Solutions start with Parent Visits and Observations
I am pleading that every parent with a child in our public school system spends a full day in your child’s school. Walk the halls, have lunch in the café and attend classes. I’m willing to bet that almost all that attend will never come in to a school with the same mindset again. Their eyes will be open to the disarray of public middle and high schools. Don’t say anything as the day carries on. Just listen, watch and feel what is all around you. Your senses will allow you to observe and translate the odyssey of your children’s daily experience.
Listen to the inappropriate language that has become filler for our kids’ depleted capacity to articulate. Listen to the breakdown of eloquence, pronunciation and enunciation. Listen to the triviality of conversation. Listen to the shrieks oblivious to the protocol of a civilized society. Listen to the personal degradation, and verbal bullying of other students. Listen to the disrespectful responses to adults beginning with addresses such as “Dood, Dawg, and “Man”. Listen to the abrasive responses towards teachers, and the sound of Nike sneakers carrying students away from a teacher asking that child to stop in the hall and listen. Listen to the teacher that loved coming to school every day, who now greets other teachers on a Monday morning with, “It’s almost Friday”.
Listen to the constant disruptions that slice into a teacher’s well-prepared lesson and the educational opportunities for those students that want to learn. Listen for the absurd regularity of statements such as, “What are we doing today”. Can I get my book from my locker?”, and “Can I borrow a pencil?” If you might hear, “May I borrow a pencil?” Wow, you surprisingly witnessed a rare anomaly in a middle or high school class room. Listen to the enormity of students requesting options for extra work and dummied down assessments, (Why can’t we have a word bank?), when the vast majority of these students do not complete the assigned requirements of the course.
Look into the eyes of students talking and laughing in the halls and then look at that same student’s eyes once seated in a classroom. Notice anything different? See the lack of affect in that child’s eyes, the boredom entrenched in their body language, and deepening lines in the brows of teachers battling an increasing barrage of disrespect and lack of discipline. Look at the cringe in students’ faces when they are asked to “work, critically think or articulate”. Look at the pout on their faces when they are called out for being lazy, unprepared or inappropriate. Look at them scoot out of class rushing to the restroom where they can call their mommy or daddy on their cell phone to complain about that awful teacher that called them on the carpet.
Look at the poorly veiled racial alignment of kids in the hallways and the café. If you have extra time however, visit one of the elementary schools and sit in their café. There is a blend of color and ethnicity sitting at those tables. The intolerance of the older generations has not yet fully tainted the innocent minds of our little ones. Now return to the café of your older student. Look at the adults in attendance. Look how they tend to gather and associate by race.
Look at the blatant disdain for the observance of rules. Look at the quantity of students not adhering to the dress code. Look at the amount of food and garbage left behind on cafeteria tables. Look at students walk over pieces of paper, bottles, etc. in the middle of the hallway. Look at the amount of students walking towards class without books or supplies. Look at the extent of students still socializing in the hallway when the bell has rung. Look at the amount of students not in their chairs when the bell has begun signifying the beginning of class. Look at the students who can’t keep their eyes open because they had access to computers, texting and phones until three in the morning. Look at the miniscule percentage of homework assignments that are handed in upon teacher request.
These are observations based on the two senses of hearing and sight. There are literally hundreds of other observations that we can attain using all of our senses. The important point is that it is time to come up with solutions. This is going to take some very special people with guts.
A school board sets policy. If you are going to bother setting it, expect it to be upheld. A district leadership team is expected to carry out directives that align and adhere to the policy. School principals are trained to instill the district directives within the fabric of the school. Teachers should be motivated to engage the students keeping them on the path of the district directives. Parents need to direct their children towards the best odds for a successful future. Students should open their minds to the educational opportunities presented to them. They need to actively participate in their education.
Of course our level of success is determined by courageous actions and responses. Students should listen a lot more, go to sleep on time, be required to take a 101 course on respect and discipline, be polite, do their homework, be prepared, stop whining, and incorporate, “Please”,
” Thank you”, “Yes, Ma’am”, and “No Sir”, in their ever day dialogues.
When it comes to their children, parents need to get over themselves. We all have struggles and challenges in our lives. Don’t use them as excuses for your child’s behavior or poor academic performance. Don’t bring your marital problems, financial woes, mid-life crises, insecurities and addictions to the table when talking about your children. Have the guts to sit down and say, I’m sorry that my child is misbehaving or not performing. Now what can we all do to improve this situation. This next concern is a tough one, but middle and high school parents have got to accept the fact that almost all kids lie. They don’t lie because they are bad kids. They are wired to focus on the immediacy of their situation. So if a young man or woman knows that they can’t go out this weekend if they get in trouble, they will alter their explanation to assure their short-term freedom. Please try to have that as a reference point before you rush into a school meeting looking to lambast a teacher.
Teachers need to maintain the highest level of integrity, and expectations from themselves and their students. They need to constantly reflect on their purpose, goals and reasons for educating children. If you love kids, love nurturing academic growth, don’t feel the need to punch a clock and love the daily challenge, continue to live out your passion of educating children. Otherwise, initiate worthwhile change or get out!
School administrators need to devise courageous ways to enforce policy, moderate challenging issues and stand by their teachers. District administrators should do the same. No administrator should ever throw a teacher under the bus to protect their reputation or position. A true sign of guts and courage is displayed by an administrator who stands up for what they know is right even when they are pummeled by rhetoric, the press and attorneys’ well-crafted letters.
Finally, the school board is the true source of guts and courage. Before you vote to establish policy, do your homework, be prepared and study! If you have completed your groundwork then you should be comfortable standing up without wavering for any policy that you cooperatively architect.
One last note….don’t ever let an attorney into a school district building. The only possible result will be a lot of wasted time, money-filled pockets for the lawyers and clouded perspectives.
Mike Sanz
The goal of this blog is to share ideas supporting an effective anti-bullying national program. I also passionately believe that our ability to provide quality education to kids cannot happen until the pillars of Respect, Discipline and Courage have been restalished in our public schools. Educators, parents, and community leaders must all come together and stand strong to attain a nourishing, safe and thriving school community.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
The Way it Should Be!
