Summer Recap

Summer is basically over now, so I figure it's as good a time as any to look back at what I did this summer.

• Played with Maddie - a lot
• Spent quality family time with Melissa and Maddie
• Childproofed most of the house
• School workshops (2 days)
• Watered the garden up at school several times
• Trained Gizmo so that he is a much better behaved dog
• Flew to Las Vegas for one day
• Got a side job writing and editing
• Went to the Lake with Melissa and a group of friends who I don't see nearly often enough
• Took Maddie to the Zoo twice
• Took Maddie to Grant's Farm
• Sodded part of my yard
• Had the basement air ducts replaced and moved
• Replaced the condenser coil in the AC at my condo
• Helped a friend and neighbor get his nursery ready for their baby
• Went swimming a lot
• Got addicted to a game on my phone, then quit cold turkey
• Learned how to build and update a website and started kensusman.com, which is currently dedicated to basically being a website
• Posted my family tree to the aforementioned website

That's not bad. 

I'm back! (Maybe.)

When I finished posting on September 9, 2011, I didn't figure that I wouldn't post again until July 21, 2013, but here we are. Go figure. In the intervening 682 days, life has changed a little bit. The highlights:

• I got married
• My wife and I bought a house
• My beautiful daughter was born

Other than that, though, life is pretty much the same as it's always been. You know, other than the new house, wife and child.

Right.

Another thing that's changed, though, is that I seem to have regained a love for writing, and in a way that I didn't expect. I got the opportunity this summer to stay home with my daughter and not work. It has basically been awesome. I won't bore anyone with new dad blathering on. Instead, what I have found is that I have some time during her naps to get things done, and I've been doing some writing during this time. The writing has been for a side job that I picked up, but it turns out that I really do enjoy it. And so, I'm back.

I'm not going to be nearly as ambitious with this blog as I was before. I am not planning to write any long political treatises or explain my entire view of government and society. Instead, it will just be whatever lands on the screen. As it were.

Will I stick with it? History says no, but we'll see.

Update:

Also, I have a website now. I have no idea why, but it's there. So, if you're bored, head over to kensusman.com. Basically, at the moment, there's nothing there except for this blog. On the other hand, this blog is at a new link now. Go to susblogs.kensusman.com. Again, I don't have a clue why. 

The Role of the Government: Part 2

Well, I've decided that I will simply post the rest of my essay today in one shot.  I clearly am not going to post it in pieces throughout the week!  So, without further ado (and I know you've been waiting with baited breath...):

Third, the government must guarantee our long-term viability in the global economy.  The only way to do this is by pouring resources into education.  The system of schooling we have right now is broken, but not for the reasons everyone on Michelle Rhee's Christmas list thinks:  it's broken because it matters far too much where a child is born and what their parents do.

The Role of Government: Part 1

I started writing a post about the roles that government should play and what solutions I think we need for our major problems.  I thought that it would be lengthy, but I didn't know just how lengthy.  Rather than post one loooooong post, I'm going to break it into three or four shorter ones that I'll post over the next few days.  Why a few days?  Because I can.

Also, it's a bit of a mess.  It's a little rambling and disorganized.  Since I just chopped it into pieces for posting purposes, it will end abruptly.  I don't care.  Enjoy, and I'm curious to read any comments or thoughts you have.

--------------


It has been several weeks since I've written anything, but I've thought a lot about what I want to say here. With the debates and direction of the government and politics, I really want to lay out my view of what the American government ought to be and do. One quote that I keep coming back to is from Woodrow Wilson:  ""the business of government is to organize the common interest against the special interests." This is not a pro-business or anti-business statement, simply a pro-citizen statement. And it guides my views in significant ways.

The vitriol of the right still has the ability to stun me

Wow. Sometimes I truly can't believe my ears.  I have watched and listened to a lot of political commentary over the years, and I have watched and listened to a lot of Fox News, so I've heard a lot of awful, stupid, and crazy things said.  If you're looking for a conspiracy theory, just flip to 1210 on Uverse.

Considering all of this, and the fact that I used to read Ann Coulter regularly, just because, it's hard to believe that I can still be stunned by anything I hear.  And yet...

I was listening to the Hannity Show earlier--because I'm an idiot, obviously, and an actual guest of the show referred to the rioters in England as "stupid, stupid people" who can't even explain why they're rioting. He said that whatever the reason, it's probably their own fault in the first place

I know... not shocking.  Just another wingnut doing what wingnuts do.

