Actions Speak LOUDER than words.

As I reflect upon the California School Board Association training classes I am attending,  I am always impressed by the positive and encouraging efforts to help school boards to work as a team and to PUT THE CHILDREN FIRST.  Schools exist to educate children not to support the state with piles of paperwork, not to provide jobs for adults.  Adults in the school system are employed because there are children that need to be educated, loved and nurtured.  Logically, this makes our teachers the number one most important job in the district.

On Feb. 6^th, 2009 I attended a meeting where Assembly Members Noreen Evans, Wes Chesbro and Jared Huffman held an open forum for School Board members to ask questions concerning the State Budget and anything else that might be on our minds. I was the first one to the microphone. I told our representatives that I believed a well educated child was huge investment for California. I believed that a well educated child has a much higher chance of not going on welfare, is more likely to have a higher paying job, a better chance to not be in prison, is less likely to be an unwed parent in poverty, will be a more contributing citizen and an asset to our society.  I asked our Representatives “What do they see as the long term effect of a well educated child on society AND what is it about our schools that the budget cutters do not value?”

Their response? ALL three said they totally agreed with me. They also said, “There is an inability to do long term thinking at the State level. There is no mechanism for the government to demonstrate that a well educated child costs less. It's TOO long term. The system is broken.“

Another board member stood up and claimed that we are really are NOT putting kids first. “We blame and accuse and do nothing for the kids in the end.”

Shana Levine, Director Region 3 for  the California School Boards Assoc.  stated,

“We believe it apt to characterize this budget plan as catastrophic for schools, as it includes massive cuts to education, flexibility that is a far cry from what districts need, temporary revenues, corporate tax breaks that result in less money being available for schools, and a spending cap that as proposed could be harmful to students and their families.”

I have recently been criticized publicly for saying California politics regarding education are harmful to students and families and yet there it is. I am not the only one who feels this way. It has been stated again and again.  Actions speak louder than words.

Staying connected

Another tastey tidbit from our education code!

EC  35292  

The governing board of any school district shall visit each school in its district at least once each term, and examine carefully into the management, needs, and conditions of the schools. In any school district which employs district or city superintendents of schools, it shall either visit the schools or provide that they shall be visited by the district or city superintendent of schools or his assistants.

(Enacted by Stats. 1976, Ch. 1010.)

I recently discovered this little friend.  I didn't know this was MY JOB!  Since then I have made appointments with every school to visit and examine such things as management, needs, and conditions.  I love going into the class rooms and seeing good class management, differentiated teaching to various learning modalities, and cheerful, organized rooms.  I often ask teachers if they feel supported, happy, validated.  It's my job to ask.  I also ask principals the same questions.  I would like to see this district be a place where parents, students, and staff feel physically and emotionally safe.  When a teacher, or parent doesn't want to take a concern to the principal or superintendent it raises a red flag in my mind that the system is not psychologically safe for people to express their concerns.

I must ask myself. Why is this item in the ed code?  I believe it is because we can't know what's really going on in our schools if we just sit in board meetings and hear reports about how wonderful everything is. I am sure many things are wonderful, but everything can't be wonderful...we are after all...human.  We succum to the lure of power, pride/arrogance, hidden agendas and self justification...but I digress.  The question I want to ask is this...

If School Board members need to get out to the schools to do their jobs, wouldn't it follow that administrators should do the same in their own schools?  I'm talking deep knowing.  I recently attended a board training workshop in Sacramento. The facilitator was a Superintendent in a nearby district.  He says he teaches a class in his disctrict twice a month!  I was in thrilled amazement.  Does that Superintendent ALWAYS remember that all this education stuff is about the kids?  You bet!  He was in the trenches twice a month, just to remind himself!  What if a principal subbed for a day two or three times a month?  Would they really understand how the new schedule they implanted affected the students?  Would they really understand the impact of the curriculum they adopted?  How much more compassionate would they be to their teachers whom they are there to support?  What would happen to the moral of the staff? 

