Why I Understand the Loss of Washington State's NCLB Waiver

Washington state recently lost its No Child Left Behind waiver because it doesn’t require state test scores to be integrated into teacher evaluations. Evidently, Governor Inslee and our Superintendent of Public Instruction, Randy Dorn, both urged lawmakers to pass a law to bring Washington into compliance with this rule, but they refused.

“Our state Legislature failed to pass a bill during the 2014 session that would have prevented this from happening, Our state could have maintained its No Child Left Behind waiver with a one-word fix (from ‘may’ to ‘must’) on student growth scores being one of multiple measures of assessment in teacher and principal evaluations. This does not serve our state’s students.” ~ Excellent Schools Now, here

I cannot understand why the Washington State Legislature couldn't do this one thing in order to keep flexibility in how our NCLB federal money is spent. Money that our school districts sorely need. Money that we, at the local level, know best how to spend. Seems to me that is why NCLB waivers are possible at all: because after 12 years with No Child Left Behind in place, DC has come to the same conclusion.

The View From Here: Politics and Social Media

This week's View comes from Greta of g*funk*ified!

Greta is one of my best bloggy friends. She is a running, photographing mom of 4 living in Kansas. She is authentic and kind.

However, she does have one View on a matter she'd like to get off her chest.

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Politics and Social Media

I don’t like talking politics. The only family members that I think I’ve ever talked politics with are my mom and (briefly) my dad. In fact, I only recently found out that my older brother and his wife are members of a different political party.

That’s not to say that I don’t have strong political beliefs. I’m a liberal. I believe that every woman has the right to choose what she does with her body (and by the way, pro-choice is VERY different than pro-abortion). I believe that we should help those in need if we can. I believe education should be a top priority in our society, and I believe that anyone should be free to love whom they choose and receive the same benefits that a married man and woman are allowed. I believe that gun laws should be strict and that not everyone should be carrying one everywhere. I could go on and on and on.

I’m not at all ashamed of my beliefs and will respectfully discuss them if asked. But something that I don’t believe is that politics and social media play well together. I have a hard time keeping my feelings to myself when I see something on Facebook that goes against a strong personal belief, and I’ve been sick to my stomach in almost every instance at the conversation that follows. I often take things personally (unfortunately) and it’s hard to know why someone sees the world the way he or she does, even in a calm, rational discussion. The biggest problem, though, comes from other people who have no qualms about jumping in and putting their two (or two hundred) cents in. People can be brutal, and disrespectful.

I hate election time on Facebook, because ignorant and completely biased views come at me from every direction, and I learn things about people that I didn’t know and frankly, shock me (and would’ve been happy to have never found out). And don’t even get me started on Twitter….140 characters is NOT enough.

I won’t change your mind and you won’t change mine. So, let’s just stay away from the hot button issues online, okay?

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I try so hard to stay away from the touchy subjects, but gosh darnit, I have my feelings, ya know? And I'm never disrespectful to someone else, although others sometimes think they're allowed to be so to me.

I shared my political views here during the last major election cycle. Like Greta, I'm a "bleeding heart" liberal. Also like her, I completely get the frustration of trying to express any sort of actual opinion on social media, especially Facebook. It seems things posted there are subject to the most scrutiny. Why do people think they should be allowed to say whatever the hell they want on something YOU posted? I think we should all be able to say the shit we want to say on our own pages, but should be respectful on others' pages. There is one person I am thisclose to blocking because they seem to think Facebook is a debate forum.

OK, so! Greta usually blogs about other things like running and gluten-free recipes and sharing photos, In fact, she hosts a weekly link-up of photos taken specifically with your phone. Please check the rest of her out at her:

Blog - Twitter - Facebook - Google+

**If you are interested in contributing YOUR View, please go HERE**

Am I too trusting and naive?

Maybe.

I prefer to look at it as I see the best in people and give the benefit of the doubt. That I'm not harsh, judgmental, cynical or unforgiving.

Sometimes someone I shouldn't have given the benefit of the doubt to shows me their true colors and I get hurt. But I also learn something. A couple of years ago someone I thought was a good friend to me showed me some things about herself that I decided I couldn't reconcile in order to remain friends with her. I realized I couldn't trust her and I need to have friends I trust.

With everything I deal with in my life, I just don't have the energy to pretend to be OK with someone I don't trust. Or who I think are just mean. But in general, I am a very trusting person.

