Saturday, October 7, 2023

BULLYING: THE ART OF BEING A JERK

BULLYING: THE ART OF BEING A JERK

Bullying is still a major problem according to the Boys and Girls Club of America's "Youth Right Now" survey. But let's be honest, bullying has been around since the dawn of time. Even cavemen probably bullied each other over who had the best cave painting. 

The survey found that 40% of youth report being bullied on school grounds in the last year. That's double the number reported in 2012. It's like bullies are multiplying faster than rabbits on Viagra. And to make matters worse, 18% of youth have experienced cyberbullying. So now bullies don't even have to leave their house to torment someone. They can just do it from the comfort of their own bed while eating a bag of Cheetos. 

But let's not dwell on the negative. Let's focus on the positive. The Boys and Girls Club of America's survey is helping over 5,200 Boys & Girls Clubs improve their services to youth. That's great news! Maybe they can start offering classes on how to give a proper wedgie or how to make a really good prank call. 

Licensed professional counselor, Nancy Lloyd, says that bullying can be particularly hard to prevent in school because of a lack of resources. But I have a solution! We should just hire a bunch of clowns to follow the bullies around all day. That way, every time they try to bully someone, a clown can pop out and squirt them with a flower or honk a horn in their face. It's foolproof! 

In all seriousness though, bullying is no laughing matter. Children start forming their identity and discovering who they are around age nine, so experiencing bullying at this age can have lasting effects. Parents need to be "emotion-focused," and have multiple conversations with their children to try and understand the situation. Or they could just give their kids a can of whoop-ass and tell them to stand up for themselves. 

In conclusion, bullying sucks. It's been around forever and it doesn't seem like it's going away anytime soon. But we can all do our part to help prevent it. Whether it's through education, clown squads, or just teaching our kids to be strong and confident, we can make a difference. And who knows, maybe one day we'll live in a world where everyone is nice to each other and we can all hold hands and sing Kumbaya. Or maybe not. But it's worth a shot.

Recent study finds number of students bullied at school has doubled since 2012 | WCIV https://abcnews4.com/news/local/recent-study-finds-number-of-students-bullied-at-school-has-doubled-since-2012-ecuation-news-school-abc-news-4-wciv 

Insights from the largest data set on kids and teens. https://bgca.org/en/about-us/youth-right-now 


THE MAD MAGA MONK OF OKLA EDUCATION RYAN 'RASPUTIN' WALTERS GIVES FINGER TO VETERAN TEACHERS

THE MAD MAGA MONK OF OKLA EDUCATION RYAN 'RASPUTIN' WALTERS GIVES FINGER TO VETERAN TEACHERS 

Ladies and gentlemen, hold on to your hats because the Mad MAGA Monk of Oklahoma Education, Ryan "Rasputin" Walters, has done it again! In a move that has left veteran teachers fuming, Rasputin Walters has announced a new signing bonus scheme aimed at attracting new teachers to early elementary and special education positions for the upcoming school year.

Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty of this new scheme, let's take a moment to appreciate the sheer audacity of this man. Here we have a superintendent who has presided over years of poor wages and working conditions for Oklahoma's teachers, and now he's trying to lure in new recruits with the promise of a signing bonus? It's like a slap in the face to all those veteran teachers who have toiled away for years without any such incentives.

But wait, it gets even better (or worse, depending on your perspective). Not only are these new teachers going to be getting signing bonuses, but they're going to be getting some serious dough. We're talking up to $20,000 for early elementary and special education positions in high-poverty or rural districts. And if that wasn't enough to make veteran teachers want to throw their chalkboards out the window, there's also a clawback mechanism within the program that allows districts to collect from teachers who fail to fulfill their five-year commitment.

Now, I don't know about you, but this all seems a bit fishy to me. Why is Rasputin Walters suddenly so concerned with attracting new teachers? Could it be that he's finally realized that Oklahoma's education system is in dire need of fresh blood? Or is there something more sinister at play here? Perhaps Rasputin Walters is secretly trying to create an army of loyal, indebted teachers who will do his bidding without question. Or maybe he just wants to be known as the superintendent who finally solved Oklahoma's teacher shortage problem (even if it means throwing veteran teachers under the bus).

