Don Kingsland, author of “Set Our Teachers FREE! A Plan to Save Public Education” is back with another “dream sequence”. He’s kinda goofy, but lovable! ~ ~

Life with Don is never boring!

Brennan ~ ~

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Kind of interesting, isn’t it?

And would you care to guess what the student-to-teacher ratio is in India (rapidly turning out the most advanced workforce in history)?

Would you believe 40.1 to 1? And in urban areas, it’s 80 to 1!

Now I’m not saying we need to increase class sizes to the level that India has, but *** as Don Kingsland says in Set Our Teachers FREE!, *** it seems we should be putting more emphasis on students LEARNING in those classes, rather than one-to-one “face time” with their teacher.

We need more emphasis on teaching students to be MOTIVATED to learn, rather than wasting time in school OR seeing it as a social experiment.

I’m not trying to brag, but I received a TOP NOTCH education at the private Catholic schools I attended as a child and young adult. I always scored in the top 99 percentile on every national test and received a total of twelve FULL scholarships as a result of what I learned.

The only reason I mention this is to emphasize every class I attended in elementary and high school had a MINIMUM of 50 students to every teacher.

It’s NOT the size of the class that matters (no matter what the NEA may say). It’s what happens DURING those classes!

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools!

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There is an appalling lack of moral leadership role models for our students today in the USA.

Don Kingsland points out the problem in “Set Our Teachers FREE!”:

“In our society, it seems that no one makes a decision without taking a poll first, to see
which decision is the most popular. And, of course, if the polls change, so do the alleged
convictions. Shame! Shame!“

Leadership is a skill that must be taught to our youth – along with Critical Thinking training
and the ability to make life-enhancing decisions.

For some reason, our school curriculum’s do not address these issues, or they are only
implemented as of secondary, rather than primary importance.

Leadership training does not have to be geared just towards students who are interested
in pursuing a political or corporate career. Leadership skills are needed by every “average
joe or jane” if they are to live successful lives in the future. Leadership skills are just as
important in a family or social setting. Perhaps we could then say “Goodbye” to all the
dysfunctional family units we see in today’s society.

What we see happening in our schools under the current administration is a major concern. This financial revamping, combined with selecting inappropriate people for our students to role model, will lead to even worse education for U.S. students if they aren’t stopped.

It’s time NOW to recognize the importance of developing and implementing MORAL leadership training
in all of our public schools, from the earliest grades and up.

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools!

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2009 is Half Over!

We are firmly into the second half of 2009, and all of the same issues seem to be brewing on the education front.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) has pretty much gone the way of the Dodos, even with it’s supporters. As expected, a recent Supreme Court ruling re: diversity guidelines has school districts rumbling and scrambling. And we continue to see inaction on the part of average citizens demanding change in our schools.

In the New York Times, an interesting article by Barry Schwartz, entitled “Money for Nothing”, about New York City’s latest school proposal, really caught my attention. The idea is to PAY students by offering a cash incentive for good grades (something some parents have already been doing for years).

NYC Department of Education offers several reasons why this is supposedly a good idea, including:

1) people respond to incentives, and

2) the more motives for working hard, the better.

Again, we see a “bandaid on a gaping wound”, as Don says so often in his book “Set Our Teachers FREE!”.

Prof. Schwartz goes on to pose the very same questions that Don answers in his book. And the article discusses some very valid research that shows the concept of “Paying for Grades” is not only ineffective, but counter-productive.

Again, the question we must ask is – what are our schools doing that takes the love of learning out of our children?

Professor Schwartz writes,

“. . .the plan will distract us from investigating a more pertinent set of questions: why don’t children get intrinsic satisfaction from learning in school, and how can this failing of education be fixed? Virtually all kindergartners are eager to learn. But by fourth grade, many students need to be bribed. What makes our schools so dystopian that they produce this powerful transformation, almost overnight?”

Well said, Professor!

In a previous post (of 6/21/2007) entitled, “Politics, Education & Indifference”, I described the very same phenomenon among our own grandchildren and great-grandchildren. And explained why so many of them are being home-schooled for this very reason.

That post was written over two years ago! Isn’t it time for parents, teachers and taxpayers to WAKE UP!?!

Join our call to DEMAND better schools for every student! Read “Set Our Teachers FREE!”, and discover the problems and solutions for yourself, and join us in Straightening-Out Public Education NOW!

Let’s DO IT!

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools!

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Wrong Way in Education

Ya’ know, $200 Billion dollars to fix USA public schools sounds like it could work, right?

Doesn’t the idea of having state of the art science and math labs for students sound like a good idea?