The reason I'm thinking about this right now is largely due to the presidential election earlier this week. It was a hard-fought battle and people have expressed very passionate opinions on both sides. I expressed my own firmly held beliefs right here.

But I have been arguing my beliefs with members of my own family, including my husband who loves to play devil's advocate. Not that he totally disagrees with me, but Mark has pointed out this "issue" of maybe being too trusting and naive about some things.

Late on the night of the election I wondered if now that Obama has been RE-elected, if people could embrace and respect him. I asked this question on both Twitter and Facebook.

My thinking is that if the majority of voters want Obama as President AGAIN, maybe there is something to that, and maybe he is actually a GOOD President.

That's not totally unreasonable, is it?

The first opposing response I got was:

I don't believe in big government. I don't want the government telling me what to do and how to spend my money. I do not believe in re-distribution. If it's yours, you should be able to do what you like with it. Socialized medicine is not a good thing. Talk to someone that has been forced to live with it. The older and sicker you are, the less likely you are to get the best care possible. We already have a program for people who can't afford insurance, it's called Medicaid. The Bin Laden thing was a work in progress long before he came to office, I know this from someone who actually worked on it. I own a small business. If my business makes $250,000 or more a year, even if I don't take a salary or see any of that money, I am considered rich and will be taxed as if I were.

To which I replied, "So it's just all about money then. There's more to life than that." All I got back was, "Whatever!!"

The other comment was:

I respect the office but absolutely not this President. He has an ideology that is contrary and dangerous to this country and our constitution. He routinely proves himself to be a pathological lier. For what he did, or I should say, did not do, in Benghazi, Libya I hope he is impeached and prosecuted. I spent 4 years in the military and 30 years in law enforcement fighting for right against wrong and your right to free speech; please don't ever give that up; because this president is coming after it. You just don't know it yet.

I have made no response to this. I can't find the words.

Both the person quoted above and I question each other's sources of information. He highly reveres and respects Glenn Beck. I have actively avoided him. I feel that he is an extremist and an alarmist. This person thinks he only seeks the truth.

Truth is different for everyone.

I don't understand how they can feel the way they do, and I know they don't understand why I feel what I do. It's all very hard to reconcile.

I really don't think I am someone who shelters herself from information she might not want to hear. I don't watch the news as much as I used to, but only because I don't feel the need to hear about every single rape, murder or fatal car accident. It hurts my mommy heart too much. But I am online enough to hear about many other things.

As of now, President Obama has given me no reason not to trust him. I've seen only a caring, thoughtful, decisive and steadfast man. I've gotten no oogy vibes when listening to him speak. There has been nothing scandalous that I can point to and say, "Ooh, he's a bad man!"

Besides, we will do all of this again in just 4 more years, with brand new candidates. HERE's some excellent perspective if you need it.

Maybe I am naive and too trusting. But I think I'd rather be that than un-trusting, negative and angry all the time.

My Politics...for what it's worth

*This is kind of a BIG post. So....you've been warned.


Unless you've been hiding under a rock, and maybe you are, this is a presidential election year.

Sigh.

I've been saying it for months now, I really just want to skip this one. Since we can't, I have been trying to pay attention to the campaigns, the debates, jokes....

I took a presidential election quiz several weeks ago that showed I side with President Barack Obama.

My results went on to show who I side with by party

• 88% Democratic
• 74% Green
• 44% Libertarian
• 43% Republican

Does knowing this make you feel any differently about me? I find that sometimes learning someone's political persuasions can be hard to reconcile with how we feel about the rest of who they are. Especially if you're in another camp.

For years I thought I was very middle-of-the-road, sitting on the fence between Democrat and Republican. I would describe myself as a "liberal Republican" or a "conservative Democrat". But apparently I am now actually quite far removed from being a Republican at all, and that I could be Green or Libertarian. Oh, but those parties don't count, do they?

Since this election season began, and helped by taking this quiz, I now see how I'm not really on the fence at all. In fact, I'm having a hard time understanding how anyone would be proud to call themselves a Republican right about now. Mitt Romney just keeps sticking his foot fully into his mouth and then looks around like, "What??".

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The 47%

The other thing I'm having a hard time with is how anyone who knows my family and everything we've been through can be a supporter of Mitt Romney.

You see, my family is part of this 47% he spoke of. Both Mark and I have legal disabilities. Mark is chronically ill. But let me clarify something. We are very GRATEFUL that our government has programs in place that have been helpful to us over the years, and we've both paid taxes. It's not about "entitlement".

