Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Larry Bumgarner
"and my getting kicked in the head, back those many years ago."
Larry, I was lucky enough to get out of such a school BEFORE getting kicked in the head. But I saw enough of exactly what you experienced. Really, some of those schools were little more than thug factories.
I know that we could not go to the bathrooms without someone to "watch our backs" or something was likely to happen in any place without adult "supervision".
Sorry to hear that happened to you.
My parents had decided to move before my sisters had to attend the same High School I was in for a year. They were truly afraid for their safety.
The last day of school I stood up against one of the little black thugs that was going around slapping white kids with his belt during PE class. Most of the kids just stood there and took it or just whined and this just made the little thug laugh.
Of course, none of the coaches did anything. They just ignored stuff like that.
When it came MY turn to get belted by this roving thug, I took the belt out of his hand and whacked him in the face twice with it. And the surprised look on his face was priceless, as was watching him run away like a baby when someone finally "fought back"
Then, of course, I was later surrounded by his homeys.
Then THAT group was surrounded by the white kids.
It was nearly a gang fight. But, then, the "coaches" intervened just in time for the bell.
But it was the last day of school, and I managed to walk home without getting beat up with baseball bats like another other white kid I knew had happen to him earlier that year.
And, of course, I had managed to survive the whole school year without incident and avoided the razor fights in the halls, too, so I felt pretty lucky overall
(Of course, the razors were mostly used by girls, the boys used sharpened metal combs or knives.)
Next year, after we left, they finally got the shooting they were looking for.
And then the police moved in on a permanent basis to keep order. So MAYBE things got better for a few years.
And this was in the early 1970's before police presence was common in school.
My kids will NEVER have to put up with crap like that.
"and my getting kicked in the head, back those many years ago."
Larry, I was lucky enough to get out of such a school BEFORE getting kicked in the head. But I saw enough of exactly what you experienced. Really, some of those schools were little more than thug factories.
I know that we could not go to the bathrooms without someone to "watch our backs" or something was likely to happen in any place without adult "supervision".
Sorry to hear that happened to you.
My parents had decided to move before my sisters had to attend the same High School I was in for a year. They were truly afraid for their safety.
The last day of school I stood up against one of the little black thugs that was going around slapping white kids with his belt during PE class. Most of the kids just stood there and took it or just whined and this just made the little thug laugh.
Of course, none of the coaches did anything. They just ignored stuff like that.
When it came MY turn to get belted by this roving thug, I took the belt out of his hand and whacked him in the face twice with it. And the surprised look on his face was priceless, as was watching him run away like a baby when someone finally "fought back"
Then, of course, I was later surrounded by his homeys.
Then THAT group was surrounded by the white kids.
It was nearly a gang fight. But, then, the "coaches" intervened just in time for the bell.
But it was the last day of school, and I managed to walk home without getting beat up with baseball bats like another other white kid I knew had happen to him earlier that year.
And, of course, I had managed to survive the whole school year without incident and avoided the razor fights in the halls, too, so I felt pretty lucky overall
(Of course, the razors were mostly used by girls, the boys used sharpened metal combs or knives.)
Next year, after we left, they finally got the shooting they were looking for.
And then the police moved in on a permanent basis to keep order. So MAYBE things got better for a few years.
And this was in the early 1970's before police presence was common in school.
My kids will NEVER have to put up with crap like that.
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Well, with all these other folks getting fired, some people may be wondering what might happen to the REAL instigators of this whole mess.
You know the "organizers" of this illicit pool party...
Why aren't they in the news for losing "their" jobs and for "fighting" with residents?
No one is "going after" them because they probably do not have jobs with "socially responsible" employers.
At least we know Tatiana, Tatyana, KC, Keefcakez, or whatever she calls herself and her booty-shaking event-planning business doesn't.
Who is going to fire someone from promoting "Make It Clap Pt. 2", (which is a reference to butt-cheeks clapping when you twerk) for being "irresponsible".
Being "irresponsible" IS HER BUSINESS.
She's probably a hotter ticket NOW than she's ever been.
Her business will be BOOMING.
