Public School Reform and “Bad Teacher”

In “Bad Teacher,” Cameron Diaz stars as a gold digging, vulgar English teacher named Elizabeth Halsey whose idea of a productive class period is sleeping off one of her countless hangovers and showing movies to her class for weeks at a time. She is also a great example of why American public education is in need of some major changes.

“Bad Teacher” shows why merit pay for educators is needed. The movie’s plot centers around Miss Halsey trying to figure out how to get enough money to afford breast implants so the new sub with a big trust fund, Scott Delacorte (Justin Timberlake), will marry her and take care of her financially. Miss Halsey finds out the state offers a substantial bonus to teachers whose classes make top scores on their standardized tests. Miss Halsey responds to this extra financial incentive by putting down the bong and bottle for awhile so she can actually teach her kids something for a change. Before she found out about the bonus, she was no closer to new mammary equipment regardless of whether or not her students were learning anything.  When a teacher’s extra cash for implants depends on student’s test scores, educators like Miss Halsey have an added incentive to do more than just the bare minimum requirements.

Miss Halsey also forces her students to actually read real literature like “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Animal Farm,” not boring academic textbooks or multicultural fluff. This is refreshing because today’s “educators” are more likely to spend time on dissecting gender roles in early 19^th century  South Carolina or the ills of American imperialism than doing antiquated things like reading the classic works of the Western tradition.

Finally, Miss Halsey is not a member of the cult of self-esteem that has taken over “education” today. She gives kids F’s if their work deserves it. She ridicules (in very colorful language!) students if they turn in shoddy work rather than mindlessly flattering them like the movie’s supposedly “good teacher,” Amy Squirrel (Lucy Punch). American students consistently rank highest among developed countries in self-esteem and near the bottom in areas such as math and science. Our students would benefit from fewer pats on the back and more of Miss Halsey’s no-nonsense chastising.

Towards the end of “Bad Teacher,” Diaz has to make a significant decision about whether or not to get breast implants. The United States has a similar decision to make about perking up our educational system or continuing to let our students sag behind the rest of the world.

On the Decline in Memoirs

 While walking through the local Barnes and Noble a couple days ago, I saw that Tim Tebow had just released a memoir. It got me thinking about the level of accomplishment, or lack thereof, that is required these days before writing your memoirs. In short, not a whole lot.

The one good, recently released memoir that I have read is Christopher Hitchen’s “Hitch-22.”  I remember him saying something along the lines of thinking that it was still too early for him to write his memoirs but at his age he knew it could very quickly become too late.

Somehow I don’t think my generation ever wonders if it is “too early” for them to write their memoirs. For them, it is never too early. I’ve grown weary of these constant “my story” essays and books. If you are still in your twenties and thirties chances are your life story isn’t all that interesting yet.

I remember Christopher Buckley, a former speechwriter for George Bush when he was VP, saying that “anyone who spends twenty minutes in D.C. writes a tell-all later.” He was being sarcastic, but their is alot of truth in the statement( http://dailycaller.com/2011/06/30/thedc-interview-lisa-baron-author-of-life-of-the-party-a-political-press-tart-bares-all/). I remember reading an Ivy League blogger who earnestly said that she would be taking time off before her first post-college job becasue she wanted to write her memoirs.

Writing your memoirs as an early adult is narcissistic and lazy, which makes it the perfect literary pasttime for my generation. It is much easier to write about the frat parties you went to than actually studying and developing an expertise in an area that has nothing to do with yourself.

I also wonder if this rise of the early memoir is not  an attempt to fill a niche that our statesmen used to fill. Nowadays, our politicians (with alot of help from ghostwriters) churn out their memoirs filled with some of the most banal, politically correct fluff (I am speaking now of the “blue-collar, rough childhood that all of our leaders seem to have now.) imaginable.