Shouldn’t we reward good teachers and get rid of the bad ones?

It all sounds so simple and possible. But, from what I’ve seen, the new proposals, appointments and expenditures issuing from this administration, and Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, are sending our schools into even more disaster-prone areas and conditions.

Let’s take a look at a few of the things that may be warning signs:

Will MONEY Fix the Problems?

While schools can always use any money that comes their way, it still seems that valuable programs get cut (and teachers end up buying supplies out of their own pockets) because the money goes to the wrong places.

We already spend more than most countries per student and yet our schools are failing miserably.

Now, Arne Duncan says he wants Mayors to have charge of the schools in their areas. He probably feels this way because this is the system he came from in Chicago, where Mayor Daley runs things.

Now, to give credit where it is due, the financial structure of the Chicago School District seemed to get straightened-out, but what happened to education itself? The STUDENTS are failing just as much, if not worse than before.

What about Science/Math labs and new buildings?

Buildings DON’T teach students! Teachers DO!

What good is a state of the art lab when students can’t read or compute simple math?

With Mayors in control of the schools (and budgets) we’ll get LOTS of buildings (and lucrative construction contracts), which may be great for any mayor’s political pals, BUT – buildings DON’T improve EDUCATION.

And how many mayors do you know that are well-grounded in education techniques?

Authority to the WRONG People

While I am aghast at the plan to turn education over to politicians, I am really incensed at the political maneuverings that are putting the WRONG people in charge of other areas in education.

Quoting from Family Leader:

“Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been appointed by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to be Assistant Deputy Secretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools. GLSEN is the foremost national group promoting policies to force affirmation of homosexuality in schools, beginning in kindergarten. For example, GLSEN once sponsored a conference at Tufts University that was advertised to “youth only ages 14 to 21″ where three homosexual activists led a workshop graphically guiding the students on gay sex practices.”

What is going on here?

Mr. Jennings has made it abundantly clear what his agenda is, and it is “promotion of affirmation of homosexuality in schools”.

Yes, schools should be made safe for ALL students, including those who have gender identity issues, but the programs promoted by Mr. Jennings concentrate SOLELY on tolerance for homosexuality, rather than kindness and tolerance for EVERYONE!

And, if I may humbly ask, “What qualifies Mr. Jennings to combat Drug Abuse?”

What about Teachers?

Now we are told that the Secretary of Education wants to CLOSE failing schools, FIRE EVERYONE, and reopen with great teachers.

WHAT!

First, even if it was possible to close failing schools (many, many, many in the USA) and fire everyone (thus contributing to the rising unemployment problem), HOW can ANYONE possibly find all those excellent teachers to go to work in those newly reopened schools?

Teachers are already getting a “Bum Rap” and taking the blame for problems completely out of their control.

Why do teachers get blamed when students are coming to school totally unprepared to learn?

How can it be the fault of the teachers when students are so disruptive that teaching is impossible?

And how can teachers be held responsible for a student who never even comes to class?

How can teachers succeed when they get NO respect and NO support?

We need complete education reform in this country.

What we are getting is further destruction of a crumbling program.

It’s time to protest!

Don Kingsland

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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smoke and mirrors in education

I think I’m going to scream!

As you may know, I’m on the mailing lists of LOTS of education sites and I follow what’s happening in education VERY closely.

As grandparents, and great-grandparents, we are committed to improving public schools for our children and ALL the children across the nation.

That’s one of the reasons I’m so spitting mad!

At last, something that works!

My beloved husband Don has PROVEN a plan for drastically improving public schools that is so workable and so easy to implement NATIONWIDE, that he actually wrote a book about it. “Set Our Teachers FREE!” tells the entire story about how “The Kingsland Plan” was developed and PROVEN over and over again, with GUARANTEED student success.

But first, everyone was committed to the farce that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) became.

When people finally realized what a failure that program was, how widespread the cheating for federal funds became, and how drastically public schools continued in their downward spiral, all of a sudden some people admitted that NCLB wasn’t the answer.

Something we’d been saying all along.

So EDin08.com/Strong American Schools came into existence. This organization claimed a mission of bringing the need for Education Reform into the Presidential campaign and had BILLIONS of dollars behind it. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation was just ONE of the supporters.

We contacted the Gates Foundation, to offer the plan as a workable solution to improving public schools, and got a “Thanks, but No Thanks!”

Apparently bringing the information about failing schools to the candidates attention was MORE IMPORTANT than fixing the problems, because NOW EDin08 is disbanding, claiming a victory for their efforts.

In one respect, they are correct! President Obama has made Education Reform a big issue of his administration and is throwing BILLIONS of dollars at the problems. But, even after BILLIONS of dollars already spent, the right solutions have not been found.