Then he continued.  I desperately wish I could have recorded this so I transcribe it verbatim, but my summary will have to do.  Apparently, he was some of (presumably self-proclaimed) education expert, who was asserting that the Western education system, "the most lavish in the world," is turning out these idiot rioters who can't even speak.  He then continued by pointing out the incredible liberal agenda school teachers have, and blamed them for (remember, you can't make this stuff up, and I wish I remembered more of them):

1. Europe's economic collapse
2. The S&P downgrade
3. Unemployment
4. A nuclear Iran
5. Obama's election

He expanded on the fifth point, saying that Obama's election was incredibly unlikely, and in most eras would never have happened; he didn't stop to explain precisely what he meant, but I think we all understand, and I'm guessing that most of the listeners got his point.  He said that without the liberal agenda of the Western education establishment.

Look at the "argument" he laid out:

1. The rioters are stupid
2. It's the fault of the education system
3. You know what else is the fault of the education system?  The three worst things to ever happen to anyone anywhere:  bad economics, Iran getting a nuke (?), and a black guy getting elected President
4. Again, in case you forgot, that was the education system's fault.

I don't even know what to say about this.  Is there anything to say about this?  It's just getting more and more insane, and the crazies are now getting real national exposure--it's becoming a more and more dangerous world out there.

And school begins...

...sort of...

Tomorrow is day one for teachers.  We won't have students until Tuesday, but we start in earnest tomorrow.  And, really, I had meetings most of last week.  But tomorrow is official Teacher Day One.  So, it seems like a fair time to set in writing my goals for the year.


Goal 1.  I want to hold my students to higher standards than I have in the past.

I don't want to make my class harder or give fewer C's or anything like that.  Instead, I want to push students to achieve more by setting standards that they have to work towards.  We're adopting the Common Core Standards, which will help tremendously, but it still comes down to the tone I set, the curriculum I teach, and yes, the grades I assign.  I'm know what I want my students to be able to do by the end of year, and I want that to be THEIR goal from the get-go.

So far as giving more or fewer A's or whatever, I believe that with high standards and quality teaching, the As will take care of themselves.  Assuming...


Goal 2.  I want my feedback--including grades--to be informative, consistent and timely.

One thing that I've learned is that this is not nearly as simple as you might imagine.  Luckily, I'm in a position where I have the opportunity to work with an incredibly dedicated group of teachers to make sure this happens.  I hate to sound like a convert, but I went to a conference in the spring and it really opened my eyes to some major changes that I--and the education world as a whole, really--need to make in order to be a truly successful teacher of students.  On the surface, these changes seem simple:

1. Focus on specific, quality standards
2. Create proficiency scales to show students and teachers alike precisely what is expected 
3. Create assessment opportunities that allow students to demonstrate their proficiency
4. Create quality interventions for students who are at various levels

Ok, so once I type it out, it actually looks as comprehensive as it feels.  Those are not all of the steps, just four of them.  I'm lucky that I'm working with a group like I am.  We've got twenty or twenty-five teachers on board, plus the administration.  That number includes the overwhelming majority of my department, most of my grade level, and my team.  It's a lot of work, but it's exciting to be a part of it, and it will pay significant dividends.

Goal 3:  I want to be a constructive and effective leader.

This will be my fifth year of teaching, and my fourth in this position.  It's time to step up.  I was set to be team leader this year, but that isn't going to happen and that's completely fine with me.  Instead, I'm helping to spearhead the project I mentioned in Goal 2.  This is my first real opportunity to be at the forefront of something meaningful and new, and it's an opportunity I do not plan to squander.

Goal 4:  I want to be more organized.

Those of you who have spent time in my dorm room, my apartment, my car or my classroom, know that organization is somewhere near the bottom of my list of talents.  It's somewhere above reciting Greek poetry and below solving systems of equations.  Seriously, I'm better at algebra than at staying organized.  Honestly, it's a disaster.  My students and I were working on building detail into writing a couple of years ago, and I created this sentence (among others) for students to practice:

Mr. Susman's desk, _________________________________, is in the corner.

One group created this sentence:

Mr. Susman's desk, a piece of furniture closely resembling a landfill, is in the corner.

It was awesome, both in its descriptive power and its accuracy.  I probably will never be the person who has a desk with nothing on it but my laptop and a stapler, but I would like to be able to quickly find things that I need and I'm tired of being embarrassed by it.  Additionally, it's extremely difficult to convince the students to keep their work space orderly when my work space is an eruption of educational detritus.



