ladies inserted themselves into policy. Laura Bush "encouraged" reading, Nancy Reagan "encouraged" drug abstinence, Ladybird Johnson "encouraged" beautification of America.

[kbot]

I think that the key word is "encouraged". What we have now is a carry-over of the cradle-to-grace dictates and the application of the philosophy where it affects kids. "Get 'em while they're young..." I guess.......

[Cherry Kelly]

Ah yes, the "so called" lunches at schools. Many are now saying NO to Michelle's demands.

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Now watch the schools lose other fed gov't monies??

When in school lunch programs, had special Friday's with choice of pizza or other specials. We even got to vote on what was desired for the Friday specials. Had terrific cooks and great meals. We also had recess every day -- when the weather was bad - the gyms became recess places. We also had PE every day as well.

[Riddick]

We also had PE every day as well.

IMHO as much or more than merely nutritional concerns, PE done right would be a great general health promoter. Unfortunately all too often, as was true in my up to 8th grade parochial educational experience, in large part PE was used as a de facto farm system for its institutional sports programs.

Rather than based around activities building up an individual's basic skills, classes were essentially extended practice sessions for the school's teams. Now, being far less than a natural for athletic competition, it was among the least of my personal pursuit interests. And it wasn't me alone, folks! -

While not always drop dead last to be picked for teams in PE class? Lemme tellya, being constantly held to judgment in such a way didn't do dick for me either as a confidence OR an enthusiasm builder.

[Raggedyann]

IMHO as much or more than merely nutritional concerns, PE done right would be a great general health promoter. Unfortunately all too often, as was true in my up to 8th grade parochial educational experience, in large part PE was used as a de facto farm system for its institutional sports programs.

Rather than based around activities building up an individual's basic skills, classes were essentially extended practice sessions for the school's teams. Now, being far less than a natural for athletic competition, it was among the least of my personal pursuit interests. And it wasn't me alone, folks! -

While not always drop dead last to be picked for teams in PE class? Lemme tellya, being constantly held to judgment in such a way didn't do dick for me either as a confidence OR an enthusiasm builder.

I skipped PE every chance I got. I was lousy at competitive sports and had no interest in it. We had dance lessons at my school and I thoroughly enjoyed this activity.

[Riddick]

I skipped PE every chance I got. I was lousy at competitive sports and had no interest in it. We had dance lessons at my school and I thoroughly enjoyed this activity.

Sadly, we didn't have dancing lessons available, or anything akin to that. Less so now, yet insofar a significant puritanical streak was still in place when I attended parochial school, any near-onto sinful "fun" was not to be encouraged by Lutheran Church Missouri Synod officials or its lay membership -

Not to say there were NO options open to students! We could engage in any one of the thoroughly enjoyable activities sanctioned by the church. OTOH, to decline all such generous offers, especially taking part in any extracurricular sports programs, was taken as suffering from social maladjustment.

'Be yourself'? NOT an option! Fit into the mold, whatever it takes? THERE's the right choice... My dad said schools were indoctrination centers: I'd say public, private, parochial, each in their way still are.

[kbot]

'Be yourself'? NOT an option! Fit into the mold, whatever it takes? THERE's the right choice... My dad said schools were indoctrination centers: I'd say public, private, parochial, each in their way still are.

Of course they are - society demands it, and then society isn't satisfied with the results.

Our "basic demand" is that our kids get an education. And, for most of our country's history, the one-room schoolhouse filed the void well. Some very small towns still have single room schoolhouses, although the number is dropping dramatically.

Then came the age of industrialization and two things happened. The first was the rise in larger public schools with its standardized/ organized curriculum, and then not too far after that, the rise of the parochial school system developed as a consequence of the mass immigration starting in the 1850s, and peaking in the early 20th century.

Then came the mother of all bureaucracies - the US Dept of Education, which codified into law the demands of the new educational models and, now, the rush to the bottom mentality that we are currently blessed with.

Here in Massachusetts, we have this concept called net school spending. Not sure exactly what it is, except that I'll hear the local school administrators citing the concept frequently, but, it appears to be a budgetary item - how the local school departments are funded by the taxpayers. And, each year it increases. Of course, measured performance DECREASES, but that's another matter entirely.