The principal and assistants will be greeting the students at the door each morning and will walk the halls every moment of every day. If students walk towards the door out of dress code, they won’t pass through it. Students will have a right to the halls only if they are in proper attire. The disruption of electrical devices, inappropriate clothing and other peripherals will disappear. Language will be clean, appropriate and respectful. Students will address adults as Sir, Ma’am, Mr. or Mrs. They will not use words such as dude, dawg, or man in any conversations directed at adults. They can save that for the beach, the mall or their own back yards. Wouldn’t it be great to enter classrooms where the words, “Please”, and “Thank you”, will be embedded within the dynamics of meaningful learning?
Students that break the rules will face consequences every time. There will be no warnings, two-week adjustment periods, negotiations or deals. The warning is put in place the day the student is handed the student handbook. If it is a policy established by the school board, we will enforce it. Student consequences will be effective. Detentions will be served with a purpose. These students will scrub the desks, clean the walls, pick up the garbage and scrape gum from places they put it. If they must sit in a desk, they will write and write and write until they get it right! Major infractions will lead to suspensions and Saturday Detentions. If the infraction involved defiance or verbal abuse toward a staff member, the student will not return without a parent conference and a thoughtful apology written to the teacher.
Discipline will become the norm not the exception. Students will be on time in the morning and for every class. Students will take up the four minutes between the classes to get to class, utilize the rest room and get into their seats. They don’t need to talk to their friends, exchange hellos and greetings, and scurry to their locker. They need to plan ahead and prepare for the whole school day. There will be time for socializing before school, at lunch and after school gets out. Other than that it should be six hours of hard work, intellectual challenge, and critical skills development. They will engage their brain cells from bell to bell. Students will bring their tools of learning to class every day. No longer will well-planned lessons by teachers be tossed away because half the class doesn’t come prepared with pencil, paper, and books. I will not accept a statement from any parent or child that they can’t afford or have that paper or pencil when a cell phone or I-Pod is hanging out of the child’s pocket. Students should expect to be exhausted by 2:30 every day because of working brains not because of wasted hours of useless conversation, doodling or late night Facebook chats with friends.
Students that break the rules will face consequences every time. There will be no warnings, two-week adjustment periods, negotiations or deals. The warning is put in place the day the student is handed the student handbook. If it is a policy established by the school board, we will enforce it. Student consequences will be effective. Detentions will be served with a purpose. These students will scrub the desks, clean the walls, pick up the garbage and scrape gum from places they put it. If they must sit in a desk, they will write and write and write until they get it right! Major infractions will lead to suspensions and Saturday Detentions. If the infraction involved defiance or verbal abuse toward a staff member, the student will not return without a parent conference and a thoughtful apology written to the teacher.
Discipline will become the norm not the exception. Students will be on time in the morning and for every class. Students will take up the four minutes between the classes to get to class, utilize the rest room and get into their seats. They don’t need to talk to their friends, exchange hellos and greetings, and scurry to their locker. They need to plan ahead and prepare for the whole school day. There will be time for socializing before school, at lunch and after school gets out. Other than that it should be six hours of hard work, intellectual challenge, and critical skills development. They will engage their brain cells from bell to bell. Students will bring their tools of learning to class every day. No longer will well-planned lessons by teachers be tossed away because half the class doesn’t come prepared with pencil, paper, and books. I will not accept a statement from any parent or child that they can’t afford or have that paper or pencil when a cell phone or I-Pod is hanging out of the child’s pocket. Students should expect to be exhausted by 2:30 every day because of working brains not because of wasted hours of useless conversation, doodling or late night Facebook chats with friends.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Bullied
Bullied
The daily routine from hell had begun. I glanced at the clock and prepared myself for another journey through panic, fear and anxiety. I’m not sure of the exact date or which class I was in. After so many months of pain and suffering, the process and the specific moment became unimportant. It was early March and I was up on the second floor, a good distance from my locker. I knew that I would have to think quick, move smart and keep my head down as usual.
I worked really hard, as I did every day, to look positive until we got through lunch. My smile had worked well that morning and my practiced masculine “How ya doing”? elicited three responses before lunch. After that, it was about preparation and survival. The last period of the day always dragged as my mind waffled between absorbing the teacher’s information and designing the strategic stealth plan.
In one swooping motion, the hands of the clock hit 2:20, the teacher’s voice trailed with assignment reminders as I rocketed from the chair. I hit the door quick beating out the majority of the freshmen and made a clean turn to the right dodging the onslaught of my 650 male compatriots. My eyes focused, the legs fired, and I cleared the stairs without a hint of stumbling. The lobby and main staircase at Bishop Guertin High School resounded with historical perspective, philosophy and the ornate points of view of the Catholic Church. There was no time to embrace these spectacles now as I darted down the stairs towards the locker room. My goal had to be achieved; getting to the bus before anyone else.
As I approached the bottom of the main staircase, I turned sharply to the left and faced the most challenging piece of my daily flight. Ahead lay the narrow, sharply descending stairs cluttered with bodies of numerous pubescent boys. Not all were faced with my dilemma. Many of the guys were relaxed, laughing and taking their sweet time rambling down the stairs. Today was more stagnant than normal from both a kinetic and aromatic perspective. I wanted to scream, “Get out of my way, let me breathe and allow me some peace”. Finally when it seemed like the bottleneck would not splinter, I spilled out onto the cafeteria canvas framed by khaki green cement blocks.
Seconds were cerebrally interpreted as minutes as I sprinted towards the left back corner of the café. Woven within the cement blocks, 700 lockers lay in waiting. In one deliberate motion, the right hand hit the combination lock as my left arm hurdled out of my tan corduroy sport coat. Three muscle memory turns, and the locker creaked open as my right arm cleared the confines of my coat. The nylon blue paisley tie, absurdly wide in width, was removed in a fraction of a moment and tossed on the hook. It shared time with the brown and yellow striper and the mega-sectional red, white and blue edition. I grabbed my so seventies winter jacket, brown with the fox fur collar, leather gloves and psychedelic stocking hat and booked it for the exit.