Sadly, now that I think about it. Tebow, a QB who has won exactly one game in the NFL, by today’s standards took way too long to write his memoir. He should have published it after his sophomore year at Florida with the minimal amount of accolades required to write a memoir in today’s world. Heck, maybe I’ll get started on mine…

A Man’s Man: Conrad Black Edition

Just in case you have been feeling sorry for yourself recently…

“I Stand Before the Court” by Conrad Black

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/270751/i-stand-court-conrad-black

A taste: “All people suffer. It is a stern message, but need not be a grim one. We rarely know why we suffer, and only those who have faith even believe there is a reason. No one can plausibly explain in moral terms a natural disaster, or a personal tragedy. I see life as a privilege and almost all challenges as opportunities, and have always tried to take success like a gentleman, and disappointment like a man.”

Here is another article about the Black situation by his friend, David Frum:

http://theweek.com/bullpen/column/216823/free-conrad-black

Quick Hits: Huntsman, “Gender Bias Warriors” and Hemingway

On the Esquire Huntsman Profile http://www.esquire.com/features/jon-huntsman-profile-0811

What an annoying article. This article perfectly displays the two reasons Huntsman is the most tedious candidate in the Republican primary so far. Both aren’t really his fault. The first is the breathless cheerleading by liberals on his behalf. Huntsman is the “serious candidate” they say. This shows just how shallow the media establishment has become. Name one major issue on which Huntsman disagrees with the rest of the so-called “freaks” and “cranks” on the Tea Party fringe? Can’t do it. On taxes, spending and social values he is in lockstep with the Teabaggers. However, Huntsman will do the whole “I believe President Obama is just as much an American as I am” dance to appease liberals in the media so they can contrast ol’ Jonny with the evil, troglodytic Tea Party types. I’m reminded of that quote by Jonah Goldberg about liberals only liking conervatives who are “foreign, dead, or unelectable.” Huntsman is the latter but when he drops out get ready for tons of high brow analysis about how Huntsman was doomed to fail because the GOP has moved too far to the right.

The second is his arrogant staff that is always trying to seize the moral high ground and talk about how they are running a respectful and polite campaign. What does this more nuanced, adult campaign look like? Why, the top member of Huntsman’s campaign calling the Republican electorate a “bunch of cranks” of course! That’s civility for you.

On “No ‘Him’ or ‘Her’; Preschool fights gender bias” http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/27/501364/main20074594.shtml

What would we do without these brave warriors “fighting gender bias” in a preschool in Sweden? This may be my white patriarchal prejudices talking but one wonders if gender bias is all that big of a problem in preschool. This is just another example of a “diversity” program that is really about enforcing uniformity. I can just hear some M.F.A. candidate lecturing some poor boy when he gets out of line: “Now, now Timmy that’s enough play time with the cars! Wouldn’t want to be perpetuating those sinister gender roles now would you?”

Finished Reading: “The Sun Rises Also” by Ernest Hemingway

For the two people that will ever read this blog, I am hopelessly ignorant. As of late, I have been trying to “catch up” from my complete and unfortunate lethargy in high school and college. This was the second Hemingway book I’ve read. I read “Of Mice and Men” in high school. “The Sun” manages to be funny, depressing and enjoyable all at the same time. Bill is probably my favorite character with some of his hilarious one-liners: “Never be daunted. That’s my secret. Never be daunted in public.” There is another one of his drunken quotes about him being embarassed that he’s a writer and hating writing that is comical as well but I can’t remember the exact quote.

I feel for the main character, Jake, though. The best line in the book is when Bill asks Jake how long he has loved Brett–who Jake loves but is engaged to another gentleman and sleeps with atleast two other characters in the book. Jake replies, “Off and on for a hell of a long time.”

Feeling Rotnei

On the Transfer of Rotnei Clarke: http://es.pn/kAUiw0

In case you didn’t hear, Arkansas’ chances to have a decent season next year took a big hit with the announcement that the Hogs’ leading scorer, Rotnei Clarke, won’t be returning for his senior season.

If you include former star players, Patrick Beverly and Courtney Fortson, it seems that the UofA basketball program is allergic to star players. I could include Marshawn Powell on this list as well because his lethargic play makes one feel like he left the program after his freshman season.

It is a sobering feeling to realize that Hog fans could be watching a team next season filled with young, inexperienced players who only have Powell, the constant underachiever, to look to as their leader. Ultimately, Powell’s play will be the deciding factor in how much Arkansas fans will miss Rotnei Clarke.