Then again, I do believe I'm "entitled to healthcare, to food, to housing!"

I believe EVERYONE is entitled to those things. They are BASIC necessities you asshat. And yeah, I think if someone is in need of help, someone should help them.

Look, I know there are "welfare moms" and junkies who abuse the system. But they can't be allowed to ruin it for those who are just trying to get by. Honest, decent people who have simply been dealt a crappy hand. There are ways to weed out those who are less deserving.

Abortion

I don't know if I should even get started on women's rights, but being that I am a woman..... The abortion issue is so beyond frustrating, I'm not sure I can adequately express how I feel about it. I  never thought I would terminate a pregnancy....until I was 16 and pregnant. I didn't want to and it was really hard. But it was the CHOICE I made. And honestly -- hold onto your hats -- at this stage in my life, and considering my family circumstances, I'd probably do it again. I still wouldn't want to and it would still be hard, but I should be allowed to make that choice if I believe it's what's best.

There are so many reasons and varying situations that CHOICES simply MUST be available. I will never understand how someone can think they have the right to take someone else's rights away.

At the debate on Tuesday, when asked what he would do to help ensure equal pay for women, Mitt Romney only talked about making sure women have flexible schedules so we have time to cook dinner for our kids. He would cut funding to Planned Parenthood and I'm 100% sure he would do everything he can to limit access to birth control and abortions. And the correlation he made to single mothers and gun violence? Don't even get me started.

None of this is about religion. People like to use religion as an excuse for their nonsense. Religion is PERSONAL, and so too is a woman's reproductive choices. I believe in God, but I don't believe I have the right to tell others what to believe or to condemn them for anything. Isn't managing your own life enough?

The Economy

I learned in high school civics that our government has a system of checks and balances. That the President is the leader of our country, but we also have Congress and the Supreme Court who get their say. Both the President and Congress have the power to stop legislation in its tracks. And even when something is passed into law, the matter can be taken before the Supreme Court where nine highly qualified judges can be the deciding factor.

In this sort of government, how can any one person be wholly to blame for something? And in turn, how can any one person be expected to fix a problem all by themselves?

I didn't watch any of the post-debate spin and commentary on Tuesday, so I wasn't sure if anyone else was as shocked as I was when Romney exclaimed not once, but twice, "Government does not create jobs!" Um. What? Then why do you blame Obama for the current unemployment rate and how can you promise to create more jobs if you become President? I'm so confused. Sometimes I wonder if that man has Terrets.

By the way, it was Obama's tax incentives of 2009-10 that made it possible for Mark and I to become homeowners.

Education

More needs to be invested into our children. Period. My daughter doesn't have any textbooks for crying out loud! Not paper, PDF or eBook. Nada. Her math teacher has a text book which he uses to verbally give the kids the information they need and they take notes. There are history textbooks but not enough for each student. I don't know how teachers are teaching.

Improving education in America has been pushed down to the bottom of the political to-do list since 9/11. I completely understand that we had some shit to take care of after that. But it's time to move on and re-prioritize some things in this country. Politicians go an and on about how important education is for the future of our children. Obama has made some changes in regards to student loans and grants for college. But more needs to be done for K-12 too.

I was pleased to hear Obama talk about education as it relates to PREVENTING crime and violence. I like that he doesn't want to throw more gun control laws on the books, but rather look at how we can ensure less desperation which leads to crime.

Health Care

If you know me and my life at all, you know health care is a HUGE part of our lives. Having a pre-existing condition means my husband has to apply for and get denied good health insurance, and then apply for the only insurance that will cover him, which costs nearly $300 a month. That combined with Medicare parts A, B and D, and he STILL has some out-of-pocket medical expenses. All of that is JUST for Mark. The kids and I have to fend for ourselves. This is one of the reasons it's so difficult for people with disabilities and/or health problems to get ahead in life. It's a vicious cycle.

My brain is ill-equipped to dissect the legal jargon of "Obamacare", so I can't say with any authority if the changes being implemented will benefit my family. But I applaud the President for trying and CARING. He pushed and pushed for some kind of change. He didn't back down. I appreciate that.

(Actually, I think it already has benefited us. We all got FREE flu shots this year. Did you get yours?)

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These are the things I PERSONALLY feel strongly about. So these are the things I have to base my voting on. The things I care about fly in the face of the Republican platform. Not only that, but I just don't feel like Mitt Romney cares about me and my family.