She is a celebrity now.
You know the "organizers" of this illicit pool party...
Why aren't they in the news for losing "their" jobs and for "fighting" with residents?
No one is "going after" them because they probably do not have jobs with "socially responsible" employers.
At least we know Tatiana, Tatyana, KC, Keefcakez, or whatever she calls herself and her booty-shaking event-planning business doesn't.
Who is going to fire someone from promoting "Make It Clap Pt. 2", (which is a reference to butt-cheeks clapping when you twerk) for being "irresponsible".
Being "irresponsible" IS HER BUSINESS.
She's probably a hotter ticket NOW than she's ever been.
Her business will be BOOMING.
She is a celebrity now.
Just more "random" information on KC, aka Keefcakez...
Her Instagram site:
https://instagram.com/keef_cakez/
Her "modeling" portfolio:
https://instagram.com/Shesperfection/
Her "thug" buddies at LOEGOA
https://instagram.com/explore/tags/loegoa/
And a "mix" from the DJ (DJ REIGN) who was supposed to be there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqsiMfEXseM
Typical "nigga" rap. Can't see why anyone would be offended by THOSE lyrics...
Yep, she's just the kind of trash I want throwing an unofficial party at our pool.
Her Instagram site:
https://instagram.com/keef_cakez/
Her "modeling" portfolio:
https://instagram.com/Shesperfection/
Her "thug" buddies at LOEGOA
https://instagram.com/explore/tags/loegoa/
And a "mix" from the DJ (DJ REIGN) who was supposed to be there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqsiMfEXseM
Typical "nigga" rap. Can't see why anyone would be offended by THOSE lyrics...
Yep, she's just the kind of trash I want throwing an unofficial party at our pool.
Well, now it seems that political correctness has completely run amok in our society as seen in the latest poolside shenanigans in McKinney, Tx, where that cop held down a young black girl after she refused to leave the area several times and kept smart mouthing him.
And now it seems that the non-black people who were involved are facing all sorts of problems from death threats, neighborhood vandalism, and losing their jobs.
First, a principal in Miami lost his job for simply stating that he thought the cop was probably afraid for his life. Yeah, a reasonable assumption when two rather large guys lunge at you. Especially true in my experience since I grew up in a neighborhood where an "unarmed" black man managed to get a gun away from a cop at a pool in the nearby park and murdered him in broad daylight many years ago.
Now, this "party" was pretty much an invasion of the pool facilities plotted by noneother than KC, AKA several other names including KeefCakez (keef cake is slang for powdered marijuana, in some quarters) and "works" for (or owns) twinzz promotions which puts on a lot of these low-class ghetto parties in the area. How do I know they're low-class? Well, one of their recent productions was MakeItClapp, which is basically a bunch of street hookers, er, dancers,twerking and making their butt cheeks clap, thus the name "make it clap".
A few people have been gathering this information before it was scrubbed by the punks trying to claim their "innocence", but I think it's pretty obvious what this girl and her mom were up to...
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/06/08/the-full-story-of-the-mckinney-texas-pool-mob-inside-the-craig-ranch-subdivision/comment-page-2/
Anyway, this is just an example of what happens when low-class trash move into your neighborhood. They generally try to "test" the rules to see what they can get away with, and if they succeed, then it's all downhill from there.
I've seen this just so many times that it must be written down in a playbook by now.
The only good thing that could come from this is for suburbanites everywhere to be aware of what could happen in their 'hood and get prepared.
Bolster those HOA organizations, make a plan and execute it when the ghetto marauders invade. Become good acquaintances with the local law enforcement officers BEFORE you need them.
Establish go-to contacts for them to get the background BEFORE they walk into a mess like this with camera rolling and people just waiting to "stick it" to The Man.
And bring your OWN cameras to document the melee which results in the inevitable 911 call.
Record the call if you can just to make sure it gets in the public eye. Or else someone else WILL control the media.
Because they WILL invade. They've seen how to do it and get the media and the whole world on their side.
This is exactly how it starts, folks, so beware.