The intensity of attaining my immediate objective had to maintain balance with the long range goal of looking cool and calm at all times. I caught myself as I passed through the doors leading to the parking lot and shifted into a calculated and brutally contained cantor. I was struggling to breathe and could feel my heart pounding. Standing tall and gleaming brightly among the sedans, (SUV’s and minivans waited twenty years in the future) the yellow chariot called my name. Picking up speed, I galloped towards the bus and hit the stairs hard and fast.
I swept around the corner and slid heavily into the first seat on the right. Finally, I gave myself a chance to take a breath of air and experience a second of relaxation. Phase one of the afternoon obstacle course was complete. Several seconds passed before the next student jumped on the bus. This gave the bus driver, John, a moment to say hello. John always called me Big Bird because I had such a big nose. I know that his intension was not malicious but it hurt that the other kids addressed me that way. As the kids pushed and stumbled onto the bus, I prepared myself for the fifty minute phase two of the journey. The tension again built up in my shoulders and stomach as I placed myself in the position. It was a tremendous struggle every day to become invisible. As the bus began to traverse forward I opened my book, focused all cerebral neurons on my hearing, and deadened my eyes.
Every day in the morning and more so in the afternoon, I faced with dread the bus ride. I never knew if this would be the day where it would happen. What would happen, you might ask? Well, the possibilities included, being pulled to the back and getting beaten up, my books being started on fire, having cigarette ashes dumped on my head, being called every nasty name possible, and having my personal belongings stolen or destroyed. Therefore, you can see why every trip was a dangerous and panic laden trek for me. The answer precluded by the deadened eyes was daydreaming. I simply placed myself somewhere else where it was safe, peaceful and maybe even fun. On this day, my dream carried me to my dentist’s office. I was sitting in the chair enjoying a conversation with the dental hygienist, Doreen. Without question, I had a teen crush on her but the dream was tailored towards comfort, safety and acceptance.
It is difficult to describe the feelings I experienced as we traveled along our route from southern New Hampshire through several northeastern Massachusetts towns. At each stop another bully would prepare to exit. Maintaining my place in dream world, my breathing would come to a halt. As the antagonist meandered down the stairs, a sigh of relief would be accompanied by the thought that one less idea of torture existed on this particular ride. The return home was going as well as could be expected, until the rumbling began. I came out of my dream state when I heard the meshing of words that included “Big Bird”, “faggot”, “runt” and, “spit”. Eventually the words blended into the sentence, “Let’s spit on Big Bird when he gets off the bus”. Anxiety, anger, embarrassment, assessment and preparation all became entangled in my thought process. My stop was approaching and now it was clear what the plan was. There were ten kids still on the bus. Two were leading the charge, three others followed without blinking, two jumped aboard to protect their reputations and three sat and looked away. John, the bus driver heard everything and did nothing.
John enjoyed stopping the bus on a dime and we were jolted forward by the quick pump of the brakes. I grabbed my bag, barely able to breathe as I initiated my launch to safety. I figured that if I jumped from the bottom step of the bus I could take two quick leaps and be out of spittoon range. Unfortunately, it had been raining and the snow banks were slushy and soft. My first jump landed me in a foot of water causing me to slip and bend backwards. I pushed forward hoping to hit the top of the bank and roll to the other side. As I hit the crest of the bank, I could hear the interfacing of gears as the bus moved forward. I also heard the taunting and the laughing as the cruel action took place. When my foot impacted the wet snow, I sunk to my knee in slush. My momentum carried me over the wet mound of snow and I rolled into a bitterly cold puddle on the other side.
I stood, slowly, as my ears and nose still captured soft laughter and diesel fuel dancing on waves of sound and smell. I felt numb, not from the frigid environment but from the internal humiliation. I knew that I had been hit and I also knew there was nothing I could do about it. I checked and found that one lugee had caught me in the back and one was disgustingly seeping into the cotton fibers of my hat. Picking up my soaked school bag, I turned to walk home with a sad grin protruding from my face. I quickly headed into my house, dumped my wet clothes, went into my room, and traveled back to my safe haven. My day dream continued until mom and dad got home. Small talk ensued, but I expressed nothing to suggest that bullying was part of my daily life.
This painful scenario played itself out in the spring of 1974 at a private Catholic boys’ school in Nashua, New Hampshire. My parents probably had some idea that there were issues, but never caught wind of the intensity or the significance. For three years, from my first day through the end of my junior year, bullying was a silent blunt instrument that I endured. Already shy and reserved when I entered high school, daydreaming and avoidance became my mode of survival. The next twelve years are a blur of depressive episodes, daily anxiety, panic attacks and numerous lost moments of smiles and laughter.
I am one of the lucky ones because of the support from my family, a stunningly wonderful woman who entered my life twenty-four years ago, and a voice inside that whispered, “Don’t quit”. Standing next to an escalator while I was working at Sears one evening, the smoke cleared for just a second. I realized that I had spent so many years blaming my lack of direction, purpose and attainment of goals on those goblins of the past. It was like a brick had hit me on the side of the head and I could think with clarity. My happiness and satisfaction in life was in my hands and not all those past and present around me.
In a rather amusing ironic twist, I returned to school to complete a master’s program in Education. For the last twenty years I’ve experienced the joys and challenges of being a science teacher, coach, athletic director, department chair, assistant principal and principal. My years of struggle have allowed me to recognize, empathize and then devise strategies to eliminate cultures of bullying.
Parents, please be aware of what is happening with your children at school. As difficult as it might be, ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to irritate your kids. They’ll eventually open up in some way and they will be eternally grateful that you were a pain in their side. Move that hood away from their face and look carefully into their eyes. If you see a curtain or silent anger, prod until you have an answer. If your child is being bullied end it now. Work with your children, the school counselors, teachers and administrators to assure that your son or daughter will leave school with memories of culture, academic rigor and the warmth of many smiles.
The daily routine from hell had begun. I glanced at the clock and prepared myself for another journey through panic, fear and anxiety. I’m not sure of the exact date or which class I was in. After so many months of pain and suffering, the process and the specific moment became unimportant. It was early March and I was up on the second floor, a good distance from my locker. I knew that I would have to think quick, move smart and keep my head down as usual.
I worked really hard, as I did every day, to look positive until we got through lunch. My smile had worked well that morning and my practiced masculine “How ya doing”? elicited three responses before lunch. After that, it was about preparation and survival. The last period of the day always dragged as my mind waffled between absorbing the teacher’s information and designing the strategic stealth plan.
