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Whew! TGIFF - no that's not a typo, but rather Thank God It's Friggin' Friday! It's been a very long week for a short holiday week. Somehow it never quite seems like a "break" when you have to go back to work and accomplish in 32 hours what you usually have 40 hours to accomplish!
Whew! TGIFF - no that's not a typo, but rather Thank God It's Friggin' Friday! It's been a very long week for a short holiday week. Somehow it never quite seems like a "break" when you have to go back to work and accomplish in 32 hours what you usually have 40 hours to accomplish!
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Cam went back to school (finally) yesterday. He had a longer than usual summer break as the middle school was undergoing significant renovations this summer - renovations that aren't yet complete, but at least the classrooms are finished and all of the lockers have locks.
I'm a bit apprehensive about this school year. Last year was a constant struggle, not only with Cam but with some of his teachers as well. The school has excellent on-line parental resources - the district has a parent portal with "real time" grading and the school itself has a homework assignment link. This should be exactly what I need to keep a thumb on my "Give him an inch he'll run a friggin' marathon" kid, however it requires that the teaching staff actually UPDATE the resources in a regular and timely manner - the component that was missing last year.
*sigh* We'll see ...
Cam went back to school (finally) yesterday. He had a longer than usual summer break as the middle school was undergoing significant renovations this summer - renovations that aren't yet complete, but at least the classrooms are finished and all of the lockers have locks.
I'm a bit apprehensive about this school year. Last year was a constant struggle, not only with Cam but with some of his teachers as well. The school has excellent on-line parental resources - the district has a parent portal with "real time" grading and the school itself has a homework assignment link. This should be exactly what I need to keep a thumb on my "Give him an inch he'll run a friggin' marathon" kid, however it requires that the teaching staff actually UPDATE the resources in a regular and timely manner - the component that was missing last year.
*sigh* We'll see ...
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It appears the issues with the debit card number theft have all but resolved themselves. All but the three smallest charges (totalling $25.90) were reversed before posting to my checking account. I'll have to call the bank this morning to have those last 3 charges reversed, file a police report this weekend, fill out and return the affidavit the bank sent to me, get a replacement debit card, and we'll all live happily ever after - just like the Big Bad Wolf - or not!
It appears the issues with the debit card number theft have all but resolved themselves. All but the three smallest charges (totalling $25.90) were reversed before posting to my checking account. I'll have to call the bank this morning to have those last 3 charges reversed, file a police report this weekend, fill out and return the affidavit the bank sent to me, get a replacement debit card, and we'll all live happily ever after - just like the Big Bad Wolf - or not!
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Do you remember my Do You Have A Hall Pass post? The one where I discussed my views on the Senator James T. Meeks (I), 15th District, proposed "boycott" of Chicago Public Schools? I have no doubt some of you do *giggle*
Well, the proposed week-long boycott lasted two days. Day one - where it was expected 4000 students from CPS would board buses and register at the "privileged" New Trier High School - resulted in approximately 1500 completed registration packets. In other words, even though there was plenty of media attention, and transportation was provided, less than 1/2% of the CPS students participated. Hmmmm ...
Day two - where those same students were going to fill the lobby's of large, downtown high rise buildings to gain additional support, drew less than 500 participants, many of whom - when asked - had no idea what they were even protesting. Hmmmm ...
Not only that, but CPS lost roughly $50,000 in state school funding due to the attendance issues that resulted from this boycott. Hmmmm ...
Only time will tell if this boycott was successful and Illinois will address, and actually change, the ways in which public schools are funded, but based on current results, I have to wonder if this wasn't an attempt for Senator James T. Meeks to do a little campaigning rather than an actual attempt at change.
Do you remember my Do You Have A Hall Pass post? The one where I discussed my views on the Senator James T. Meeks (I), 15th District, proposed "boycott" of Chicago Public Schools? I have no doubt some of you do *giggle*
Well, the proposed week-long boycott lasted two days. Day one - where it was expected 4000 students from CPS would board buses and register at the "privileged" New Trier High School - resulted in approximately 1500 completed registration packets. In other words, even though there was plenty of media attention, and transportation was provided, less than 1/2% of the CPS students participated. Hmmmm ...
Day two - where those same students were going to fill the lobby's of large, downtown high rise buildings to gain additional support, drew less than 500 participants, many of whom - when asked - had no idea what they were even protesting. Hmmmm ...
Not only that, but CPS lost roughly $50,000 in state school funding due to the attendance issues that resulted from this boycott. Hmmmm ...
Only time will tell if this boycott was successful and Illinois will address, and actually change, the ways in which public schools are funded, but based on current results, I have to wonder if this wasn't an attempt for Senator James T. Meeks to do a little campaigning rather than an actual attempt at change.
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15 comments:
It was a big publicity stunt to get meeks on the national stage.
He doesn't give a rats ass about anything exceptt his political career.
Meeks may be an asshole, but in politics, free press is the best press.
Good luck to Cam. Ryno had "issues" late last year. So far, so good, this year. Cheers Hot One!!
If this parent portal had existed when I was in highschool I would have been a far better student. Assuming the teachers held up their end. It sounds like a great idea.
I feel sorry for those kids. Since the 1/2% doesn't sound like a big deal to anyone, maybe those kids should just go ahead and attend the privileged school. They were the ones who cared enough after all.
I'll second the TGIFF!!
I didn't get that "boycott" thing either, sounds like it wasn't successful at all. No shocker there.
Good luck with school. Realtime grades, I could have used that with my eldest!
TGIFF indeed!
As for the Parent Portal...I'm SO glad they didn't have that back in the 80s!
Glad you got the debit card matter taken care of pretty quickly.
And dang, Cam did get a long break. My kids have been back in school almost a month now
It has certainly been one of those weeks, hasn't it? Sigh* Do we ever get to really relax? Or is that just one of those illusions of societal propriety?
Unfortunately, the kids/families that need the greatest amount of help are often the most unwilling/unable to help themselves or participate in programs designed to help them.
The moment it requires extra effort on the part of families, it completely falls apart.
If it is free and comes to them, it MIGHT work. If it requires effort or a bit of money, it is doomed to failure. Teaching in the inner city taught me that.
Doesn't make it right. Just sad.
M'dear, you are not alone when it comes to your perception that this was a long & dismal week.
Doesn't it seem like we always have to pay for a 3-day weekend?
And try taking a vacation! You go back to work and everyone is lining up to whack you with that paddle!
Anyway, have a GOOD weekend!
Well, I do wish Michigan would overhaul their system... Too much money being spent on the wrong things..
Hammer, I'm with you on this one and have felt that way from the beginning!
Matt-Man, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and my eyes open!
Knight, the on-line resources really are great, but last year there was no accountability for the teachers to actually keep them up to date!
g-man, the boycott was only a failure if it was meant to benefit the kids!
RLL, no kidding! My parents would have been horrified!
Slick, I was sooooo ready for Cam to go back to school!
Boo, no ... relaxation is only for those who can pay someone else to do their work!
Garbonzo, in this case, I'm not sure throwing money at the problem will help at all. Seems the failure of the boycott proves that point.
Volly, I'll do my best to have a great weekend, as long as you attempt the same *wink*
Buff, I think Illinois' system could use some work too, I just think this was the wrong way to go about it.
Amen! For a short week, this was the longest friggin' week! I can't tell you how many people I heard say that this week, including myself.
Good luck with school. We can cry on each others shoulders when it's frustrating.
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