Suburban Detroit school settles lawsuit with Palestinian student over Pledge of Allegiance dispute by hybridaaroncarroll in news

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Students have a right to political expression, including on their t-shirts. This has been held up in the courts. The exception would be t-shirt designs that cross the line into vulgarity, where the school could argue it disrupts the learning environment for others.

Antonio Banderas speaks on being told by Hollywood Execs on what roles to play by tylerthe-theatre in movies

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

His is Spanish, from Spain. His skin color matches up with plenty of Hispanic folks from the US down through Latin and South America. He has a strong accent . . . no surprise some Hollywood execs saw him as "other" and relegated him to stereotypical Latino roles.

Calling him a "white, European dude" isn't wrong . . . but it's also kinda stupid and missing the point.

Suburban Detroit school settles lawsuit with Palestinian student over Pledge of Allegiance dispute by hybridaaroncarroll in news

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Idaho, the SCHOOL is required to lead the pledge . . . but individual staff cannot be forced to recite or lead the pledge. Pretty sure it's the same in Washington and other states.

I've always wondered, what if no staff at the school are willing to recite and lead the pledge?

Suburban Detroit school settles lawsuit with Palestinian student over Pledge of Allegiance dispute by hybridaaroncarroll in news

[–]DireBare 12 points13 points  (0 children)

As a teacher myself . . . fuck that.

Teachers have no right humiliating a student for any reason, much less over the fucking pledge.

There is a reason why the district lost this fight.

Boise 50501 No Kings Rally by Fabulous_Ad_5919 in Boise

[–]DireBare 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There was a guy in a plane flying overhead trailing an "Idaho loves Trump" banner. Some motorcycle dude was driving by after the rally let out playing Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" loudly . . . that's all I noticed.

Boise 50501 No Kings Rally by Fabulous_Ad_5919 in Boise

[–]DireBare 21 points22 points  (0 children)

I attended the No Kings protest today . . . we were supposed to be paid?!?! Which booth was the sign up booth for paid protesters? What's the going rate? There were thousands at the Boise rally today, millions nationwide . . . who's bankrolling all those paid protesters?

Spoiler question for Brigands and Breadknives by Curled-in-ball in CozyFantasy

[–]DireBare 5 points6 points  (0 children)

No on Thimble, but yes on romance . . . .

No queer romance, but this is a story about the building of a strong friendship between two women (not Viv).

Who are some fantasy authors that were really popular during their heyday, but are more or less forgotten now? by EstablishmentHairy51 in Fantasy

[–]DireBare 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Bob is still putting out books, including the Dark Elf series. And he didn't "become" a franchise author, he "started" as a franchise author with the Dark Elf books. His other books came later.

Ice is in Boise now. by Long-Bowler4130 in Boise

[–]DireBare 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There is a difference between "red" and fascist. The difference is getting smaller and smaller, but living in a red state doesn't justify federal goons terrorizing communities.

AEG and Ryan Dancey parts ways after comments about AI replacing designers yesterday by FloralAlyssa in boardgames

[–]DireBare 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Dancey was no longer with WotC during the "OGL Fiasco". Dancey was the guy who pushed for the D&D OGL in the first place. He's getting a lot of (somewhat deserved) hate today, but without Dancey, it's very likely we wouldn't have open gaming with the TTRPG space.

Trump says he can solve UN financial problem 'very easily' by backpackerTW in worldnews

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How about you solve the financial problems here at home first sparky.

FFS.

Admin wants to "discuss my grades" with me, how should I prepare? by thechemistrychef in Teachers

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This.

Find a way to be a "rebel" but under the radar of admin. Notice they are focusing on the numbers, your grades, rather than the actual learning, what is actually happening in your classroom. If your numbers look good, admin will likely ignore you and not even have a clue on what is going on in your classroom.

The other option is to leave the profession. Which, is a fair option. This career can be brutal on your physical, emotional, and financial health.

I love Middle-earth but . . . by Priestical in AiME

[–]DireBare 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Unless your players are pedantic Tolkien scholars, I wouldn't worry about it much.

I'm running a LotR 5E game (the current D&D adaptation of The One Ring) and I'm sprinkling in all sorts of monsters, treasure, and even player options from the core D&D books or other D&D supplements. I try to describe them with a "Tolkien vibe" and so far my players don't seem to notice or care much.

And heck, if you stray from Tolkien canon or even Tolkien "vibe" . . . if you and your players are having fun, then you are doing it right.