In one swooping motion, the hands of the clock hit 2:20, the teacher’s voice trailed with assignment reminders as I rocketed from the chair. I hit the door quick beating out the majority of the freshmen and made a clean turn to the right dodging the onslaught of my 650 male compatriots. My eyes focused, the legs fired, and I cleared the stairs without a hint of stumbling. The lobby and main staircase at Bishop Guertin High School resounded with historical perspective, philosophy and the ornate points of view of the Catholic Church. There was no time to embrace these spectacles now as I darted down the stairs towards the locker room. My goal had to be achieved; getting to the bus before anyone else.
As I approached the bottom of the main staircase, I turned sharply to the left and faced the most challenging piece of my daily flight. Ahead lay the narrow, sharply descending stairs cluttered with bodies of numerous pubescent boys. Not all were faced with my dilemma. Many of the guys were relaxed, laughing and taking their sweet time rambling down the stairs. Today was more stagnant than normal from both a kinetic and aromatic perspective. I wanted to scream, “Get out of my way, let me breathe and allow me some peace”. Finally when it seemed like the bottleneck would not splinter, I spilled out onto the cafeteria canvas framed by khaki green cement blocks.
Seconds were cerebrally interpreted as minutes as I sprinted towards the left back corner of the café. Woven within the cement blocks, 700 lockers lay in waiting. In one deliberate motion, the right hand hit the combination lock as my left arm hurdled out of my tan corduroy sport coat. Three muscle memory turns, and the locker creaked open as my right arm cleared the confines of my coat. The nylon blue paisley tie, absurdly wide in width, was removed in a fraction of a moment and tossed on the hook. It shared time with the brown and yellow striper and the mega-sectional red, white and blue edition. I grabbed my so seventies winter jacket, brown with the fox fur collar, leather gloves and psychedelic stocking hat and booked it for the exit.
The intensity of attaining my immediate objective had to maintain balance with the long range goal of looking cool and calm at all times. I caught myself as I passed through the doors leading to the parking lot and shifted into a calculated and brutally contained cantor. I was struggling to breathe and could feel my heart pounding. Standing tall and gleaming brightly among the sedans, (SUV’s and minivans waited twenty years in the future) the yellow chariot called my name. Picking up speed, I galloped towards the bus and hit the stairs hard and fast.
I swept around the corner and slid heavily into the first seat on the right. Finally, I gave myself a chance to take a breath of air and experience a second of relaxation. Phase one of the afternoon obstacle course was complete. Several seconds passed before the next student jumped on the bus. This gave the bus driver, John, a moment to say hello. John always called me Big Bird because I had such a big nose. I know that his intension was not malicious but it hurt that the other kids addressed me that way. As the kids pushed and stumbled onto the bus, I prepared myself for the fifty minute phase two of the journey. The tension again built up in my shoulders and stomach as I placed myself in the position. It was a tremendous struggle every day to become invisible. As the bus began to traverse forward I opened my book, focused all cerebral neurons on my hearing, and deadened my eyes.
Every day in the morning and more so in the afternoon, I faced with dread the bus ride. I never knew if this would be the day where it would happen. What would happen, you might ask? Well, the possibilities included, being pulled to the back and getting beaten up, my books being started on fire, having cigarette ashes dumped on my head, being called every nasty name possible, and having my personal belongings stolen or destroyed. Therefore, you can see why every trip was a dangerous and panic laden trek for me. The answer precluded by the deadened eyes was daydreaming. I simply placed myself somewhere else where it was safe, peaceful and maybe even fun. On this day, my dream carried me to my dentist’s office. I was sitting in the chair enjoying a conversation with the dental hygienist, Doreen. Without question, I had a teen crush on her but the dream was tailored towards comfort, safety and acceptance.
It is difficult to describe the feelings I experienced as we traveled along our route from southern New Hampshire through several northeastern Massachusetts towns. At each stop another bully would prepare to exit. Maintaining my place in dream world, my breathing would come to a halt. As the antagonist meandered down the stairs, a sigh of relief would be accompanied by the thought that one less idea of torture existed on this particular ride. The return home was going as well as could be expected, until the rumbling began. I came out of my dream state when I heard the meshing of words that included “Big Bird”, “faggot”, “runt” and, “spit”. Eventually the words blended into the sentence, “Let’s spit on Big Bird when he gets off the bus”. Anxiety, anger, embarrassment, assessment and preparation all became entangled in my thought process. My stop was approaching and now it was clear what the plan was. There were ten kids still on the bus. Two were leading the charge, three others followed without blinking, two jumped aboard to protect their reputations and three sat and looked away. John, the bus driver heard everything and did nothing.
John enjoyed stopping the bus on a dime and we were jolted forward by the quick pump of the brakes. I grabbed my bag, barely able to breathe as I initiated my launch to safety. I figured that if I jumped from the bottom step of the bus I could take two quick leaps and be out of spittoon range. Unfortunately, it had been raining and the snow banks were slushy and soft. My first jump landed me in a foot of water causing me to slip and bend backwards. I pushed forward hoping to hit the top of the bank and roll to the other side. As I hit the crest of the bank, I could hear the interfacing of gears as the bus moved forward. I also heard the taunting and the laughing as the cruel action took place. When my foot impacted the wet snow, I sunk to my knee in slush. My momentum carried me over the wet mound of snow and I rolled into a bitterly cold puddle on the other side.
I stood, slowly, as my ears and nose still captured soft laughter and diesel fuel dancing on waves of sound and smell. I felt numb, not from the frigid environment but from the internal humiliation. I knew that I had been hit and I also knew there was nothing I could do about it. I checked and found that one lugee had caught me in the back and one was disgustingly seeping into the cotton fibers of my hat. Picking up my soaked school bag, I turned to walk home with a sad grin protruding from my face. I quickly headed into my house, dumped my wet clothes, went into my room, and traveled back to my safe haven. My day dream continued until mom and dad got home. Small talk ensued, but I expressed nothing to suggest that bullying was part of my daily life.