And now it seems that the non-black people who were involved are facing all sorts of problems from death threats, neighborhood vandalism, and losing their jobs.
First, a principal in Miami lost his job for simply stating that he thought the cop was probably afraid for his life. Yeah, a reasonable assumption when two rather large guys lunge at you. Especially true in my experience since I grew up in a neighborhood where an "unarmed" black man managed to get a gun away from a cop at a pool in the nearby park and murdered him in broad daylight many years ago.
Now, this "party" was pretty much an invasion of the pool facilities plotted by noneother than KC, AKA several other names including KeefCakez (keef cake is slang for powdered marijuana, in some quarters) and "works" for (or owns) twinzz promotions which puts on a lot of these low-class ghetto parties in the area. How do I know they're low-class? Well, one of their recent productions was MakeItClapp, which is basically a bunch of street hookers, er, dancers,twerking and making their butt cheeks clap, thus the name "make it clap".
A few people have been gathering this information before it was scrubbed by the punks trying to claim their "innocence", but I think it's pretty obvious what this girl and her mom were up to...
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2015/06/08/the-full-story-of-the-mckinney-texas-pool-mob-inside-the-craig-ranch-subdivision/comment-page-2/
Anyway, this is just an example of what happens when low-class trash move into your neighborhood. They generally try to "test" the rules to see what they can get away with, and if they succeed, then it's all downhill from there.
I've seen this just so many times that it must be written down in a playbook by now.
The only good thing that could come from this is for suburbanites everywhere to be aware of what could happen in their 'hood and get prepared.
Bolster those HOA organizations, make a plan and execute it when the ghetto marauders invade. Become good acquaintances with the local law enforcement officers BEFORE you need them.
Establish go-to contacts for them to get the background BEFORE they walk into a mess like this with camera rolling and people just waiting to "stick it" to The Man.
And bring your OWN cameras to document the melee which results in the inevitable 911 call.
Record the call if you can just to make sure it gets in the public eye. Or else someone else WILL control the media.
Because they WILL invade. They've seen how to do it and get the media and the whole world on their side.
This is exactly how it starts, folks, so beware.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Good article about the Atlanta teacher scandal. Lots of great quotes from the judge. Such as this one:
"This is not a victimless crime that occurred," Baxter said. "These kids were passed on and passed on. The only chance that they had was the school. There are victims in the jail, kids who I have sentenced."
(And some pretty pathetic comments from the readers actually feeling sorry for the teachers, but, then, it was published in an education weekly, so that gives you some idea what a jury of their "peers" might think. And apparently they are full of the typical excuses for these slimeballs.)
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/District_Dossier/2015/04/judge_hands_down_sentences_in_.html
It's not like he didn't warn them, though. He gave them a chance to come clean and admit guilt like so many other teachers did or else be tried under RICO (racketeering) laws.
They gambled and lost... And now they get to teach behind bars for a while.
"I said to everybody, 'This is the time to search your soul,'" Baxter said. "Nobody has taken any responsibility that I can see. I was trying to give everybody one more chance. All I want from these people is for somebody to take responsibility."
Well, it looks like they're taking it now. Probably not the way they wanted it, though...
Baxter sentenced:
- Former school reform team executive directors Tamara Cotman, Sharon Davis-Williams, and Michael Pitts to 20 years in prison, serving seven of them behind bars and 13 years on probation. Cotman, Davis-Williams, and Pitts also must pay $25,000 fines and perform 2,000 hours of community service, to be spent tutoring inmates and students.
- Former principal Dana Evans to five years in prison, serving one behind bars and four years on probation plus 1,000 hours of community service, to be spent tutoring inmates and students.
- Former teacher Angela Williamson to five years in prison, serving two behind bars and three years on probation plus a $5,000 fine and 1,500 hours of community service, to be spent tutoring inmates and students.
- Former assistant principal Tabeeka Jordan to five years in prison, to serve two behind bars and three years on probation plus a $5,000 fine and 1,500 hours of community service, to be spent tutoring inmates and students.
- Former teacher Diane Buckner-Webb to five years in prison, to serve one behind bars and four years on probation plus a $1,000 fine and 1,000 hours of community service to be spent tutoring inmates and students.
