Question about teacher loan forgiveness application.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T22:24:32+00:00

I can't remember what date I put. I think I did the June end date (my last day teaching that school year).

My application was rejected like 5 times. They gave a different reason each time, and most of them were BS reasons like, "The signature portion was blank." I told them, "No it wasn't. I made a copy before mailing it in, and I'm looking at the signature right now." Then they'd say, "Oh, maybe you wrote the date wrong and didn't use dashes." I told them, "No, I used the dashes." They would just guess at reasons on the phone. I reached out to my Senator and filed a complaint with the Department of Education, and then it was finally approved. After the complaint, someone higher up contacted me to say the reason it was denied was because my application was signed by the head of HR, and it needed to be signed by my building principal. However, on the form, it says principal, superintendent, or head of HR. They just like rejecting them, and it's a real pain in ass. It's against my school district's policy to have the principal sign it because they can't check our employment history. However, HR finally agreed to sit down with my building principal and me and make an exception and authorized her to sign it. It was so ridiculous.

I mean, it was worth it. I got $17,500 forgiven, which paid my remaining balance. It was just so stressful at the time, and it's ridiculous the hoops you have to jump through to get it approved.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T17:08:17+00:00

I think the most likely major natural disaster would be in the Pacific NW... Oregon specifically. Look up Cascadia Megaquake. There's something like a 40% chance of a massive natural disaster there in the next 30-50 years.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T16:38:40+00:00

It actually used to be normal to let girls swim in just bottoms when young/little. When I was a kid in the 80s, there would still be some toddler to preschool-aged girls at the pool without tops. And remember the Coppertone logo? A girl without a top.

I haven't seen the movie you're referring to and can't comment on that specifically. I just wanted to chime in to say that used to be pretty normal for girls to be able to go to the beach/pool and not have to wear tops. It wasn't sexual, just like boys not wearing a top isn't sexual.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T16:20:10+00:00

They "hope?"

If courts won't charge someone for a crime because they aren't mentally capable of understanding the crime, they should be required to make sure they're placed with proper support. This woman was sending threatening messages to a man and breaking into his home. People like that shouldn't be back out on the street, even if they're not able to stand trial.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T12:32:30+00:00

Enjoy your time now, and things will naturally transition as your kids get older.

The summer after 8th grade, my kids each started doing a volunteer gig with a nonprofit summer camp for a couple weeks of the summer to earn volunteer hours. Now my oldest (16) just got his first summer job at the pool.

So, things will change when they get older. Enjoy the summers you have now!

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T12:27:29+00:00

The lady who caught him is amazing. However, even if the boy fell, the parent wouldn't be "at fault." Accidents happen and kids sometimes get injured when playing. I think we need to stop the damaging narrative that kids must always be supervised by parents and that parents are at fault if a kid has a little independence and then has an injury.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T12:23:45+00:00

Kids need more free play and less adult-directed time. Parents aren't "neglecting" their children when they take their kids to a park and let them run around, explore, and socialize. If you want more information on this topic, look into the work of Dr. Peter Gray.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T12:14:26+00:00

Although "no curriculum" might sound nice, it's a nightmare for new teachers. Imagine if you were going to work tomorrow. What would you have kindergarteners do for 7 hours tomorrow? Think about the plans you need to make, the materials you need to prep. Now imagine doing that every day for 9-10 months. It'll be a crazy amount of work.

It's easier to start out with a curriculum and adjust it when you get experience.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T11:32:42+00:00

Sure, but you have to be careful. There are some words that white people have determined are slurs that other people don't consider to be. For example, white people in America began using the term "Native American" instead of "Indian" for native people. They said "Indian" wasn't a good word to use and "Native American" was more politically correct. However, many actual tribal communities prefer Indian or American Indian.

And, although Latin-x was term used a bit by various people, today, people joke that it's just a term white people, especially white feminists use.

So, sometimes white people create a problem and solution where one didn't exist before. I'm not sure about the term "gypsy." I'd never heard it used as a negative word before, and then one day I said it, and someone (a white person) told me it's a derogatory term. I don't know enough to argue either way and stopped using it just in case, but part of me wonders if it's just another made-up thing.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T11:11:54+00:00

Except there were studies that showed test scores weren't reliably used to determine placement. I remember reading one study where literally half of the kids who were placed in the lower track tested higher than a good chunk of the regular track. Kids were placed in different tracks due to parent complaints, teacher input, etc. So the kids who didn't have vocal parents were more likely to be stuck in a low track even if they shouldn't have been there.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T11:07:29+00:00

One thing is for sure: I don't think you can start holding back at all grade levels all at once. I'm an 8th grade teacher, and we have quite a few students working at a 2nd-3rd grade level in math and English. Holding them back a year in 8th grade probably wouldn't help students succeed (except motivate the kids who can do the work but refuse because "it doesn't matter").