This painful scenario played itself out in the spring of 1974 at a private Catholic boys’ school in Nashua, New Hampshire. My parents probably had some idea that there were issues, but never caught wind of the intensity or the significance. For three years, from my first day through the end of my junior year, bullying was a silent blunt instrument that I endured. Already shy and reserved when I entered high school, daydreaming and avoidance became my mode of survival. The next twelve years are a blur of depressive episodes, daily anxiety, panic attacks and numerous lost moments of smiles and laughter.
I am one of the lucky ones because of the support from my family, a stunningly wonderful woman who entered my life twenty-four years ago, and a voice inside that whispered, “Don’t quit”. Standing next to an escalator while I was working at Sears one evening, the smoke cleared for just a second. I realized that I had spent so many years blaming my lack of direction, purpose and attainment of goals on those goblins of the past. It was like a brick had hit me on the side of the head and I could think with clarity. My happiness and satisfaction in life was in my hands and not all those past and present around me.
In a rather amusing ironic twist, I returned to school to complete a master’s program in Education. For the last twenty years I’ve experienced the joys and challenges of being a science teacher, coach, athletic director, department chair, assistant principal and principal. My years of struggle have allowed me to recognize, empathize and then devise strategies to eliminate cultures of bullying.
Parents, please be aware of what is happening with your children at school. As difficult as it might be, ask lots of questions. Don’t be afraid to irritate your kids. They’ll eventually open up in some way and they will be eternally grateful that you were a pain in their side. Move that hood away from their face and look carefully into their eyes. If you see a curtain or silent anger, prod until you have an answer. If your child is being bullied end it now. Work with your children, the school counselors, teachers and administrators to assure that your son or daughter will leave school with memories of culture, academic rigor and the warmth of many smiles.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Do your Homework, Be Prepared, and Study!
“Do your Homework, Be Prepared, and Study!”
Michael L. Sanz
Many of us have those few movies that we can just watch over and over. One of mine is “A Few Good Men” starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. I am always mesmerized during the courtroom scene, when Cruise and Nicholson go at it. The classic exchange is when Nicholson’s character barks out, “You want answers?”, and the young attorney Cruise passionately responds with, “I want the truth!”
Here is a Truth: The Educational System in the United States benefits a few, burdens many and does an inadequate job preparing our children for the future. It is time that we face truth and come up with solutions. The greatest deterrent to this is fear of change.
I have come to the realization that “Fear” is really scary! Removal from our daily habits is extremely frightening. If I was told that I could no longer have my morning cup of coffee my fear of falling out of my routine would lead to me being too frightened to function…??? “Change” is the fabric woven into every significant event in the history of this world. Present any name in our past and there is a connection to change and fear. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Robert Oppenheimer (I wonder how many of our high school seniors know who he was.), Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy are just a few. These guys were very scary dudes. They had the courage to spark change despite the consequences of the resultant fear.
The following is a solution to enhance academic success, improved test scores, and higher graduation rates. These points lead to an environment of inviting culture, compassion, consistency and elevated community self-esteem.
The new catch phrase throughout the district should be, “Do you Homework, Be Prepared, and Study!”
The lobbies, offices and classrooms in every school in the district should clearly display the phrase, “Do your Homework, Be Prepared and Study!”
Wow! Think of how this radical change will evoke fear in the hearts and minds of so many students. Well, tough, it is direct, and it will work. So when a student approaches a teacher and says, “I don’t understand why I’m failing this class”, look them straight in the eye. Raise your hand and slowly open three fingers on your hand while saying, “Do your homework, be prepared and study”. When a parent comes in for a meeting with teachers they will ask questions. The most common is, “What can you do differently to help my child get better grades”. Every teacher in the meeting should address this the same way. “I will continue to facilitate the learning process for your child utilizing my skills and experience. Please instruct your child to do the following: “Do your homework, be prepared, and study”. Finally, when an administrator or guidance counselor meets with a teacher and says, “You need to make changes so that the students do better”. The teacher should say, “Absolutely, I’ll talk to them today and introduce my major expectation: Do your homework, be prepared, and Study!”
…Problem solved!
Michael L. Sanz
Many of us have those few movies that we can just watch over and over. One of mine is “A Few Good Men” starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. I am always mesmerized during the courtroom scene, when Cruise and Nicholson go at it. The classic exchange is when Nicholson’s character barks out, “You want answers?”, and the young attorney Cruise passionately responds with, “I want the truth!”
Here is a Truth: The Educational System in the United States benefits a few, burdens many and does an inadequate job preparing our children for the future. It is time that we face truth and come up with solutions. The greatest deterrent to this is fear of change.
I have come to the realization that “Fear” is really scary! Removal from our daily habits is extremely frightening. If I was told that I could no longer have my morning cup of coffee my fear of falling out of my routine would lead to me being too frightened to function…??? “Change” is the fabric woven into every significant event in the history of this world. Present any name in our past and there is a connection to change and fear. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Robert Oppenheimer (I wonder how many of our high school seniors know who he was.), Dr. Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy are just a few. These guys were very scary dudes. They had the courage to spark change despite the consequences of the resultant fear.
The following is a solution to enhance academic success, improved test scores, and higher graduation rates. These points lead to an environment of inviting culture, compassion, consistency and elevated community self-esteem.
The new catch phrase throughout the district should be, “Do you Homework, Be Prepared, and Study!”
The lobbies, offices and classrooms in every school in the district should clearly display the phrase, “Do your Homework, Be Prepared and Study!”
Wow! Think of how this radical change will evoke fear in the hearts and minds of so many students. Well, tough, it is direct, and it will work. So when a student approaches a teacher and says, “I don’t understand why I’m failing this class”, look them straight in the eye. Raise your hand and slowly open three fingers on your hand while saying, “Do your homework, be prepared and study”. When a parent comes in for a meeting with teachers they will ask questions. The most common is, “What can you do differently to help my child get better grades”. Every teacher in the meeting should address this the same way. “I will continue to facilitate the learning process for your child utilizing my skills and experience. Please instruct your child to do the following: “Do your homework, be prepared, and study”. Finally, when an administrator or guidance counselor meets with a teacher and says, “You need to make changes so that the students do better”. The teacher should say, “Absolutely, I’ll talk to them today and introduce my major expectation: Do your homework, be prepared, and Study!”