The parochial schools have mostly closed. Lay teachers don't want to work with restrictive contracts - "Live the lifestyle embodied by the (fill-in-the denomination) Church", and parents don't want their kids abused by clergy that, for the most part, are numerically much smaller than a couple of generations ago - as are the nuns who used to teach in these schools. No one, it seems wants to be a priest or a nun anymore, however, there are some orders of priest and nuns that are doing dramatically well in recent years with vocations growing - however, for many, the focus is not in education as it was in the 19th and 20th centuries.

So, now we get teachers who invariably go on strike just as school is about to start, high failure rates, classes where kids are passed just to get them out of the grade and eventually end-up functionally illiterate, trying to pass college level courses where they can't read or compose coherent thoughts on paper.

And, as opposed to our earlier educational models that struck a balance between the country's history and general education, while managing to instill some moral precepts - even in a public school setting, this is no longer the case as history has been reduced to the Reader's Digest/ Cliff Notes version and most other subjects reduced to a "teach-to-the-test" standard leaving no time for in-depth exploration of a given subject since, "time waits for no one" and there's always another standardized test around the corner. And basic morals and ethics - as rudimentary a subject in the 19th and early 20th century as could be "taught - usually by way of example, such as through recitation of the pledge of allegiance and school prayer, rather than a standard course, are now "morally objectionable", resulting in threats of lawsuits with the subsequent suspension of any such teaching by cowed administrators.

Finally, when students do graduate from college, they are saddled with student loans that they most probably can't pay off because they can't find jobs in the chosen profession because no one in college explained to them that while it will take them years to complete the program, the job market in that field is abysmal - "but we'll gladly take your money anyway...."

[Cherry Kelly]

Hmm our PE classes in grade school consisted of such things as sit-ups, jumping jacks, run around (sometimes just walk around) our small gym. (Boys and girls separate PE classes.) As we got older, yes we did some sports too. But by the end of grade school years if we were active in sports, we did not have PE. We had different sports and by Jr and Sr high the only ones in PE were those not in the different sports. Sports according to the various seasons. -- Tennis, volleyball, basketball, softball (for girls and baseball for guys), golfing, track, etc.

[kbot]

Here in Mass we have this new thing -"structured recess". What the HECK is that about?????

But, this is what we've come to....

Parents say Stoughton school taking fun out of recess - See more at: http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/2 ... CKSbF.dpuf

STOUGHTON – Long gone are the days of playing kick ball, chasing your friends around the schoolyard or climbing the monkey bars.Structured recess, which started at West School as a pilot program at the beginning of last school year, has remained in place this year. And the plan is for it to continue next year, even though some parents and their children aren’t happy about it. The elementary school children now have limited recess options and must choose what game they want to play before going outside. And, parents say, after they choose, they can’t change their minds. The program began last fall at West Elementary School, even though the four other kindergarten-through-grade 5 schools in town opt for free play. This year’s school improvement plan for West includes the “continued development and implementation of an organized recess program that supports inclusion of all students, peer relations, conflict resolution strategies.” Last year’s improvement plan revealed the implementation of a “structured recess program,” set to launch in the fall of 2013. Next year’s improvement plan presented a few weeks ago to the School Committee again lists organized recess. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines recess as “regularly scheduled periods within the elementary school day for unstructured physical activity and play.” The Stoughton schools student-and-parent handbook for this year states: “We realize that time on the playground allows children an opportunity to release their energy.” School Committee Chairman Erdem Ural said he could see the benefits to either type of recess, but the committee didn’t rule on the pilot program. “The superintendent has never brought it to a School Committee meeting, so we haven’t made any decisions,” he said. Superintendent Marguerite Rizzi did not return multiple emails or phone calls. West Principal Margaret Morgan, who decided on the program for her school, could not be reached for comment. She said by email last Monday that she would be available, but did not return any further phone calls or emails. Sherri Jones, whose son is in third grade at West, said she was on the Parent Teacher Organization at the school last year. She vaguely remembers the topic coming up. “It’s sad,” she said. “He can’t stand it. He misses free play. It was only supposed to be temporary.” Julie Reed’s son isn’t a fan, either. Her son told her his play options are usually three ball games, four square, wall ball and basketball, or jump rope.

http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/2 ... /141126303

Sounds like a way for the staff at the school to do less than in prior years. Never mind that the concept is contrary to the guidance of groups such as the CDC........

[Riddick]

Here in Mass we have this new thing -"structured recess". What the HECK is that about?????

