Manns Medium

The world is constantly changing but there are somethings that never change.  One of those things is the competition between people of who is better, bigger, bolder and smarter than anyone else.  Today we attempt to measure the intelligence level of people by some tests which was created by a group of people claiming and receiving acknowledgment that they are supposed to be the elite of intelligence.  The sad part of all this truly is that no one is smarter than anyone else.  It is simply a matter of opportunity and aptitude than it is about anything else. Consider this, you make straight “A” s in school and immediately you are viewed as smarter than the other kids in your class but this same straight “A” student would have a very hard time putting those mastered skills in action the very first time he/she has an opportunity to do so.  You can learn everything about the engine of an automobile from a book and repeat those lessons as eloquent and articulate ...

When it comes to educating our children, there appears to be more excuses than results and even though each individual person may have their own interpretation of why one thing is clear.  The Rockford School District is doing the very same thing, the very same way expecting a completely different result.  Now who says that educators are always the brightest bulbs on the tree? Another school year is about to begin and this same old tired story is resurrected.  Written by Reuben Jones for one of our local TV stations WREX the article titled “ RPS 205 looking at expanding year-round schooling” is reported on yet once again.  The article recalls “in just a few weeks Haskell classrooms will fill with students. Haskell is one of the only schools that are open during the summer. Early education to fifth grade students at Haskell Academy get a six week summer followed by two months of school and then a three week vacation in the fall.  Other RPS 205 students typic...

Nothing bothers me more than the desire some feel that inflicting pain on another is ever justified for any reason.  I am especially bothered by those calling them role models or parents failing to set the proper example and then wonder why our jails and prisons are so filled. The article that conjures up this distaste in my mouth is one titled “ Attack by mom and juvenile niece knocks NY teacher out cold ” as reported by the Huffington Post.  The article details that “an attack on a New York teacher by Annika McKenzie – a double team attack and beat down by a mother and her juvenile, 14-year-old niece – left a teacher unconscious on a school hallway floor. The teacher, identified as Catherine Engelhardt, was beat to the point of unconsciousness on Wednesday after McKenzie stormed into the school and placed the math teacher in a headlock while her niece pummeled her in the face.  Writes the HuffPost: “Annika McKenzie, 34, is charged with second-degree assault and str...

There are far too many instances where this takes place so for the sake of brevity and not to confuse too many people, let us concentrate on just one.  I am speaking of the Office Discipline Referral Form.   It is the policy of District 205 that a parent/guardian/caretaker must accompany the student back to school if they were suspended but this is after the suspension.  Due Process says that you are innocent until proven guilty, so any reasonable parent must assume that if their child gets suspended, an investigation into the offense was properly done and presented to those who decide on suspension.  If any reasonable parent assumes this, then they must also assume that their child or ward was exposed to this part of life without them being present to defend or supply a representative for their child or ward’s defense.  This, in turn, teaches the child that they have no voice because those representing the petition to suspend are adults and will be believ...

When I first read this article presented by one of our local channels, WREX, I thought that I had misread it and had to read it again.  After reading it several more times, I was still overwhelmed by a sense of “what the heck” and then it occurred to me that maybe they had more information than this article provided.  Maybe they did know what they were doing and even if it appears like a severe waste of money, the information that was not published in this article made the decision sound. The article reported that “the Rockford Public School Board has approved a plan that will drastically change the district. The approved 10-year facilities plan includes closing eight elementary schools, building two new ones and adding on to 13 schools. The plan is expected to cost $250 million.  "I am confident that moving forward will be able to execute a facilities plan that is one that best serves our students," said Dr. Ehren Jarrett, Superintendent of RPS 205.  Approved a...

