Trayvon Martin….He Just Went for a Walk

The nation is stunned by a story of a young man who went for a walk and never made it home.  A young man who went to a store, in the early evening, bought a soda and Skittles, and ended up being shot and killed.  George Zimmerman is the man who caused the death of Trayvon Martin.  So much has been reported, debated, and discussed involving this case.  I do not wish to repeat what has already been stated, but to visit some of the issues that surround the known details.  Issues that make one wonder how something this horrific could have happened.

The concept of Neighborhood Watch lends itself to defining.  To most it means people keep their eyes and ears open to anything unusual or suspicious occurring in their immediate surroundings.  It is a method of assisting law enforcement in preventing crime.  It is not meant as a vehicle for those who want to act as authority, or to become a hero.  Those who patrol usually do not go out alone, but walk together in a group.  George Zimmerman called the authorities and then for whatever reason, decided to pursue Trayvon.  This is baffling since this young man wasn’t causing a disturbance; he wasn’t harassing anyone, wasn’t peeking in the windows of homes, or pulling on the door handles of cars.  How suspicious could he have been? 

This idea of a hoodie being a symbol of fear and concern is racism in disguise.  Millions of people wear hoodies every day.  Why does it suddenly take on another connotation when worn by a young black man?  How did an article of clothing come to be a feature of a stereotype?  In my opinion, George Zimmerman already decided that this was a person up to no good.  His approach was most likely aggressive and inducing of fear.  Most people would shout, or try to run if a stranger was coming towards them. Remember, this kid was doing nothing wrong.  One can only imagine what was going on in his mind as he saw this grown adult approaching him.  That being the case,  Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense appears twisted to justify his actions.  What could this boy have done to cause Zimmerman to pull out a gun and shoot?  There is simply no excuse.

As a parent, you can see the pain in the eyes of a mother who has lost a son.  You can hear the hurt in the voice of a father who feels he wasn’t there for his child in his time of need.  They did everything right in raising Trayvon, only to lose him in the end.  I believe that there will be charges filed against George Zimmerman.  My hope is that the investigation is being done carefully so that a trial cannot be dismissed because of mistakes in police work.  In the meantime, a nation remains filled with anger, disbelief, and sadness caused by the heartbreak and loss of an innocent young man.  Americans want to believe that we have made much progress in the rights for all people, in race relations, and in freedom granted to all.  This case painfully makes us realize we still have far to go.

What Students Need to Succeed

The past few weeks have been filled with articles and media reports concerning the education reform package presented by Governor Malloy.  Much of the focus has been centered on teacher preparation, certification, tenure, and salary.  It is not within reason to want to examine these areas along with the curriculum standards that are now in place.  What is troubling is that there appears to be a consensus that there are a great number of teachers who are not qualified, or conscientious enough for the day-to-day learning of students.  When the goal is to improve the achievement of students, other factors need to be considered before any real change can occur.

The steps towards certification in the state of Connecticut are among the most rigorous in the nation.  There are numerous requirements which must be met in order to reach certain levels.  This usually takes years to achieve.  Evaluations and professional development is ongoing in most districts, and teachers must take additional credits in order to maintain their license.  If a teacher is not sufficiently doing their job, or are not observed to be effective, there are plenty of opportunities early on in their career to not grant certification, or to be released by a district.  It is up to the administrative staff, central office, and the state to make this determination, and to have the fortitude to follow through with the decision.

The other factors that come into to play are those which no school, principal, or teacher has control. Children need to understand from a young age that school is important.  Attendance is critical.  I have seen many students miss too many days to be successful.  Children also need an adequate amount of rest.  Letting young children stay up late is not beneficial to learning.  They also have to be taught how to behave and be respectful. Too much class time is spent dealing with inappropriate behavior.  This has nothing to do with a teacher having control.  Homework needs to be completed and handed in on time.  Less time should be spent on video games or other electronic devices, and more should be spent on reading.

Every student needs a parent, grandparent, guardian, or someone responsible in their life that will ensure that they are prepared and active in their learning.  I have seen students in homes run by single moms, working two jobs, go on to college and be successful.  I have seen students from all socio-economic levels who are neglected and don’t care about school.  It takes caring adults to encourage, inspire, and motivate young people. It takes adults outside of the school to make sure that education is a priority in the life of a child.

Teachers play a significant role in the education of a youngster, but they can’t do it alone.  There is no single method that allows every student to succeed.   Urban schools are dealing with more issues than their suburban counterparts.  They need more assistance in terms of staffing, materials, and social services.  It is easy to point fingers and lay blame. Teaching is the one occupation that everyone thinks they understand or know how to do better.  It takes more than a few hours on a tour, or even a whole day, to truly understand the magnitude of variables that is facing one person standing alone in a room.