…Problem solved!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Triad of Academic Success
Triad of Academic Success
I believe that every child can learn. I believe that every child can embrace the joy of feeling successful. I believe that the bar of academic rigor can be continually raised. However, for too many of our kids, these things do not happen. These children will not enjoy these benefits until a drastic overhaul occurs within our educational system.
First we have got to clear the air, get out of the box, start from scratch, reorganize the bus and incorporate every other cliché that exists in society. All the guidelines that are in place as of today need to be shredded and cleared out. The philosophy of “politically correct” needs to fall off a cliff, lawyers need to go to hell, and parents need to start being parents through actions not just in name. The changes necessary to provide outstanding academic performance will take guts and courage.
The key to success involves the triad model. This is a dynamic triangular relationship existing between students, parents and the school. The only way that effective academic rigor can be implemented is if the links between the three points are tight and strong. The struggle exists where the weak link lies. The withering links develop because of chinks in the pillars. A tone of discipline, respect and courage must be designed and implemented by the parents from the day the child is born. From that very first moment the baby should be nurtured, held, comforted, read to, sung to, told right from wrong, given guidelines,reprimanded and praised. These primary interventions will support the triad when the child is five, thirteen, seventeen and beyond.
I believe that every child can learn. I believe that every child can embrace the joy of feeling successful. I believe that the bar of academic rigor can be continually raised. However, for too many of our kids, these things do not happen. These children will not enjoy these benefits until a drastic overhaul occurs within our educational system.
First we have got to clear the air, get out of the box, start from scratch, reorganize the bus and incorporate every other cliché that exists in society. All the guidelines that are in place as of today need to be shredded and cleared out. The philosophy of “politically correct” needs to fall off a cliff, lawyers need to go to hell, and parents need to start being parents through actions not just in name. The changes necessary to provide outstanding academic performance will take guts and courage.
The key to success involves the triad model. This is a dynamic triangular relationship existing between students, parents and the school. The only way that effective academic rigor can be implemented is if the links between the three points are tight and strong. The struggle exists where the weak link lies. The withering links develop because of chinks in the pillars. A tone of discipline, respect and courage must be designed and implemented by the parents from the day the child is born. From that very first moment the baby should be nurtured, held, comforted, read to, sung to, told right from wrong, given guidelines,reprimanded and praised. These primary interventions will support the triad when the child is five, thirteen, seventeen and beyond.
Three Pillars revisited
Three Pillars
It is time to stop. It is time to take action on a crucial issue that all of us know is in a critical state. We talk about it at cocktail parties, at coffee shops and at our kids’ ballgames. However, most people are afraid to openly discuss this issue because of concern for the security of their jobs. Educational leaders need to be willing to listen to ideas about academic rigor and success without creating an atmosphere placing an umbrella of distrust, angst and fear over the school district. Every mature, caring, consciences adult cares about the issue. We have talked, soap-boxed, and philosophized long enough. It is time to take action. The three foundational pillars of quality education have eroded and continue to fall apart at an appalling rate. The three pillars are Respect, Discipline, and Courage.
My goal is not to kick students out. My goal is to provide an environment that is safe and lends to an atmosphere of academic rigor. This rigor can only exist in a setting in which there is a foundation of Respect, Discipline, and Courage. We have a systemic problem. Unfortunately, we have allowed the crumbling of the pillars to continue to the point where academic rigor is not occurring in most classrooms in this country. Teachers are burning out at an alarming rate. Courageous administrators are becoming increasingly difficult to find and cultivate. Many parents are doing the right thing, but many are not doing their job; making tough decisions that are best for their kids. They are too busy, self-centered, and absurdly concerned about becoming buddies with their children. The long-term result is that you have parents that are neither solid parents nor friends. They provide their children with stuff but lack in provision of values.
What do we really expect from these kids? Values, ethics, morality, and community pride have been buried under the pounding competitiveness of mass media. All of us smile and share the quality memories of the Dick van Dyke show. However, we let our kids watch prime time shows like “Two and a half Men” where you can see sex, hear sex, and laugh about the promiscuous sexual values. We want our children to be honest, well-mannered, and profanity free. However, we allow our kids to watch reality shows laden with an inappropriate language that promote dishonesty, and unethical behavior. We talk about the community pride that existed in our neighborhoods during the day. However, we don’t bring ourselves or our children to church, attend their activities, interact with our neighbors, or support their tough teachers.
The school system of today designates a vast majority of its energy and resources towards testing, curriculum initiatives and data evaluation. Testing has gone totally off the deep end. Some schools test students almost 20% of the time they are in school. The reality is that incessant testing benefits only the superintendent that is applying for a new job and dresses up his/her resume with a 3% test score increase in their previous district.
We are bombarded with so many curriculum initiatives and the reality is that most never come to a point of fruition, most disperse when the superintendent moves on and they just sap the energy from quality teachers that already know what works. We know that real success will occur when the basics are woven together with the selected benefits of technology. However, district leaders are so consumed by advanced technology that they don’t realize that Johnny can’t do his multiplication table, can’t interpret a simple graph, can’t read the town newspaper and can’t write a sentence with clarity, free of grammar and spelling errors.
The morale in this school s in this district is awful. I’m so tired of listening to the company line, “It’s all about the kids”. The focus should be that “It’s all about the community”. A school district’s vision and mission should incorporate a framework of care and concern for the all the adults as well. I’ve been in education for 21 years and I do love working with the kids. However, unhealthy, overworked, stressed adults are not conducive to the provision of outstanding education. Take a moment to look around and listen. The faculty and staff are exhausted, probably half of them are on high blood pressure medication, and a good amount of them are on anti-depressants. Most of them are outstanding human beings filled with ideas, creativity and the drive to help students learn how to learn. However, they are beat, the energy has been zapped and the excitement has been terminated by the ridiculous burdens of new initiatives and the lack of support that they receive from administration.
“Respect” is a term saved for history class in most schools. Teachers are fed to the lions on a daily basis. I have observed so many classes where it takes several minutes to quiet students down and then the disruptions continue throughout the class time. Students interrupt, speak inappropriately and at inappropriate times, refuse to participate, and address the teacher and other students in a disrespectful manner. The result is 55 minutes of waste and the weakening of potentially strong minds. Their vast exposure to life’s hard and cold realities have numbed or nullified their feelings and emotions. They have seen the frailty of human integrity so often that they don’t expect it of themselves, their parents or anyone else of significance around them.