So many people are now becoming quick to say that they know about post-traumatic stress disorder but very few can clearly explain what that is to the ones who suffer it.   It is then, therefore assumed, that what might be true for one suffering will also be true regarding the rest of us.   They couldn’t be further from the truth. The basics may be quite similar but the cure is not.   Probably because there is no real cure for PTSD.   It cannot be erased by drugs nor its results cured by counseling.   It can only be controlled.   Controlled by the decisions those who suffer from it makes.   One of the major common issues is the inability to sleep.   Many have begun to take sleeping aids in order to get that rest but to me those sleepless nights could be the beginning of something great. Use your sleepless nights as a time to think of a few good things that you could do for another person.   Maybe someone in your household or neighbor...

I was awaken this morning with a message for all of us, especially to those who are parents, grandparents, educators, instructors and those who have  a platform to address the masses. This message is one of frankness and one that many of us try so very hard to avoid saying because we worry about being “politically correct”.  It’s about the “true” evil that exists in this world and is all around us twenty-four hours a day. It is time for us to stop pretending that we will ever be able to rid this world of evil.  Evil of any and all kind.  Even God Almighty is not able to accomplish this and if it is difficult for him, we all should admit that it is more than far outside of our range to eliminate.  In this life, there are and always will be good and evil.  Even though we would love to believe that evil only exist in a very small portion of us, we know for a fact that evil can immerse even the strongest of us. It’s time to stop this charade of thinking...

All of us have heard the members of the Tea Party from all the different parts speak so highly about a smaller government and how they want to reduce the involvement of government in our lives.   We’ve heard them say this but we have witnessed and are witnessing their elected representatives do the exact opposite.   Prime example is the article written by Joe Wolverton, II of The New American titled Tennessee Divests Teachers Union of Collective Bargaining Power   in which he reported that “on June 1, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed a bill eliminating the collective bargaining “rights” of teachers in the Volunteer State.”   It quotes the Speaker of the Senate, Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) saying “It matters who governs. For years upon years, one union has thwarted the progress of education in Tennessee. Reform after reform has been refused or dismantled.   The barrier that has prevented us from putting the best possible teacher i...

If you pay close attention to this article written by Terence Chea of the Associated Press article titled Schools struggle to recover amid years of cuts , you may finally begin to understand why government, state and federal, are not trusted so much when it comes to what’s best for children.   In one breathe you heard how they are looking out for the future of our children and grand children and in that same breathe the first thing on the chopping block when it comes to budgets is the only real vehicle our kids have to a better life, education.   "What's going on is so antithetical to what works in education," Elizabeth Old said. "I'm 27. I'll be able to work somewhere eventually, but there are kids who are going to miss out on their basic education."   The cutbacks are expected to have a disproportionate effect on low-income communities that cannot soften the blow of state cuts with aggressive fundraising or local school taxes. Advocates worry that c...

For any “wanta-be” mayor of Rockford out there, now may be the time to cast your hat into the ring because the trend now taking lead in our local politics is the firing of Mayor Morrissey.    We may have thought that budget cuts which effects the lives of so many was only being done in other cities and states but today I learned that they are happening here. I awoke to smoke from a small fire within the walls of this home and after checking to make sure that it was something that I could not discover or combat myself, I relied on our fire department.   The 911 operator was with the county but as soon as I explained the situation to her, she immediately put me through to the city.   Minutes later, Engine 3 and Ladder 1 showed up at my address.   They were so very professional that my daughter and my niece began thinking about making fire fighting their career.   I was surprised only by the number of other fire stations that responded and began to question...

Of all the people parents place in high positions to help us watch over our children and keep them safe, none ranks higher than teachers and police officers.   To learn that the two most entrusted positions are a part of an international child exploitation ring is nothing short of appealing. According to Mike Corder of the Associated Press article titled Police say international pedophile ring smashed, this is truly the case.   “ Police said Wednesday they have smashed a huge international pedophile ring, rescuing 230 children from abuse and arresting 184 suspects — including teachers and police officers.”   “The three-year investigation codenamed Operation Rescue identified and safeguarded children in more than 30 countries by arresting people suspected of abusing them, said Rob Wainwright, director of the European Union police agency Europol.”   “The ring was centered on an Amsterdam-based online forum called boylover.net, which Wainwright described as "probably ...