Whatever his motives may be, one thing is clear: Rasputin Walters is not afraid to shake things up. And while some may see his new signing bonus scheme as a betrayal of veteran teachers, others see it as a sign of progress. After all, if Oklahoma wants to attract the best and brightest educators, it needs to offer competitive compensation packages. And if that means giving new teachers signing bonuses, then so be it.

Of course, there are still concerns about how this new scheme will affect morale among veteran teachers. Will they feel undervalued and underappreciated? Will they start looking for jobs in other states with better compensation packages? Only time will tell. But one thing is for sure: Rasputin Walters is not one to shy away from controversy. And in a state where education is always a hot-button issue, that's saying something.

So what's next for Oklahoma's education system? Will Rasputin Walters continue to push the envelope with his bold initiatives? Or will he finally listen to the concerns of veteran teachers and work towards improving their working conditions? Only time will tell. But one thing is certain: as long as Rasputin Walters is at the helm, there will never be a dull moment in Oklahoma education.

Oklahoma teacher bonus incentive program raises concern | The Journal Record https://journalrecord.com/2023/06/22/oklahoma-teacher-bonus-incentive-program-raises-concern/ 

Big Bonuses, Bigger Risks: Oklahoma's new teacher sign-on bonus program raises concern | KOSU https://www.kosu.org/show/stateimpact-oklahoma/2023-06-22/big-bonuses-bigger-risks-oklahomas-new-teacher-sign-on-bonus-program-raises-concern 

Controversial ‘Teacher Signing Bonus’ is causing waves in Oklahoma Public Schools. https://www.kswo.com/2023/08/11/controversial-teacher-signing-bonus-is-causing-waves-oklahoma-public-schools/

 533 teachers take advantage of Oklahoma signing bonus program https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-533-teachers-signing-bonus-program-vacanies/45471501

Oklahoma State Department of Education speaks on Walters' Teacher Signing Bonus Program | KTUL https://ktul.com/news/local/oklahoma-state-department-of-education-speaks-on-walters-teacher-singing-bonus-program  


HISD TEACHERS GET SHAFTED BY MEATAXE MIKE MILES

 

HISD TEACHERS GET SHAFTED BY MEATAXE MIKE MILES

In a shocking move, HISD Superintendent MeatAxe Mike Miles has proven that he is not only an a**hole but also a complete jerk. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) teachers have been informed that they will no longer receive overtime pay for extra hours worked this academic year. And if that wasn't bad enough, the stipends for positions that are hard to fill have been slashed by thousands of dollars.

Last year, special education teachers who filled such positions received $5,000 stipends, while high school math and science teachers, along with career and technical education instructors, received stipends of $2,000. This year, each of those stipends has been reduced to $1,000. However, the stipend cuts in the compensation manual will take effect district-wide, not just at the 85 NES campuses. Teachers at other schools will not receive a raise and additional $10,000 to offset cuts to their stipends.

What's next? Will they start charging teachers for using the restroom? Maybe they'll start making them pay for their own pencils and paper. It seems like MeatAxe Mike Miles is on a mission to make the lives of HISD teachers as miserable as possible.

But wait, it gets even better. Teachers around the district received emails this week indicating they should not expect overtime pay this year. Miles said, when it comes to overtime pay, he's trying to change the mentality in the district. "Teachers teach, and they are exempt employees. That's the job. We are not clock-in, clock-out people," he said. "There is no culture here where we're going to pay teachers overtime hours for doing their job."

Oh really? So, teachers are exempt employees and they shouldn't expect overtime pay? Well, I guess that means that MeatAxe Mike Miles is exempt from being a decent human being and shouldn't expect any respect from HISD teachers.

It's clear that MeatAxe Mike Miles doesn't value the hard work and dedication of HISD teachers. He seems to think that they should be happy just to have a job and shouldn't expect any compensation for going above and beyond.

But let's be real here. Teaching is not just a job, it's a calling. Teachers work long hours, often staying late into the evening grading papers and preparing lesson plans. They spend their own money on school supplies and often go above and beyond to make sure their students succeed.

