Our Morning Roundup: Teachers Hate Snow Edition
The New Teacher On The Block was really pissed off that Fenty kept the schools open yesterday. Apparently, the mayor didn't factor in the slippery streets and that kids will use any excuse to play hooky (see the drop-out rate):
"I mean, I was slipping and sliding on 395 this morning, for goodness sakes. Once I got to the neighborhood street next to my school, I slid all the way up the road. NONE of my students showed up today. 1 of Ms. P's kids came, and we dually hosted 5 kids in her classrom, because almost all the teachers were out as well (read: both pre-k teachers, the kindergarten teacher, both 1st grade teachers, both 2nd grade teachers, both 3rd grade teachers, 1 4th grade teacher, and 1 fifth grade teacher)."
Dee Does the District, another teacher/blogger, agrees that opening the schools yesterday was a stupid move.
Southwest...The Little Quadrant That Could wants everyone to know that the Cherry Blossom Festival is one month away. And, well, Southwest is a big part of it: "Southwest was designated the 'Cherry Blossom Capital of Washington, DC.' About 90% of the cherry blossoms in DC are located in Southwest, including the Tidal Basin and East Potomac Park, according to Lida Churchville, who has been working on the SW Call Box project for the past two years." The festival has a website with plenty of details.
Just.in.DC posts a snow pic from Shaw. It almost makes you forget about the Convention Center. Borderstan has a sweet picture as well.
Bloomingdale (for now) writes up a pesky problem with 911 dispatchers.
In case you missed it: The D.C. Council introduced a bill to expand the powers of the Office of Police Complaints.
*photo by Prince of Petworth.
10:31 am
"New Teacher" needs to find a job near her home in Virginia. Better yet, she should find a new profession, since she's obviously too bitter & too self centered to be a good teacher. D
C schools should be open every day of the year, Saturdays & Sundays included. For one thing, most of the DC school kids get breakfast & lunch at the schools - if the schools aren't open, the kids get no food.
The parents of DC school kids probably spend their food stamps on food for themselves, & can't even find some bread & peanut butter to feed their kids, & probably spend their welfare payments on lottery tickets & crack cocaine, but that's another story.
4:19 pm
Al, I agree that the schools should be open, but your narrow minded stereotypical comment should have been kept to yourself. Obviously, based on your comments you couldn't have graduated from DCPS. I have a child in the system, who is doing quite well academically, but the need for the schools to be open is so that they DON'T turn out to be bitter commentators like you. My child's school was about 20% full around 11am, but the saving grace...most of the kids WANTED TO BE THERE! Granted they didn't get outdoor recess to throw snow, but otherwise it was a good move. Otherwise, they'd be sitting at home vegetating on TV and video games.
6:58 pm
wow Al, I'm surprised I'm even responding. Obviously, you have never taught. I am neither self-centered, nor bitter and I teach in DC because I feel I can make the biggest difference there. I actually showed up yesterday and listed the absences as examples of the fact that people obviously did not feel like it was safe to come in. We also only had 10% of our student population present, although you're probably clueless as to why (since you seem to believe that the parents of DC students do not care about them, judging by your later comments).
You are the one who seems particularly bitter about how you feel people spend their food stamps and money, showing that you buy into some pretty bogus stereotypes and don't think the parents of DC students care about their children either. However, my children are bussed, and therefore do not require a lot of effort by their parents to get them to school. They apparently did not think it was safe either.