A Place at the Table

The headline reads Flu Strategists See Schools on the Front Line. There seems to be little doubt that children represent the most vulnerable demographic group for H1N1 influenza virus. Estimates are that we will see the beginnings of a flu outbreak in October and while there is less concern about how deadly “swine” flu may be, there is more concern about the pandemic potential of a viral infection for which most human immune systems have no defense at this point.

One group that is taking H1N1 influenza seriously is the U. S. Centers for Disease Control. A race is on to produce enough vaccine in time to inoculate all school-aged children. One concern is that because the initial round of H1N1 proved to be less severe than expected, some people will not take this fall’s expected outbreak seriously until too late. Another is that many people will refuse the vaccine because of anxiety about unanticipated side- or long-term effects. This is not an unrealistic concern since it has been reported that in Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, only about fifty percent of healthcare workers indicate that they will take the N1H1 flu shot.

While not addressing the issue of health care workers, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius offered this plan for those children who may be in the greatest need of protection

We anticipate using schools as partners to make sure that we reach out to kids who are a priority population to get the vaccination.

Public education is often called on to assist with emergencies, and since schools are often the most approachable and accessible locations, it is both reasonable and responsible to use them for information dissemination and as staging sites or command centers during a crisis. But just as educators may not fully understand the constraints of other agencies such as CDC or Homeland Security, some of the recommendations they have put in place for public education may not align with the reality of what schools can do. The CDC webpage suggests action steps for schools that include:

• Remind teachers, staff, and students to practice good hand hygiene and provide the time and supplies for them to wash their hands as often as necessary.

• Find ways to increase social distances (the space between people) at school such as rotating teachers between classrooms while keeping the same group of students in one classroom, moving desks farther apart, or postponing class trips.

If you don't spend your day in a school, these might seem reasonable, but if you are a teacher you wonder: Did the people over at CDC not know that only affluent school systems can afford to have a school nurse at every school site? Did anyone think through the logistics of screening the temperature of 1,000 middle school students as they all arrive within a period of thirty minutes? Was no one aware that in many schools, sick students wait for a parent in the front office where they are watched over by the school secretary who can’t answer the phone while wearing a surgical mask? Did someone have a plan for how an overcrowded school should go about implementing social distancing? Can't anyone imagine what a challenge the most basic precaution, hand washing, presents when students are housed in trailers without running water?

Granted, some of these Suggested Actions are intended for a situation where a mild outbreak is evolving into a possible epidemic; and certainly we all need to make adaptations when there are unusual circumstances. But simply put, public health and crisis relief is not our job. We are responsible for student learning, and while we may be willing and able to assist the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Homeland Security, we are accountable to the Department of Education; and the DOE’s mission is to "promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and equal access." Holding a press conference outside a DC elementary school just as children arrived for their very first day of school, Secretary of Education Duncan said

As the school year begins, I'm concerned that the H1N1 virus might disrupt learning in some schools across the country.

…..schools should evaluate what materials they have available for at-home learning. The latest guidance provides more details on methods schools could use, such as distributing recorded classes on podcasts and DVDs; creating take-home packets with up to 12 weeks of printed class material; or holding live classes via conference calls or "webinars."

While some teachers have access to wonderful technology resources, not all students have access to a computer, broadband internet, or a cell phone. It is suggested that teachers should maintain regular telephone support or email support for those students who are housebound; but there is no advice for how a high school teacher can meet the needs of 120 students during five classes and make arrangements to tutor 30 or so homebound students.

Printed packets of work were another suggestion, but if schools cannot provide their teachers with access to technology, it’s unlikely that they can provide resources for instructional packets that cover 12 weeks of work. While people outside the education sector are often shocked to hear that teachers in some schools may be limited to one box of paper and 2,000 copier clicks a semester, it is surprising that DOE is not aware or did not consider this sort of limitation. But then again, perhaps they did know since the website does suggests that in between taking temperatures, calling parents, finding substitutes, and preparing packets, educators should consider soliciting local businesses and community groups for resources.

It is a compliment that public schools and the teachers in them are perceived as such effective and resourceful partners. It is a disappointment that so many parties are quick to offer directives on non-instructional initiatives without seeking the input from those of us on the “front lines” who will be expected to implement them. It is a conundrum that some stakeholders want to partner with public educators even as they complain that we are not performing up to standard on our primary mission. It is a bitter pill to swallow when schools and teachers are expected to continue to do more and more with less and less.

Actually, Secretary Duncan, I’m feeling a little queasy. It might be the flu. Could someone from your office come cover my classes for up to 12 weeks while I recuperate?