In fact, almost everyone Barack Obama and Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, are counting on to fix schools HAVE NO BACKGROUND IN WHAT WORKS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION!

The Education Equality Project or EEP

Now that EDin08/Strong American Schools have accomplished their purpose (oh, really?), they are now disbanding and joining forces with Al Sharpton’s Education Equality Project!

Everybody and their brother is jumping on the bandwagon to close the achievement gap in our public schools. And there truly IS a big problem with the achievement gap between Caucasians/Asians and African-Americans/Hispanics.

But this COMPLETELY IGNORES the BIG PICTURE!

NOBODY is being educated adequately. NONE of our students are achieving levels of global competitiveness. Our best and brightest come in 12th to 24th in international competition!

We need to straighten-out our entire public education system!

Instead, billions of dollars and political clout is being vested in special interests ONLY!

I want EVERY CHILD IN AMERICA to have the opportunity to achieve academic excellence and success in their life!

We need to stop putting all our resources (including money) into helping only one segment of our population.

It’s time to STRAIGHTEN-OUT all the schools our children attend!

Read “Set Our Teachers FREE!” and learn how “The Kingsland Plan” can help ALL our children.

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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Looks like Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is meeting with some resistance to his plan to CLOSE all the failing schools, fire all the staff, rehire NEW people, then re-open the schools.

I wonder why? Hmmm!

Could this be another case of “throwing out the baby with the bath water?”

Maybe ANOTHER big waste of education dollars?

Duncan told the New York Times:

. . . he had already discussed his plans with the presidents of the two national teachers unions, saying, “I’ve told them we all have to play by a different set of rules and figure out how we’re going to take this on together.”

It is important to keep in mind Arne Duncan doesn’t have the authority to close the schools, so he has to convince local school authorities to do it. How can he possibly convince those local districts to take actions that are not only short-sighted, but will anger everybody involved in those schools?

Could Arne Duncan have a Big Stick (AKA Federal funds) to force compliance? Hmmm . . .

What do you think?

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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Rev. Al Sharpton, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Former Speaker of the House, Republican Newt Gingrich

Things must really be as bad on the education front, as I’ve been saying for the last couple of years. What! You don’t think being ranked 24th globally is too bad?
Well . . .

With the current administration throwing BILLIONS of taxpayer dollars at the problem, an unlikely trio met with the Prez and his Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, on Thursday at the White House.

Believe it or not, NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Rev. Al Sharpton, and the Republican former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, actually joined forces to work on solving the terrible education problems in the USA.

All three men are members of Sharpton’s nonprofit Education Equality Project and are calling the crisis in education “the nation’s #1 concern”.

The combination of politicos from both parties is astounding, but points out how serious education problems are across the entire country.

As Gingrich was quoted as saying, he’s willing to work with anyone who commits to “putting children first, putting learning first and getting the job done in the next two or three years.”

Think I’ll contact his office about the REAL answer!

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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A father speaks out!

Today I want to share a comment I received from a father of two daughters. His insight into the problem of teen “sexting” comes from first-hand experience.

This type of discussion needs to be brought into public awareness.

Randy Boise writes:

Do parents realize that sexting can be the next step toward having sex? Both of my daughters received naked pics from boyfriends as a way of testing them to get a reaction. If they sent one back of themselves, sex was closer at hand. If they reject it, the boys seemed to move on. Sexting can be innocent, yes, but it is also what predators do to test for future advancement of grooming the next victim. Teens say that it’s innocent fun, okay, but the one sending it ALWAYS has ulterior motives, and sex is at the top of the list (or why send it naked)!!! Anyone that finds this the least bit ‘’innocent’’ is part of the problem…. Teens now waste an EXTREME amount of time on cell phones. A Sprint official stated that cell phones issued to teens average 1,200 test messages per month (not even counting sending naked pictures [which the cell phone company can see by the way!]).

Teens are pulling quite the con to get parents to think it’s just a hobby or fad, try convincing a prosecutor of that. Sending teen porn is illegal and they should get a record for doing it (unless stealing, robbing banks, and shoplifting is now legal for teens). Would you allow another teen to keep waving a bottle full of wine at your teen and expect it NOT to go to the next level sooner or later; drinking it.

Parents and prosecutors must realize that sexting is sending porn and illegal at the state and federal level, and must be enforced – or the rapes, molestings, and bad happenings are going to multiply so fast that they won’t have enough counselors and jails for it all.

Both of my daughters are in their 20’s now, and say they have been trading naked pics for ten years on camera phones, laughing at adults (and me) that parents are so naive. Plus, it does no good to check your child’s phone, as files can now be encrypted so that you never find them, let alone get them open!