- Former testing coordinator Theresia Copeland to five years in prison, to serve one behind bars and four years on probation plus a $1,000 fine and 1,000 hours of community service to be spent tutoring inmates and students.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Doing Math vs. Understanding Math
By David Ginsburg on March 30, 2015 10:39 PM
(Excerpt including sample problem from:
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2015/03/doing_math_vs_understanding_math.html)
(Excerpt including sample problem from:
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2015/03/doing_math_vs_understanding_math.html)
(some stuff deleted...)
Consider, for example, this 6th grade problem from the Port Angeles School District website:
In a bowling tournament, Elton scored 188, 212, 214, 196, and 200 in the first five games. In order to qualify for the semifinal round, he must average at least 205 for the six games. What is the least he can bowl in his final game to qualify?Most students will solve this problem as follows:Step 1: Find the minimum total score for six games (205 x 6 = 1230)Step 2: Find Elton's total score for the first five games (188 + 212 + 214 + 196 + 200 = 1010)Step 3: Find the minimum score required for the sixth game (1230 - 1010 = 220)I, on the other hand, solved this problem by comparing Elton's scores for each of the first five games with the minimum average score of 205. I then computed the net deficit (amount below 205) or surplus (amount above 205). Here's a visual representation of my thinking:And since the average after five games is 15 less than 205, I knew the score for the sixth game would need to be at least 15 more than 205, or 220.Would I say that my approach is better than the first approach? No, but I would say it reflects conceptual understanding of averaging. I would also say it reflects procedural fluency, which NCTM defines as the ability to apply procedures accurately, efficiently, and flexibly. In contrast, it's possible for students to get the right answer using the first method without even knowing what "mean" means. It's also possible for students to follow a procedure without having procedural fluency.The lesson here for us as math educators is that we need to shift the emphasis from answer-getting to the problem-solving process. We also need to model for students--and encourage them to pursue--multiple solution strategies rather than prescribe a standard procedure.In essence, we need to make the most of opportunities to deepen students' conceptual grasp of math and build their procedural fluency. We need to help students understand math rather than just do math.
I have some serious doubts about this Ginsburg character after reading his EdWeek opinion piece on "Doing Mathematics vs. Understanding Mathematics. "
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2015/03/doing_math_vs_understanding_math.html
Here's the guy's webpage touting his various accomplishments, including one about being a "hero" in education according to Microsoft (Jeez...)
http://www.ginsburgcoaching.com/Home_Page.html
This guy is apparently some kind of superman when it comes to teaching math in an "urban" setting, too.
Gawd help us all if he ever teaches this crap outside the ghetto.
In this latest entry he tries to show a method of calculating a sixth bowling score so that the average of those scores would be 205 given that the first five scores were already known.
So, basically, the problem is given five numbers, what is the sixth number such that the average of those six numbers equals 205.
Most people would know that this means the total of the six scores would be 6x205=1230, so
the sixth score would simply be 1230 minus the sum of the first five known scores.
Pretty simple.
And a good example of clear mathematical reasoning using the fairly simple concept of averages.
His "answer" had me quite stunned for its stupidity when compared to the much simpler method he said (somewhat dismissively) that most of his students (and I, if not totally wasted on some mind altering substance) would use.
He basically turned a fairly simple three step process into about a 10 step process which used addition and subtraction instead of multiplication and subtraction to get an answer.
Sure he got the same answer, but went all around the problem to do so. Bad form. Bad math.
Even dumber is the fact that he knew the process the students allegedly would use only had three simple and logical steps while his was much more convoluted and involved computing a "deficit" or "surplus" of each score from the mean as well as keeping a running tally of the summation of those individual "deficits" or "surpluses".
All kept in a table, no less. Jeez, talk about analysis paralysis.
The students methods were much more elegant and showed a superior understanding of the material than his did. I seriously hope that idiots like this are not having a big influence on teaching math in our schools.
His big "complaint" about the simpler method is that kids might do it without knowing what "mean" means.