Posted by Susan Graham at 12:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Back in the spring my daughter plunked a book down on the kitchen cabinet as I was making coconut cream pie. “Can’t stay, but I had to drop by to bring you this. Read it, you’re going to love it.”

I put the book in my To Read pile and sort of forgot about it. Julie and Julia just sat around the house with me for a couple of months before I found time for the two of them, but once I started, we stayed up late together. Although they were separated by generations, they shared a desire to write, a love of good food, an interest in being a good cook, and a belief that of life was what you make of it. As I read, I felt that I might be the missing generational link in this sisterhood of cooks, writers and eaters who are at times frustrated, but who are trying to make meaning of their lives.

I felt rather protective toward Julie Powell and Julia Child as I waited anxiously for the movie to come out, pleased to see that they both had good actresses playing them. I was hoping a really good book wouldn’t turn into a really silly movie. It didn’t. To say one is touched by a movie that's about a book that's about a blog that's about a cookbook may sound a little overwrought, but there were times when I came close to tears. After all, Julie and Julia and I have a lot in common.

You can’t, or at least shouldn’t, teach food preparation without being familiar with Julia Child. She really did transform cooking in America from a practical skill to a personal expression. I knew the story of her “secretarial work” for the Office of Strategic Services, precursor to the CIA. But I find it interesting that critics, both professional and social, are quick to say, “I loved her show because she was really fun, but who would have ever guessed that she was a critical link in a huge undercover intelligence operation?”

Yes, imagine! A mind that is capable of analyzing international events being intrigued by food preparation. Cooking, after all, is so basic, so commonplace, so domestic. I’m no Julia Child, but I can relate to not being taken very seriously. A school administrator once said, “I always knew you were nice, but I had no idea you were intelligent.” I think she thought I would perceive that as a compliment.

Then there is Julie Powell, the blogger and aspiring author. Of Julia Julia, she writes "She started [learning to cook] because she didn’t know what else to do.” Julie was in the same place when she began the blog. In an interview she says of herself,

“…for me, the project was at least as much about finding my vocation as a writer....It meant so much more to me than learning to cook. It taught me a great deal about what I was capable of, how I could turn my life around.”

Julie Powell's avocation for cooking provided a way to realize a career as a writer. She cooked so she could be a better writer. I write so I can be a better teacher. Like Julie, I've found that a blog provides a sort of literary discipline that benefits a would-be writer. Someone said that we don't really know what we think until we write it down. Writing requires that I take time to update my knowledge, justify my opinions, and reflect on my practice.

While teaching requires constant human interaction, writing is a solitary pursuit. Like Julie, I sit alone in the wee hours of the morning trying to be insightful, informative, inspirational and also clever and witty. Like her, I sometimes wonder if anyone but my mother reads what I write. While every writer wants to be read, the odd thing is that, when a reader leaves a comment, or links to my blog, or quotes me, or walks up and says, “Hey, I read what you wrote the other day!” I find it slightly unsettling.

When I'm sitting there alone in the glow of my computer screen, writing my heart out, I sometimes forget that I have invited colleagues, critics and the randomly curious to peek in on my life and work and thoughts. Julie acknowledges that sense of feeling both exhilarated and exposed when she discovers she has a cadre of readers. I guess it's called lurking for a reason!

The power and the responsibility of impacting the thinking of other people are shared experiences of writers and teachers. Julie always perceived herself as a writer. Teaching is my vocation, but I suppose writing has always been an avocation. However, I never really imagined that tomorrow someone would be reading what I’m sitting here in my pajamas writing tonight. It didn't seem possible, but to become a real live writer at a point in life where I might just be counting the days down to retirement is pretty exciting. It makes me wonder what else might become of me.

On the day Julia Child passed away, Julie Powell wrote: “I would not have done it without Julia to tell me – 'Go ahead – What could happen?' There’s so much I would not have done. Because it would not have been there for me to do.”

In two weeks, once again, it will be my first day of school, and for the 28th time, I'll have the back to school jitters. On that first day, when I ask my students what they most want to do in my class, the vast majority of them will say, “Cook and eat!” During the year, among a lot of other things, we’ll talk about food, we’ll learn to cook, and yes, we’ll eat. But at the end of the day, my primary concern is not what I’ve taught them about food history, or table manners, or food preparation, or even healthy eating.

What I care about most is how well I’ve prepared them to teach themselves to live intentionally. I hope I can convey the lesson Julie learned from Julia as she mastered cooking and the lesson I’ve learned as I’ve attempted to become a writer.

“Go ahead — What could happen?”

