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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 8, 1997)
OCT. 8, 1997 ------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------( E h r ‘P o r i l a t t ò ( J D b s e m r r Page A3 Thanks For Holding, How May We Help You! B y P r o f . M c K inley B i kt nd th an k s fo r g oing alo n g w ith o u r little attem p t at h u m o r in the title o f last w e e k ’s a rtic le . We know how try in g th ese days are as m edia an n o u n c e s, “ S ch o o ls take th e ir c ru c ia l h ead c o u n t 6 f s tu d e n ts .” A re you g o in g to re q u e st a “c ru c ia l head c o u n t” o f p a re n ts and g u a rd ia n s — th a t is those w ho have the en e rg y , c o m m it m ent and tim e ’ to m ake a sig n ifi cant d ifferen ce in the e d u catio n al prog ress o f th eir ch ild ren ? G iven, o f co u rse, that m ost H u m b o ld t- ty p e ’ situ a tio n s w ill be c o rre c te d in a re a so n a b le tim e. We m ay e v a lu a te an d reach co n c lu sio n s a b o u t the m an y p a r en ts and g ra n d p a re n ts w hom we know - but how d a n g e ro u s in deed has it p ro v en in the p ast w hen one tries to e x tra p o la te that kind o f info rm atio n to the general p o p u la tio n o f an e n tire c o m m u n ity ? O r to te a c h e rs? A n d a fte r ‘h o ld in g ’ fo r so long , are you g o in g to d em an d full and c o m p re h e n siv e an sw ers in re sp e c t to fu n d in g , c la ss loads and a d m in istra tiv e stru c tu rin g , in c lu d in g the tim e ta b le fo r re p la c in g the su p e rin te n d e n t? R e m e m b e r th e “ P ie d P ip e r o f H am ein” ! ♦ A read er has called to m ake my A view o f te a c h e rs u n io n s’ seem relativ ely w ishy w ashy A form er te a c h e r h e rse lf, she says, “ I have been trying to tell my children for y ears - one a teacher, and all three p a re n ts - y o u 'r e looking at the m ost so p h istic a te d and re fin e d eco n o m ic m achine and p o litic a l o rg a n iz a tio n you w ill ev er e n c o u n te r. T he N atio n al E d u cation A s s o c ia tio n .” “ N o t th a t it i s n ’t a g o o d u n io n ’, I w ent on to tell them , it is p erh ap s the b est in the n ation. (T h e T eam sters could learn a lot from them ). T hey do b est w hat they w ere d e sig n e d and in c o rp o rated to do - they are p rim a rily c o n c e rn e d w ith the w ages, hours an d w o rk in g c o n d itio n s o f the m em bership: O f course this basic co m m itm en t is not shro u d ed in such c o llo q u ia l term s. Som e say th ey g et a rcan e at tim e s.” The reader em phasized that in clusion o f the world “education” in the title o f the union assures a high level o f respect from the populace at large and for m ost, com pletely obscures that fact that the organi zation, purely and simply, is a labor union. And certainly, the average layperson and parent thinks the principal activity and resources quite naturally w ould be directed to achieving educational goals in the academ ic sense. O ur read er says she finds m any p a re n ts u n d e r the a ssu m p tio n th at the e d u c a tio n a sso c ia tio n s - NEA and OEA (O re g o n ) - are d i re c tly in v o lv ed in the te stin g . T rain in g and c e r tif ic a tio n o f teach ers. A nd that m em b erssh ip in d ic a te s a re c o g n iz e d and a c cepted degree o f a b ility and c o m p eten ce in the te a c h in g p ro fe s sion ( “ w hy else w ould the o rg a n iz a tio n adm it th e m ? ,” the la y person asks. Isn ’t it like the M edi cal A sso c ia tio n ? ” ) O f c o u rse it w ould be n ice if you co u ld sit dow n and p a tie n tly take a perso n th ro u g h a te a c h e r tra in in g c la ssic like the “T a x o n o m y o f E d u c a tio n a l O b je c tives: The C la ssific a tio n o f G oal, H andbook I. C o g n itiv e D om ains. H ere you