My "Lazy" Student has Dropped Out of High School. My "Bad" Kid is Saving His Own Life.

The student I called "Joey" in this post has dropped out of high school. I'm devastated. I wish he would choose what's right for his future, but I'm worried that he won't.

The student I called "Mike" in this post is doing "One Goal," formerly known as "US Empowered." He's taking school seriously and he's working hard this year. I couldn't be prouder.

Why I love My Hood

I had always hated Halloween for stealing my birthday (which was yesterday). Then I moved to Logan Square. Two kids tonight:

Me: Who are you? Quienes son?
Older brother: We're robots!
Me: wait a second. Are you Optimus Prime? [Nods] And are you--

Older bro: We're not really robots.
Me: Are you Bumble Bee? [Nods. Takes mask off.] Whoa! You're a little boy! I really thought you were robots!
Older bro: We're not robots! We're kids! [Takes mask off]
Younger bro: We're kids!
Me: You sure had me fooled.
Parents (whisper): Say Happy Halloween.
Kids: Happy Halloween!
Me: thank you!
Older bro: You're welcome!

Two Americas: Health Edition

In the America I grew up in, parents beg for a diagnosis of anxiety disorder or ADHD so that their children can have extra time. In my students' America, they refuse treatment because they're embarrassed or their home culture frowns on therapy and mood and mental disabilities.

In the America I grew up in, I was taught about health and nutrition more than once. In my students' America, that's not tested, so it's not taught.

In the America I grew up in, we got proper treatment for asthma (one brother and I have it). In my students' America, you use your rescue inhaler every day because you don't know that there are better treatments out there, and neither do your parents.

In the America I grew up in, my parents could afford glasses. In my students' America, free glasses are first-come, first-served.

In the America I grew up in, we had good health insurance. In my students' America, you have Medicaid or nothing.

In the America I grew up in, you didn't miss school if you had a sports injury. In my students' America, you miss multiple days of school going to the doctor and going downtown to get your Medicaid approvals.

In the America I grew up in, we had sex ed more than once, and very few people got pregnant. If you did get pregnant, you got an abortion and no one talked about it. In my students' America, you don't get sex ed because it's not provided for in funding or policy. If you get pregnant, your parents force you to have the baby to teach you a lesson, or because abortions are against your religion. You are forced to raise the baby to teach you a lesson. And, chances are, you drop out of school to raise your child.

In the America I grew up in, teachers are rarely sexist or racist. They know about political correctness. They never claim that fathers shouldn't have to pay child support if abortion is legal. In my students' America, that's not the case.

In the America I grew up in, students with disabilities get everything they need. In my students' America, you can be an amazing student with a physical disability who advocates for yourself and all the other students in the school. You are the most amazing young woman your teacher has ever met. You are afraid you won't get to go to the college of your choice because you won't be able to afford it.

Drive: I post this all the time, but it bears repeating.

Guest Post by a Colleague: What We Won in the Strike

A colleague and friend at my school wrote this on her Facebook page. She is very, very smart.

We could call this another letter to my brother.

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For those of you that have been asking... Here is what we won in the teacher strike (see below)! This is just an outline, so if you're curious, I can explain in more detail why these are such great things.

Overall, we need a system that makes teaching a sustainable career that can attract and retain highly qualified teachers in the urban environment. The system must also be set up in such a way that teachers have a chance at being successful with all of their students, despite the great obstacles that many students face (poverty, crime, drugs, gangs, etc.). These small victories in the contract help move towards these goals.

• Better resources for students with special needs and better support for special education teachers 
• More transparency for teachers in evaluation 
• Fairer, more detailed and reliable systems for evaluations and ratings
• Less emphasis on student test scores 
• Greater due process protections for non-tenured teachers
• Better opportunities for teachers to take care of themselves so that they can be the best teachers they can be
• Paid family and maternity leave
• Continuation of our current pay scale and salary schedule (instead of a misguided version of "merit pay")
• More art, music, and PE teachers [for elementary students. Most elementary schools only have one of these three "specials." --mb]
• More social workers and nurses if we get gambling money from the state (fingers and toes crossed!!!!)
• Slightly more money for supplies (from $100 per teacher per year to $250 per teacher per year)
• Textbooks must be available for distribution on the first day of school
• Current class size protection language kept the same (the board wanted to eliminate limits on class sizes) and $500,000 put aside to hire new teachers in order to alleviate problems with large class sizes
• $500,000 to hire new special education teachers to alleviate exceptionally high case loads for SpEd teachers

Two Americas: Pre-Election Edition

Back when he ran for president the first time, and I supported him avidly, and campaigned for him, Barack Obama was a little bit tetchy about the "two Americas" line of thinking espoused by John Edwards. At the time, many of my university advisors and mentors supported Edwards. Edwards struck me as smarmy. I was right about that, but my profs were right in one regard: Edwards was the only one really talking about inequality and poverty. Inequality is the greatest problem our nation faces today. I know that's a bold statement, but I believe it to be true. There are very much two Americas in this country. I grew up in one, which we will euphemistically call "the suburbs." The other one is in urban and rural areas with high rates of poverty. We will euphemistically call this America "the city," but it should be understood that it also refers to Indian reservations, Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, and other high poverty areas.

"Arne Duncan and Obama Love School Testing"

In the America I grew up in, the suburbs, everyone takes the PSAT, because it is the test that qualifies you for National Merit Scholarship Money. In the city, not everyone takes the PSAT. This might be because your school doesn't offer it. Or you can't afford the testing fee of $14. Or you can't get a ride to school that day (a Saturday). Or you have to babysit your little brother. Or you have to work. Or your parents don't want you to go to college out of state (if you're a girl especially), or they don't want you to go to college at all.

In the city, your parents didn't go to college, so they don't know how to help you apply to college, even if they want you to go. They don't know about test prep books and test prep programs and The Fiske Guide and The Princeton Review. In the suburbs, where I grew up, your parents force all those books on you when you're a sophomore in high school.

In the America I grew up in, the suburbs, the school has plenty of athletic fields and offers nearly every sport that the state sports association offers. In the city, you can't hold softball and baseball practice at the same time, because both teams have to use the park across the street from the school. The football team and the boys' soccer team have to practice on alternate days, or organize their weight training schedules around each other. The ultimate frisbee team can't practice on the field at all. In the suburbs, most schools have ultimate frisbee teams. In the city, most schools don't know ultimate is a real sport. In the city, the track team practices by running up and down the sidewalk. If you're lucky enough to have a field or a track, it was paid for by a philanthropist.

In the suburbs, you never miss an athletic event because your bus didn't show up. In the city, this happens all. the. time. It just happened last week to an amazing, inspiring student with a physical disability who was about to compete in her first and only swim meet (it was the last meet of the season). She didn't get to compete.

In the suburbs, no one will let you drop out of high school without a fight. In the city, they don't have time to track you down if you don't show up.

In the suburbs, your parents take you to a psychiatrist so that you can get diagnosed with ADHD or an anxiety disorder because you want extended time on standardized tests. In the city, you think extended time makes you look like a dumb kid, so you turn down the offer.

In the city, you constantly have to write thank-you notes to the wealthy donors who are helping to pay for your education because the state can't pay for it.

In the city, you tell your teachers to work in the suburbs because you think it would be better for their careers.

If this doesn't make you angry, then I don't know what would.

I sort of take back what I said about subs

Sometimes when you're sick and you're rushing to get everything together, your colleagues are awesome. I just wanted to say that.

Also, on the day I had to take for my defense, my sub was awesome. She works in our school a lot, she knows most of our students by name, and she's terrific, even with the ones we love the most.