So, what can HISD teachers do in the face of MeatAxe Mike Miles' blatant disrespect? Well, they can start by banding together and demanding better treatment. They can speak out against these unfair policies and demand that their hard work be recognized and compensated.

And if MeatAxe Mike Miles doesn't listen? Well, they can always resort to giving him a taste of his own medicine. Maybe they can start cutting his salary and see how he likes it.

In all seriousness though, HISD teachers deserve better than this. They deserve respect, fair compensation, and a superintendent who values their hard work and dedication. It's time for MeatAxe Mike Miles to step up or step down.

Houston ISD makes changes to teachers’ stipends, overtime pay – Houston Public Media https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/education-news/hisd/2023/10/06/465868/houston-isd-teacher-stipends-overtime-pay-changes/ 

HISD Superintendent warns teacher of no extra pay https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/no-extra-pay-for-nes-teachers-18411062.php 

HISD Compensation Manual 2022 – 2023 https://www.houstonisd.org/cms/lib2/TX01001591/Centricity/domain/50243/salary_tables/2022-2023/HISD%20Compensation%20Manual-2022-2023.pdf



TOP BANANA: TOP READS THIS WEEK 10-7-23 #tbats #edchat #K12 #learning #edtech #StandUpUAW

 

TOP BANANA: TOP READS THIS WEEK 10-7-23

Big Education Ape: BULLYING 101: OKLA SPI RYAN RASPUTIN WALTERS USING PLAYGROUND TACTICS TO FURTHER HIS POLITICAL CAREER https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/09/bullying-101-okla-spi-ryan-rasputin.html






Big Education Ape: STARVING TEACHERS CHOOSE THE RIGHT GIG JOB TO AVOID GETTING FIRED https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/starving-teachers-choose-right-gig-job.html 







Big Education Ape: TOP BANANA: TOP READS THIS WEEK 9-30-23 #tbats #edchat #K12 #learning #edtech #StandUpUAW https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/09/top-banana-top-reads-this-week-9-30-23.html 






Big Education Ape: THE BANALITY OF EVIL: TRUMP'S FOLLOWERS AND THE DANGERS OF BLIND OBEDIENCE https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-banality-of-evil-trumps-followers.html







Big Education Ape: PHILLY CHARTER SCHOOLS: THE BEYONCE OF EDUCATION OR JUST ANOTHER ONE HIT WONDER https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/philly-charter-schools-beyonce-of.html 






Big Education Ape: IDEA CLASH AT COLLEGE: ACADEMIC FREEDOM OF SPEECH VS. STFU MENTALITY https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/idea-clash-at-college-academic-freedom.html 







Big Education Ape: THE VIRGINITY COMPLEX: HOW ABSTINENCE ONLY SEX EDUCATION FAILS KIDS https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-virginity-complex-how-abstinence.html







Big Education Ape: OHIO EDUCATION: FROM A.B.C.S TO MAGA-ZED - THE ALPHABET SOUP OF CHAOS (AKA FLAMING VOUCHERS) https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/ohio-education-from-abcs-to-maga-zed.html 






Big Education Ape: TO AI OR NOT TO AI? THAT IS THE QUESTION AND THE ANSWER IS COMPLICATED https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/to-ai-or-not-to-ai-that-is-question-and.html 







Big Education Ape: ULTRA MAGA VS MEGA MAGA VS SANITY: THE HILARIOUS BATTLE OVER THE CARCASS OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/10/ultra-maga-vs-mega-maga-vs-sanity.html 






OTHER GREAT READS THIS WEEK FROM THE BIG EDUCATION APE



Big Education Ape: GLORIA JOHNSON STANDING TALL FOR TENNESSEE https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/09/gloria-johnson-standing-tall-for.html

#StandUpUAW

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TOP BANANA: TOP READS THIS WEEK 9-30-23 Big Education Ape: BULLYING 101: OKLA SPI RYAN RASPUTIN WALTERS USING PLAYGROUND TACTICS TO FURTHER HIS POLITICAL CAREER https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/09/bullying-101-okla-spi-ryan-rasputin.html Big Education Ape: OKLA MAD MAGA MONK SAYS RED DOESN'T WORK FOR HIM IN OKLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS https://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2023/09/okla-mad-maga-mo