have the nuts and b o lts ’ o f the te a c h in g /le a rn in g p ro cess. T h an k s for h olding. And then be able to take the same person through the national and state m onthly publications o f the education associations. N ot only the basics, w ages, hours and w orking conditions - but the big time stuff, credit unions, travel agen cies and tours, the tie-ins w ith m a jo r insurance com panies, invest m ent firm s, auto rentals, publish ing houses, m utual funds, ju st for openers. It’s a huge m ulti-m illion dollar industry. We w ant our teach ers com fortable and secure - and our students? H orslpv R,ta U s i blnhday ; n , ' Janice Hudson, r ' yn,h'a >Vash' ^ '^unana ‘c" ’- had wasnmgton, Audrey Washington c e r n e Robin Taluna, Third Math SummitforTeachers, Administrators More than 400 Oregon teachers and administrators attended the third slate Mathematics Summit Thursday, October 2 at Oregon State University in Corvallis to learn how to help stu dents achieve the new high math stan dards. Attending in teams from schools across the state, educators learned from outstanding Oregon teachers and others how to help students meet the new high standards. Beginning with this year's ninth grade class, students must pass the 1 Oth grade state math test to receive a Certificateoflmtial Mastery. Hie 1997 test showed that only 30 percent of last year's tenth graders passed the test. Dr. Roger Penrose, Oxford Univer sity math professor and world-re nowned mathematician, cosmologist, philosopher and author, spoke at the opening session in the I .aSells Stewart ( enter at 9 a m. Penrose also spoke at :30 p.m. at the same location on “ The I arge, the Smalland the Human Mind.” Other speakers included Dr. Ralph Abraham, I JniversityofCalifomiaatSanta Cniz math professor, author and leading chaos theorist; Ivars Peterson, Science News math and physics editor and book author, and Keith Devlin, math and sci ence dean at St. Mary's College ofCali- fomia and columnist and author. OSU President Paul Risser gave a welcome at the opening session, and State Schools Supt. Norma Paulus spoke at a noon luncheon at the CH2M Alumni Center. T h e S ou l Of Au Addivi B y S avon L indsay R eviewed B\ O.B. H u i . ot long after Reflections started hosting our monthly open mike poetry readings, it became apparent that one of our poet's message needed a larger audience. Not only were the poems entertaining and recited in a style reminiscent to a down home blues song, but these gut-wrenching sermons caterwauled from within letting all listeners know that these words were not of mere fiction, but of real life. N The poems are now comprised in a book entitled, The Soul Of An Addict. This self-published book represents a majoraccomplishment, if not, a miracle of sorts. It can be read very quickly; however, with lingering results. Dealing with a struggle faced by many, The Soul Of An Addict gives aclear-cut understanding of a confused situation, i.e.. facing the sober reality of drug addiction. Attempting to beat the odds through recov ery, Savon Lindsay lets us know the heartaches and the pain of battling with this insidious foe. Savon, a somewhat soft-spoken man, shouts out his message loud and clear. Inner peace is fragile. The heartless among men are rendered hopeless sin the heartless among men are rendered hope less in the foggy reality induced by drugs. According to Lindsay you become, “a prisoner of your own mind...being so blind; until it was time... until it was time.. The Soul Of An Addict is a very timely book. It’s about time and the time is now. BALLOONS CALORE! Pre-order your Halloween Party Balloons Now! 1 Dozen Latex Balloons for $ 6 .9 9 also Gift In A Balloon Helium Rental Stark Rentals Visa & Mastercard Accepted ^ a t e x & Mylar Balloons Portyuiore Gift Boskets Greeting Cords (503) 331-1101 Mon-Sat: 10 A M -6 PM We D eliver!!! I