But, this is what we've come to....[/B]

Parents say Stoughton school taking fun out of recess - See more at: http://www.enterprisenews.com/article/2 ... CKSbF.dpuf

Idiotic at first glance, insofar limited choices embrace the race to the bottom mentality, this makes sense... Why has it come to that anything important in this country has been reduced in choice, our education system sucks, and why will it never ever be fixed? America's real owners like it that way!

So much they're preserved for posterity, a lot can be learned from the lectures of "Professor Carlin"...

[kbot]

I can't believe that people like it this way. I think that a lot of changes are being forced down the throats of parents and towns with threats of legal action or strikes, if viewpoints are not upheld and supported.

But I also think that people are reaching their own peculiar breaking points. School vouchers are catching-on, as are charter schools and even home schooling is taking off. I explored a home-school based Latin class and started working on it, but got sidetracked. I think that with kids and parental supervision, a home-school program can be superior to what we have now: just follow the guidelines and meet the benchmarks set by the school board.

But, between issues such as Common Core, standardized testing, MCAS, "healthy" lunches, "structured recesses", no officially-sanction/ politically correct observances of any kind, regularly scheduled teacher strikes - the list goes on and on - I think that we'll see more parents take a more active role in shaping their kid's education and worldview. I think that as Baby Boomers have aged, and delved into their kid's and now grandkid's school experiences, they are shocked to learn that so much of what we learned and accepted as "important", has been discarded/ revised and minimized to approach the realm of unimportance. I can't believe that this has occurred in a vacuum.......

[Cherry Kelly]

taking fun out of recess -- parents should "storm the schoolhouse" and demand kids have REAL recess.

[Riddick]

I can't believe that people like it this way.

It doesn't matter if they like it or not, all that's important is America's real owners like it - Und DAT is all da people need to know!

I think that as Baby Boomers have aged, and delved into their kid's and now grandkid's school experiences, they are shocked to learn that so much of what we learned and accepted as "important", has been discarded/ revised and minimized to approach the realm of unimportance. I can't believe that this has occurred in a vacuum.......

Mebbe less IN a vacuum than WITH a vacuum

Even as they say don't believe everything you hear? It may be hard to fathom, but folks better believe that sucking sound is everything the Middle Class has believed in all these years being taken away...

To paraphrase Carlin, never more has it been the American Dream needs folks be asleep to believe it.

[kbot]

I still say that a lot of this is the result of the American currency not being linked to precious metals. Ever since the government stopped backing the dollar with gold, inflation has soared.

My parent's small cottage, that my father bought post WWII for $5,500 now fetches easily over $100K, and everyone knows about the rise in food costs and virtually everything else.

Granted, a LOT of prices have to do with mark-ups - how else to explain the price for a shirt my wife bought for me recently at JC Penny's that was "originally priced at $38.50, now on sale for $9.00....."? AND, you just know that at nine bucks that they are still making a profit...... because all the needle trades jobs are now overseas.

We can't all work in the service industries because the jobs aren't there. And for those jobs that there are, they pay crap with hardly any benefits.

The other day, we just had two new techs start - both are already working two other jobs, and this is their third job they're trying to hold down. Healthcare used to be a field where people could come in and pretty much figure that they'd have a job for life, but those days are going fast as healthcare organizations respond to the demands of insurers who drop their reimbursement rates, and in turn pull back employment from full time with benefits to anything but.

I think that, as a country, we are heading towards critical mass with high unemployment, an increased demand for more immigration, more fracturing of society (single-parent homes, latchkey kids, record incarceration rates, a withered shell of manufacturing base.....) combined with a government run by the extremists on both sides who don't know the meaning of the word "compromise".

And now the cops and civilians are going at it - only now the cops have been armed by Homeland Security.......

If nothing else, it's gonna be an interesting next few years........

[Cherry Kelly]

ya prices - meat and while one can understand some can be connected to the drought in the west, with the lower cost of transportation - doesn't add up.

Then on Jan 1st - the ACA (ObamaCare) rates go up and the taxes to those who did not take it. Sound ehh for a year, but there is this other bit a lot of people did not read. So much per person - or so much % of their gross - whichever is higher. One report (now missing off net) was IRS smiling about getting more $$ from those who did not sign up. (Hmm where will that go?)

kbot- local nurse sounds almost like what you said about new people at the hospital. She is not old enough to retire (but has enough years as a nurse) -- and has had her work hours cut but it still expected to do all the work she currently does. She is a therapy specialist and it will mean less therapy time for each of the patients.