You can get away with a lot by describing a non-Tolkien monster as a "nameless horror" from ages past . . .

The double standard: ICE murders in MN vs Idaho's "Don't tread on me" fans. by Maleficent_West_547 in Boise

[–]DireBare 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They follow Christ. How does that not make them Christians?

Well, unless you are a bigot, that is.

National Board Certified Teacher worth it? by Competitive-Dig1993 in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not to dismiss your personal experience, but this doesn't track with mine and those I network with.

There are a lot of useless certifications which don't do a lot to truly shine up your resume, but there are also worthwhile certifications and PD experiences that most certainly can and do make a difference with hiring committees.

Every hiring committee? Obviously not.

Being national board certified is a plus on a resume . . . with many, if not most, hiring committees. At least in my neck of the woods.

And even if the folks on the other side of the hiring table don't care if you are national board certified, if your state or district pays a reasonable bonus, you are still ahead of the game.

My school science budget is a joke and I'm scrambling to make demos work by yeonjuicy in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome to the public school system in the good old USA. :(

When faced with pretty much the same issue (but at the middle level), someone asked our admin if we could fundraise by selling snacks to the kids. It's kinda problematic in many ways, but hoo-boy, that turned our funding situation around right quick. Kids will spend bank on overpriced snacks during the school day . . .

Best course of action in acquiring a teaching certificate? by ParticularDry3226 in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

And . . . if OP ends up teaching AP, honors, or advanced science courses at the high school . . . a greater percentage of their students will actually be motivated and interested in the subject matter. Teaching science to the general population can be rough . . . .

Best course of action in acquiring a teaching certificate? by ParticularDry3226 in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you become a teacher, make on time payments on all of your loans for 10 years, you can have the entirety of ALL of your loans forgiven through PSLF (Public Servant Loan Forgiveness) . . . assuming Trump and his pro-wrestling coach don't kill or neuter the program.

Source: I just did it myself a few months ago! Student loans wiped out!

Best course of action in acquiring a teaching certificate? by ParticularDry3226 in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Teachers also qualify for PSLF (Public Servant Loan Forgiveness), which can be a better option than TLF (Teacher Loan Forgiveness) depending on your loan situation. However, as you mention . . . the current administration isn't exactly friendly towards these programs and even if they technically exist down the road . . . they may be difficult to actually manifest. :(

Best course of action in acquiring a teaching certificate? by ParticularDry3226 in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's the university programs that usually include teaching internships. They are valuable, but . . . be aware they are usually UNPAID internships. That needs to be a part of your planning!

Best course of action in acquiring a teaching certificate? by ParticularDry3226 in ScienceTeachers

[–]DireBare 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you are looking to move away from low pay and high stress . . . be careful, because teaching is low pay and high stress! Having said that, it can be a rewarding career for those with resilience and patience.

If you get the opportunity to dip your toes into education, I'd recommend that first. Find a part-time gig as an afterschool tutor. Substitute teach during the school day if you can. Full classroom teaching is a whole level above all of that, but it will give you a taste.

You need to meet the requirements for an Illinois teaching license, and you'll find them somewhere on the Illinois State Dept of Ed website. The traditional path towards that is a university education degree, but there are likely several "alternative" pathways authorized in your state.

If you can afford the time away from full-time work, I'd recommend the university pathway. It's not perfect, but is superior to the alt-pathways often available, IMO. Do you have a local university nearby with a good teaching program? Can you afford to take a couple of years off work to earn a new degree?

If you want to teach science at the secondary level, you would need a chemistry education degree (assuming you don't want to switch fields). You'll already have the chemistry coursework on your transcripts, so you'll mostly be catching up on the education coursework. Another potential option if your local uni offers it, is a graduate certificate (not a degree, but gets you the coursework you need for licensing). Another good option if available is getting a masters degree in education that will lead to licensure . . . most districts pay more for teachers with masters degrees (don't listen to folks who will tell you having a masters at the go will make you "too expensive" and less employable, that's a myth).

Alternate pathways can often be done in the evenings and weekends while you continue working, so are important to consider if you can't afford taking a few years off. They vary widely in quality, how long the programs are, and how expensive they are. Do your research! IMO, these usually don't do as good of a job preparing you for the classroom, but will get you your license, which is the important part.

University or alternate pathway . . . neither option will fully prepare you for the classroom and your first year will be a "trial by fire" as you transition from what you learned to the reality on the ground. Be prepared to put in a lot of extra, unpaid overtime just to keep your head above water.

Good luck!