Posted by Susan Graham at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The parking lots of Walmart, Target, Kohl’s and the super-mall were all packed last weekend. It was Virginia’s annual Back to School Tax-Free Weekend. School supplies priced under $20 and clothing and shoes costing less than $100 were exempted from the 5% sales tax. Protective items, sports equipment, and computer products were excluded. There was no limit on the total you could spend. The only restriction was that each item must be priced below the $20 school supply ceiling or $100 clothing and shoe ceiling. I wondered if that meant only children’s clothing, so I went to the Virginia Department of Taxation’s website’s Q&A page.

For the school supplies exemption, must the item be intended for use in school or in connection with a school activity to receive the exemption?

No. The item need not be intended for use in school, nor must the item actually be used in school activities to qualify for the school exemption. So long as the item is one listed above, does not exceed the threshold cost, and is purchased during the sales tax holiday period for clothing and school supplies, the purchase will not be subject to sales tax and use tax.

That sounded odd, so I took a look at the tax-exempt items and found that they included:

• Baby Bibs, clothes, receiving blankets and diapers (including disposable diapers)
• Clerical vestments, altar and choir clothing
• Corsets and corset laces
• Dresses (including formals)
• Fur coats
• Wedding apparel (including veils)

It’s a stretch, but I can see how choir robes and homecoming gowns could be school related. Baby stuff? Well, maybe the baby’s going to day care and so that could be considered school in a way. I have a hard time envisioning what kind of fur coat would sell for under $100, so I’m not going to worry about that one. But surely I’m not the only one who finds inclusion of corset and corset strings and bridal veils as part of a Back to School Tax Holiday sort of kinky. Where does one go to purchase corset strings in the first place? I’m thinking serious dress code violations!

If the inclusions are rather odd, the items NOT eligible for tax relief seem even less logical:

• Bandanas but not handkerchiefs
• Beach caps but not umbrellas
• Binders but not thumb drives
• Caps but not hard hats
• Compasses but not computers
• Garter belts but not safety belts
• Legal pads but not computer paper
• Watercolors but not printer ink

Sometimes laws, once on the books, can become archaic. But this one’s only four years old, so one has to wonder why it seems to ignore the role of technology in education. You can buy a calculator, but it’s a school supply item, so it can’t cost more than $20. A Victoria's Secret nightgown that cost $89.99 is tax-exempt, but a graphing calculator a priced at $89.99 is not. Go figure.

Ohh..so maybe this isn’t just about education?

I never determined who created the exemption/exclusion list, but an article in Sunday’s Washington Post helped clarify the matter.

"We have found that sales tax holidays have been tremendously successful at drawing customers into stores and getting them to spend," said J. Craig Shearman, spokesman for the National Retail Federation, an industry trade group. "Americans have hated paying taxes all the way back to the Boston Tea Party."

Ohhh…….so this isn’t just about the kids who get the education?

But it is nice to save a little money, and no taxes does sound like a good deal. So, let’s do a little math here. The National Retail Federation estimates that back-to-school shopping translates into about $548.72 per family. Virginia has a 5% sales tax. That means that the family will not have to pay $27.44 in taxes. Now what if the store had reduced their prices by 5% and the family did have to pay sales tax? The $548.72 bill would be reduced to $521.18 and, at 5%, our family would have to pay $26.05 in sales tax. That comes to $547.34 which means that their actual out of pocket expense went down by $1.39.

Ohhhh……so this isn’t just about the cash strapped parents?

Keeping straight about what is and isn’t exempt can create a real hassle at the checkout counter and may result in customers putting merchandise back. Some retailers opt to pay the taxes on merchandise that is excluded from exemption but purchased on the Back-to-School Tax Free Holiday weekend to avoid problems and build good will. That $700 computer your children needed? Go ahead and put it in the cart and the store will cover the $35.00 in taxes, in effect discounting the price by 5%. Rather than $735.00, the consumer pays $700.00 and goes home happy.

"If retailers were to hold a sale and say, 'Everything is 5 to 6 percent off today,' our customers would laugh at us," Shearman said of the tax breaks. "There's a psychological appeal that goes far beyond the amount of money involved."

Ah…..so this is actually all about marketing.

Well, you can’t blame the merchants. Their job is to sell their merchandise for the best profit they can get. To be fair, it's not as if they tricked anyone; after all, I figured this out and I was never good at math. They just told us what we wanted to hear. Shearman is right; while most people won’t get excited about a 5% sale, TAX FREE sounds like a great deal! You can outsmart the tax man and save a few bucks. NO TAXES is such a distraction that we don’t take time to calculate the real costs.

But the costs are real. Sales tax exemption is a regressive tax policy that offers less relief to the family on a tight budget than it does to those with more disposable income. The $27.44 per household that was “saved” is $27.44 that did not go into state and local coffers to pay for those schools that the kids are going back to. In Virginia, localities cover about 70% of education expenses and the primary source of that money is property taxes. For a family on the brink, a pair of tax exempt $95 sneakers is a discretionary purchase, paying property taxes is a fixed expense. The unintended consequence of a Tax Free Holiday IS that, in exchange for the illusion of savings, the taxpayer may forfeit his ability to control his expenses along with the benefits that taxation purchases.