SEXTING IS A CRIME AND GROOMING FOR PREDATORS, and if you don’t think that that lovable boyfriend is not looking for sex – I got a bridge to sell you! There are ten of thousands of men and women in prisons in the U.S. for making porn, what makes a teen think they can make it legally? There are hundreds of thousands of men and women in U.S. prisons for sending and/or receiving teen porn. Why should teens be able to send it with impunity?! It should be legal for all – or illegal for all. PERIOD!

SEXTING: BIGGEST CON JOB EVER PULLED ON AMERICAN ADULTS.
We are not talking about sending dirty messages, (that is true sexting), we are talking about sending naked pictures of teens – PORNOGRAPHY. Hundreds of thousands of adults are in prisons for doing exactly that, so welcome aboard teens! Teens cannot act dumb and say they didn’t know. Most teens are smarter technically than adults in this area. They have been sending porn for as long as cameras have been in cell phones, 10 years. Society cannot throw away an adult for innocently looking at porn on their home computer screen, then say ’silly teen’ to a minor and let them go free for exactly the same act on a cell phone. Many of the naked teen pictures that adults are going to prison for now where created by willing teens sending them! They get caught…and suddenly it’s called sexting.

Very few adults that look at porn at home go out and commit a crime, in fact, it’s more likely that a teen looking at a naked picture on a cell phone or home computer will commit a sex crime because they do not have the restraints that an adult does (hopefully).

Teens have been doing this for ten years (at least), and sending them to all U.S. states and around the world – catch on, they are breaking the law, no excuses, or make it legal for all to do. And what if a child in another state where it’s legal sends one to a child in Texas? All states should be legal, or none. Home computers have been sending porn (to and from minors) for 20 years, the cell phone just got cameras 10 years ago, now they send porn on cell phones – no difference, they just changed the name out of denial.

I felt Randy’s comment deserves to be shared with as many parents as possible.

My response

Randy,

Thank you for the valuable and practical insights.

Most parents are not even AWARE that this is going on, and wouldn’t know how to check for it if they did.

While I disagree that sexting is ever “innocent”,I definitely agree that sexting should NOT be legalized; I just don’t believe that teens should be convicted as felons just because they’re still STOOPID!

You are so right! This is all about S-E-X and it has only recently been brought to the public’s attention. Many of the published pictures being circulated on the internet are ABSOLUTELY GROSS!

Time to stop being ignorant and become informed.

Prosecute teens, fair and square, equally in every state. BUT DON”T CHARGE THEM AS FELONS!

How do you feel about this issue?

Do you know how to learn if your child is involved, or being exposed to this?

Let me know what you think,
Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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Sexting Photo Published by NBC ACTION NEWS

This is just the tip of the sexting iceburg!

We’ve been getting lots of responses on both sites to the Teen Sexting article. I thought I’d share just a couple of them with you and ask for your opinion.

I tried to pick a picture from Google Images that was as modest as possible and that had already been shown nationwide. There are far more graphic pictures listed there, just in case you thought this was just an innocent fad.

To me, it is interesting that the second commenter here listed themselves as Anonymous, with no way listed to reply to them directly.

What do you think?

Comment #1

JeffZ April 23rd, 2009 at 6:30 pm (Edit)

The problem with US “child” pornography laws is that they make no distinction between of young children being horrifically abused on film or in photographs and young adults as old as 17 engaged in completely normal healthy consensual sexual behavior that just happens to be filmed or photographed even by the participants for private use. Not that young adults under 18 should be allowed to be professional adult entertainment models, but a distinction needs to be made so that the US laws are brought in line with the generally accepted definition and in line with reality.

Response to Comment #1

Dear JeffZ,

I agree with you. We need to protect young people NOT make them felons.

I’m not in favor of legalizing “sexting”, primarily because it allows for such wide distribution and so many abuses.

Thank you for your comment,
Brennan

Comment #2

Anon April 29th, 2009 at 6:44 pm (Edit)

Honestly, this is bull s*** that they would consider this child pornography. I really don’t think it should be a misdemeanor either. Not legalized, per se, but definitely decriminalized. It’s not inherently bad…

But really, child porn possession is a crap charge anyways. It is basically the same as being arrested for having pictures of a murder on your phone.

Regardless of this, there are many other victims. I.e. school officials that investigate the claims of sexting can get fired, given the same felonies. This is unjust and criminal to say the least.

Response to Comment #2

Dear Anon,

While I agree this should not be a felony, we disagree that “it’s not inherently bad”.

