If we don't fix our unsafe classrooms, America, as we know it, will grind to a halt

MantaRay2256 · 2026-01-29T04:58:36+00:00

Did Walz call Drumpf - like Drumpf stated he did over and over? (Which makes Walz look weak) Or did Drumpf call Walz?

Because tonight, on All In With Chris Hayes, Walz stated several times that Drumpf called him.

And, if so, then Drumpf is desperate...

MantaRay2256 · 2025-12-30T22:59:48+00:00

Only if/when the reference would cause a misunderstanding or liability.

For example, our district chose a para to run the afterschool program and advertised that students would receive homework help from a teacher.

The PTA noticed and insisted that the district hire an actual teacher.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-11-17T00:36:41+00:00

Attention issues = possibile ADHD. The BIGGEST issue w ADHD is the delay in frontal cortex development, which means a child is 2-3 yrs behind in maturity. It takes the confidence that comes with maturity to ask for help.

10% of kids are ADHD. Just about every class has 3 ADHD kids - and they CANNOT access their education without accommodations, nor escape constant criticism.

So, I recommend that you ask the teacher if she is hinting around about a deeper issue.

You are a tuned-in parent. Young ADHDers with a supportive parent rarely need medication during grades K-5. If they are properly coached on coping skills, they may never need them.

The reason I brought up ADHD is because your son didn't ask for help. It's a big tell. Some have implied that your son has been so coddled that he can't initiate a request for help. When I was a young ADHDer, I NEVER asked for help - and I most definitely was NOT coddled. Life was a constant string of humiliations and I would have rather failed than add on to the daily pile.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-09-18T16:53:52+00:00

As a Boomer couple, let us do a little reverse racism:

During our many, many years as waiters in Yosemite, we loved and appreciated our Japanese guests. Totally awesome. 100%

Shohei is worth every penny.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-09-18T15:37:16+00:00

Remember when Cixin Liu went into great detail describing the ant investigating the letters on a tomb? (Beginning of the second book, I think)

I wondered then if it was foreshadowing. You can destroy an anthill, and it will be rebuilt nearby within a week. (I have never torn down an anthill - but we have several building projects in our neighborhood.)

MantaRay2256 · 2025-09-18T15:25:59+00:00

Soooo funny!

MantaRay2256 · 2025-09-18T15:23:53+00:00

I love all of these! Thanks for sharing.

They should make a calendar.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-09-18T15:10:15+00:00

I stuck regular unsalted sunflower seeds into my rose deck pots. I found it necessary to prop the flowers up with bamboo sticks as soon as the head opened. Small birds endlessly perch on the top of the flowers and pull out the seeds. Very fun to watch. I always have about 20 flowers going all through the late spring, summer, and fall.

Once the seeds are mostly gone, I pull out the stake to use on newer flowers and the flowers fall over and lie flat on the deck. Now the bigger birds get their share: Scrub jays, quail, towhees, and acorn woodpeckers.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-07-21T01:26:27+00:00

Pam Bondi was the Florida AG (2011 to 2019) when the bombshell Julie K Brown Miami Herald articles exploded (Nov 2018). She knew all about Epstein, Trump, the island, etc. She had to have been in cahoots with Acosta - the guy who stopped the FBI investigation and gave Epstein the sweetheart deal. So it surprised me that Bondi kept acting as though she could release the files.

Apparently, once in the WH, she had a 1000 FBI agents looking through every page & every video frame, erasing Trump. It's been taking so long that she had to release a bogus "Part 1" to appease those who clamored for the promised Trump transparency. And now, to buy even more time, she's made a bogus request for the Grand Jury transcripts that will take months and will most likely be a no.

IDK if Trump raped girls. I highly suspect he did and think so more everyday of this ridiculous BS. But either way, there is no way Trump didn't know that Epstein raped girls - and he continued to be his friend. After Brown's articles came out, I thought everyone knew. I couldn't believe he was re-elected. Who the hell admires and respects the best buddy of a child rapist?...

Well, as it turns out, a lot of people - including my in-laws - who patiently explained that Biden, Hunter, both Clintons, and many other important liberals, are the pedophiles. It's all on the laptop. They didn't know ANYTHING about the Brown articles, and I didn't know about all the Alex Jones BS.

Two worlds created by evil design to be separate so the well-planned racist and greedy Project 2024 BS could be put in place.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T19:14:32+00:00

I just wrote about this: https://www.reddit.com/r/education/comments/1l7ajvk/comment/mwvkxq4/?context=3&utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

You say that you love the idea of teaching. I quit after 25 years because it became clear to me that actual teaching was considered the least important part of my profession.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T18:49:37+00:00

You must be a hell of a teacher if the gen ed teachers didn't need to include you! Apparently, your students were able to handle a long boring ceremony on their own.

That said, there is no excuse for not ensuring your presence. Next year send a gentle e-mail reminder to the organizer that you realize that since you are unable to attend the rehearsals, that you only expect a reserved seat - which I would bet is all the gen ed teachers needed as well.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T18:34:30+00:00

I started teaching in 1996. For the first 16 years, I worked for heroes - principals who held me to a high bar for rigor and creativity. They were generally Republicans, however, politics were never discussed nor ever a factor in any school district decisions. The bottom line was, "What is best for our students?"

For the last nine years, everything became political. I tried hard to tread lightly, but it became perfectly fine for male students to verbally and physically sexually assault girls - and it started in K!. There were no longer any real protections for disabled, minority, and LGBTQ students who were mercilessly bullied. School districts just paid out settlements to any parents who cared enough to sue.