Four goals is more than enough, and they're pretty major.  So, I've got my work cut out for me, and I'm ready to roll.

So, goodbye, summer--I'll miss you like crazy.  But, hello, school year--let's get to it.

A (Not So) Brief Introduction

Well, rather than trying to sum myself up in 1200 characters or whatever Blogger allows, I decided today that I should write a personal statement describing who I am and what I believe.  Instead of choosing a set of short cliches, this will allow me a series of longer, more verbose cliches.  I know that if anyone reads this, it will most likely be people who already know me, but it seems like an appropriate way to start, anyway.  I'm not completely sure where this is going, much like the blog itself, but here it is:

My name is Ken Susman, and I've decided that anonymity on the internet is no longer important to me, and I am not planning on hiding behind a pseudonym any longer.  As my friend Chris wrote on his blog, "I long ago gave up the pretense of web anonymity that many people cling to. To me, this is the natural corollary of all that "be yourself" advice you got in grade school." I agree.  It just took me longer to get there.  He got there long ago, and I got there last week.  I'm an adult and I'm not ashamed of my life or my opinions, so why should I write under an assumed name?  Doesn't make much sense.


I do, however, believe that people have a right to keep themselves anonymous, and I'm not going to break that.  Chris has clearly given up that pretense, so I'll call him Chris.  epods from my first post has not, so I'm not going to break it on her behalf.  Similarly, most of my family and friends are still remaining anonymous, or at least don't seem to have much interest in specifically putting themselves out there.  So, that's fine.  It's not my business to break that for them.


One thing that is my business is teaching.  I teach 8th grade English at a local middle school, and wouldn't trade it for anything.  Except for a chance to play major league baseball, be a guitar god, or a several million dollars.  I love what I do, but I'm not an idiot.  Why do I love it?  Because I feel like it's where I belong.  I love working with the kids and the faculty, and I love feeling like I'm making a difference.  Yeah, it's corny, but life isn't always profound.  Other things I love:  being done by 3:15 and summer break.  


Summer, for me, ends on Wednesday, and I'm damn excited about it.  This year is going to be huge for me, I think, both  professionally and personally.  Professionally, I'm taking on a series of new challenges and taking some new leadership roles.  What's exciting is that I am confident that the changes we're making are necessary and will prove to be incredibly effective once they're fully effected.  Additionally, I'm working with a committed and constantly growing group of teachers and administrators.  Plus, the school and the district are going to be moving the same direction, and it's a great feeling knowing that we're spearheading a broad and encompassing movement.  The wind is at our backs, and we're picking up speed.


Beyond professionally, of course, I'm getting married in just a few months, and I can't wait.  We've been together over two and a half years, and we've been engaged for almost a year.  It seemed like the day would never get here, but our invitations showed up the other day, and it's all very real right now.  And I'm actually more excited than I was before.  The future Mrs. SusBlogs and I are ready to roll--you know, except for the final 600 or 800 details.  I see it as the final set of challenges before the challenge of marriage.  So, this year:  challenges.  


It's not just teachin' and marryin' that gets me going.  Politics gets me rolling, especially these days.  I'm a proud progressive liberal.  And not a liberal like Obama--who I like well enough--but a real liberal.  I believe the government has the power to do immense good in the world.  Government can change lives in ways that no private company or institution can, and it should be used as an instrument of good.  It can guarantee that citizens have access to healthcare and education and food and shelter.  It can make sure that the arts and sciences have resources available to innovate and create.  It can require that companies act as good corporate citizens--keeping our air and water and land clean and habitable, as well as paying its employees a living wage for their work.  It can act internationally to end atrocities.  Government--particularly the American government--can and should be this force.  


Unfortunately, this is not what is happening.  Calvin Coolidge once said that "the chief business of the American government is business."  He was President just before the Great Depression.  His term ended only a few months before the stock market crashed.  Woodrow Wilson, on the other hand, once said that "the business of government is to organize the common interest against the special interests."  This is the government I want, but not the government I see.  The government that I see ends programs that help the seniors, children and the poor, and uses the money saved to cut taxes for the rich.  The government I see bombs countries all over the world in the name of national defense, and doesn't seem to worry about the consequences.  The country I see arrests people for smoking pot, but not for destroying the global economy.  The country I see tells a portion of the population that their love is not important and that the First Amendment the right to be a bigot trumps equality.  The country I see makes it clear that profits for corporations are more important than profits for workers.


But this country can change.  It's changed before, and it can change again.  I plan to be a part of it.  Do you?