“Discipline” is the backbone of educational quality. Discipline involves hard work, focus, sweat and the engagement of brain cells. This happens in classrooms with greater infrequency on a daily basis. The reason is quite simple. Our culture has convinced students and parents alike, teachers need to make every day fun, to make sure every child feels great about themselves and that each child is in their comfort zone. What a bunch of baloney! We all know that accomplishment and growth cannot occur without some struggle, pain, discomfort and down in the dirt hard work. I remember a great line from the movie, “Lean on Me” spoken by Morgan Freeman playing the character of Principal Joe Clark. It went like this,” Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm”. I believe that every child desires and thrives for discipline and structure. It provides direction and purpose for these young adults.
“Courage” is another character trait losing its worth and significance. Our school leaders spend countless hours on policy. Then they proudly announce it to their community. They hire an energized, bright principal to enforce their policies. People fight back and challenge the policy. The principal does the courageous thing and stands firm on the issue. Then we see what happens oh so often. A board member or superintendent gets soft, bends and then the integrity and the purpose of the policy become lost in political and legal umbrage.
Discipline in our schools is not effective. The School Board has set and approved a Discipline Code and policies. The major priority of the assistant principals is to enforce those policies, with the principal in position to handle appeals, high level situations and PR. Discipline is not being effectively enforced in the schools. Let me give you an example. I was asked to supervise in the auditorium, café and a classroom during testing last week. Here is what I experienced when I tried to do my job. Two older African American students laughed at me and two had this exchange; “Doesn’t the dood know I’m black? He doesn’t cuz he’s try to tell you what to do…Ha, Ha”. Another male, when asked to follow instructions, said to me, “F#@& you” and B$@* me”. A female student said to me, “Shut up” when I asked her to remain quiet during testing. I wrote up the boy who said “F#@& you” to me and the administrator did not suspend him. That is absolutely absurd. Any student that demonstrates that type of gross disrespect towards a staff member should be suspended without negotiation even if the student is related to a member of the School Board. Administrators must protect the staff from this type of harassment and behavior.
If a dress code is established, we need strong administrators that will be at the door every morning greeting every child with enthusiasm and vigor. No one should be allowed in that is not following directives. They should be sent home, parents called in with appropriate attire for the student and every electrical device, hat, etc. should be turned over at the door….No questions…no exceptions!!. Do that for about three weeks, take the hits from the parents, hold the course…and you will see a whole different place. If an irate parent goes to the superintendent, the principal should be supported without question. If that parent moves to the board, the superintendent should have the Board watching his/her back.
It takes “Courage and Guts” to really make things work. If we want our institution of learning to become a special place of accomplishment, lasting relationships and community spirit, then we have to make tough decisions. You can take all the data and throw it down the toilet. Forty years ago, our students were number one in the world in math and science. Now we can’t crack the top twenty. Forty years ago, the number one discipline issue was gum-chewing. Now it’s lack of “Respect” and “Discipline”, along with all the peripherals associated with those two points. If you truly desire accurate data, set a policy, enforce it and hold the line no matter how many rhetorical punches you have to absorb!
This all needs to be said. The time to change is today…. not tomorrow….not next fall. If you want “Rigor”, then the pillars of “Respect”, “Discipline” and “Courage must be rebuilt. If the foundation is strong, you will see test scores go up, the cultural atmosphere will blossom and students and staff will have fun and work hard with smiles on their faces. Otherwise, our present direction withers the potential of our students, suffocates the fire of idealism and burdens the shoulders of our community. Our driving goal should be that the warm, calm winds of academic rigor, community pride and ethical actions will permeate through the walls of all our schools.
Thanks,
Mike Sanz
It is time to stop. It is time to take action on a crucial issue that all of us know is in a critical state. We talk about it at cocktail parties, at coffee shops and at our kids’ ballgames. However, most people are afraid to openly discuss this issue because of concern for the security of their jobs. Educational leaders need to be willing to listen to ideas about academic rigor and success without creating an atmosphere placing an umbrella of distrust, angst and fear over the school district. Every mature, caring, consciences adult cares about the issue. We have talked, soap-boxed, and philosophized long enough. It is time to take action. The three foundational pillars of quality education have eroded and continue to fall apart at an appalling rate. The three pillars are Respect, Discipline, and Courage.
My goal is not to kick students out. My goal is to provide an environment that is safe and lends to an atmosphere of academic rigor. This rigor can only exist in a setting in which there is a foundation of Respect, Discipline, and Courage. We have a systemic problem. Unfortunately, we have allowed the crumbling of the pillars to continue to the point where academic rigor is not occurring in most classrooms in this country. Teachers are burning out at an alarming rate. Courageous administrators are becoming increasingly difficult to find and cultivate. Many parents are doing the right thing, but many are not doing their job; making tough decisions that are best for their kids. They are too busy, self-centered, and absurdly concerned about becoming buddies with their children. The long-term result is that you have parents that are neither solid parents nor friends. They provide their children with stuff but lack in provision of values.
What do we really expect from these kids? Values, ethics, morality, and community pride have been buried under the pounding competitiveness of mass media. All of us smile and share the quality memories of the Dick van Dyke show. However, we let our kids watch prime time shows like “Two and a half Men” where you can see sex, hear sex, and laugh about the promiscuous sexual values. We want our children to be honest, well-mannered, and profanity free. However, we allow our kids to watch reality shows laden with an inappropriate language that promote dishonesty, and unethical behavior. We talk about the community pride that existed in our neighborhoods during the day. However, we don’t bring ourselves or our children to church, attend their activities, interact with our neighbors, or support their tough teachers.
The school system of today designates a vast majority of its energy and resources towards testing, curriculum initiatives and data evaluation. Testing has gone totally off the deep end. Some schools test students almost 20% of the time they are in school. The reality is that incessant testing benefits only the superintendent that is applying for a new job and dresses up his/her resume with a 3% test score increase in their previous district.