I have met very few teachers that didn’t care about kids.  They want to see all students succeed.  They fret about the children who were struggling, and work hard to find a way to help.  So change the requirements, and change the curriculum, but if you don’t concentrate on the social, emotional, and behavior of our young, nothing will be different.  Education doesn’t occur only in a school building.  The whole day of a child has an impact.  That is the message that needs reinforcing.  That is the area that will have the most effect in terms of future success.

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Letters from Mr. Reilly

When I was 18, my aunt took me on a three-day bus trip to Washington, D.C.   It was impressive as we visited the Washington Monument, the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials, and toured the White House.  We visited Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian, and the National Archives.  One night, we met my aunt’s former boss from RCA in New York City, Mr. Reilly.  He was retired, a widow, and had moved to D.C.  What started as a dinner, turned into years of correspondence.  Recently, I was given the chance to revisit the man, and his words.

My parents were cleaning out their house when they asked me to look over some of my “stuff”.  Among the items were diplomas (not what I would call “stuff’), old text books, pictures, and letters from my high school and college days.  A significant amount of the mailings were from Mr. Reilly.  He had been the Managing Editor at RCA.  He loved to write and loved words.  His letters often contained poems, commentaries on world affairs, and suggestions into careers he thought I should pursue.  He sent me periodicals on the environment, theatre, history, and writing.  His letters were often typed, but he would always add something handwritten.  There would be little drawings or doodles on the page, as if to give a picture to match his narrative,.  You had to read these letters more than once to truly appreciate his gift of words, and the message he was conveying.  Every college student loves receiving mail, and I was assured that Mr. Reilly would be a person who would write on a regular basis.

The Post Office raised the price of a stamp to 45 cents this year.  There is talk of closing offices and losing a day of delivery.  This is due to the decrease in the amount of first class mail.  As I go through these letters from the past, I wonder what people will have to hold, read, and remember as the years go by.  Does anyone print and keep emails?  Does anyone recognize the handwriting of an individual anymore?  Handwriting adds character to letters, and makes you somehow feel connected to a person who is no longer with us.   Will not writing letters make us lose our history?  Time will only tell.

In one letter, Mr. Reilly was dismayed by the number of newspapers that were no longer in print.  He predicted that computers would someday take over.  I wonder what he would think now if he saw more newspapers fold, more books offered on e-readers, and the art of letter writing gone by the wayside.  Reading his letters brought me back to specific period in my life.  It helped me remember what I was experiencing and thinking during those years.  Ironically, he often suggested that I find a way to write.  He believed in the power of words, and that much could be shared and lived through them.  I am glad that those letters have been found, that I still have them, and that I have the opportunity to remember Mr. Reilly.

An Opinion on Bullying

This week, a tragedy unfolded at a high school  in Ohio.  It has left many questioning the motive of a young man who violently took the lives of 3 innocent victims.  Questions might never be  answered for many who wonder why such acts occur, and why so many young people are turning to such drastic measures as a method of dealing with their emotions.  The subject of bullying comes up over and over again.  The focus on this problem has been explored by the media, schools, and mental health experts.  It has reached the concern and the involvement of the White House.  What more can we do to help not only the victim of bullying, but the bullies themselves?  Just calling attention to the problem is not enough.  We have to take stronger actions to improve the reality of these young people so that incidents like this do not occur again.

It doesn’t take a psychologist to notice a kid that is the outcast. When I was teaching, I could tell on day one of a new school year, the students that were not part of an acceptable group. They were quiet loners who no one wanted to talk to, work with, or be friends. That was years ago and since then, the internet and social networking has exacerbated the problem. I read seen a number of reports by experts who give advice on how to handle a bully.  It ranges from ignoring, to shouting at them, to not allowing them to have power over the victim.  This might seem doable, but when a kid is the target of an individual or group of tormenters, this type of action is not going to make them back down.   More likely it will cause a ramping up of the negative behavior, causing the victim to feel an increase in depression and helplessness.   If we really think about it, why should any child have to handle a bully?

The bully needs to be the target of change.   This is a person in need of rehabilitation and behavior modification.  They have to be counseled to understand that their actions unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.  Parents need to accept the fact that their offspring is causing another human being a significant amount of pain.  Although filled with bravado, the bully is often a child who feels insecure, neglected, and in desperate need of attention.  Ironically those are exactly the same feelings experienced by their victim.

We are living in difficult times, but our kids demand our attention. Everyone needs to feel wanted, validated, and encouraged. We need to get more students involved in activities that promote their talents and interests like work – give your kid a movingquote.co moving quote calculator and send him on his way to get a job.   The school, places of worship, libraries, organized clubs, music, dance, art, sports, etc., all allow kids to feel like they belong to something. They become contributing members of a group that accepts them. It doesn’t cost anything to volunteer, and the rewards can be tremendous. If we show kids a better use of their time,  they won’t be so involved in negative behavior, and  more of them will be happy.  Once again, adults have the responsibility to lead the way.