Trying to catch you all up on our busy lives in one quick post. We'll see how successful I am.
Violet's got Olympic Fever. She can tell you about every swim race and every swimmer. She's been following men's beach volley ball. She loves gymnastics, but what little girl doesn't. She's been staying up until the bitter end each night. And watching the "lesser" sports during the daytime. We loved skeet shooting (well, once Violet confirmed that skeets weren't cute little creatures with families) and whitewater kayaking (we cheered the paddler from Togo, the only paddler from his country, winning the first kayak medal for Togo).
We have a long way to go. Not sure if I can keep up this pace. And I've been tired of "Boob" Costas (that's Ami's joke from her blog this morning, I'm still giggling about it!) since I first read his name in the newspaper in connection with the games.
Violet is taking a Nature Art class this week. Her last Kids and College course for the summer. Two good homeschool friends are in the class with her, a brother and sister. We're going to lunch with them tomorrow before the start of class. Good thing the class is in the afternoons, we'd never make it at 9am! She's really enjoying the class, the teacher is super. She's a naturalist from the area and is well known for her park district and other classes. They go out on the college grounds to gather up leaves, sticks, mud, flowers and turn them in to really neat art pieces.
Now for my outrage. Our local teacher's union filed an intent to strike yesterday. If they don't get their way, classes might not start up on the 25th as they walk the picket line. Okay, don't get me wrong, unions have their places, this just isn't it. Unions protect workers rights. These teachers claiming that they just want what is right and fair (and claiming that 10% and up raises is it) makes me see red. The school board has offered them 4.5% raises guaranteed for the next 2 years. On top of the 100% family health insurance they get. Can I see a show of hands of who would take that deal? Wow! I can't count that high. Go ahead and put your hands back down.
Yes! Almost any reasonable person would love to have that contact. CONTRACT! No layoffs due to downsizing guaranteed. It makes me sick to my stomach to think of all the people who have been laid off or have faced severe cutbacks or who are just waiting for that axe to drop and these teachers so out of touch that they don't seem to get that we are in BAD economic times right now.
This just completely reconfirms my belief that I don't want any of these teachers having contact with Violet. They don't understand the real world at all (and yet somehow our homeschooling doesn't prepare the kids for the "real world"), they are bullies (I guess "zero tolerance" for bullying doesn't apply to teachers, again I don't want Violet in that environment) and extortionists (their contract proposals would send the school district into the red - but that's okay according to them).
What makes me even madder is that all these STUPID parents who are siding with the teachers. That's okay if we bow to their threats and give them all our money (here take my house too - you deserve it, it is for the kids) and do whatever the teachers say because they are so WONDERFUL and CARING.
My message today is for the school board to hold strong and not give in to these teachers who are in the words of Clark Griswold a bunch of "cheap, lying, no-good, rotten, four-flushing, low-life, snake-licking, dirt-eating, inbred, overstuffed, ignorant, blood-sucking, dog-kissing, brainless, dickless, hopeless, heartless, fat-ass, bug-eyed, stiff-legged, spotty-lipped, worm-headed sack of monkey shit"
"Hallelujah. Holy shit. Where's the Tylenol?"
6 comments:
Ok, I'm going to try to comment on all of your post issues:
1. I have a mild case of Olympic warmth (not fever). I like watching Michale Phelps' mom more than watching him actually swim. Also the gymnastics is pretty good, we use DVR to filter out Boob's greatest moments.
2. I'm glad Violet is enjoying her class. I'm also glad that she has some friends in there, that always helps. Go Violet!
3. I wish someone would offer us a contract ANY contract that guaranteed family benefits, upward pay, and job security. Those teachers are giving the whole industry a bad name. There are plenty of good public school teachers out there, the ones you're seeing on the picket line certainly aren't them. The last place I would be, as a parent, is outside assisting teachers in picketing. Someone needs to be watching the children for goodness sake!
Nice catching up with you. Take care!
I've only watched a little of the Olympics but I wondered why Costas was on there. He's annoying.
Olympics - Yay! Go Team USA!
Nature Class - Yay! Sounds like so much fun!
Public School Teachers - Boo! Hiss! Boo!
WOW. That's all I can say. WOW! AH, I know how it is when you get a bee in your bonnet. And, at the risk of sounding trite, you go girl!
Glad Violet is enjoying the Olympics. I haven't caught any of it, but I've heard about the sandalous things here and there.
Would Motrin work? ;o)
We are all watching the Olympics here. We want the US to win but also the Japanese.
As far as the teachers union. Don't even get me started. You would fall out of your chair if you knew what they pay DODDS teachers and they still complain!
I say a bottle of wine is in order...
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