We are bombarded with so many curriculum initiatives and the reality is that most never come to a point of fruition, most disperse when the superintendent moves on and they just sap the energy from quality teachers that already know what works. We know that real success will occur when the basics are woven together with the selected benefits of technology. However, district leaders are so consumed by advanced technology that they don’t realize that Johnny can’t do his multiplication table, can’t interpret a simple graph, can’t read the town newspaper and can’t write a sentence with clarity, free of grammar and spelling errors.
The morale in this school s in this district is awful. I’m so tired of listening to the company line, “It’s all about the kids”. The focus should be that “It’s all about the community”. A school district’s vision and mission should incorporate a framework of care and concern for the all the adults as well. I’ve been in education for 21 years and I do love working with the kids. However, unhealthy, overworked, stressed adults are not conducive to the provision of outstanding education. Take a moment to look around and listen. The faculty and staff are exhausted, probably half of them are on high blood pressure medication, and a good amount of them are on anti-depressants. Most of them are outstanding human beings filled with ideas, creativity and the drive to help students learn how to learn. However, they are beat, the energy has been zapped and the excitement has been terminated by the ridiculous burdens of new initiatives and the lack of support that they receive from administration.
“Respect” is a term saved for history class in most schools. Teachers are fed to the lions on a daily basis. I have observed so many classes where it takes several minutes to quiet students down and then the disruptions continue throughout the class time. Students interrupt, speak inappropriately and at inappropriate times, refuse to participate, and address the teacher and other students in a disrespectful manner. The result is 55 minutes of waste and the weakening of potentially strong minds. Their vast exposure to life’s hard and cold realities have numbed or nullified their feelings and emotions. They have seen the frailty of human integrity so often that they don’t expect it of themselves, their parents or anyone else of significance around them.
“Discipline” is the backbone of educational quality. Discipline involves hard work, focus, sweat and the engagement of brain cells. This happens in classrooms with greater infrequency on a daily basis. The reason is quite simple. Our culture has convinced students and parents alike, teachers need to make every day fun, to make sure every child feels great about themselves and that each child is in their comfort zone. What a bunch of baloney! We all know that accomplishment and growth cannot occur without some struggle, pain, discomfort and down in the dirt hard work. I remember a great line from the movie, “Lean on Me” spoken by Morgan Freeman playing the character of Principal Joe Clark. It went like this,” Discipline is not the enemy of enthusiasm”. I believe that every child desires and thrives for discipline and structure. It provides direction and purpose for these young adults.
“Courage” is another character trait losing its worth and significance. Our school leaders spend countless hours on policy. Then they proudly announce it to their community. They hire an energized, bright principal to enforce their policies. People fight back and challenge the policy. The principal does the courageous thing and stands firm on the issue. Then we see what happens oh so often. A board member or superintendent gets soft, bends and then the integrity and the purpose of the policy become lost in political and legal umbrage.
Discipline in our schools is not effective. The School Board has set and approved a Discipline Code and policies. The major priority of the assistant principals is to enforce those policies, with the principal in position to handle appeals, high level situations and PR. Discipline is not being effectively enforced in the schools. Let me give you an example. I was asked to supervise in the auditorium, café and a classroom during testing last week. Here is what I experienced when I tried to do my job. Two older African American students laughed at me and two had this exchange; “Doesn’t the dood know I’m black? He doesn’t cuz he’s try to tell you what to do…Ha, Ha”. Another male, when asked to follow instructions, said to me, “F#@& you” and B$@* me”. A female student said to me, “Shut up” when I asked her to remain quiet during testing. I wrote up the boy who said “F#@& you” to me and the administrator did not suspend him. That is absolutely absurd. Any student that demonstrates that type of gross disrespect towards a staff member should be suspended without negotiation even if the student is related to a member of the School Board. Administrators must protect the staff from this type of harassment and behavior.
If a dress code is established, we need strong administrators that will be at the door every morning greeting every child with enthusiasm and vigor. No one should be allowed in that is not following directives. They should be sent home, parents called in with appropriate attire for the student and every electrical device, hat, etc. should be turned over at the door….No questions…no exceptions!!. Do that for about three weeks, take the hits from the parents, hold the course…and you will see a whole different place. If an irate parent goes to the superintendent, the principal should be supported without question. If that parent moves to the board, the superintendent should have the Board watching his/her back.
It takes “Courage and Guts” to really make things work. If we want our institution of learning to become a special place of accomplishment, lasting relationships and community spirit, then we have to make tough decisions. You can take all the data and throw it down the toilet. Forty years ago, our students were number one in the world in math and science. Now we can’t crack the top twenty. Forty years ago, the number one discipline issue was gum-chewing. Now it’s lack of “Respect” and “Discipline”, along with all the peripherals associated with those two points. If you truly desire accurate data, set a policy, enforce it and hold the line no matter how many rhetorical punches you have to absorb!
This all needs to be said. The time to change is today…. not tomorrow….not next fall. If you want “Rigor”, then the pillars of “Respect”, “Discipline” and “Courage must be rebuilt. If the foundation is strong, you will see test scores go up, the cultural atmosphere will blossom and students and staff will have fun and work hard with smiles on their faces. Otherwise, our present direction withers the potential of our students, suffocates the fire of idealism and burdens the shoulders of our community. Our driving goal should be that the warm, calm winds of academic rigor, community pride and ethical actions will permeate through the walls of all our schools.
Thanks,
Mike Sanz
Discipline that will work
Discipline will become the norm not the exception. Students will be on time in the morning and for every class. Students will take up the four minutes between the classes to get to class, utilize the rest room and get into their seats. They don’t need to talk to their friends, exchange hellos and greetings, and scurry to their locker. They need to plan ahead and prepare for the whole school day. There will be time for socializing before school, at lunch and after school gets out. Other than that it should be six hours of hard work, intellectual challenge, and critical skills development. They will engage their brain cells from bell to bell. Students will bring their tools of learning to class every day. No longer will well-planned lessons by teachers be tossed away because half the class doesn’t come prepared with pencil, paper, and books. I will not accept a statement from any parent or child that they can’t afford or have that paper or pencil when a cell phone or I-Pod is hanging out of the child’s pocket. Students should expect to be exhausted by 2:30 every day because of working brains not because of wasted hours of useless conversation, doodling or late night Face book chats with friends.
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