Oh, for crying out loud, teacher, TELL THEM WHAT "MEAN" MEANS! Start by averaging two numbers, if they're that slow.
It certainly makes more sense than your BS method of dancing all around the meaning without making it any clearer. If anything, YOUR method makes it easier to get the answer without knowing what "mean" or "average" means because most people will tell you that "average" has something to do with SUMMING A BUNCH OF NUMBERS AND DIVIDING THEM BY THE NUMBER OF NUMBERS.
NOT ADDING AND SUBTRACTING "SURPLUSES" AND "DEFICITS" WHILE KEEPING A RUNNING TOTAL IN A TABLE.
That sounds more like something an accountant would do to reconcile a bunch of credits and debits on a spreadsheet.
If I were grading, I'd give his "students" an A and him a C, depending on whether or not I saw him adding and subtracting using his fingers and toes.
Because he is seriously retarded if he thinks his method shows a better understanding of mathematical concepts such as averages.
I guess most teachers nowadays are just so mathematically illiterate that they would actually believe some doofus like this and put him on a pedestal.
This kind of stuff just makes me angry at what passes for "education" today.
And the fact that he labels his stuff "understanding math" is probably a bit intimidating to those teachers who feel that they probably do not "understand math" well enough to question this BS but who may still feel that his method is cumbersome at best. And NOT a good example to follow.
Well, I DO "understand math" and he is a doofus for putting kids who may not know any better through this convoluted method.
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/coach_gs_teaching_tips/2015/03/doing_math_vs_understanding_math.html
Here's the guy's webpage touting his various accomplishments, including one about being a "hero" in education according to Microsoft (Jeez...)
http://www.ginsburgcoaching.com/Home_Page.html
This guy is apparently some kind of superman when it comes to teaching math in an "urban" setting, too.
Gawd help us all if he ever teaches this crap outside the ghetto.
In this latest entry he tries to show a method of calculating a sixth bowling score so that the average of those scores would be 205 given that the first five scores were already known.
So, basically, the problem is given five numbers, what is the sixth number such that the average of those six numbers equals 205.
Most people would know that this means the total of the six scores would be 6x205=1230, so
the sixth score would simply be 1230 minus the sum of the first five known scores.
Pretty simple.
And a good example of clear mathematical reasoning using the fairly simple concept of averages.
His "answer" had me quite stunned for its stupidity when compared to the much simpler method he said (somewhat dismissively) that most of his students (and I, if not totally wasted on some mind altering substance) would use.
He basically turned a fairly simple three step process into about a 10 step process which used addition and subtraction instead of multiplication and subtraction to get an answer.
Sure he got the same answer, but went all around the problem to do so. Bad form. Bad math.
Even dumber is the fact that he knew the process the students allegedly would use only had three simple and logical steps while his was much more convoluted and involved computing a "deficit" or "surplus" of each score from the mean as well as keeping a running tally of the summation of those individual "deficits" or "surpluses".
All kept in a table, no less. Jeez, talk about analysis paralysis.
The students methods were much more elegant and showed a superior understanding of the material than his did. I seriously hope that idiots like this are not having a big influence on teaching math in our schools.
His big "complaint" about the simpler method is that kids might do it without knowing what "mean" means.
Oh, for crying out loud, teacher, TELL THEM WHAT "MEAN" MEANS! Start by averaging two numbers, if they're that slow.
It certainly makes more sense than your BS method of dancing all around the meaning without making it any clearer. If anything, YOUR method makes it easier to get the answer without knowing what "mean" or "average" means because most people will tell you that "average" has something to do with SUMMING A BUNCH OF NUMBERS AND DIVIDING THEM BY THE NUMBER OF NUMBERS.
NOT ADDING AND SUBTRACTING "SURPLUSES" AND "DEFICITS" WHILE KEEPING A RUNNING TOTAL IN A TABLE.
That sounds more like something an accountant would do to reconcile a bunch of credits and debits on a spreadsheet.
If I were grading, I'd give his "students" an A and him a C, depending on whether or not I saw him adding and subtracting using his fingers and toes.