That superintendent ALSO spent one or two days a month working with the custodians!! He swept, dumped garbage and pulled weeds.  Did he know his people?? My heart sored at the thought.  I'm going to bring this up at board meeting....stay tuned for the results!

What abouat the State Education Code?

One of my favorite things to do as a School Board Member is find Ed. Code tidbits that I find to be engaging.  The following paragraph is part of the California Ed. Code and is required by law to be followed in our schools.

233.5(a) Each teacher shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of the pupils the principles of morality, truth, justice, patriotism, and a true comprehension of the rights, duties, and dignity of American citizenship, and the meaning of equality and human dignity, including the promotion of harmonious relations, kindness toward domestic pets and the humane treatment of living creatures, to teach them to avoid idleness, profanity, and falsehood, and to instruct them in manners and morals and the principles of a free government.

(b) Each teacher is also encouraged to  create and foster an environment that encourages pupils to realize their full potential and that is free from discriminatory attitudes, practices, events, or activities, in order to prevent acts of hate violence, as defined in subdivision (e) of Section 233.

So now I have a question.   Do you see this happening in your child's class room?  I want to know if profanity and falsehood are being "avoided" in your child's book reading, movie watching and other class room media??  How much is "avoided" on their sports teams at school? Leave me a comment.

Thoughts on Education

Why be Educated?

Sacrament Meeting Talk on Education.

August 10, 2008

By Heather Cullen

There are three kinds of people in the world: Lie Makers, Lie Eaters, and Truth Seekers.  As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we are compelled and covenanted to be Truth Seekers.  We must not be blindly fed on the knowledge of the world.  We must seek an education of truthfulness AND that takes work. It’s not going to come on TV, a Radio talk show, A FW: FW: FW: Oh my gosh e-mail.  It will require that you can read, and think, and reason, and use your gift of the Holy Ghost to discern truth. 

D&C 8:2-3

2 Yea, behold, I will ^atell you in your mind and in your ^bheart, by the ^cHoly Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart.

  3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses ^abrought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.

Mind + Heart = 2 witnesses.  All of God’s truths are established by the mouth of 2 or more witnesses.

In the Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor says,

“It is highly necessary that we should learn to read and write and speak our own language correctly; and where people are deficient themselves in education they should strive all the more to see that the deficiency be not perpetuated in their offspring.”

From its inception, the church has promoted education of its people.  Everywhere they have gone they have built schools and libraries, even in times of great poverty and hardship.  The first Schools and libraries in San Francisco were built and started by the Latter-day Saints who came across on the Ship Brooklyn.  Even when society has looked down on women and deemed education as “unnecessary” for them, our Latter-Day Prophets have commanded our women to be educated.  Some women feel that once they have their “education” they must “do something” with it. Make Money, Make a name for themselves…they think staying at home with children would be a waste of the time and money spent getting that education. …they miss the mark.

"Educated women in the home? What an odd thing to deplore! What better place to have us end up? What more important job is there than sharing the values we are learning to cherish with the next generation of adults? What more strategic place could there be for an educated woman?"  Edith Hunter

"To the Lord, the most important thing in this life is bringing His children to a knowledge of Him so that they might live with Him again. You can be part of that work, but you must start with your children.  As you near the end of your mortal life, there is nothing that will bring you more joy, celestial joy than your children. No creation, no book, no song, no success can begin to touch the joy of children, properly raised. The things which concern you are mortal and will come to an end. Your children are eternal"

Mynoa R. Andersen

The May 1971 Ensign had this quote: 
“There can hardly be any dispute concerning the commitment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the principle that knowledge, learning, and education are vital to all men. This issue of the Ensign attempts to describe some of that contemporary commitment as it pertains to the formal religious and secular educational systems of the Church. Further, President Joseph Fielding Smith spells out very plainly, also in this issue, that gospel knowledge is the most important thing to seek after.

Although the acquisition of knowledge in and of itself does not hold the key to individual salvation, there are some significant benefits for all men in the learning process. In fact, those benefits are so great that none of us can afford to stop being students.

