The Prestige

On Wednesday, we had a college professor come and instruct us on using the WiLATA program to improve our students' writing.  We were to learn the program by using the writing techniques ourselves.  Well, it was mostly listening to lecture.  We got to write two things--both in groups of four, which is not really like writing at all.

However, in the second group assignment, I misunderstood, thinking that all of us were supposed to write our own, so I immediately composed one of my idiosyncratic pieces, which I loved, of course.  When I realized I was supposed to be writing in a group, I was willing to shit-can it and make one with the group, but when they heard mine, they loved it and wanted to keep it.


Even though the professor read it in the dullest, most dreary monotone I have ever heard, it was still a crowd pleaser.  I got a standing ovation from a couple of my colleagues and a ton of appreciative laughter.  I live for stuff like that.  LOL.

The question we were to answer in a paragraph was:  Approximately one-half of Minnesota schools did not meet AYP (adequate yearly progress) standards.  What kind of response do you think the average citizen will have upon reading about this in the paper.


Here is my response;

          One half of Minnesota's schools did not meet AYP.  Upon learning this information, the average citizens' possible responses are as endless as the stars in the heavens.  My mother and the congregation of her fundamentalist church will see it as clear evidence that this is a direct result of prayer being removed from the school.  One of my siblings will proclaim that this is the result of too many non-English speaking immigrants being mainstreamed, thus robbing "our" children of the teachers' time and attention.  One of my uncles will blame the lack of discipline in the schools.  "Bring back the strap!" he often declares.  "They'll buckle down when their @$$ is on fire!"  My brother-in-law will blame the bleeding heart liberal democrats. One of my good friends will blame the cold, calculating Rethuglicans whose agenda is to keep the population ignorant and malleable.  Every person who has a bias, a pet peeve, an axe to grind--any axe will do!--will blame it (and the lack of AYP) on the schools.  As a teacher, I just ignore it as much as I am allowed to...and do my job.

I could have gone on and on with the stupid fest, but we only had like ten minutes to work on this.