I feel in my heart that this is an unfortunate “titillation” that can have devastating consequences, especially for a young man or woman who does not have the knowledge or experience to understand how widespread those images CAN become.

I guess I’m just too old but I was raised to believe that exposing one’s body and private parts to another person was something that should be done in a bedroom or, if a bedroom is not available, in the back seat of a car – with the windows steamed-up so no one could pruriently spy on you.

I definitely disagree that child porn possession is a “crap charge”. There is NO EXCUSE FOR IT, because child porn must be deliberately sought out, and is only done by those who are pedophiles or engaged in selling the material to pedophiles.

I DO AGREE with your final statement! School officials must be very judicious in how they handle ANY complaints/instances of a sexual nature because they are under severe scrutiny from the public.

As the spouse of a retired teacher, I’m aware that school officials are in a double-bind: They are hesitant to involve the police because of the harm they might needlessly do to a student. But investigating on their own can be seen as prurient interest and be legally liable.

As I say, it’s a double-bind.

Tell me please, how do you feel about this subject.

Thanks,
Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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Teens, Sexting and Felony Child Pornography

April is Child Abuse Prevention month. This is a month to become aware of the different types of child abuse and what we can do to prevent or diminish it.

There just may be one type of child abuse that you aren’t familiar with – “sexting” – which is becoming more widespread daily.

We all know that cell phones with cameras have opened up a whole new world of possibilities for users. Unfortunately, many youngsters are abusing themselves and others with a new type of texting, involving graphic displays. Statistics show that up to 18% of teenage girls (almost one in five) has participated.

Whether the explicit displays are of blatant nudity and sex acts, violence, drunkeness and/or drug use, teenagers are not only breaking laws, they are also doing long-term damage to themselves or others.

While teenagers may view “sexting” (a combination of texting and graphic images) as the cool thing to do, there is much more at stake.

Though many teens see sexting as “paparazzi for teens”, it is much more serious than they know.

Because sexting usually involves participants under the age of 18, the graphic images actually are considered Child Pornography.

This means teens who participate in sexting can be prosecuted under Felony Child Pornography laws and be labeled as a “sex offender” for a period of 20 years.

Felony Sex Offenders?

Sexting is explicit and stupid, but do we want to label these young people as “Felony Sex Offenders”? I think not!

On the other hand, I definitely disagree with the Vermont legislature that wants to legalize sexting. This is a nasty problem in every state, but legalizing it is NOT the solution, in my opinion.

Perhaps Ohio has the right idea – make sexting a misdemeanor, rather than a felony.

This is a problem that can be mostly stopped by explaining a few facts of life and law to teens and preteens.

Experts say that the way to approach teens is NOT to discuss the matter as an issue of RIGHT or WRONG, but as an issue of COOL vs. UNCOOL! In other words, speak to teens in their language.

• Teens need to know that the practice of “tagging” is increasing. That’s when someone gets access to the explicit photo and broadcasts it online. This can be done by ANYONE and the results spread like wildfire, especially by online pornographers and pedophiles.
• Reports show that MySpace posts about drugs, sex and violence are increasing (up to an estimated one half of all postings) and being spread worldwide.
• Teens need to know that any information posted about them online is available to anyone, including future employers, as well as the creepy internet predators and pornographers mentioned before..

Google Yourself

As a precautionary measure, it would be wise for parents to suggest that their child Google’s their own name, nickname and screen names, to see what information and what websites they are already on. This can be eye-opening. In fact, this is a good idea for parents as well.

Another bit of advice for parents is to scan the teen’s MySpace/Facebook/Twitter sites, or any others they belong to. Experts suggest you can give them a few hours warning so they have time to remove any inappropriate material, which is very desirable. Knowing that parents will be monitoring those sites on an ongoing basis is an excellent preventative.

Another Epidemic “Sign of the Times”

We now have the Sexting Epidemic, to go along with the Pregnancy, Obesity and Dropout Epidemics.

Parents and all concerned citizens need to become aware of what is really happening out there in the world with our young people.

It’s time for CHANGE!

What do you think?

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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New Teacher Survival

Everyone seems to think that teachers have such an easy job. Maybe the fact that school is out during the summer has something to do with it (though most teachers work or pursue higher education during the summer break).

Do teachers really have an easy job . . . ?

Don’s youngest daughter, Dawn, who lives in California (and homeschooled her youngsters), emailed us the following little script.

I thought you might enjoy it also.

* * * * *

THE TEACHER APPLICANT

After being interviewed by the school administration,
the teaching prospect said, “Let me see if I’ve got this right:

Are you nuts!?!

* * *

Have a great day!

Brennan

The Kingsland Plan

Save Our Schools

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