Heck, I also think there should be marriage equality and will be voting YES on Washington's Referendum 74. Oh oops, did I just say that out loud? My bad.


Image credits: I got all of the above images from fan pages on Facebook such as Being Liberal, MoveOn.org, The Christian Left, One Million Vaginas, Miss R-EVOLutionaries and Upworthy.

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I did not write this to piss anyone off or to try to change votes. I wrote it for the same reason I write everything I do, because it's my PERSPECTIVE, and people can learn from others' perspectives. So, if you want to leave a comment on this post, I expect you to be respectful. If you can't do that, I will delete it. Because saying something rude on my blog is, to me, the equivalent of saying it right to my face.

Politics Aside....

The following is from President Obama's live address to the nation after Osama bin Laden was killed:

Today, amidst the rancor of our current political climate, I wanted to stop to remember 9/11. We call it Patriot Day now. Somehow that seems too nice of a name for such a terrible day, although I get the sentiment.

Thinking about the loss of that day still feels like a sucker punch to the gut. I hope that feeling never dulls. I do not want to be desensitized.

Because this....

photo source

Will never be OK.

Believe me, I have my pretty strong political opinions, and I'm having a hard time not getting caught up in the Presidential campaign. I may write more about that on a later date. But I feel fairly confident that loved ones and survivors of 9/11 don't give a damn about politics today.

So I'm here to say, to reiterate, that I'll....Never Forget.

Before I Die

Today's Listicles topic is this:

10 things you'd like to see happen before you die. They can be things you participate in or things you just witness. ~ Ally, Two Normal Moms

That is a really great topic! Might be hard to only list ten things.

Before I die I'd like to see....

1. My kids living happy and fulfilled lives. That's all I want for them. Whatever that looks like, however they go about it. As long as they're happy, not hurting themselves or anyone else, I'll be happy.

2. My great-grandchildren. I used to be kind of afraid of getting really old, but now that I'm on my way on the down slope to 40, and have children, I find myself wanting to live a good long life. In the immortal words of Aerosmith, I don't wanna miss a thing.

3. A cure for Diabetes. Or even maybe a vaccine to prevent it in the first place. I have no idea if that's possible because I'm not a doctor, or even scientifically minded, but it sounds good. All I know is that disease is a scourge and it needs to be eradicated the same as polio.

4. The end of pimples. Seriously, I'm 37 years old and still getting them. What kind of crap is that? Totally unnecessary and unfair, that's what!

5. Total equality on all levels. Much less of a disparity between the rich and the poor, zero discrimination or prejudice, less divisive political parties and humility among politicians, health care and education for everyone who needs/wants it, every one's basic needs met ALWAYS. Basically, for the world to wise up!

6. Really good, even great, public transportation. Especially here where I live, for me, but I think everywhere should have it. The biggest thing I miss about the Bay Area is BART.

7.  The Seattle Seahawks win a Superbowl. I'm just sayin'.

8. Healthy, organic food at the same price as everything else. There's a vicious cycle going on that looks like this: eat high fat, processed food, have health problems, become unable to work, try to get healthy, can't afford good food due to no job, keep eating the high fat, processed food, get sicker, require lots of medical care which causes costs to rise for everyone, even more people can't afford healthy food and.... If you really think about it, it's another example of the haves and have-nots. And who wins?

9. My fingernails not snapping off the minute they get to a nice length. My mother has the strongest, nicest nails on the planet. Why didn't I inherit that? I inherited her oily, Italian skin, which I suppose is good for the aging process (I don't think I have any wrinkles yet).  I have kinda nice hands, but not nice nails. Just goes to show, you can't have it all.

10. No more fighting about God. If we can accomplish #5, we should be able to do this. Wars in the name of God are one of the least understandable things to me. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I feel pretty confident that it's not what God wants. No Holy Wars, Crusades or Jihads. Just believe what you believe and knock off the anger towards others' beliefs!

*Stepping off my soapbox*

I tried to be both serious and light-hearted here. I don't usually blog out my opinions on religion, politics and such. But the question of things I'd love to see come to pass in my lifetime really got me thinking.  There are things in this world I just don't think are right and kind of make me sad (including my weak fingernails). So there ya go.

This topic also got me humming one of my current favorite songs, "If I Die Young" by The Band Perry. I've embedded the video for your viewing and listening pleasure....