Because he is seriously retarded if he thinks his method shows a better understanding of mathematical concepts such as averages.
I guess most teachers nowadays are just so mathematically illiterate that they would actually believe some doofus like this and put him on a pedestal.
This kind of stuff just makes me angry at what passes for "education" today.
And the fact that he labels his stuff "understanding math" is probably a bit intimidating to those teachers who feel that they probably do not "understand math" well enough to question this BS but who may still feel that his method is cumbersome at best. And NOT a good example to follow.
Well, I DO "understand math" and he is a doofus for putting kids who may not know any better through this convoluted method.
Monday, March 30, 2015
Even though I know you can lead a horse to water...
I'm just going to post this data again anyway.
From the NAEP Publication:
ACHIEVEMENT GAPS
How Black and White Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading On The National Assessment of Educational Progress.
This data is from pg. 8, Figures 7 and 8.
I've summarized the data for 2007 below (similar data is out there for other years as well).
4th Grade scores:
FL=Free Lunch
RL=Reduced Lunch
NE=Not Eligible for Free Lunch
White FL=235 RL=241 NE=252
Black FL=217 RL=228 NE=232
Note that in the 4th grade, the poorest whites (in the FL category) outperform blacks who do not even qualify (NE) for the FRL program.
Now onto the 8th grade:
White Fl=274 RL=280 NE=295
Black FL=253 RL=265 NE=274
Wow, we've made some "progress" here.
Note that the Non-Eligible blacks score exactly the same as the whites who receive Free Lunches.
Finally, we have "poor white redneck"=blacks...
Only it's the middle-class blacks the "poor white rednecks" are apparently equal to.
In these numbers you can see that while poverty does play a role in the scores, it is not enough to explain the gaps between the races.
Simply because the Free Lunch whites either score on par with (8th Grade) or above (4th Grade) the Non-Eligible blacks.
I hope those "courageous conversations" get to the bottom of this little puzzle.
Trying to preserve some prior posts from CO "Your School" blog here...
Why have more special programs (or even Project LIFT) when the solution to the academic problem among blacks was found nearly 50 years ago?
Technology was the answer then (especially corporate sponsored, "real-world" technology) just as it often is today.
This could have all been nipped in the bud if only they had used the
Dictaphone Electronic Classroom
(using Dictaphones with Dictabelt technology!)
as recommended by Beulah Brown in the Journal of Negro Education back in the summer of 1966.
Among its reputed benefits were (p. 248):
(3) Teachers can work more closely with the children and help build a more solid foundation for today's complex living.
(4) Teachers and pupils will find the "teaching-learning" experience loads of fun.
(5) Classroom discipline (surface behavior problems) will be almost nonexistent.
(6) Slower and less alert pupils will receive more from this personal belted teaching-learning experience.
(7) Potential dropouts will have a greater incentive to stay in school a while longer.
At least according to this "study":
"Learning is Fun" with the Dictaphone Electronic Classroom -- A Discussion.
By Beulah E. Brown, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 35, No. 3, Summer 1966.
Why have more special programs (or even Project LIFT) when the solution to the academic problem among blacks was found nearly 50 years ago?
Technology was the answer then (especially corporate sponsored, "real-world" technology) just as it often is today.
This could have all been nipped in the bud if only they had used the
Dictaphone Electronic Classroom
(using Dictaphones with Dictabelt technology!)
as recommended by Beulah Brown in the Journal of Negro Education back in the summer of 1966.
Among its reputed benefits were (p. 248):
(3) Teachers can work more closely with the children and help build a more solid foundation for today's complex living.
(4) Teachers and pupils will find the "teaching-learning" experience loads of fun.
(5) Classroom discipline (surface behavior problems) will be almost nonexistent.
(6) Slower and less alert pupils will receive more from this personal belted teaching-learning experience.
(7) Potential dropouts will have a greater incentive to stay in school a while longer.
At least according to this "study":
"Learning is Fun" with the Dictaphone Electronic Classroom -- A Discussion.
By Beulah E. Brown, The Journal of Negro Education, Vol. 35, No. 3, Summer 1966.
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