Warranties

A warranty is a written guarantee issued to the purchaser of an article by the manufacturer, promising to repair or replace it if necessary within a specified period of time.  That last part is the tricky part.  You see, the last part really makes you wonder about the first part.  If the product is that good (and they tell you it is), then why do they specify the warranty period as relatively short?  The shorter the warranty period, the easier it is to understand the warranty itself.  The longer the  warranty period, the more sketchy are the details as to what is covered.  I would advise not just reading the fine print, but understanding the fine print before you sign a thing.  How about the concept of the “Extended” warranty.  Extended means that you are paying for that warranty longer. A Consumer Reports survey found that 55% of car buyers who purchased an extended warranty never used it for repairs even though the median coverage was $1200 and for those who did use it spent hundreds more for the coverage than they saved in repair costs.  The better the product, the less there is a need for a warranty.

There was a push in some parts of the country during the 1990’s for high schools to give warranties on their students based on their abilities to perform well in the real world in terms of functional literacy. The premise was that schools were required to guarantee that their students could read, write, and do arithmetic.  Once hired, if those same students were found to be performing below the guaranteed level, then the schools had to provide remedial instruction.    The warranties served two purpose;; (1) To give businesses confidence in the high school grads and (2)  Instill confidence in teachers that their efforts were worthwhile.  How about you – are you ready to GUARANTEE that all of your students are ready for the next level and will put that in a written warranty that if not, you will provide the necessary remediation?  A novel concept, isn’t it?  The better the product, the less there is a need for a warranty.

Picking Apples

Shuna Holmes, Assistant Director of the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, wrote a blog entitled, “Women are like Apples.”  Okay, I bit (no pun intended).  Here’s what she wrote –“Women are like apples on a tree.  The best ones are at the top of the tree.  The men don’t want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt.”  Not in my case!  I climbed the tree and was blessed to get the best apple.  I found her comments pretty deep because you all know that I like that kind of  analogical and metaphorical writing because I do the same each week.  Even outside of Ms. Holmes’ meaning, there is something here about apple picking.  People go to apple orchards in the fall months to pick apples.  Did you ever see even one of those people climb the apple tree to get the best fruit?  After all, that’s where the best fruit is.  The vast majority of people are content to just pick from the lowest branches and are satisfied with so-so apples.  They stay away from the apples on the ground unless they want to smash them in a cider press for the liquid and leaving the remnants for the critters.  But the really good apples, those near the top – they’re just not worth the climb for most.

Students are much like this.  Many are just content to stay where it is comfortable and eat off the lower branches of understanding.  That’s where the easy stuff is in academic terms.  Those are the branches that hold knowledge and comprehension levels of understanding.  Not much effort needs to be exerted and what the heck, they can still eat.  Some will stand on their tip-toes and pick off the branches that hold application levels of understanding.  The fruit is a little tastier there, but nothing to write home about.  We won’t teach kids to be critical thinkers if we never get them up in the tree trying to pick from branches that hold apples of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels.  Maybe they can use a ladder, maybe they’ll have to climb. It doesn’t matter. We have to get them up in the tree.  That’s where the best apples are. 

Dallas

On July 7, 2016, a shooter ambushed and fired upon a group of police officers in Dallas, Texas.  Five of those officers were killed.  Nine others were injured.  The shooter was angry over police shootings of black men and was intent on killing white police officers.  Sad.  Ironically, the shootings came at the conclusion of a PEACEFUL organized protest against police killings of two black men.  Sad.  Emotions were running high on both sides of the issue.  For me, I have a brother who has been a police officer for 36 years and a nephew who is in his second year as a police officer. Police shootings hit home pretty quick.  Take the politics out of this tragedy and guess what – it is still a tragedy.  ALL lives matter.  Many civilians and officers were interviewed after the shootings.  One officer, a spokesmen for the Dallas police force, said something that stuck with me.  He was imploring the public to show support in tangible ways.  Here’s what he said – “We don’t feel your support most days.  Let’s not make today most days.”  Amen.

There is a teacher shortage in the United States.  Why is this?  There are many reasons why young people do not choose to make teaching their profession.  Some of these reasons are personal; other reasons are quite public.  Teachers today have to be masters of their content, a computer whiz, a counselor, an advocate, a proxy-parent, a coach, an entertainer, a facilitator, an data interpreter, an assessment writer, a course developer, a psychologist, first-aid responder, parent communicator, promise keeper, have something called “withitness” and a thousand other things.  People know teachers because essentially everyone was a student at some time in their life and had at least one teacher.  Teachers need to be honored.  Teachers need to be respected.  Teachers need to be listened to.  Teachers have a chance every day to change lives – to make a difference.  Teachers should not have to echo what the police officer in Dallas said – “We don’t feel your support most days.  Let’s not make today most days”.  Thanks for what you do.  You have my support. I have said it before a thousand times, but here it is again – the most important resource we have in education are the human resources.   Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!