The first fruit of knowledge, it seems to us, is the realization that there is so much more to learn. … the honest seeker after truth can almost be overwhelmed by his own inadequacy as he acquires more information, whether it is secular or religious.

And with this humility in the face of all there is to know comes a broader vision of the complexity of life and living. The tunnel view of existence that so many of us have can be widened by every scrap of information we acquire. The Lord expects us to stretch our intellectual capacity to its limits. He has made it clear that we are continually to acquire knowledge and information upon all subjects. Our pursuit of perfection will never be successful through the mere rote performance of “legalistic” duty. Perfection is a spiritual attitude and commitment as well as the acquisition of all knowledge within the capabilities with which we are blessed.

 “Editorial: The Meaning of Education,” Ensign, May 1971, 81

Does this make it more clear why Satan would target our education system?  Why more and more children are spending 13 years in public school and can hardly read to understand anything at a 3^rd grade level?  Can hardly write two sentences that make sense?  Can not do Math with confidence and have little science to broaden their minds and problem solving capacities?  Where so few go on to college?  These statistics are no accident.  Satan does not want a world of truth seekers.  He does not want anyone to be able to read and understand The Bible or the Book of Mormon or any other good book that might give a person the tools to become a better person. He does not want anyone to be able to understand and manage their finances, or learn how to be a better parent, or how to be a healthier person.  Lack of Education means a battle won by Satan in our lives.

David R. Bednar states, “I have spent most of my life involved in education. When I was younger, I thought education meant going to school, taking tests, and getting good grades. But as I grew older, I began to learn the difference between doing well in school and becoming educated. A person can do well on tests and still not be educated. True education is learning how to learn. Once I discovered that lesson, learning became fun.

One of the primary purposes of mortality is to learn—to gain knowledge and intelligence. Doctrine and Covenants 93:36 states, “The glory of God is intelligence.” You might think intelligence means being gifted in academic work, but intelligence also means applying the knowledge we obtain for righteous purposes.

The real value of learning is that it enables you in any situation to be resourceful—to figure out what to do when you have no idea what to do! We are frequently taught in the scriptures to seek learning by study and by faith (see D&C 88:118 

118 And as all have not ^afaith, seek ye diligently and ^bteach one another words of ^cwisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best ^dbooks words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.).

In our own lives, in our families, and in the Church, we can receive blessings of spiritual strength, direction, and protection as we seek by faith to gain intelligence and apply spiritual knowledge in righteousness. “

Kimberly Webb and David A. Bednar, “The Glory of God Is Intelligence,” Friend, Oct 2007, 6–7

Julie Beck encourages us with these remarks, “The responsibility mothers have today has never required more vigilance. More than at any time in the history of the world, we need mothers who know. Children are being born into a world where they “wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).1 However, mothers need not fear. When mothers know who they are and who God is and have made covenants with Him, they will have great power and influence for good on their children.

Mothers Who Know Bear Children

.”3 President Ezra Taft Benson taught that young couples should not postpone having children and that “in the eternal perspective, children—not possessions, not position, not prestige—are our greatest jewels.”4

Mothers Who Know Honor Sacred Ordinances and Covenants

Mothers Who Know Are Nurturers

Mothers Who Know Are Leaders

Mothers Who Know Are Teachers

Mothers Who Know Do Less

Mothers Who Know Stand Strong and Immovable

Julie B. Beck, “Mothers Who Know,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 76–78

In closing I will share one of my favorite poems by E.T. Sullivan

"We fancy that God can only manage his world with battalions, when all the while he is doing it with beautiful babies. When a wrong wants righting, or a truth wants preaching, or a continent needs opening, God sends a baby into the world…perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother.  And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart, and she puts it into the baby's mind.  And then God waits.  The greatest forces in the world are not the earthquakes and the thunderbolts.  The greatest forces in the world are babies."  E. T. Sullivan 

And I would add …The greatest forces in the world are the educated adults who care for those babies. (and that includes those of you who do not have children)

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.