Calling All Spiritual and Natural Mom Prayer Warriors!

Dear Ladies,
I am writing and asking you to pray for our country (students, teachers, parents, principals etc)! Here is why.

Yesterday I found myself praying with other teachers after work about the current crisis we are experiencing in education. I had been feeling so defeated because the public has been deceived. They think these current education bills are in the best interest of our children, but in reality it is mostly ALL about money. Honestly, all teachers cannot be bad. Please think about this before you read on because I am not saying that no one has ever had a problem with a teacher. I am saying that ALL teachers cannot be bad and to bundle all teachers into one or more bills is wrong. The system is broken!

So, like I said, I have been feeling so frustrated because of all of this. I am sick for our country’s children. I feel like I am carrying the burdens of the many teachers at my school who work soooooo hard everyday and after hours for their students. This includes the parents who support their children and their teachers. It's bigger than that! My heart is breaking for our country. I have to give it to the Lord! I know..., but I can also share my burden with you and ask you to pray too.

I realized I was angry at almost everyone about these bills. I had a hard time forgiving Governor Scott. I had a hard time forgiving the Florida Commissioner of Education for resigning and leaving us ALL in this mess after June 10th, 2011, though I understand why he is getting out! It’s also hard for me to swallow a bitter pill: My students have to pass a test or show a certain amount of points to show they have made yearly progress. However, they don’t have to come to school, do their homework, and do their classwork; I am speaking about students that are 16 or older. You know what else? If a 9th grader comes in 300 points below grade level, it is almost impossible for them to make enough gains to pass the test, let alone graduate. Yet, the state wants teachers to focus on making 78 points gain to show progress. Really? Do they not get it? Apparently, they don't. In short, whether or not they do well depends on the work ethic of the students by high school and the parents support or belief in the importance of education.

I also was frustrated because students are choosing their classes for next year. Even with AP and DE classes, students are asking for the blow off teachers. “There aren’t any AP or DE blow of teachers”, I replied to several 10th graders yesterday! You know what else? I can’t sit on them and make them work. I can’t entertain them and make everything fun. The FCAT will not be fun. It will be rigorous. Parents call and complain when we assign too much work, but then they call and complain that their child did not pass the FCAT. They complain about these teachers.... Do you remember the teachers you disliked the most? The ones that made you work and learn. Yet, many parents and students shop for teachers to fit their schedule needs (sports, dance, ... etc). Education is education. Let's not confuse it.

Another thing that makes me mad is that there is no prevision for students who had a parent die or suffered a divorce. Nope, take the test and show what you know. What about the kid who is being abused at home but no one is aware. Oh well, take the test and show your best. This is wrong! And, how does one test show what you know? It does not. It measures that moment in time. There is no provision for test anxiety either.

I am also concerned because Pearson Educaution is making a lot of money off of standardized tests in Florida, and tax payer dollars are funding charter schools that might as well be private because they don't play by the same rules. They can reject the kids with behavior and drug problems. If we are are not careful and as more charter schools are funded via tax payer dollars, what is going to happen to our public schools? Folks, we are throwing our children and the schools to the wolves and the rich are getting richer over it too. It's not us. Some Americans are too ignorant to see the bigger picture here.

Why doesn’t anyone stand up? Well, teachers cannot strike in the state of Fl. We feel like we have no voice and that we just have to take everything. Our hands are tied. We can picket, and it began this past weekend. But there was no response from the governor. Waiting until July to march in protest in Washington DC is too late. Prayer changes things! Right?

Well, I realized our hands are not tied! We can pray and ask God to show us what to do. Please do the same. Ask God to show you what you should do.

Thanks and God Bless You!