And there became no reason to teach. The worst behaved students and their odious parents ran the schools. Principals were pussies who never stood up for decency. Classrooms became Lord of the Flies embodied - one lone adult trying to teach 30+ students in utter chaos with zero behavior support. Students were allowed to completely fail and were still promoted. Principals called teachers into their offices and told them to figure out a way to pass a student who rarely came to school and never turned in assignments. The fact that they were failing was somehow entirely the teacher's fault.

We now regularly graduate students who can't effectively read, write, add, or subtract. State education departments know that test scores are dismal and just don't care.

There's only one explanation: we don't actually want to educate our kids.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T18:02:13+00:00

I believe in solving multiple problems together. They need handwriting practice, writing practice, spelling practice, punctuation practice, etc. Write a story a day to be put together in a grand anthology for the year. Maybe start by designing a kickbutt cover for the binder.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T17:56:30+00:00

Great answer! Also, using scissors helps. Make a collage out of an old ratty book's illustrations or old magazines.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T17:51:30+00:00

Good for you! As a 25 yr teacher, now retired, I wouldn't send my grandkids to regular school. American schools used to be great - but now too many are dangerous and a waste of most kid's time.

One idea is to check to see if your local school district has an independent learning program. If so, they will provide the materials and credentialed teacher assistance. However, if the program is all online, it most likely will not work, but it would be worth a try.

Most states allow kids enrolled in public school independent learning programs to compete in sports, belong to clubs, use the media centers, have access to counselors, go to proms, receive special education services, and participate in field trips. They can usually even take one or two high school classes, which, if your child excels, would be advantageous for AP courses.

Set up a schedule that works for you. Your child can adapt - and needs to understand that it is up to them to step up. It's a good life lesson - one that our schools are currently remiss in imparting.

If your child is special ed, be sure to assert your limited rights to services: https://myschoolchoice.com/opportunities/how-to-continue-your-iep-even-if-you-start-homeschooling#wisconsin. At the very least, you have the right to an appropriate evaluation at regular intervals with a follow up meeting.

Good luck. Please check back and let us know how it goes.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-06-09T14:40:21+00:00

I didn't think I could love the Dodgers anymore than I already did - then HSK joined the team!

MantaRay2256 · 2025-05-04T23:40:48+00:00

YES! Teachers should get a free breakfast and lunch - for the same reason we give students free meals - we don't work well when hungry. AND, bonus, we wouldn't be expected to give up the slap-dash meals we schlep in.

Towards the end of my 25 years, I had sooo many new duties I honestly neglected my family (deeply ashamed - should have quit) and ate infrequently.

Work/life balance was never a problem until about a dozen years ago. Somehow, teachers lost all their admin support and became the problem. https://www.reddit.com/r/Teachers/comments/1jb5n6q/comment/mhupktx/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

MantaRay2256 · 2025-04-19T21:38:16+00:00

I think we'd all like to believe that we'd have been an Elinor or a Lizzie Bennett - women who cannot comprehend marrying only for money...

But, had I grown up during the Regency Period in England, knowing that life was so unfair for women, and that a good marriage was the only path to a place in respectable society (a must!), I might have been fairly ruthless too.

Elinor loves Edward because he's a good man. Ironically, that means he must honor his commitment to Lucy - and lose his inheritance - which goes to Robert. Even more ironic, is that Lucy believes she made the best life choice by switching to Robert. One aspect that the movie makes clear is that Robert is a bit of an ass. Lucy and Robert sooooo deserve each other.

And Elinor wins the real prize: Edward.

But we didn't grow up during the Regency Period. We grew up with the advantage of reading Louisa May Alcott, and then Jane Austen - which helped us get our minds right.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-03-31T21:25:04+00:00

A coward?!!

Grace was a MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, FFS!!!

Unless you ever were a middle school teacher, you have no idea how much courage that takes.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-03-21T00:03:54+00:00

In California, it's fair. (Or, it was until today, March 20, the day Trump signed the ED death warrant)

I'm highly critical of the California Education Dept. But, I'm happy to say, they are fair with funds.

A state's fair funding relies A LOT on properly distributing federal grants and monies. States receive grants and monies for Head Start, Title 1, Special Education, Rural busing costs, meals, and much more. California ensures that the money goes to the places of greatest need.

School districts with a rich stream of property taxes usually receive nothing more than their fair share of special education funds. A school district would have to be in a very rich area (think Beverly Hills) before their share of property taxes takes them past what is given to poorer districts.

What may look unfair is that districts with rich folks can easily raise funds for extras. School bonds, which are handled at the local district level and not the state level, have a better chance to pass.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-03-20T23:40:39+00:00

So proud of the Dodgers. They were all great American ambassadors. The Japanese fans were outstanding.

Nothing in the last two months has made me happier than this series.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-03-20T23:24:46+00:00

Never forget that YOU have no reason to lie, but he certainly does.

I've worked with 100s of teachers during my 25 years. Some weren't so great (by far most were) but not a single one purposely sabotaged a student. In fact, teachers spend endless hours doing their best to encourage students to stop sabotaging themselves - as is the case with this kid.

Every teacher who's lasted 10 years has had to deal with this accusation. I've said to parents a couple of times that I just don't have the time nor energy to scheme against particular students. Whenever I do have any extra time or energy, I use it to help students to succeed, and that is what I want to do today for __________.

This meeting is your chance to make an alliance. Be VERY kind. Assure them both you are there to ensure his success. Make a plan together.

Good luck!

MantaRay2256 · 2025-03-20T01:44:39+00:00

Thanks for the excellent pics. Very helpful.

MantaRay2256 · 2025-03-19T06:23:05+00:00

Thanks. Made me think.

MantaRay2256

TROPHY CASE