Back in 1980’s Douglas Hofstadter coined the term innumeracy -- and Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences by John Allen Paulos was a best seller. Hofstadter and Paulos proposed that being able to do the math didn’t necessarily result in understanding what the numbers mean. And, if we don’t know really know what the numbers mean, then rather than informing, numbers can easily misdirect us.

I checked -- a used copy of Innumeracy goes for as low as $3.00 (plus shipping and handling and sales tax where applicable).

Such a deal!

Posted by Susan Graham at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Last week I wrote about the Dirty Little Business of cutting school costs by cutting career and technical education.

Claus von Zastrow, over at Public School Insights, asked

….Is there cause for concern when attendance at 4-year colleges continues to be bound by SES (socioeconomic status)?

All across our country, we are telling young people that a degree from a four year college is a ticket to a bright future. But going to college doesn’t guarantee success. And in fact, graduating from college doesn’t insure anything either. Ask the boomerang young adult who has moved home to the basement and is waiting tables while waiting for life to start up.

It seems to me that, with the best of intentions, the message of college has drifted off course. With slick college brochures featuring beautiful campuses, luxurious amenities and exciting extracurricular and enrichment opportunities, our colleges sometimes seem to have more in common with the resort industry than an aesthetic life of intellectual pursuit. College has become a prestige destination as much as an opportunity to prepare for a career and adult life.

If we accept a four year degree as the only path to success, then we have an obligation to make a four year degree available to all. But there is reason to believe we’ve made a false assumption that the experience inside the ivy covered walls of academia is the only real choice. That may have more to do with good marketing than with reality. Some of our universities risk being “designer handbags” of higher learning. While few dispute their quality, their value may have as much to do with their exclusivity as their effectiveness. Degrees from elite institutions, just like some handbags, may be worth every penny, but they are a luxury that not everyone can afford. Second tier privates and state universities are more accessible and more affordable choices, but with post secondary costs escalating at more than 5% per annum, they are increasingly beyond the reach of many, even with grants and loans.

For the careful education consumer, community colleges can often offer quality education at bargain basement prices. At a community college, a freshman is less likely to be taught by a graduate student and more likely to be in a smaller class. Because of their size and mission, community colleges provide more personal support for students who may be first generation college students. Community colleges tend to be more friendly to part time enrollment and the need to balance work and school schedules. Students have the option of certificate programs, associate degrees, transfer to four year colleges, or combinations of these.

The education sector has often ignored the opportunities that community colleges offer. High schools partner with community colleges for dual enrollment programs that allow college prep or career and technical students to earn college credit while still in high school. Unlike AP courses, these classes fall under the direct supervision of a state accredited institute of higher learning. Four year universities usually allow community college students to carry their credits with them if they decide to pursue an undergraduate degree. Careful planning and articulated agreements insure that coursework will apply to a degree plan.

But community colleges offer other options as well. A student who begins a licensed nursing assistant program in high school has a headstart on earning a practical nursing certificate in less than a year. A two year associates program can result in licensure as a registered nurse. These registered nurses are half way home to a BS in nursing and eligibility for advanced degrees that lead to careers such as nurse managers and nurse anesthetists. Community college doesn't have to be a limited or last-resort option; instead it may be the best place to find multiple paths to success.

Claus questioned

Aren't some excellent CTE programs also essentially college prep programs?

Research at Columbia University, indicates that the combination of CTE and dual enrollment improves the probability of success in a four year degree program. Unfortunately, students are often discouraged from enrollment in CTE courses because it “might not look good on your college application.” It is equally unfortunate when community colleges are presented as last-ditch choices rather than viable options.

The prestige of colleges and universities is a two-edged sword. We call them highly selective schools. Highly selective is just a nice way of saying exclusive, and you can’t be exclusive without limiting access, and limited access boils down to “We’re in and you’re not.” The danger of limited access is that college acceptance may become as much about seeking status as pursuing knowledge. When a "name brand" becomes as valuable as the content of what is learned, a university may struggle to separate academic excellence from empire building. Career and Technical education and community college programs may lack prestige, but they are purpose-driven and are likely to remain student focused.

My TLN colleague Renee Moore points out

Community colleges have proven themselves resilient and resourceful in providing access to education for broader and broader segments of our population, and the high-profile push from the Administration may begin to change not only the perception of community college, but its under-resourced reality.

I certainly hope so.

Posted by Susan Graham at 9:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)