Scribble World Travel Blog

No teacher left behind…?

It was very interesting talking to Michelle, the teacher in the family, about the No child left behind act.  I had no idea the testing standards could vary so much depending on what state you’re from….and there’s so much money wrapped up in the whole process.

Meanwhile, it was sad to hear about the funding shortages and how it ultimately hurts both the teachers and students.  A school is supposed to hire the teacher after 150 days, and start providing benefits- and yet, schools get around this by using the teacher to the max-up to 149 days and then letting them go and hiring someone else at the starting rate.

This tedious cycle is hard on students, whose education is undoubtedly interrupted during the transition, but also the hard working teachers who never get the benefits they’ve worked for.  Maybe it’s time for a “No Teacher left Behind” act?

Family & Michigan

Carol worked this morning, but ran to the store first to get some ingredients to make bean soup.  The mouth watering aroma was wafting through the house by the time I woke up.

We’re lightening our load today, storing a few things with family we’d originally planned to bring with, because space is too precious to waste on anything less than a necessity at this point.

We had a nice visit with Chris’s Mom and Grandma today.  His grandma, who worked with special needs kids for many years, told us a story about one of the kids who threw a plate that hit her on the head-she calmly said his name softly and said she loved him.  “You do?” he asked surprised.  “Yes, I do,” she said, and all the anger and fight melted right out of him.  She’s one of the nicest people I’ve ever met.

Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner

We are staying with Chris’s family in Muskegon, MI and it is nice to have a roof over our heads and lots of home cooking.  Carol went all out with turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry-apple-orange relish, stuffing, buns, deviled eggs, gravy, peanut butter pie, brownies, cookies…and it was all delicious!

Chris met his nephew, Gunner, for the first time.  He played pool with his dad.

The four of us went for a night walk, it’s nice to get outside, even if it is getting chilly.

Coopersville, MI

Hello from Michigan. Today was the first day of our trip where I haven’t seen the sun at all-very dim the entire day and only in the 40’s.  We’re spending a couple nights with Chris’s friend, Eric.  It was fun meeting Eric’s son and playing ball, checkers, making balloon figures, and playing with his cool tiny flying helicopter with a microchip in it.  Pretty sophisticated toy for just $20.