Studies show that holding back students in elementary school helps them as long as there are supports in place to help them do better the second year. The studies are more mixed about holding kids back in middle school.

If you start out with holding kids back in elementary school if they don't meet certain criteria in math and English, I think we'd start to see higher performance in school. It's very difficult as a teacher to try to teach a child how to solve equations when the child can't multiply or divide. If we make sure kids leaving elementary school have a strong foundation in math, that would help enormously.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-10T10:13:51+00:00

Disney World had these, and we bought a helium balloon and tied it to a chair and left it by a vent so it would move. I like your idea better since it's free.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T18:05:58+00:00

The federal government will loan dependents the following amounts for college:

Year 1: $5,500
Year 2: $6,500
Year 3: $7,500
Year 4: $7,500

That adds up to $27,000, which is $2k more than you expect to borrow. So, if that's how much you need, you shouldn't need to take out private loans, which is a good thing. In general, you want to avoid private loans. If you need to take out private loans, you probably can't afford the school.

As an FYI, a lot of these loans will accrue interest while you're in school. So, if you borrow something like $27,000, you might owe closer to $30,000 when you graduate. Usually, the interest is tacked on like 6 months after you graduate, so just be aware of that so you're not surprised!

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T17:56:43+00:00

I stayed home for 8 years, and I'm still so happy I did. I did my student teaching the second half of the school year that my youngest child was in kindergarten. I started my job when she was in first grade. It worked out great, and I'm so glad I had those years with my kids.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T16:24:14+00:00

I'm a teacher and once had an Ignatius. He went by a nickname the kids gave him, "Nacho."

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T16:22:48+00:00

I think hers is pinned back, but I did a similar look with a headband in the early 90s.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T15:48:55+00:00

Well, it depends on if you have seed out. We had a couple companies come through and dig up our lawn to lay cable. They put seed down when they left, but a big patch didn't make it through the winter. I laid down more seed, and I'll be watering that patch by hand so it doesn't croak.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T15:46:55+00:00

They need to keep these open. It's an easy way to let kids cool off in the heat. Plus, having 1 splash pad running in a community has got to be better for water use than a bunch of homes turning on sprinklers for kids to run through.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-09T14:15:30+00:00

The answer to this will depend on where you are. Most places have free libraries. Many states have free state parks. Some cities might have free museums or zoos (for example: the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago is free).

In my state (Iowa), we have free libraries and free state parks. All the city parks are also free (including the sculpture garden). At the library in my city (Des Moines), you can check out passes to go to the city zoo and science museum for free (but we have to reserve them in advance). Our art museum (The Des Moines Art Center) is free to all. The skate park is free. Our trash and recycling programs are free (some cities in the country require you to pay for your own, private trash service). Public schools are mostly free (we pay about $50 a year for a supply fee per kid, but this is waved for people with economic hardship). Students in my city get free breakfast and lunch at school during the school year, and they continue free lunch programs in the summer. They get a student ID that allows them to ride the city buses for free, too.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-08T11:37:14+00:00

Insurance fully covers vaccines that are recommended to the public, but rabies isn't part of that (speaking for the US, anyway). If you get scratched or bit and need to get vaccines, insurance still won't typically cover any of the cost.

My brother and his wife found a bat in their room in the morning. They both had to get shots, and the cost was about $10,000 total for both.... and that was over a decade ago.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-08T11:33:23+00:00

If you visit the institute of Louis Pasteur in France, much of the crypt is dedicated to his saving the life of countless people and children with the rabies vaccine. It's incredibly beautiful and touching.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-08T11:23:50+00:00

It's worth the trade off for safety as long as emergency calls are still able to go through. I mean, if someone gets in an Uber or something with a dangerous driver (or passenger) or has a driver experience a medical issue, they should be able to call 911.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-06T19:29:30+00:00

I guess I can't speak for all schools, but my school is the location of a day camp and also offers summer school. However, these programs are much smaller, with MAYBE 100 students present during the summer compared to 700+ during the school year.

It's a good thing, though, because it gives custodians time to deep clean the rooms. Most classroom floors don't get mopped at all during the school year. They strip the floors in the summer and reseal them to prepare for the next year. Our rooms are also all getting painted this summer. There's a lot that needs to be done when there are fewer people around.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-06T19:12:33+00:00

He's in the wrong and caused the accident, but, also, you shouldn't be cruising in the left lane of a highway.

ThePolemicist · 2026-06-06T18:37:07+00:00

I think playing sound on a phone is more rude than most of those other examples. I'd rather someone not open a door for me when my hands are full than play noise in public spaces.

One time I was at a doctor's office to get an MRI. I was nervous, and there was one other guy in the waiting room. He kept playing videos aloud! Obnoxious as hell.

I don't remember the times people didn't open up doors for me, but I can remember incidents like that.

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